“This is her. I will let him play with her.”
E chuckled softly. “I will tell him.”
“You can take my dollie and show him,” she said, her eyes wide.
“Oh, darlin, I can’t do that,” E said gently, kneeling so he was in her face. “This is your pretty doll. He wouldn’t want you to be without it.”
She nibbled her bottom lip for a moment. “OK. I’ll be right back.”
She dashed away, leaving E to hold her doll.
“Sorry,” I said. “She’s taken a liking to you. She’ll be hard to shake now.”
“Which is why you should stay for food,” Klaus added. “We made a lot.”
“I don’t… we always have takeout or nuggets,” E said, wincing. “I haven’t actually had a decent meal in a long time.”
“Then stay,” Klaus said before I could.
“I-I can’t. I need to get to Laz, plus, shit is weird right now.” E winced and looked away.
I had no idea what had gone down between him and Rosalie or him and Evan, but judging by his sadness, I’d say he was struggling on both fronts.
“I’ll make you a plate,” I said. “For you and Laz. You can eat together.”
E hesitated for a moment before stepping forward. Based on that response, I set to work putting food into a container for him and his son. Klaus added an extra serving of spaghetti to the bowl as I put some bread together for him.
“Did you guys make this? Like homemade?” E asked, watching me slice the fresh bread.
“Yeah.” I gave him a quick smile. “Noodles and all. My dad showed me how, and I learned the bread recipe from my mom when I was a kid. The sauce is my recipe.”
“Your dad,” E murmured. “Matteo.”
“Yeah.” I swallowed and continued to work.
“I’m sorry about him,” he said. He looked from me to Klaus. “You both lost someone special to you. I didn’t know him, but he kept Rosalie safe, and he saved Fox. That’s all I need to know about the man to know he was decent.”
I smiled at him. “He was a good man. All is well. He’s with my mom now, and that’s all that matters.”
E gave me a sad look.
“He’d hate Chicago now anyway,” Klaus said, smirking at E. “Wouldn’t care for the new management.”
E let out a soft huff. “I’m pretty sure half of that management came from his balls. Dom does a decent job.”
“He’s OK.” Klaus grinned. “Pain in the ass like his old man. So if you know Dom, then you know Matteo.”
“I do. Dom is… stubborn.”
“Like his old man.” Klaus put the lid on the bowl, and I added a bag of bread to the top.
“Take it. For you and Laz. If you hate the sauce, then Klaus made it,” I said, nudging Klaus in the ribs.
He rolled his eyes and reached into the cupboard next to him and pulled out a jar of store-bought pasta sauce.
“Ethan, I made this, not that. Don’t let him fool you,” Klaus said.
E laughed softly at that. “I’m sure the sauce will be amazing.”
