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“You didn’t think you could reason with me?”
“No. But I was wrong. We both were in the end. So, it’s done. We’re together on this now. Even?”
“Fine. Yes. I guess, we are.”
He stares at me for a moment, looking like he wants to say more. But then he shifts his weight and says, in a sudden, jarringly casual tone, “All this talking and stressing is really working up an appetite. You wanna eat lunch?”
“I could grab a snack, yes.”
“A snack? Fuck that, I’ll make you a real meal,” he says, starting out of the living room for the kitchen.
“You know how to cook?” I call after him.
“A lot’s changed since we last saw each other, Char. Me learning my way around a kitchen is one of them things.”
“How? You were like me, barely able to fry an egg.”
“I lived alone for almost two decades. In hiding, yeah? I couldn’t exactly order takeout or none of that. It was either learn how to cook, or damn well starve. I’ve got some mad skills now.”
He has me laughing. “Well, good. I can’t wait to taste the evidence for myself.”
“Gotta warn you, it might have you trying to jump me again.”
Catching up with him, I slap his back. “That was mutual, asshole.”
“Sure thing,” he says, laughing as we make it into the kitchen. He gestures to one of the two stools up at the little breakfast bar. “Sit down and chill.” He holds up his hands sarcastically. “If you want. That ain’t an order or me trying to control what you do, so don’t get your panties in a bunch.”
“Hilarious.”
He grins back at me, before turning to get to work on whatever meal he’s planning to make for us.
I slide onto the stool and find myself relaxing into his easy company.
Finally, there’s some levity. That’s just like old times for us. No matter all the dark and danger surrounding us, we always managed to find lighthearted moments, to revel and cling to the good. It took a lot of strength to do that, to rise above the rest, but that was what Cal and I were all about: standing strong through it all.
I’m actually letting myself remember that about us now.
The good times.
The strength of our connection.
It makes one thing undeniably clear.
This time we have together is a gift neither of us thought possible.
A second chance, possibly our last chance.
We can’t let it go to waste.
