Page 11 of Evading Exodus
“Of course,” Ace answered. “Mom will probably make us sandwiches for lunch, and we can have pizza or pasta for dinner. Which do you want?”
I looked over at him; already a bit of syrup was stuck to the corner of his mouth. “My family always has spaghetti with garlic bread.” I swiped the syrup away with my finger. Ace caught my hand and stuck my finger in his mouth, sucking it clean before letting me go.
“Then that’s what we’ll do. Finish up. Mom expects us in an hour.”
Somehow, I turned my attention away from his damp lips, back to my plate, and devoured every single bite.
? ? ? ?
Ace and I walked into a disaster. Chairs were randomly stacked against walls. China covered a sideboard, a wooden box of silver flatware was open, its contents sprawled on the dining room table.
“Mom? Dad?”
“Ronnie?” His mom’s head peeked around the corner. “Ronnie! Come back to the kitchen.”
“Ronnie?” I whispered to Ace, teasing, as he led the way.
He backhanded my arm, chuckling. “Shut up.”
Ace’s mom was a petite woman, wearing jeans and a T-shirt, covered by an apron adorned with Jewish stars. Water was boiling on the stove and her hands were covered in matzah ball mix. She tilted her head, and Ace gave her a kiss on her cheek.
“You, too,” she told me, presenting her cheek, so I did. I liked this woman already.
“Mom, this is Darren. Darren, my mom.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Lark.”
“Oh, none of that. You can call me Momma Lark, like Jake and Finn do, or Sarah.”
“And I’m Aaron senior.” The deep voice had me spinning around to meet Ace’s father. “The boys call me Poppa Lark.” We shook hands. “Nice to meet you, Darren.”
“Same here.”
Ace gave his dad a hug. “So where should we start, Dad?”
“Silverware,” Poppa Lark sighed. Ace and I followed suit. Polishing silver was the worst job ever.
“Not for you, Darren,” Momma Lark interjected. I put on my best happy face, all teeth, and she giggled. “Wash up, we’ve got some cooking to do.”
“Lucky,” Ace muttered, knocking his shoulder into mine. I smirked at him, then gave him a quick peck.
Shit! I shouldn’t have done that.
Ace grinned at the stunned look on my face. “S’all good.” He patted my cheek then followed his dad out of the kitchen.
I drug in a deep breath before turning to face Momma Lark. Her bright smile as she rolled a matzah ball in her hands put me at ease.
“Go on, wash up. Then you can tell me all about you and your family.” Not quite ready for the inquisition, I glanced wistfully towards the doorway where Ace had gone.
Momma Larktsked at my hesitation. “C’mon now. I promise I won’t bite.”
Thankfully, she didn’t, and I enjoyed cooking and talking with her. She made me wear an apron adorned in a matzah cracker pattern and told me stories about Ace and his younger brother, Jack, when they were little. She made me feel welcome; she listened when I spoke. She was genuinely interested in my job, my life, and my family. I drew the line at questions about ex-boyfriends, since Seth was one of them, feigning horror at her inquiry and zipping my lips closed on the subject. She took my refusal good-naturedly and moved on to the next topic.
Ace popped in a few times to check on me. Each time, touching or hugging me from behind, or giving me a kiss on my cheek, shoulder, or back of my neck. There was a possessive feel about it, but there’d be no complaints from me as I reapt the benefits.
Momma Lark and I made sandwiches for lunch, and we all sat down for a rest from our work. Halfway through, Ace’s cell rang and when he looked at the caller ID, he stood up and left the room. I watched him leave, wondering who called but suspected it was Seth.
When he didn’t return after a few minutes, I went to find him. I told myself I had nothing to be worried about but doubts crept in. Would Seth try staking claim to Ace? Or would Ace lean Seth’s way now that he knew his best friend wasn’t as straight as he’d previously thought? I found him near the front door and heard the tail end of his conversation.
