Page 46 of The Wish List
AJ began to chuckle, and Asher narrowed his eyes. “You’ll pay for that.”
“Promises, promises.”
I handed him the mirror. “See for yourself.”
He glanced at his reflection, brushing at his temples. “Once again, I’m impressed, Rosie.”
I could only smirk.
AJ sat down once Asher stood, and his took a little longer. But it looked much better, and it didn’t take me too long. Afterward, they insisted popcorn had to be their reward. We ate it as we played a game of Trouble, AJ winning the game soundly.
Asher and AJ picked the dinner menu, and more Chinese food arrived. Way more than we could eat, but I knew Asher did that deliberately, wanting my fridge full. We ate in the living room, the food spread out on the coffee table. Watching Asher try to teach AJ how to use chopsticks was funny.
He leaned over AJ, showing him with his fingers how to hold them. “Like this, bud. Put your fingers like this. Yes. Now, the other chopstick here. Great. You got it. Pick up a piece of chicken,” he encouraged.
The chicken got away, and Asher laughed. “Again.”
They practiced as I ate, happy just to see them together. Asher was endlessly patient with AJ, and in the end, he was able to pick up a piece of the teriyaki chicken and eat it. Rice was a grain at a time, and the noodles ended up being wound around the chopsticks like spaghetti, but they had fun. AJ’s face and fingers were a mess, so when he finished his meal, I sent him to wash up.
Asher filled his plate again, relaxing against the sofa. “Thank you,” I said quietly.
“For?” he asked, popping a piece of chicken into his mouth and chewing.
“For your patience with him.”
Asher shook his head. “He’s easy to be patient with. He makes me smile.” He paused, chewing a mouthful of noodles. “I think he and Bonnie would get along well. I’m sure Suzy will be demanding an intro soon enough.”
I smiled, knowing he was probably correct. If she was like her brother, patience wouldn’t be a strong suit.
We ate in silence for a few moments, and he set down his plate. “I don’t want to leave you tomorrow.”
“We have to go back to normal life,” I replied. “The holidays are over. AJ goes back to school, I go back to work, you go back to giving away money.”
He nodded. “But I can see you, right? Besides a date?”
“If you want to,” I said cautiously. “I know the holidays are lonely and people do odd things, so if you go back—”
He cut me off with one word. “No.” He shook his head, his gaze fierce, his voice firm. “This was not just me being lonely. We are not ending, Rosie. This is simply the start. We’ll adjust and figure things out. But you and AJ are part of me now. Don’t think for one moment you were nothing but a temporary panacea. You are so much more. Tell me you know that.”
“I’m trying.”
“You are.”
“Okay,” I whispered, wanting with everything in me to believe him. To know this wonderful man would be around once the holiday decorations were gone and real life stepped in.
“I’ll prove it to you.”
“I look forward to it.”
CHAPTERTWELVE
ASHER
My condo felt empty when I returned to it. Vast, filled with furniture, the air warm, and completely lacking any life. I wandered around, looking at the rooms. Four bedrooms, plus my large primary suite. The others rarely used unless Bonnie spent the night or Suzy and she stayed a few days. The kitchen was great for heating up takeout and the furniture rarely sat on. My office was the most lived-in. I spent a lot of time there, even sleeping on the sofa on occasion, watching a movie on the big screen. The rest of the rooms were just…space.
Rosie’s tiny apartment was crammed. The furniture didn’t match, the heat was iffy at times, yet I sensed the love that saturated the rooms. Felt the lives they lived in that tiny space.
I longed to be back on that lumpy sofa with her wrapped in blankets to ward off the chill rather than here in my perfectly temperature-controlled condo with nothing out of place. It was devoid of warmth. Rather like me before Rosie and AJ came into my life.
