Page 37 of The No Touch Roommate Rule
“Oh, hush,” Luis says. “Don’t tell them that story. And don’t you two ever get on a motorcycle. They’re dangerous.”
Lila smiles at him, love in her eyes. “Oh, how the bad boy has changed.”
He hugs her to his side on the small couch. “The bad boy loves his family too much to be bad.”
By ten-thirty, Makena has a feast on the shabby particle board table. Roast salmon with an herb purée and a steamed veggie medley, she managed to turn into a magical side dish in the microwave. Not to mention hot rolls, butter she whipped together with some truffle salt, and a bowl of homemade Mac’n’Cheese for the girls.
“How?” Lila blinks. “How did you do this… In here… With that…” She gestures toward the pathetic kitchenette.
“Practice,” Makena says simply. “I’ve cooked in worse conditions. And the rolls aren’t from scratch. So, don’t give me too much credit.”
Lila grins. “I’ll give as much credit as I like. This is…” She takes Makena’s hand, giving it a squeeze. “Thank you so much. For this and the toys, jammies, and books. I’m so grateful to have something to read, and I love that series.”
“Well, you can thank Parker for that,” Makena glances my way. “He picked them out.”
“He has good taste,” Lila says, winking my way, clearly meaning good taste in more than the books.
Meaningher, the woman she assumes is mine.
The woman I really hope will be mine someday soon.
We eat crowded around the tiny table, the girls already in their new pajamas. The kids chatter about everything and nothing, blissfully unaware of the weight their parents carry, and my respect for Luis and Lila inches up another notch. They’re not hiding anything from their kids, but they’re protecting them. Sheltering them.
Thisis what family looks like. Not the passive-aggressive shit my parents pulled for years, putting me so solidly in the middle of their cold war, I never had a shot at remaining oblivious. The only time I felt as safe as these little girls seem to feel was the month I spent with my grandmother every summer in Oxford.
Safety wasn’t something my parents were good at.
But it’s somethingI’mgoing to be good at, I decide as we clean up the dishes while Sophie and Sylvia brush their teeth and Lila turns down the lights.
I’ve never thought much about kids, but now, I think I’d like to have a family to take care of someday. A family to take care of me. People who are mine—forever—and who I never let down, no matter how hard times might get.
The ride home is quiet, aside from Luis assuring us both that he’s caught his third wind and will be goingstraight home to sleepas soon as he drops us at our place.
“Thank you both,” he says as he pulls up to the house fifteen minutes later. “I’ll never forget what you did tonight. You’re good people.”
“So are you guys,” Makena says sleepily as I help her out of the car. “It was so good to meet you and your family, Luis. I hope everything works out the very best way it can.”
“For you, too,” he says, lifting a hand through the open window. “Take care of each other. And I’ll see you at the rink this fall!”
We return the wave until he’s out of sight, when our tired arms flop back to our sides. Behind us, the house is dark, quiet in that suburban way that used to feel a little bit lonely, but now just feels peaceful.
Because I’m not alone anymore.
I would really like to keep it that way, but tonight isn’t the night to push Makena to redefine the relationship. We’re both too tired, and I have a private PT session first thing in the morning.
“Well, we did the damn thing.” Makena yawns wide. “What a Friday, huh? I’m beat.”
“Me, too. Bedtime procedures?” I suggest.
“Bedtime procedures,” she agrees.
We head inside, through the kitchen, down the darkened hallway to her door. Outside, she turns to face me. Our gazes lock and hold, neither of us looking away. Her mascara’s smudged again, her hair frizzy from standing over the hot plate, and she smells faintly of garlic.
And she’s beautiful.
And I’m pretty sure I’m even more in love with her than I was a few hours ago.
“Listen,” she whispers, that nervous look creeping back into her eyes, “I know things got a little crazy earlier, but I?—”
