Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 82524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
“Cheese,” I tell him. “You have to have cheese.”
“Yes.” He puts the things on the counter next to me before walking back to the fridge, pulling open the stainless-steel door, and grabbing the bag of shredded white cheese. “Swiss is all I have.”
“That works.” I walk over to get two cutting boards. I open the plastic film, grabbing a couple of mushrooms out and start to quarter them.
“What is going through your head right now?” he asks me. He grabs a knife out of the drawer, then closes it with his hip, before coming back over next to me, cutting off the end of the onion.
I side-eye him and shrug my shoulders. “It’s strange we share this connection.” I grab another couple of mushrooms. “We share a daughter, and I don’t even know your favorite food.”
He chuckles next to me. “I don’t know if I have a favorite food,” he states, dicing the onion. “My yaya.” I look over at him. “That is my father’s mom. She makes the best pastitsio.”
“What is that?” I ask him as I grab more mushrooms.
“It’s this pasta bake. There are these long noodles that you put in a pan and then add meat sauce on top of the noodles.” He smiles as he tells me. “And then it’s topped with béchamel. It’s so good.”
“Sounds delicious.” I smile at him.
“It’s so good. I’ll ask her to make it for us when we go see her,” he says as if it’s not a big deal. “What’s your favorite food?”
“Probably chicken potpie, but with homemade crust that is flaky and buttery.”
“Sofia’s great-grandmother makes the best,” he shares and I nod my head.
“There is nothing she can’t cook and it’s always the best thing I’ve ever eaten.” I chuckle. “Her potato salad is hands down heaven.”
“Her chicken fried steak with gravy,” he counters, and I groan. “I’ve never seen my uncle Matthew shut up faster in my life.”
We both laugh. “So,” I start, “where do you work, exactly?” We’ve skated around the fact that he’s here, but we’ve never discussed him staying here permanently. I was under the impression he would get to know Avery and then he would jet out of town, coming back a couple of times a year. I think I tried to tell myself that to prepare for when he did leave. I also tried to tell myself that I wouldn’t care, but it’s evident to me it’s really going to suck when he does leave.
“I work all over, really,” he says, sniffling as he finishes cutting the onion. “The head office is in Washington.” My head spins as I think about how far away that is from us. “But I was in San Francisco right before the wedding.”
I gasp and look over at him. “That’s on my bucket list, I’ve been to LA before, San Diego but San Fran,” I tell him, “I’ve never been, but there was this special on television once. My dream is to watch the sunrise over the Golden Gate Bridge.” I shake my head. “Above the clouds.” I smile at him. “It’s magical from the pictures I’ve seen.” It was going to be my graduation gift to myself but, well, having a baby canceled that.
“I didn’t really sightsee. I was in the office for seventeen hours a day.”
“Well, I highly recommend it if you go back,” I tell him, even though I’ve never been.
“Noted,” he says, putting the onion in a bowl before placing the knife and the cutting board in the sink. “Do your parents know about Avery?” I look at him as he walks over to get another cutting board and knife before standing next to me. “I know they kicked you out and all that.” I see his hand grip the knife handle, his knuckles turning white. “But did they know you gave birth?”
“I don’t know,” I answer him honestly. “After they made me choose her or them, I left town.” I avoid looking at him, embarrassed my family did that to me. The hurt simmers under the embarrassment, especially since his family has welcomed us with open arms, never once judging me. “My sister was on my side for a bit after I left, my brother, well, he’s always been a dick, so he was on my parents’ side. We would text and talk daily, but then she quickly changed her tune when my parents threatened to withhold her allowance from her.” I shrug, trying to push away the sting of tears. “After that, I erased them all out of my life.” I take a deep inhale. “I wasn’t going to share the best thing I’ve ever done with them.” I look at him. “They didn’t deserve her.” I smile thinking of the little human we created together.
“I’m sorry you did that alone,” he says softly.