APRIL
After dinner, April was cleaning up in the kitchen, fully expecting to handle it herself this time.
Minerva had disappeared into her room and Khall was tucking Bo in and reading to her.
It was too easy to pretend for a few minutes that this was really her life - her daughters heading off to bed after a nice day, her husband waiting for her in the bedroom.
But he had gone so cold the morning after their make out session. She hadn’t had a chance to enjoy the afterglow.
At least tonight he seemed like himself again, happy and hopeful.
It’s probably because he can tell you’re not expecting anything more. That was a one-time thing.
She heard footsteps and begged herself not to blush. He was too attuned to her skin tone for her to get away with it.
“That dinner was amazing,” he said softly, joining her in the kitchen. “Thank you.”
“I’m not much of a cook,” she said. “I just have a couple of old family recipes. But Bo is shaping up to have a real talent in the kitchen.”
“Yeah?” he asked, looking doubtful. “Let me get those.”
She stepped back and let him take over with the dishes, so she could wipe down the counters, like they usually did.
“She really likes cooking,” April said. “I tried to get her in here just hoping she might try more new things if she helped make them. But she’s really taken off.”
“She trusts you,” Khall said. “That means a lot with her.”
April felt warmth spread through her chest.
“She’s a really special kid,” she replied. “I feel very lucky.”
“Luck has nothing to do with it,” he said dismissively, plunging the pie pan into the soapy water. “You put in the work. I have a lot of respect for what you do.”
“Thanks,” she said, feeling a little awkward.
“And Minerva,” he went on. “I just can’t get over how you lure her out of her room. I haven’t seen this much of her in a long time.”
“It was really cool to see how interested she is in your job offer,” April said, marveling over the fact that the opening she had been looking for all night had actually come.
“I didn’t really take that offer seriously,” he said.
“Why not?” she asked him, amazed. “It’s an incredible opportunity to do something important.”
“Well, it’s an opportunity to work for someone important,” he said. “I would just be an overpaid chauffeur.”
She had a hard time seeing how that was any different from what he was doing now. But that seemed insulting to ask. And she was pretty sure there were subtleties she wasn’t picking up on.
“You don’t seem to particularly love the job you have now,” she said carefully.
“I don’t, not really,” he admitted, pulling the stopper from the sink. “But I took the job because it was highly paid, regular work. With the girls, I knew it was important to be a good provider and to stay close to home.”
What he wasn’t saying was that having the girls by himself meant he had to stay close to home and be thoughtful about what he was doing.
“Would the new job be more interesting?” she asked.
“Sure,” he said. “Lots of important, interesting people, and even better, I’d be able to pilot the hottest new ships. The leader always has an incredible fleet.”
“That sounds amazing,” she said.