And nearly moan.
Real food.
Warm.
Seasoned.
Not broth.
Not soup.
My eyes close for a second.
“Oh my god.”
Ryan chuckles under his breath.
“Easy.”
“This is incredible.”
Riot leans across the table.
“Wait till you try the pie.”
“I might cry.”
“Good.”
For a while it’s just noise.
Conversation.
Laughter.
Food being passed around.
Someone arguing about bikes across the room.
It feels… normal.
And after the week I’ve had, normal feels like the greatest gift in the world.
Eventually Ryan stands.
He claps his hands once.
“Alright. Shut the hell up for a minute.”
The room quiets immediately.
Every eye turns to him.
Ryan reaches down and gently pulls me to my feet beside him.
My heart starts pounding.
“What are you doing?” I whisper.
