“Neither am I,” I added, realizing that there really was no rush to finish dividing the house. The only urgency came from wanting to share a great oven with Gabriella, to encourage her culinary dreams and create delicious memories together.
“Then we can just wait on the duplex separation,” Gabriella declared, determination sparkling in her eyes. And in that moment, the future felt a little less uncertain, with the knowledge that we were both committed to making the best of our shared lives and our shared kitchen, one meal at a time.
Just as I was settling in to the idea of owning the Celestia, Lorenzo appeared out of nowhere, like a gust of wind that suddenly changed the temperature. They must have been sharing locations or something because he knew exactly where to find Gabriella.
He said something to her in Spanish, and she nodded, a hint of concern flickering across her face.
“Excuse us for a second,” she said. They stepped away to the next aisle over.
I, for one, was grateful. I needed a moment to contemplate my first big purchase alone. Yes, I’d orchestrated the house remodel alone, but it was necessary. A huge, fancy stove, though? Rightnow?
I caught Elijah craning his neck to watch Gabriella and Lorenzo through the dishwashing machines.
“Let’s not be nosy, Elijah,” I whispered, gently nudging him back to the task at hand.
He sighed, relenting. “All right, Grandma.”
I returned my attention to Leonna, who was obviously hoping for a sale. “Could you tell me more about the financing and payment options for these ovens?”
“Of course!” She smiled, launching into an explanation of various plans and discounts available.
As I listened, my mind kept wandering to Gabriella and Lorenzo, wondering what was going on between them. But I reminded myself that it wasn’t my place to pry. I needed to focus on finding the right oven for our kitchen. So Gabriella could beat Mrs. Maine and, maybe, I could host the no-germ potluck.
When Gabriella returned, her eyes were slightly red, and her cheerful oven-happy demeanor had vanished. “I have to head back to work,” she said quietly. “Someone called in sick last minute, and they need me to cover the shift tonight.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?” I asked, concerned.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine.” She forced a weak smile. “You two finish up here, okay? You know my vote. But I understand the situation. Just let me know.”
“Will do,” I replied, giving her a reassuring pat on the arm before she left the store.
Elijah looked at me with furrowed brows. “Grandma, it looks like Gabriella was crying.”
I said gently, “Don’t worry. She’ll be okay.”
Inside, I felt a knot forming in the pit of my stomach. Gabriellawas usually so transparent, her emotions like an open book. To see her mask her feelings so quickly—it wasn’t like her.
“Okay,” he agreed hesitantly, though the concern lingered in his eyes. “But didn’t she just getoffwork?”
He looked up at me with those big brown eyes, searching for reassurance. “People have to work double shifts sometimes,” I told Elijah, trying to calm him. “Haven’t your mom and dad ever had to stay late at the office?”
“I guess. It seemed like Gabriella and that guy were arguing.”
“Stay out of grown folks’ business, EJ,” I admonished him. “Now, tell me how things are going at day camp. Have you made any new friends?”
He paused for a moment before launching into a tale of his latest adventures at the youth center. It was clear that he was having a great time, even if he couldn’t shake his concerns about Gabriella.
He wasn’t alone. I was worried about her, too. Fancy new oven or not, I hoped she wouldn’t have to spend all her life working double shifts at someone else’s restaurant. Or crying after a distressing conversation with her partner. For all she had done to help me and Elijah, she deserved so much more.
Chapter 14
I awoke the next morning with a sense of unease. My first thoughts were on the fact that I woke due to sunlight instead of sounds in the dark signaling Gabriella’s return. She hadn’t come home last night after leaving the appliance store with Lorenzo, and it worried me. Every scary movie I’d ever seen, every true crime show I’d ever watched, haunted my imagination.
I tried to brush off my feelings as I prepared breakfast for Elijah and myself. As we ate, I glanced at my phone every few minutes, checking for any messages from her.
Nothing.
I sighed and decided not to overthink it. One thing I’d learned from my own children was that my need for communication could be overwhelming to people who were accustomed to asynchronous conversations.
