Page 61 of Family Bonds- Gabriela & Luca

His father gave a quiet, knowing smile. “That’s usually when people are.”

Silence settled again, heavier this time. Thicker, making him wish he’d told his parents it wasn’t a good time to visit.

What he wouldn’t do to have Gabriela next to him. Making him laugh. Making him not feel as if he was under attack again.

He poured his beer, then took a sip.

“I’m taking things slow,” he said finally. “That’s all.”

His mother nodded, accepting the answer even if her look said she didn’t believe it.

“For now,” his mother said.

And somehow, that was worse.

He escaped to the back porch under the excuse of needing air three hours later. The early night pressed in around him, quiet except for the light breeze. He pulled out his phone before he could overthink it, then sent a text to see if Gabriela was at the hospital.

His guess, she was back doing rounds.

It rang in his hand before he got a reply.

“Tell me this is not an emergency,” she said. “Because I’m in scrubs and emotionally unavailable for chaos with a stuffed belly. Thank God for the scrubs. That part was planned, but the belly, not so much.”

Relief hit him so hard he laughed. “No chaos. Just parental questioning.”

“You too, huh,” she said. “Level one or level five questioning?”

“Five,” he said. “With follow-ups in the guise of concern.”

“Same,” she said immediately, then burst out laughing. “Hang on, I’m speed-walking to an empty room. Found one.”

“Is it quiet there?”

“Four kids. Not bad. After the questions I got, I almost thought of faking an emergency and escaping. Garrett owes me, but he was right there with my parents so I couldn’t lean on him tonight.”

“Huh?”

As confused as he was, she was at least taking his mind off of what his parents put him through.

“Garrett had this neighbor who was always hitting on him. Older than him and he was a wuss. Couldn’t tell her to get lost. She came over one day with wine and trapped him on his deck. He snuck in and texted me to call him, that it was an emergency.The minute I do, he answers likehe’staking an emergency call and gets her to leave.”

“That’s low,” he said, laughing.

“I thought so too and I knew exactly why he did it. I told him he’d owe me. I’ve never taken him up on it and trust me when I say I’ve had some bad dates.”

“Why haven’t you?”

“Because I let no one know I’m a doctor so that defeats it. Besides, he’s my older brother, so I don’t need him to think he has to save me.”

“Something tells me you rarely need saving.”

“If you told me that at the last mixer I was at, I’d call you a liar and throw a glass of wine in your face.”

“No, you’d down the wine because you’d feel you needed it.”

“Oh, you know me so well.” He heard the bed creak and assumed she’d sat down. “So how bad was it really with your parents? What’s going on?”

“I just survived a full interrogation at my dining table. I think my mother refuses to believe that I might actually have a life here. Or even a friend.”