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“Dear God, thank You for another day, another chance, another start. Your blessings are plentiful and we thank You every day, all day. The food that has been prepared for us, we pray that it’s nourishing to our minds, bodies, hearts, and souls. Bless the hands that prepared the food and the bellies prepared to consume it. Amen.”
“Amen,” I repeated after him, lifting the enormous dome from my plate.
Underneath was an entire spread that included three sections. There was an appetizer, that consisted of grilled mozzarella on top of tofu lettuce wraps, garnished with parsley. Next to the toasted cheese was a healthy serving of broccoli pesto pasta. Finally, there was a small slice of strawberry cheesecake. The massive plate underneath it made the size of the dome make much more sense.
“Wow.”
My stomach protested as my fingers sealed the first wrap by folding it gently. Because it was so small, I was able to consume it in one bite before I was on my way to the next wrap. There were three of them. I’d starved myself all day so I could stuff myself at dinner. If I could, I’d clear the entire plate. The servings were small, promising me a chance to taste each dish.
“Um,” I hummed. “Good.”
“Agreed,” Malachi approved, tossing his second wrap back immediately after.
“I feel so unprepared for Aussie’s return. I’m only about 40 percent through the decorating. I still have learning material to pick up and I have a few more pieces of furniture to build.”
“She won’t be here until Monday afternoon. How about we both wake up bright and early Monday morning and tackle everything on your to-do list? We can take a trip into the city whenever you’re ready to grab the things you need. We don’t have to wait until Monday for that. Whatever isn’t completed by the time Aussie gets here, she’ll be happy to assist with. She’s a damn good helper. Not one to be in your way if she’s not benefiting you.”
“I bet she’s the best.”
“Hands down. No questions asked. Aussie approaches everything she does with 100 percent. She’s as fearless as she is resilient.”
“Admittedly, I’m nervous about her arrival. Aside from not having everything in order, I just—”
“You have nothing to worry about, Aeir,” he stated smoothly. “School doesn’t start for a very long time. Completion is not a requirement at this point. Besides that, Aussie will be happy to have someone to spend her days with besides me. I’m all she knows and all she’s ever known. Her mother died when she was six months. She’s waiting to pour her love into some deserving woman. That woman happens to be you. Trust me, love. Everything will be everything.”
“Yeah?” With a tilted head, I questioned him.
“Yes. I know my baby girl.”
“That makes me feel so much better.”
“How is the board coming along? I’m almost certain it’s had your attention most of the day.”
“It has and it’s come along so well. I’ve moved on to the next step and have begun designing the website. Well, playing around with it, anyway. I’m using YouTube to help me through the process.”
“Would you feel more comfortable hiring a designer? We could if you’d like that.”
“I don’t know, Mal. There’s something personal about this project. Handing off the designing of the website would be a lot for me. I have this vision in my head and I’d like to see it to fruition.”
“I understand.”
We both dug into our main dish simultaneously.
“Tell me things, Aeir. You know so much about me and my world, but I feel like I know little about yours. Tell me things.”
“I’m an only child. My parents are in Channing still. I’ve shared with you that my best friend is Jae. Aside from that, Malachi, there’s nothing to tell you. I was in a coma for two years. I don’t even know what life was like before that, honestly. I only know that I loved my job and the children I met each year. My dream business was a jewelry line, and thanks to you, I’m making that happen. I lived an uneventful life prior to packing my things and coming here. The last six weeks have been the most eventful in my life has ever been.”
“Yeah?”
“Yes. My head was always in the books prior. Not much mattered but my students, Jae, my father, and my mother. But, even that is, I don’t know.” I shook my head, stuffing my mouth to hinder the blabbering I felt coming on.
“What do you mean, you don’t know? What’s happened between you and your parents?”
“Not my dad.”
“Well, your mother.”
“It’s a long story.” Nervously, I tittered.
