"You pick."
He frowned a little and drew her closer into his embrace. "It takes fewer steps to get to your apartment. Let's go there."
Her aching calves agreed. "Sounds good."
DUKE
Their food arrived while Lexie was showering and he set the table, he was waiting for her to turn off the water before he opened the containers.
He remained standing by the table waiting for her. His mom would have kicked his ass if he hadn't.
Don't ask him how, but she would know somehow.
His phone rang and he turned his head one way and then the other for secret cameras before taking it out of his pocket and answering the call.
"Mom! How are you?"
There was a moment of silence before she sighed. "Missing you, Kaleo. You're so far away."
He heard the soft ache in her voice.
"Mom, I miss you, too."
He felt her love.
It might seem silly to some, but he'd grown up with his mom, his aunts, and his little sister.
He wasn't afraid of showing love or saying how much he loved them.
It was better to do it when you could instead of...
"Kaleo?"
He heard his mother's voice reaching out to him.
"Mom?"
"You're thinking so hard,kamaiki.I feel it all the way over here in the islands."
He put his hand over his heart and swore he felt her love, too.
"I was just thinking aboutTutu."
His eyes welled up with tears at the thought of his grandmother.
"What brought this on?"
He let out a breath and spoke from the heart.
"Regret."
He shook his head and blinked away the tears.
"I never got to say goodbye."
He heard his mother's sigh, but he didn't hear judgment.
He heard love.
