Page 109 of Can't Kiss the Chef

“I’m just thankful we didn’t have to think too much about what we needed to bring. With all the medicine and appointments we have to keep track of, it was nice to have something taken care of for us.”

The sad drawl of her voice breaks my heart. She’s tired. Her eyes are drooping and her shoulders are sagging, but I haven’t seen her without a smile on her face once.

“Well, I got you guys these.” I hand her the four wrapped gifts I’ve been lugging around in my tote bag all afternoon.

“You might want to get the guys and open them up together.”

“Byron doesn’t know what they are.”

I shake my head. Knowing if I utter a single word I’ll break down in tears.

Isla’s voice boom’s throughout the three floor home. Commanding the attention only a matriarch deserves.

The boys footsteps padder through the house, by the time they get to the den they both look like two kids trying to figure what they did wrong. I laugh when Byron takes off his Carhart beanie—the winter replacement for his Yankees baseball cap–and runs his hands through his hair a few times before tossing his beanie on to the kitchen table.

“Don’t look so worried,” she tells them with a laugh.

“Lola got us some gifts and thought we’d want to open them together.”

Isla passes out the smaller wrapped rectangles until they each have one. Leaving the bigger one for last. I just have to say that’s my kind of girl.

They try to match the other’s pace, not wanting to ruin the surprise for the others. Isla’s smile takes up her entire face. Byron’s eyes find mine and he mouths,How did you keep this a secret from me?I shrug. I can’t give away my secrets. Hopefully we have years more of present exchanges ahead of us.

My favorite reaction has to be Arie’s; he raises from the couch and wraps me in a bear hug. Holding the framed picture away from his body so we can both see the picture of him, Isla and Byron after one of the games they came to a couple of weeks ago.

“When did you take these?”

Since all the pictures are from different times. Byron is holding one of them laughing at dinner and Isla’s is from a happier moment during our trip to Philly.

“I’ve been taking them whenever we’ve all been together for the last few weeks. I wanted you guys to have some pictures of the three of you.” I point to the one left to open.

“Don’t forget about that one.”

Byron lunges toward the gift like a kid getting the okay to open the gifts tucked under the Christmas tree. The large canvas print is the three of them laughing in the kitchen. Byron wanted to cook our culinary class recipes for them.

“Byron, these can all stay here. I have copies for you back at my house.”

After a few minutes Byron’s parents head to the grocery store in town to get the essentials. Byron wants to wait for them to come back so he can help them put the food away. His dad hasn’t complained once today, but his fatigue is starting to show.

He pulls me onto his lap and settles us into the back of the leather couch.

“I can’t believe you kept those pictures a secret from me.”

I push his blonde hair out of the way so I can look into those blue eyes I love so much.

“I just wanted to make sure that you had these memories to hold on to. Just promise me you’ll make the most of the time you have with them here.”

Byron’s behavior has been a little erratic lately. After that blow up he had at my brother in the Riley Center I’ve been trying to get him to express how he is feeling before it gets to that point.

He runs his hand over my tattoo of Aphrodite.

“Thank you for everything, Lo. It doesn’t go unnoticed.”

His strong hand wrap around my neck and pulls me into a kiss that shows me just how much he appreciates me.

“One more thing,” I say when Byron finally lets me pull away. “I’ve planned a special charity dinner for the Cancer Research Society. If you guys are up for it I’d love for you to be there.”

Byron’s eyes grow quizzical. “How could you plan this without me knowing?”

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