I lean up on my toes and kiss Ghenie’s lips. He makes a surprised noise before he’s sinking into the kiss.
“I’ll do better this time. I’ll be here to take care of you and rub oil on your belly and fetch you your cravings. I’m not going anywhere, Ghenie.”
Ghenie’s eyes fill with tears. “That’s all I could ever hope for.”
Chapter Eleven
Christian
Sweat drips down the side of my head as I put the finishing touches on everything. I really shouldn’t be nervous. I don’t normally care what people think of me. They never last long enough to really make a difference if they like me or not anyway. But this is different.
Instead of just hosting Ghenie’s parents, I got the bright idea to have a dinner party. I figured it would be a nice buffer so that things never get awkward, but that also means they’re all going to be here at once. So many things could go wrong.
“Are you well?”
I freeze before slowly turning around, finding Ghenie watching me. His eyes sweep over my face before he’s stepping into my space, wrapping his arms around my back.
“I’m fine,” I say right away, lying through my teeth. “Totally not freaking out about impressing your parents. Nope. That would be silly.”
“Very silly indeed,” he says, nodding his head. “They will love you because you are you. You have nothing to prove.”
“Except I’m working overtime trying to make up for leaving.”
“Oh, Christian,” Ghenie says, squeezing me tight. “You don’t have anything to make up for. You did what was right for you at the time. You have to forgive yourself eventually.”
“If you say so,” I whisper. “Will you help me set the table?”
“Of course,” he says before leaning down and kissing the tip of my nose. It’s such a silly gesture that I find myself blushing. And then I immediately curse myself for blushing. I don’tblush!
We carry platters into the dining room, setting them out on the long table we brought in just for this dinner. Maribel is lying on the floor on a blanket, making adorable gurgling noises at the toys that hang above her. She reaches up and hits one, giggling to herself. I don’t think I’ll ever stop feeling so much wonder when I look at her.
Instead of preparing a huge meal for everyone, I’ve made a bunch of random finger foods. Everyone can assemble their own charcuterie boards. There are random cuts of cured meats, there are veggies that have been cut into sticks. Next to those are some crackers and some soft bread. I’ve added a bit of chocolate and other sweets along with some fruit. I’ve also whipped up two different types of dips for everyone to try.
The variety should make for interesting tastes and textures while being small so it’s easy to eat as we all talk. Ghenie also got us two bottles of wine so everyone can have a drink while we eat.
God, I really want this to go well. Since when do I give a shit what people think? This is downright maddening, but I can’t deny the pull to impress Ghenie’s parents.
“I think that’s everything.”
Ghenie plucks a fruit from the table, popping it into his mouth. “It’s perfect, Christian. Stop fussing.”
“I feel like our roles are reversed today. You seem so carefree.”
Ghenie shrugs. “I’m about to be surrounded by my favorite people without any responsibilities or tasks. It is going to be a good day.”
“You just jinxed it,” I murmur as someone knocks on the door. I give Ghenie a look as I walk over to the door, leaving him giggling behind me. If anything goes wrong, I can absolutely blame it on him.
“Hey, bestie!”
I take the bottle from Miles’ hands and turn around. “Don’t ever call me that again.”
Timalah lets out a booming laugh. “Did I not tell you he would hate that?”
“I thought he would make an exception!” Miles says and I can hear the pout in his voice. “Hello, Maribel. Aren’t you so sweet? She’s so aware these days, it’s amazing!”
“She’s captivated by the mobile. I think she likes thechuratothe best.” Achuratois something similar to a rhino. It has a horn on its nose but its skin is dark purple and it has giant floppy ears. There’s one on Maribel’s mobile and she’s always trying to grab it.
“Smart girl,” Timalah says as he walks over to the table full of food. “What do you think, Druim? Would you like to try some fruit?”
