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“My mother had me wait for my father in the foyer to make sure he saw me. When he got home—”
“The look on his face was priceless,” Cole said. “First he grounded Ivan for messing with his hair clippers, and then he had to sit there while Dad gave him a buzz cut. It was hilarious.”
“Not to Mom,” Ivan said drily. “Just seeing those pictures makes her mad all over again.”
Milán entered with a platter of assorted appetizers. Everyone dug into the pinwheels and puffed pastries with gusto.
“Would anyone like a drink?”
Ivan took drink orders, and Adrian got up to help him. When the kitchen timer went off, Tiffany excused herself to go check on the meal.
“Need some help?” Norma Jean said from the doorway.
“Yes, thank you. Everything is ready. I’ll let the lamb sit for a few minutes while we put everything on the table.”
In addition to roast lamb, which was Ivan’s favorite, she had also made garlic mashed potatoes, roasted whole green beans with pine nuts and homemade garlic parmesan knots. All eight of them sat down at the dining table. Heathcliffe said a special grace to bless the food and Ivan’s journey. Everyone said, “Amen,” and began passing dishes around.
As was the norm at Norma Jean’s house, the dinner conversation was lively. Cecile was fascinated by the tale of the Love Broker, and how successful Norma Jean had been at making love matches for Adrian and his friends.
“Have you breathed a sigh of relief yet?” Ivan whispered in Tiffany’s ear.
“Sort of,” she admitted. “I just wanted tonight to be superspecial for you.”
He leaned in for her ears only. “Sweetheart, this dinner is absolutely perfect. Having our friends and family here is awesome, and I’m truly appreciative of your hard work in making this happen, but the superspecial part of this night is being able to share it with you.”
That declaration was enough to make Tiffany lose her composure. She politely excused herself and walked into her room and shut the door.
Ivan would leave tomorrow, and it had suddenly become real that he was leaving and would be gone for months. She didn’t know when he’d get a chance to come home to visit. Ivan was the most important thing in her life, and all bravado aside, her heart was breaking at the loss.
She was still trying to get it together when Ivan tapped on the door a few minutes later. He opened it and poked his head in.
When he saw her crying, he was at her side in an instant. He knelt down beside her.
“Tiff, what’s wrong? Are you okay?” he said with concern. He placed a hand on both her knees. “Talk to me, are you ill? Was it something you ate?”
“That’s the most beautiful thing anyone has ever said to me,” she said.
Ivan stared at her in confusion. “What?”
“You said that all you needed to make your night special was me. Nobody has ever said anything like that to me before.”
He relaxed. “Tiffany, look at me.”
She raised bloodshot eyes to meet his.
“Baby, just because I’ll be on the other side of the world doesn’t mean I won’t be able to tell you how I feel about you, and how important you are to me.”
“I know, but…it won’t be the same. You won’t be here with me.” She sniffed and blew her nose.
“True, but the sentiments won’t change, sweetheart. I care about you—two inches away, or two million.”
A light rap sounded at the door. “Tiffany?” Milán said hesitantly. “Are you okay? I don’t mean to interrupt, but Ivan’s grandmother is asking about dessert. She wants to know if you have stuff to make a chocolate sundae.”
Tiffany burst out laughing. “Come in, Lani,” she called out.
Milán opened the door an inch at a time.
Ivan helped Tiffany to her feet, and then faced Milán. “Would you mind helping Tiffany? I’m going to go fix the Grand Dame a sundae. She’s stuck on them right now, and nothing else will do.”
