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“How about some garlic butter chicken meatballs with orzo? Tasty and easy to eat?”
“Sounds tasty. I don’t know about easy,” I said, and we took off to grab all the materials he needed. A few people looked our way as we walked through the supermarket, but otherwise, we chatted lightly about nothing serious. I wondered if he was trying to keep my mind off the... breakdown? I didn’t even know what to call it.
We got back home less than an hour later, and Cory began organizing the purchases and pulling out pots and utensils from the cabinets.
“Can I help?” I asked.
“I’ll need some help shaping the meatballs, and here, you can grate the parmesan and help me chop the veggies we need,” he said, passing some stuff over to me before starting on his own. We worked quietly and comfortably until James showed up with two bottles of white wine, while Zi and Molly showed up a few minutes after him. She said nothing while she took in the bustling kitchen for a bit. James gave each of us a glass and then was dragged out of the kitchen by Molly, who sat him in the living room to tell him about her day and made him turn on the TV to watch cartoons together.
‘Molly is falling for him, Evie,’ Zi’s worried voice came through the mind-link. I looked into the living room from my seat as Molly and James talked animatedly together.
‘I’d say the feeling is mutual. What about you?’ I asked.
‘I’m worried I am too, and I don’t even know him well,’ she answered back.
‘You can change that. I told you, I’m willing to babysit.’
‘What if I put my foot in my mouth again? How am I going to get through a dinner without Molly there? She’s our buffer.’ I laughed at her words. Trust Molly to be the one bringing them together. She was a better matchmaker than I ever hoped to be.
‘If all else fails, ask for stories about me for blackmail material. If that’s not an icebreaker, I don’t know what is. I was a clumsy child,’ I suggested.
‘I feel like a teenager, nervous about a date.’
‘That’s a good thing, Zi,’ I said softly.
‘Is it? I can’t even remember anymore. Everyone after Molly was born have been quick flings.’
‘Which is why this is perfect for you. Let him wine and dine you. You deserve it.’
Molly came over to help make the chicken balls after eating a snack. Well, she and James tried anyway. They made a combined total of five chicken balls, and I think she ended up with more ground chicken in her hair and shirt than she did for cooking. When Zi took her to get cleaned up, I turned to James.
“Ask Zi out on a date. I’ll babysit; just tell me the day.” I told him, making James choke on the beer he was drinking.
“What? What makes you think she would accept?” he asked.
“Trust me. Just ask her, and name a baby after me someday if you guys hit it off.” I winked, making Cory laugh.
After dinner, we hung out for a little while until Molly needed to be put to bed. She demanded James read her a story, and after, he and Cory left. My heart ached as I watched Cory walking away from me, so I tried to distract myself. I was cleaning up the bottles of empty beer on the counter and washing the glasses of wine when Zi told me James asked her out while they were putting Molly to bed, making me happy to see the smile and blush on her face.
That night, I forced myself to sleep but was rewarded for trying to keep a normal sleeping schedule with nightmares of Cory’s last moments before he passed out. I woke up at four in the morning and finally gave up trying to go back to sleep. I got dressed and went to work, leaving a note for Zi so she wouldn’t worry.
I worked all morning, and by the time Cory showed up with breakfast, I was putting the finishing touches on my code. He paused at the door, looking at me with narrowed eyes.
“You haven’t been awake all night, have you?” he asked.
“No. I woke up at four this morning and came to work at five. You?” I asked.
“About the same, but I did some baking instead,” he said and pulled out two containers from his bag. One had scrambled egg croissants, and the other had pastries that smelled heavenly.
“Those smell amazing. What are they?”
“Apple and dulce de leche scones,” he said, handing them over. My eyes almost bugged out of my head, and my mouth watered.
“You should make me some apple pies so I can keep them at the ready in my freezer. They’re my favorite dessert,” I said, taking a bite out of one of the scones and closing my eyes, savoring the heavenly taste. “It was my favorite dessert. I think I have a new one. You should have become a chef. You’re an amazing cook.”
“In another lifetime, perhaps,” he chuckled. “And you’ve had my apple pie before,” he added. When I looked at him confused, he explained, “That night I almost ran you over. I made the pie, not Mom.”
“Oh!” I said, blushing and remembering how I had reacted to having apple pie from Luna Celeste again. “It was really good!”
