Page 24 of Mechanic’s Christmas Match

“Was what hard?” Ana asked.

“When Theo came to live with you,” he said. “What was it like to lose your sister and bring him home?”

“His mom was actually my cousin on my dad’s side, not my sister,” she explained. “But we were close as kids—she didn’t have siblings either. So my mom and I have always just been Grandma Mari and Aunt Ana.”

“That makes sense,” Rory said, nodding. “And I’m sorry for the loss of your cousin.”

“Thank you,” Ana said.

She drew in a deep breath, trying to find a way to explain the profound change that Theo brought to the simple life she’d shared with her mother.

“At first, it was incredibly hard,” she admitted quietly. “We were all grieving, especially Theo, but he didn’t have the words. He still doesn’t. I think he’ll be more prone to sudden tantrums and tears until he does, maybe even after that.”

She stole a glance up at Rory, wondering if he was judging her for not being able to fix her nephew.

But he nodded, his eyes solemn and filled with compassion.

“We tried our best to build a routine for him,” she continued. “The psychologist said it would help, and I think it did. He always knows what’s going to happen next, you know? We give him as much stability as we can.”

“Yeah,” Rory said, his voice a little gruff.

“Little by little, he got used to living with us,” Ana said. “And then we started to see his personality coming out more and more each day. He’s curious, but he’s also funny and sweet. He’s… well, he’s changed me.”

“Is it hard?” Rory asked again.

This time she knew what he meant. He was asking her if she regretted taking in her nephew, if she was unhappy.

“Life is hard,” Ana said with a smile, shaking her head. “But Theo? He’s perfect. I feel very lucky to be his aunt.”

Rory nodded and looked down at his hands. But not before Ana saw a shimmer of unshed tears in the big man’s eyes.

“Our grandfather took care of us,” he said, his voice husky. “I always wondered…”

“You and Evangeline?” Ana asked softly.

“He could have retired,” he said softly, nodding. “Sold the house and moved to a nice little apartment. He wouldn’t have had to keep working, maintaining the place, and taking care of two kids.”

“I’m sure he was happy to have the two of you around,” Ana said right away. “You and your sister are both very special people. And you liked spending time with him in his shop, doing what he liked to do. Plenty of people spend their golden years alone. But your grandfather was lucky to have you.”

Rory nodded, his eyes still on his hands.

All she wanted was to reach across the table and tilt his chin back up, force him to look her in the eyes and see the truth in all she was saying.

Instead, she simply placed her hand on top of his, and sat with him for a minute without saying a word.

The sounds of the café murmured and hummed around them, but at their small table there was a sort of peace.

“Thanks, Ana,” Rory said gruffly after a moment.

“Anytime,” she told him, squeezing his hands lightly before letting go. “Thank you for sharing with me.”

She was grateful to know him a little better, but even more so to hear his perspective. Ana was heartbroken at his pain, and distraught at the idea of her sweet Theo having this kind of conversation with someone one day.

Now she understood more deeply how important it was to make sure Theo knew just how lucky she felt to be his grownup. And she was determined to say the words out loud as often as possible.

“I guess this isn’t what you meant by letting my date get to know me,” Rory joked drily.

“It’s exactly what I meant,” Ana said, clearing her throat. “If the conversation gets deep, you shouldn’t be afraid to go with it, and be honest.”