Page 26 of A Perfect Pairing
“Good. I made a picture for you at school today because Mama said you were coming over. You wanna see it?”
“Absolutely.” He carried her up the steps and hugged his sister-in-law. “Hey, April.”
“Come on in. I heard your good news, and I’m excited for you two.”
“Thanks.” Noelle wiggled to get down, and he set her on her feet. She took off down the hall, and he chuckled.
“Noelle,walk,” April said, shaking her head. “I swear that girl has two speeds—sleep and full throttle.”
Antonio threw his head back and laughed. He followed April to the kitchen, where Nate stood at the stove, removing steaks from the stovetop grill. “What’s up, big bro?”
“Hey. You’re just in time.”
It wasn’t unusual for his brother to share the cooking duties with his wife. Both Antonio and Nate were competent in the kitchen thanks to their mother. She’d told them they needed to learn to fend for themselves instead of waiting on some woman to do it. His father had also prepared the meals in their home growing up, especially during parent conference week, when his mother wouldn’t get in until late. “Let me go wash my hands. I’ll be right back.” He used the half bath off the kitchen, and when he returned, Noelle handed him a drawing.
“It’s a picture of me and you playing on the swings in my backyard, and you’re pushing me high.”
He was glad she’d explained because the only thing he could make out were the two different sized stick figures. He’d had no clue about the other various shaped objects. “Thank you. I love it, and I’m going to hang it up in my house.”
“Yay! Daddy, Uncle Tony’s gonna hang up my picture at his house.” Noelle turned back to Antonio. “Can I come to your house and see it?”
“You sure can.”
“Then I can spend a night with you? Mama said you live by yourself.”
April plucked her out of Antonio’s arms. “Little girl, you can’t just invite yourself over to people’s houses. You have to wait until they ask.”
Her little lip drooped, and she stared up at her mother with sad eyes. “But he was going to ask,” she said in a small voice.
“She’s right. I was going to ask her.” Those big brown eyes got to him every time, and he caved like a sandcastle hit by a wave.
April rolled her eyes, then leaned down and whispered, “Just wait until you get your own. You’re going to become immune to sad eyes, tears, and everything in between.”
Antonio had been waiting a long time. He wanted children but had given up hope that he’d have them.Maybe I’ll be given a second chance for that, as well.Antonio dismissed the thought, cautioning himself to slow down. He and Natasha had just reconciled and were nowhere near that kind of discussion. They’d both changed and still had a lot to learn about each other.
Over dinner, he caught up with April and Nate, and Noelle kept up a running dialogue, so as not to be left out of the conversation. Afterward, he and Nate went to sit on the back deck.
“I’m glad you and Tasha are going to try again,” Nate said. “I know it’s going to sound cliché, but I truly believe you two were made for each other. I hope it works out this time.”
More than one of his family members had told him that, and Antonio started to believe they might be right. “So do I.” He didn’t think he’d be able to handle a different outcome.
“So when do you plan to tell Mom? I know Grandma is going to be beside herself, and you’d better believe she’s going to take credit for bringing you two back together,” he added with a laugh.
“I don’t know. Soon. Tasha and I are taking it slow for now—spending time together and figuring out if this will work—and neither of us want to be the subject of town gossip.”
“Only it won’t be gossip this time, Tony. It’s a fact. You’re back together, and the sooner folks know, the less trouble you’ll have with women like Claudia thinking they have a chance.”
Antonio hadn’t thought of that, but it had merit. He had to concede that point to his brother.Yeah, maybe it is time to let the town know I have my girl back.
CHAPTER 11
Saturday, Natasha set the table while Serenity and Gabriel prepared the meal for their meetup. Today they’d decided on brunch, and she couldn’t wait for the homemade waffles and vanilla maple syrup. She kept saying she would try to make the syrup on her own—Serenity said it was easy—but so far the only thing she’d done was devour it when her friend added it to the menu or shared a bottle.
The off-and-on rain finally stopped two days ago, and the temperatures had climbed to a sunny seventy-four degrees, making the weather perfect for outdoor dining. Since they kept things casual, Natasha had gone with a simple blue and white theme.
Serenity and Gabriel carried out platters of fluffy waffles, Gabriel’s fried chicken wings, bacon, and scrambled eggs. Terri and Dana followed with a fruit salad and pineapple mimosas, respectively. After plates were filled, music and conversation flowed around the table.
Serenity poured syrup on her waffles. “Tasha, how’s it going with you and Antonio being back together?”
