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“I wish I could say it’s like Mary Poppins’ carpet bag, but no. It’s just a lot of wipes. First aid stuff. Whatever I need to keep things clean.” She picked up the takeout bag from the cushion beside her and opened the top. “One of the nurses said I should just get a diaper bag instead. And it’s tempting,” she sighed, “but then I feel like people would ask about a baby and,” she shook her head, trying to back out of that topic of conversation, “anyway. I’ve got enough room for all of the cleaning solutions and other stuff that go along with a therapy cat.”

Mari looked down and opened up the top box and smiled.

“This is a barbecue chicken plate with veggies.” She looked up at him. “There are a lot of veggies and sides that come with Korean food. Is that okay?”

His smile in reply made her feel warm… everywhere. “It all looks good.”

“I think I’ll have to help you. I can hold the plate and get you a fork-”

“I can use chopsticks.”

She couldn’t help but smile more when he’d said that. “Great. Here.”

Mari removed the paper wrapping from the chopsticks and snapped them apart before holding them out for him.

He took the chopsticks and looked down at the plate that she was holding for him. “How are you going to eat?”

The answer on the tip of her tongue was that she didn’t mind waiting. The idea of being at his side felt good. The quiet moment they were sharing was everything she wanted at that moment.

“Why don’t you share with me,” he offered. “At least until the shrimp has moved onto the rest of her meal.”

Mari wanted to say that she could wait to eat later, but Heath was looking at her expectantly and if she was honest with herself, sharing a meal with him like this felt good.

It felt right.

Putting the plate down on her lap, she reached back into the bag and took out the other pair of chopsticks, stripped off the paper and snapped them apart.

Seeing a little piece of wool on the edge of one of the chopsticks, she held them off to the side and rubbed them together to smooth the length of wood.

Mari turned slightly, giving his arm and elbow more room. She picked up a piece of cucumber kimchi and put it in her mouth.

The tang and bite of the kimchi spice touched her tongue and she hummed a little. “So good.”

“Sounds like it.”

She turned her head toward him, her eyes moving over his face, looking for his expression.

He smiled softly, his dark eyes warming.

Wow.

Her heart beat faster.

Looking at him.

Seeing him look at her.

It was everything she didn’t know she was hoping for.

She looked down and picked up a piece of the cucumber and held it out for him, a few inches from his mouth.

Heath parted his lips and her gaze fixed on his mouth.

She licked her lips and his gaze lowered.

It was hard to breathe.

Hard to think.