A hint of a grin grew on her lips. I turned back to the stove, finding the water boiling, and grabbed a sauce pan. A bit passed by before Len came back to check on the food. She crossed her arms and stood next to me as I stirred the sauce.

“Where did you learn to make this?” she asked.

“I’ve always liked cooking, but all credit goes to my mother for this recipe. She taught me how to make it, and someday, I’ll teach Lyla.”

The water started to bubble, and I dumped in the box of pasta.

“You’re close with them, right?” Len asked.

I wished I was closer. California was too far, and my job always got in the way, but they understood. “I am, but I wish I saw them more often,” I admitted.

“I hope I can meet them someday,” Len said.

It was the first time she had given any indication there could be a future for us. She denied my desire to be her boyfriend, but that didn’t mean all hope was lost. I understood her reasoning, even agreed with it, but it didn’t hurt any less.

“You will,” I assured her. “Maybe I’ll even bring them here to see the beaches.”

She moved closer to me, and I grabbed her waist, shifting her in front of me while my arms wrapped around her. I placed the wooden spoon in her hand and guided her to stir the tomato sauce.

“The secret is in the spices,” I admitted as I poured in some Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Len kept stirring, making sure it was distributed evenly.

“You’re a natural,” I teased.

She turned around to face me, and as she did so, she stood on her tiptoes to place a quick kiss to my lips.

Life was easy around Len. There was no thinking; everything just fell into place.

I leaned in to kiss her back, and as I did, sizzling broke out behind her. She moved away quickly, the water boiling over the pot holding the pasta.

I laughed and quickly turned down the temperature on the stove. I used the spoon to give it all a good stir and then focused my attention back on Len.

“I promise it’ll be ready soon,” I assured her.

That was enough for her. She made her way back into the dining room, and soon after, I followed her with two plates.

We spent the night eating and joking.

I’d never laughed so hard as I did when I was with Len. It was easy to pretend everything was going to be okay. In the back of my mind, though, the nagging feeling ate away at me that I only had so much time left with her. So, I spent every second soaking it in.

26. Lenny

26

LENNY