“I know. He sent me to get you.”
I shot up from the cushion in front of the fire. “Is everything okay?”
“Oh yeah. Nothing bad happened. Rafe is feeling a little poorly so Carson had to send him home, and they were wondering if you could give them a hand.”
“Oh shoot,” I said.
If Rafe was sick, it was serious. He was one of the most reliable people at the Grill. He had to be as the bar manager.
“I would help, but I’ve got Ella,” I said.
“That’s why I’m here!” Lilian said and opened her hands to call Ella into them. “I offered to help but you know the place like the back of your hand. I’d only be a nuisance.”
I nodded and got up.
Christmas was our busiest time, and expectations were even higher than normal as people trusted us with their family gatherings and celebrations. It also meant all the dickheads that never left the house year-round were out and about who didn’t know how anything worked, let alone a meal at a restaurant, and treated others like servants. Thankfully, there were the minority as most people were all too grateful. As long as everything went smoothly.
“Okay. Sure. I’ll go get dressed,” I said.
When I came out, Ella was already passed out in front of the fireplace, and Lilian was reading a book she’d grabbed from the bookcase.
“Um, I think that’s raunchy, Lilian,” I said, noticing the title and author.
Lilian smirked.
“I can handle raunchy.”
“It’s gay raunchy.”
“The problem is?” She raised an eyebrow and I almost threw up.
There was just something about my best friend’s mom reading gay sex that made me a little uncomfortable. I wondered how Enzo felt.
“Are you okay, honey?” she asked after a moment when I hadn’t moved or talked.
“Huh? Yeah. I’m good.”
I started to leave when a thought occurred to me, and I turned back to Lilian.
“Can I ask you something?” She nodded. “Why did you never rebuild your life? After Nicolas died.”
Enzo’s dad’s passing had nearly destroyed them both. I think it was part of the reason Enzo ran away from here as soon as he graduated. To escape the loss of his father.
“Of course I rebuilt my life, sweetheart. I had to rethink everything. To have a go at everything by myself. To relearn the things I relied on Nicolas for.”
“But you never… remarried or found someone else,” I said. “I’m sorry. That’s too personal. Forget I said anything.” I turned to leave.
“Hang on,” she said. “What’s all this about?”
I shook my head, trying to dismiss the question.
“Nicolas was the love of my life. It took me so long to get over his loss, and Enzo even longer. I don’t think he’s over it still.”
“Do you mean to tell me you’re over losing him? Is that possible?”
Lilian opened her mouth, then closed it again.
“I don’t mean get over as in I don’t miss him anymore. Or that I don’t think about him anymore. That if I could bring him back into my life, I wouldn’t. I mean that I learned to live with the loss and to not let it define me. Time heals all wounds. Even those that never quite heal.”
