My girl.
I could get used to that.
Jess clears her throat loudly. "Not to interrupt this Hallmark moment, but we have customers."
I pull back reluctantly to find three soldiers waiting patiently, all of them grinning.
Heat floods my face. "Sorry. What can I get you?"
They place their order, two Americanos and a caramel latte, and I get to work while Tyler settles onto a bar stool.
He watches me work with that same intense focus he always has. But now I know what it means. He's not just watching me,he's learning. Noticing. Paying attention to every detail. Details he will catalogue and remember later, as he has proven already.
"Did you eat your breakfast?" he asks once the soldiers leave.
"Yes. I sent you a photo, remember?"
"I remember, but just because you made it, doesn’t mean you ate it.”
“I ate it. Every bite.”
“I'm proud of you for listening."
The praise warms me from the inside out. "I always listen to good advice."
"Is that what I am? Good advice?"
"Among other things." I start making his usual Americano without asking. "What are you doing today? You don’t have to work?"
"No, I have the day off but I’m on call. I’m going grocery shopping, catching up on laundry. Exciting stuff." He pauses. "What about you?"
"Working until two, then I need to check on Mochi, do some bookkeeping and check on payroll and then?—"
"When do you rest?"
"Rest?"
"Yeah. Downtime. Relaxation. Time when you're not working or taking care of other people or responsibilities."
I think about it. "I don't know. I read before bed?"
"That's not enough." His voice goes firm. "You need actual rest. Time to decompress and recharge."
"I'm fine?—"
"Chloe." He waits until I meet his eyes. "How many hours did you work this week?"
"I don't know. Sixty?"
"And how many hours did you spend taking care of yourself?"
I don't answer because we both know the number is really small.
"That's what I thought." He accepts the coffee I hand him. "We need to talk about this."
"About what?"
"About you running yourself into the ground. About how you give and give until there's nothing left." His gaze is steady. "That stops now."
