Page 148 of Family Bonds- Gabriela & Luca

She didn’t ask how he was holding up.

Didn’t push him to talk. Didn’t try to fix what couldn’t be fixed.

She gave him space simply by being there.

By making him laugh, then peppering in moments of dropping her own guard.

By talking to him about how she felt, which allowed him to care for her, in turn, letting him open up as well.

And somehow, that had been exactly what he needed.

It worked well.

Better than well.

Once he was in the kitchen and he knew she wasn’t going to join him, he put the fries in the air fryer, then grabbed the milk, heavy cream and shredded cheese and got them going in a pot.

While those two things were cooking, he chopped up the bacon he’d made earlier with black olives and green peppers.

Twenty minutes later, his head was swiveling around the kitchen again. She was nowhere to be found. Matter of fact, he heard the toilet flush, so he quickly dumped the fries on the plate, added the cheese and the rest of what he’d had cut up, then brought the plate into the living room with napkins and set it on the coffee table in front of the couch with two forks.

“Only one plate?” she asked, digging in and pulling one off the top with two fingers.

“Yep. No reason to dirty more.”

“True. Because you’d just steal mine anyway.”

He winked. “Smart woman,” he said, returning her comment from earlier.

The two of them dove in, eating the fries, cheese all over her fingers rather than using the fork.

Why not? He put his down and did the same. It was part of the fun and the night was only going to get better.

“Damn,” he said, grabbing another. “You’re eating them fast. You really are trying to beat me.”

She shoved another one in her mouth, the cheese dripping on her chin. He pulled his phone out to take a picture. He just had to.

She was reaching for another and laughing. “What’s that?”

The fry went into her mouth, but she was pushing the others around. “What does it look like?”

“Like paper or a wrapper,” she said. “If you were in a restaurant you’d fail an inspection sending out food with paper in it.”

She pulled a corner of it out.

“Doesn’t look like paper to me.”

“Holy fuck,” she said, not paying attention to anything but the little baggy in her hand.

“That’s all you’ve got to say?” he asked, reaching for it.

“You put an engagement ring under loaded fries?” she asked. She snatched it out of his hand again. “It is a diamond, right?”

“It is,” he said. “I figured we’d never forget this.”

“Wait,” she said, looking around frantically. He had no idea what she was doing, then she found her phone and snapped some pictures. “No one is going to believe this. That you did it like this. I need proof.”

He grinned at the cheese still on her chin. “I’ve got my own proof too.” He opened the little bag, pulled the ring out, then got on one knee, grabbing her hand in his. “Gabriela. The only woman I’ve let share fries with me.” She burst out laughing. “I mean if that isn’t love, I don’t know what is.”