LEXI
The minute Gabe and I get home, I race into the bathroom and do a quick assessment of my post-work appeal. My hair is piled on top of my head, a little messy, but it works. I pull a few tendrils loose to frame my face, wipe at the smudged mascara under my eyes, and then dig through my makeup drawer for my lipstick. I grab the muted nude color that’s been my go to for awhile now but pause. Tyler has mentioned my old, cherry red lipstick several times now. It used to be my signature, a strong black eyeliner and a bright red lip. Life got heavy for a while right after Bailey met Liam and all the tragedy that followed. The bright colors seemed all wrong then, but now? Maybe it’s time to brighten things up again.
I fish into the back of the drawer and find a tube of my old favorite. As I stare at myself in the mirror and dab it on, a smile spreads across my face. I swipe on some eyeliner and smack my lips together, pleased with the result. Hopefully Tyler will be, too. I know I told him I’d be in my scrubs but eww. No thank you. I head to my bedroom and change and yes, I make sure my bra and panties match because you never know.
“Mom?” Gabe darts down the hallway. “I’m hungry. When’s dinner?”
“Soon.” I flick off the bedroom light and lead him out towards the living room.
“Can I help cook?”
“We’re not cooking tonight.”
Gabe’s eyes light up. “Is it a pizza night?”
“Nope. Not that either.” We don’t do pizza very often and I hate to disappoint him. I have no idea what Ty is bringing, no idea if the man even knows how to cook, but hopefully it will be better than pizza, for Gabe’s sake.
“What’s it going to be? Nana gave me a snack, but it was only two of those little mandarin oranges.”
“You remember Ty right? From last night?”
“Oh yeah. He’s awesome.” Gabe grins.
“He’s coming over with dinner for all of us.”
Gabe bobs his head, totally oblivious to all the craziness swirling around him right now. “Maybe he’ll bring pizza.”
“Maybe.” In truth, I have no idea what he’ll bring, but I don’t have to wonder long because there’s a knock at the door before I can give a more direct answer.
“He’s here!” Gabe bounds into action, swinging open the front door before I have time to stand up. “It’s not a pizza,” he calls back to me. “But it smells good.”
I make my way to the door and find Tyler standing there with a large picnic basket in his hands. By the way his biceps and forearms are straining, I’d say the thing is heavy, but the smile on his face doesn’t look even remotely troubled.
“Well, invite the man in,” I say to Gabe. “Don’t just stand there yelling about the food he brought.”
Gabe looks chagrined for a second before inviting Tyler into the house and leading him towards the kitchen. “You can just put it out here on the counter, right Mom?” He glances at me to double check before continuing. “I can help if you want.”
Ty puts the basket on the counter. “I’d love your help. Can you set the table while I get everything out of this basket?” Ty meets my gaze over Gabe’s head and I get to watch him register the red lips. “You look stunning this evening.” He bobs his head. “The red suits you.”
Gabe gives us a funny look and then busies himself setting the table while Tyler brings out so many casserole dishes and pieces of Tupperware that I can’t imagine how we’re going to get through it all.
“I have to be honest,” Ty says as he finishes emptying the basket and then closes the lid. “I have never cooked like this before.” He pulls his lips down into an oversized frown. “But, I enlisted the help of Annabelle Carmichael and did as much research as I possibly could so I feel comfortable-ish that we won’t all die of food poisoning or something.”
“Not dying of food poisoning sounds like a good thing.” I inhale through my nose. “It smells delicious, but I don’t know how you think we’re going to eat all this food tonight.”
“We won’t.” Ty grins. “This is dinner for tonight.” He pulls the lid off a large casserole dish, revealing a lasagna that looks so good my mouth starts watering as soon as I see it. He then proceeds to open a container of what looks like homemade garlic bread and another that holds salad. “The bread is made from scratch and the veggies were picked from David’s garden this morning,” Ty says, as proud as a new father.
“What’s all this, then?” I gesture to the remaining containers, peering into the opaque plastic as if I could see inside.
“These are meals that will get you through the rest of the week. That way you don’t have to worry about cooking when you come home or having to eat from that nasty cafeteria. You can even freeze them if you want. They’ll last for a while and you can thaw them when you’re ready.”
I pride myself on being strong, but this simple gesture is almost enough to undo me. I know how important good nutrition is, but there are nights when the thought of cooking a complete meal after work is just too much. Ty didn’t just bring me a gift, he brought me peace of mind, the gift of time, the possibility of an easy evening with Gabe while we enjoy a home-cooked meal that I didn’t have to find time to cook myself.
“Thank you,” I say, fully aware that I should say more.
“It’s the least I can do.” Ty reaches across the counter to take my hand. “I want to know that you two are taken care of. Providing a few meals is the very least I can do.”
Dinner passes quickly and is beyond delicious. Gabe demolishes his plate and asks for seconds and even goes so far as to eat his salad without too much complaint. Conversation flows easily and we laugh so hard we cry on more than one occasion. Tyler and Gabe get along well. I thought watching them interact would hurt, but it doesn’t. My heart swells with love and joy and completion. What Gabe and I have been doing works. We get by and we’re all going to be okay, but this, the three of us together, this is the way it should be.
When we finish eating, Ty stands to help me clear the table as Gabe throws his napkin onto his plate and then heads for his room. “Hey, mister man,” Ty says, catching his attention.
“Yeah?”
Ty gestures towards Gabe’s place. “Why don’t you grab your dirty dishes and bring them over to the sink. You’re strong enough to do that now, aren’t you?”
Gabe nods decisively. “Definitely.” He gathers his plate in two hands and brings it to the kitchen, taking two more trips to get his glass and his silverware in turn.
Ty makes a move like he thinks he’s going to do the dishes and I step right up next to him, using my body to push him out of the way. The instant my arm brushes his, my entire body reacts. My nipples go taut, pushing against the confines of my bra, my pussy aches with desire, and my stomach lurches crazily. If that’s what happens when we simply brush past each other, how will I ever survive if he kisses me again?
“I’ve got this,” I say, looking up at him.
Ty looks unsure. “I don’t want to leave you with all these dishes.”
“You cooked, I’ll clean. It’s easy. You go keep Gabe company.” I know how much he’s been wanting to spend some time with his son. This will give them a nice chunk of one on one time before Gabe has to go to bed.
“Thank you.” Tyler’s voice is thick and my own throat tightens.
I nod once and turn on the faucet as Ty follows Gabe out of the kitchen. I thought I’d be terrified to let Gabe get to know his father but I’m not. The way they interact is so natural, so easy. Maybe Ty was right and all of this is part of some plan that’s too big for me to make sense of.