“It’s a very relaxing hobby,” I add, sighing wistfully.
“Maybe one day you can get back to it.”
I bite my lip and nod, thinking of the other passions and hobbies that have fallen away over the years. Volunteering at the shelter. Earth warriors. “Maybe.” Turning to the boys, I ask, “What did you get?” as Matty pulls a collection of video games from the bag. His smile is wide as he shuffles through the boxes.
“Trying to buy us off,” Alex murmurs. I swear this kid will not make anything easy for us.
“Nice,” Matty says, glancing up at us with an approving smirk.
Riley runs his hands through his hair and chuckles self-consciously. “Is it working?”
Matt makes a show of rubbing his chin, his expression thoughtful, before turning to his brother. “I’m thinking we go on a points system, what do you think?”
Alex, who’s been generally more reticent about my relationship with Riley, but has nonetheless reassured me he’s happy for us, grins devilishly. “I like it. What do you say … five points? One for each game?”
Matty nods his agreement just as Riley scoffs.
“Out of how many?” he asks.
The boys turn to each other, sharing a smug smile before answering simultaneously with “One hundred.”
“I guess it’s a start,” Riley grumbles, but I catch the glimpse of delight in his eyes a second before he turns away, and I know he’s counting this first interaction as a win.
We leave Matt and Alex to try out their new games and move into the kitchen, where Riley unpacks the rest of his bags, setting groceries out on the counter.
“You didn’t have to do this, you know. I was prepared to make something. Or we could have ordered in.”
“I want to,” he says softly, as he moves around my kitchen, opening drawers and cabinets, familiarizing himself with the layout. He puts several items away in the fridge, including what looks to be a mouthwatering pie I know the boys will love. “Need to prove to you I can, in fact, cook.”
I raise an eyebrow, and he shrugs.
“You seemed doubtful of my claim.”
“Do I need to bring up the egg salad incident again?”
He laughs. “I’ll never live that one down, will I?”
I grin, leaning on the counter. “Nope. But I’m willing to keep an open mind.”
“Good.”
“What are you making?”
“Fried chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, and some roasted veggies to keep your mom-heart happy.”
“Sounds amazing, can I help?”
“You can sit right here,” he says, pausing what he’s doing to take me by the hips and guide me over to the table. “I don’t want you lifting a finger.”
“But—”
“No buts,” he says, cutting me off. He pulls out a chair for me and pushes me down into it with a gentle pressure on my shoulders, then returns to the counter, pulling a bottle of red wine from his seemingly never-ending bag of treats. “Corkscrew?”
I go to stand, but he holds a hand up to stop me, his smile gentle. “Just tell me where it is, Sunshine.”
I point to a drawer by the fridge, watching as he moves smoothly around my kitchen, uncorking the wine, pulling a stemless glass down from the top shelf of my cabinet, and pouring me a generous glass. He sets it down before me on the table. “Piper told me this is one you like.”
“Thank you,” I murmur, taking the glass in my hands and spinning it in place on the table.
