“Yes! Yes! Yes!” both boys began to chant.
“No, thank you. I always have dinner with my boys.”
“That’s not a problem. I actually meant all three of you.”
“Thank you, but we’re on our way to dinner right now. We eat early, then have a small snack before bedtime,” she explained.
“I eat all the time so an early dinner is no problem for me,” he said.
“I’m not sure it’s a good idea,” Giada said. “Besides, we’re eating here tonight. There’s no reason to spend extra money when we can just as easily eat here. And the food is better than most restaurants. Thank you, anyway.”
“Eating here sounds great to me. Besides, I gotta eat. You gotta eat. The kids gotta eat. Let’s eat together.”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“Why not?”
Giada shot him an irritated glare. “Honestly? Because they seem already pretty attached to you, and it’ll just be a few days and you’ll be headed back to school, right? They’ll feel that. They’re just getting adjusted to a new life here and I don’t want anything to taint that for them.”
“I understand that, more than you know. But I’m not going back as soon as you think. In fact, it’s debatable that I go back at all — got a few things in the works. In the meantime, I have a little extra time.”
She looked at him, trying to figure out his game.
“It’s just a meal and a little time, Giada. My intentions are purely honorable — I assure you. I’m just asking to share some food, some company, and few laughs. What’s the harm?”
“A few laughs? Is that what you’re after? It’s not surprising,” Giada said.
“Ronan? I didn’t know you were coming by here today, baby,” Valerie said, walking into the reception area as she dried her hands on a dish towel.
“Mom! I didn’t know you were going to be here today, either. You volunteering today?” Ronan asked, going to her and hugging her.
“Avaleigh was cooking today so I came to help.”
“Oh, if Aunt Avaleigh and my mom cooked, we have to eat here. Doesn’t matter what it is they made,” Ronan said, nodding his head to emphasize his words while grinning at Giada.
“You can choose from catfish couvillion, and shrimp creole, both with rice and garlic bread. We made fried okra and potato salad as sides, and chicken tenders for the kids,” Valerie said proudly.
“Oh, yeah. I’m eating here,” Ronan said.
“With us!” both boys shouted as they jumped around excitedly.
“Well, now hold on,” Ronan said. “It’s up to your mom. She has the final word and you should always listen to your mom.” He turned to Giada. “It’s just sharing a meal. I promise. I have no ulterior motives.”
“Are these the boys you were telling your Dad about this morning?” Valerie asked.
Ronan’s head jerked toward his mother quickly, his eyes wide with an unspoken ask to not say too much.
“They are,” he said carefully.
“Ronan was saying how much he enjoyed playing the video game with them. I think they reminded him of being a kid again.Actually, now that I’m thinking of it, I believe the games they’re playing here might be yours. We donated a lot of toys from you kids.”
“That’s how you knew how to play it!” Leo said excitedly.
“It all makes sense now,” Ronan said.
“There was a time I told Ronan that his brain would turn to mush if he kept playing all those video games. But now he’s working on his second degree in Biomedical Engineering. Maybe those games don’t exactly rot your brain.”
“Not mine at least,” Ronan said laughingly.
