Though I didn’t own much, downsizing my life turned out to be much harder than I anticipated. I could only take a few pictures and had to decide what items from my desk and dresser I could part with and leave behind. How many skin care products and colognes did one man need? In the grand scheme of things, the decision was like splitting hairs but still quite difficult to make. I had a routine, and those things were part of that routine. Living somewhere else was one thing, but upsetting the routine was a different flavor of cow’s milk. But I eventually made my selections and arrived back home before Sophia. Unfortunately, I didn’t make it back in time to implement my secret plan, and she walked in on me scrambling.
Even in her work uniform, she took my breath away, though she looked kind of tired. She sniffed the air and said something smelled good. Since the cat was out of the bag, I went ahead and explained.
“Hi! Uhh…So like, I know it’s super early, and no one has dinner at 3:00, but I wanted to do something special and have a meal ready for you.”
She flashed that beautiful smile that always tore me into pieces and sat at the table.
“Awwwww! That’s so sweet! I’m so tired I can only dream of eating right now,” she said. “I’m sorry. Does that ruin your plan?”
“Not at all! I just got started like ten minutes ago, so that’s perfect. Get some rest. I’ll be done by the time you wake up.”
Her kiss on my forehead left a tender warmth on my skin as she disappeared into the bedroom to nap. I resumed preparing our dinner and couldn’t help but feel a surge of joy coursing through me. The thought of being able to see her beautiful face every day, to support her in any way possible, filled my soul with an overwhelming sense of happiness, so much so I almost forgot why exactly I feared this for so long. Almost. A few concerns still lingered in the back of my mind. My moving in happened so randomly and haphazardly. I wouldn’t blame anyone for questioning my judgment because the whole situation was absolutely insane. But through it all, I took solace in the fact that I was not alone. Sophia and I were in this together, ready to tackle the challenges that lay ahead.
I expected her nap to last longer, but she woke up and I was still not finished with dinner. Her shower bought me a few more minutes. By the time she came out and sat with me, I was in the home stretch. When I inquired about her day, she described it as exhausting. Apparently, the change in season always caused an influx of patients, and they were short staffed today anyway, so she had to do three times the work.
I don’t know if I was too into her story or what, but I definitely was not paying attention to my task. Suddenly, a huge flame shot up from the pan, and I ducked.
I thought about Maira and how quickly that situation escalated. My face was still pretty hot as I shielded myself, and I was afraid I had lost my eyebrows.
Sophia dashed to me.
“Luca! Are you okay? What happened?”
“Are my eyebrows okay??”
She covered her mouth to stifle a giggle.
“Your eyebrows are intact, babe.”
“Thank Watcher.”
I turned back to the stove to continue cooking—more carefully that time.
“You know,” she began,”…when you said I could get meal service, I thought that meant you could actually cook.”
“HA! My hand slipped! I added a splash too much sauce. It’s fine. You’ll see.”
“Mmm hmm.”
She teased me about my cooking and fearing for her safety. We laughed and joked our way through completion, and it felt so good. It felt right, and I filed that moment away for when the doubt and fear reared its ugly head again.
As I placed the food on the table, I noticed I instinctively made a vegetarian meal. That’s when it occurred to me I never asked if she had any dietary restrictions or concerns.
“I should have asked sooner, but is there anything you don’t eat?”
“Oh, yeah,” she said. “Thanks for asking. I’m lactose intolerant.”
Great. I went from one restricted household to an equally restricted household. At least she ate meat. But no milk? That would be tricky.
The food had disappeared from our plates a while ago, but we were still sitting at the table, talking and laughing. I loved how we could discuss literally everything. True, there were still things we didn’t know about each other, but we were past that initial getting to know you phase where every hang out turned into a game of Twenty Questions.
“I was just thinking about how you used to complain about your mom waking you up to cook breakfast,” she said. “Look at you now!”
I think I blushed. I could only imagine what she must have thought of me in the early days of my young adult life.
“You remember that? You must have thought I was a spoiled brat or something.”
“I may have rolled my eyes.”
“I’m so glad I ran into you that day.”
“Me too.”
