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He went back to Stardew Valley.
“Tito?”
He looked up and his bushy, white brows rose above the tops of his neon green sunglass frames.
“You know you’re the awesomest boss ever, right?”
He smiled. “I try.”
I wanted to hug him or something.
But he was back in Stardew Valley.
So instead, I returned to work.
* * *
Dadand I were sitting on stools watching Deb and Cap at the stove.
In a skillet, Cap was spooning some kind of buttery or olive-oily stuff that was sprinkled with some rosemary twigs on top of pork chops while Deb looked over his shoulder, oooing and aahing.
I’d changed from work clothes and donned the red dress with the pink flowers, flutter sleeves, tiered skirt, smocked waist with a cutaway at the small of my back that Dad bought me yesterday.
Cap was in jeans and a short sleeve, dark wash chambray-colored linen shirt.
I knew how nervous Deb was about this whole thing when she turned up in a sleeveless, blousy number and high heels that went better at Lon’s than in my living room.
Dad knew where we were at in our reconciliation, that being in a good place, but he still knew how important this was, so he was in chinos and a navy button down.
Patches was in his normal outfit, curled into the corner of the couch with his back to us, sharing he was not a huge fan of too much company.
“That smells so good,” Deb enthused. “We had lunch at a great Mexican place at that pretty, swanky mall, and I ate so much, I worried I wouldn’t be hungry for dinner. But I can’t wait to eat.”
“Honey, quit hovering over Cap’s shoulder and give the man some room to move,” Dad said to his wife.
She jumped and put her hand to her chest before she made to skedaddle, saying, “I’m sorry, Cap.”
“You’re fine.” Cap looked over his shoulder at Dad. “She’s fine, Charlie. Thanks, though.”
Deb left him alone and walked the half step (okay, it was more) to the counter opposite me and Dad.
“I like your apartment, Rachel,” she said.
Update.
I’d had a slight drama when I got home and realized I wanted to give the full tour, and couldn’t do that with my bedroom wall the way it was.
When Cap got home, I shared this dilemma.
So, while I was changing clothes, he tacked up the bright, flowery tapestry I sometimes threw over my rattan, Target, patio chairs outside my front door when I was feeling in a funky mood. This instantly solved my dilemma because it looked out of place on my wall, but notthatout of place.
And thus, I could conduct the full tour.
“Can you get any better?” I asked when he was finished.
His eyes traveled the length of me in my dress, and he asked back, “That’s my question.”
Obviously, this comment was the answer to mine.
