Page 10 of A Table for Two
Even though the house was more than fifty years old, the kitchen had been enlarged and updated with a double oven and a center island. He opened the top oven, peeled back the foil on the chicken, and stuck a fork in to test for doneness. The meat almost slid off the bone. He brushed on the waiting sauce and slid the pan back in. The mac and cheese was brown, bubbly, and ready to eat.
Twenty minutes later, Nana said the blessing, then Gabriel dug in. The hot-water cornbread was crunchy on the outside and melt-in-your-mouth tender on the inside. Aside from Nana and his mother, he hadn’t found one person who could make it this way.
“How are you adjusting?”
“Not being able to go out for food or entertainment after eight takes some getting used to, but I’m getting there. What about you? Have you ever thought about moving?”
“Absolutely not. Why would I pick up and leave the place where I know everybody to go to some random city where I don’t know anyone? I like it here.”
He nodded and wondered if getting his grandmother to come around to his thinking would be a losing battle.
“Have you talked to Serenity since Saturday?”
“I wouldn’t say we’ve talked, just waved in passing.” And yelled. And almost got his head knocked off.
“Oh. Well, I’m sure you’ll get to know her now that you’ll be here more than a day,” she teased. “That girl has a heart of gold. Always doing something nice for somebody. Last month, when I had a touch of the flu, she brought me over some chicken soup. Fixed me right up.”
Now,thatI’d like to see.Then he remembered the brownies. That was a nice gesture, and it had sort of been his fault that they almost ended up in the flower bed. “I’m sure I will.” Gabriel continued to eat and contemplate how in the world he and Serenity would patch up their differences. Obviously, his grandmother expected it, and he couldn’t keep lying.What if one of the neighbors saw the argument?He took a big gulp of iced tea. No, if someone saw, Nana would’ve met him at the door with a million questions. He relaxed. “How’ve you been feeling?” he asked, changing the subject.
“Other than the aches that come along with getting old, pretty good. I have a checkup with the doctor next week.”
“Let me know what time and I’ll go with you.”
“You don’t need to go.”
“I know. I want to. Gotta make sure my favorite Nana is all good.” He leaned over and kissed her temple.
She patted his cheek. “I can see you’re going to be as bad as your sister. It’s Thursday at eleven o’clock,” she added with a shake of her head.
Laughing, they finished eating. Gabriel stood. “I’ll clean up the kitchen before I leave.”
“Thanks, honey. Make sure to fix you a plate to take home. There’s plenty. I’m going to put my feet up and watch that cutie Shemar Moore onS.W.A.T.”
Chuckling, he cleared the table. His gaze followed her departure and took in everything. Though her steps were slower, she’d maintained her tall, trim frame and still moved with a grace and agility that belied her near eighty years. Spending time with her made him realize just how much he’d missed her and wished he could go back in time and extend all those visits when he had dropped in and out in less than forty-eight hours. Family was precious, and he intended to take advantage of every moment with her.
After washing the dishes, he found Nana in her favorite recliner, eyes glued to the television screen. Knowing she didn’t want to be interrupted, particularly during the action scene, he took a seat on the sofa and waited until the next commercial to say his goodbyes. “Thanks for dinner.” He held up the bag. “Next time I’m cooking.”
Nana’s eyes lit in surprise. “You’re welcome, and I’m looking forward to it.”
“I’ll come by Saturday morning to do the yard,” he said as they walked to the front door. Gabriel had noticed the slightly overgrown grass on his way in earlier. She had always maintained a manicured lawn.
“Ooh, I’d appreciate that. The young man who’s been doing it hasn’t come around in two weeks.” She kissed his cheek. “Be careful.”
“I will.”
“I’ll see you later, Gabriel. Let me get back before the commercial’s over. The good part is coming up.”
He chuckled. “Night, Nana.” He loped down the driveway to his car.
“Tell Serenity hello and to let me know when she’s having the next dinner get-together.”
Instead of answering, he threw up a wave. He was the last person Serenity wanted to see.
***
Two days later, as he sat writing codes, Gabriel still hadn’t come up with a way to approach Serenity. It was the first time in a long while that a woman had invaded his mind during the workday, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t stop thinking about her. He’d contemplated going next door and attempting to smooth things over, but memories of the anger and hurt he’d seen in her eyes had kept him away. The anger he could deal with, but the hurt didn’t sit well with him. Never had he let a situation go this long without a resolution, and he decided that today, one way or another, he was going to deal with it…starting with an apology.
Realizing that he wasn’t going to get any work done, he shut the program down and leaned back in his chair. Maybe going for a run would clear his head. It always helped to get his creative juices flowing again. However, he had no idea where to go, as he hadn’t taken time to check out the town to see where the parks or trails were located. Gabriel drummed his fingers on the desk. On second thought, he’d head back down to the town’s center.Ice cream from Splendid Scoops is calling my name.The foodie in him was eager to find out if the ice cream lived up to its name.
