Page 128 of My Family

I sit in the other chair.

He picks up one of the wings and takes a bite. His eyebrows draw together as he nods and makes a sound of contentment.

"Damn, baby. This is really good." I grin. "Eat with me, please."

I wouldn’t refuse that. I'm obsessed with chicken wings. I eat two in a row before I remember what I wanted to say.

"They really did a number on you yesterday," I say, the words coming out around a mouthful I have to swallow quickly. "You were so steady afterward, but you shouldn't have had to deal with any of that."

I look at him. Then down at my plate. Then at the fake candles, which are doing their absolute best. Ethan's mouth twists into a crooked, sad smile. Then he laughs, which is even more confusing.

"That's not even the part I remember most."

I look up.

"It was so much fun being there with our family—our real family—and our friends," he says. "That's what I keep thinking about."

My chest tightens.

"And now you made dinner for me."

He looks around the office again.

"That's all I care about."

I feel my heart beating faster. I'm so happy I could melt. Ethan grabs the grape juice and pours us each a cup. We clink them together like it's expensive wine. And the food is really good, and I have to admit it: I can't believe I made this myself. Ethan keeps telling me how good it is, and it's not even annoying. It's just nice. So fucking nice.

He finishes his cupcake in two bites, then licks frosting off his thumb.

"You know what I want to do?" he asks. His eyes glint in the fake candlelight.

"What?"

"I want to be with you forever." My heart trips over itself.

"Let's get married," I say, mostly joking.

Mostly.

Because I'd say yes.

"Hell yes," he says immediately.

I stare at him.

He starts laughing, and then I do too.

"Hell yes, baby."

He gets up from his chair and comes around the desk. He takes my face in both hands and kisses me. He tastes like chocolate frosting. I can feel him smiling against my mouth.

"You're perfect," he says.

I'm about to say something stupid like, I'm literally not, but he kisses me again and I forget how to talk.

He pulls me into his lap, and I settle there with my arms around his neck. We stay like that for a while. No rush. No need to do anything else. Just his arms around me, my cheek against his shoulder, the radio humming quietly behind us.

Eventually, he reaches past me and steals the last chicken wing.