Mr. Olsen lays back and waves a thin veiny arm. “No, No. I’m not going to interrupt your dinner. But you can bring me a plate if you want to. I’m going to take a little nap.”
The women enter the house and busy themselves in the kitchen. I watch as Malena and Eva chat. It’s easy, effortless banter, like they’ve been friends for life. Eva asks about Ms. Winterset and how Mom’s party planning is progressing. Malena asks about how I was as a child. They relish in the story about how I almost drowned at the beach.
“That’s not a funny story. I almost died,” I chime in.
Eva rolls her eyes as she washes her hands. “It’s funny because you’re a SEAL now. Water is your thing. You’re like one with it. Right?”
“I guess so,” I say. “It’s still not funny.”
Malena smiles but keeps her eyes down to the knife and cutting board.
“You have something to add? Something funny? Me almost dying is funny?”
“You act like that’s the closest to death that you’ve been. When in actuality it’s probably child’s play. Literally,” Malena explains, meeting my eyes.
“Fair,” I say.
Celia walks in the front door. “He’s snoring like a giant,” Celia says, hiking her thumb to my front deck. “Smells good. What’s for dinner?”
She’s wearing her scrubs and her hair is in a messy bun. I see her check out Malena to gauge the amount of shade happening. Malena swallows hard and pauses chopping. “Hey Celia,” she says, as my sister rounds the corner into the kitchen. Malena’s eyes glass over. I’m not sure if it’s because of onions or because she’s about to break down.
“Thank you so much” —Malena breathes— “for my mother.” They talk for a few minutes. It’s mostly Malena telling her how grateful she is for finding the spot for her mother and Celia reassuring her that she doesn’t owe her anything. It’s a little painful to watch. Malena is so unused to others helping her that it’s hard for her to accept a kind gesture for what it is. A kind gesture.
Celia shakes her hand. “Don’t even mention it. I was happy to help you out. You’ve made my brother a more bearable person in recent days.” Celia washes her hands. “What can I help with? I should text Momma and Daddy and see if they can come over.”
“There’s enough. I’m cooking for an army,” Eva says. “Text them now.”
Malena’s gaze darts up to meet mine—panic written on her features. “Come here,” I say, tilting my chin to Malena. “I have to show you something. They can handle the cooking for a second,” I say.
“Yes. We got this. Go ahead,” Celia says. “Go listen to Mr. Olsen snore. I’ve never heard anything like it in my life.” Thank God Celia is gracious and can tell that Malena needs a moment to process all that’s happened in the past hour.
Malena wipes her hands on the dish rag. “Okay,” she replies drying her hands on her shorts. She walks around the island and stands in front of me. I don’t care about being subtle, so I lean over to kiss her lips once, full and deep. I can tell she thinks about pulling away, but the attraction is too strong so she doesn’t. Eva clears her throat. Celia laughs. And I just took my weakness from their hands and owned it for myself.
When I break the kiss, Malena brings her fingers up to her lips and looks to my sisters. They’re busy, but both are wearing devious smirks. “It’s done. Don’t question anything else. Got it?” I ask.
Eva sighs, and Celia chimes, “Is this like the time you took that girl to prom and you made a big deal of making Mom buy that corsage that matched her dress? Like you were so serious about the dance and the girl. But then you left her at the dance to party with your buddies and drink beer in the woods? Then the cops made you jog in front of their cop car all the way back home?” A story they will never let me live down. I hate them. But I also love them because while I like to think Malena knows me, at least she’s getting another side of me. No secrets, my sisters will make sure of that.
I sigh. “You guys really are unbearable. No, it’s not like that at all. My date was in on it the whole time. She knew I wasn’t actually going to the dance.” Partly true. I took photos with her so she had something to show her parents and then I bolted. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement.
Celia shrugs. “Just making sure.” She winks at Malena. “He’s a real catch. Promise.”
“Seems that way, doesn’t it?” Malena replies, shaking her head. Eva makes an annoyed noise while looking at Celia’s phone. “Mom and Dad already have plans for dinner they can’t make it tonight. Though I’m sure she’s utterly devastated she can’t talk Dad into coming here instead.”
“I am a good catch,” I say, snaking an arm around Malena’s waist. I pull Malena down the hall to my bedroom. She pauses, trying to look at the random awards I have lining my hallway, but I have her hand in mine. By my age, most have hallways lined with photos of their children. Memories from happy vacations. Wedding days. None of those things belong to me. My career accomplishments adorn the walls in my house. They are things I’m proud of, but I can’t be sure they mean the same thing to me as family photos mean to others. That’s the best thing about not knowing. You can’t miss what you’ve never had.
“These are really awesome, Leif,” Malena whispers, as she reads the small inscription on a plaque. She goes on her tiptoes to read the one on the wall next to my bedroom door. She laughs at the funny poem my teammates wrote for me when I left the command.
“Were you not impressed with me before?” I tease. “My sisters will make sure you’re never impressed with me in any way. I can tell them to go away. I do it all the time. Just let me know. I’m never expecting them. This is kind of an introduction by fire, but it’s also a very accurate portrayal of me. Of what I came from. Of why I am the way I am.”
We enter my bedroom and she looks around. “Are they the real reason why you don’t want children?” she asks, meeting my gaze once her appraisal is over. “Because they are…so much,” she whispers.
I tilt my head back and forth. “You could be on to something. I never really thought of it that way. Could be,” I admit. Malena nods, walking toward my four-poster bed that’s far too large for this space, her delicate fingers dragging against the dark wood. “It’s just we went from never meeting family to having a full-on reunion. You were quite the bachelor it seems.”
Shaking my head, I approach her wrapping my hands around her rib cage. She’s so small, so perfectly made to fit into my hands. “Not a bachelor in the sense you’re thinking. I’ve never met someone worth breaking rules for. There’s a difference. I didn’t give the women from my past time because they weren’t worthy of it.”
“I’m worth it?”
I grin. “More than worth it. Anytime I’m not with you, I’m wishing I was.” That’s never happened before. I have never dreamed I’d want to be anywhere as much as I want to be next to Malena. Inside her.
