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He pulls a hand to his chest, mocking me with a fake gasp. “I don’t even think dating Tanner would put you up above me,lil sis.”

Reaching the table, I see Tanner sitting with his Grandpa.

His Grandpa is gesturing with his hand like he’s swinging a hammer and I think I hear Tanner mention the horse barn. I assume they’re talking about his workshop and blacksmithing, but they stop talking as soon as we get near the table.

Tanner is wearing that familiar heart melting smile as I walk towards him. He stands up, wrapping his arms around my waist, giving me a kiss on the forehead.

“Hey Ronni,” he says, his voice low.

“Oh aren’t they just the cutest thing you’ve ever seen?” We look over to Grandma Chapman, now standing behind her husband, clutching his shoulders as they both watch us.

I can feel my face turn bright red, still not used to everyone I know looking at us as a couple.I turn to Tanner for some reassurance, only to see the unflappable man I’m in love with blushing like a little boy. I feel the edges of my lips curl up as our eyes meet, knowing I’m not in this awkwardness alone.

“Your grandparents would just be so tickled if they were here to see you like this.” Grandma Chapman is still looking at us, holding her husband tighter. I feel a lump in my throat at the thought of our grandparents and how much I miss them. But she’s right, they would have been thrilled about this and that brings a smile to my face.

“Oh Nancy. Go easy on them,” Grandpa Chapman says, his voice deep and eerily similar to Tanner’s. “Now go ahead and grab a seat, kids. She’ll have dinner out soon.” I look at him differently now though, seeing the same square jaw, deep greeneyes, and masculine features as Tanner. I find myself thinking that if Tanner ages like that… lucky me.

Woah. I’m thinking abouta futurewith Tanner. That’s new, but it’s not even scary.

“Nan, that chicken pot pie smells as good as ever. V is a good cook, but I’ve been craving your cooking since Christmas,” Collin says, sitting at the far end of the table, since his usual spot next to Tanner is now occupied by me.

“And you’re still as sweet as ever, Collin,” she calls from the kitchen.

The condo layout is similar to ours, just a second floor unit laid out in a mirror image. I watch from the dining table, admiring the way Nan makes use of the same small kitchen as ours downstairs. She always makes these great family meals, just like my Grandma would. I get why they were such good friends, always wanting to take care of their grandkids, enjoying the mountain together, having big family meals like this.

As she’s getting ready to serve, Tanner gets up from the table heading towards her in the kitchen.

“Hey Grandma, let me give you a hand.”

I can’t help but smile watching him in the kitchen. He towers over his Grandma but looks like a little kid the way he asks what she needs help with and follows her every word. I catch him looking my way. He briefly melts into the boy I remember from our childhood, blushing as she whispers something to him before he comes back to the dining room, putting the dish of baked Mac and Cheese on the table.

I watch him, waiting for him to look back at me, a teasing grin already on my face. “I forgot how much of a grandma’s boy you are.”

He blushes again. “Hey, we all have our flaws.”

“I didn’t say it was a flaw.” I hold his hand under the table. “It’s kind of cute.”

Nan comes in from the kitchen, setting the chicken pot pie in the center of the table.

“Alright, dig in kids,” she says, before sitting down on the other side of Tanner.

“Thanks again for having us over, Mrs. Chapman. Everything looks great,” Lizzy says, eyeing the spread in front of her. We told her to save room for tonight so she had a light lunch and I can tell by the way she’s looking at the pot pie, she’s on the verge of going full hangry on us.

“So how much longer are you in town, Veronica?” Grandpa Chapman asks, eyeing me as he brings a forkful to his mouth.

“Oh, Lizzy and I are here until Friday,” I say. There’s an awkward pause after my answer and I know why he asked. I can feel the inevitable follow up question coming.

So what are you and Tanner going to do? Please don’t hurt our boy. Long distance?

We still don’t know exactly what we’re going to do yet, but I know I love him and we will work this out. In what feels like a new normal for me with Tanner, I find myself trying to be more like him, in the best way. I’ve been embracing being here in the moment and not trying to stress out over planning every little detail.

“Oh my god, Mrs. Chapman. This pot pie is so good,” Lizzy says, sparing me the awkwardness. “My mom never made anything like this growing up. I’m going to need your recipe.”

Thanks for coming to the rescue, Lizzy.

I look over to her and she winks at me. I’m almost laughing at the thought of Mrs. Frank cooking a pot pie. I don’t think she’s cooked a meal for us as long as I’ve known Lizzy.

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