But now I was actually here, missing that warmth, stomach doing its usual rumba routine, and I wouldn’t have minded having Jasper’s hand to hold as we made our way to the kitchen where Mom was pulling ingredients out of the fridge. Setting her armload on the counter first, she had a huge hug for me.

“What’s the plan for dinner?” I tried to sound upbeat, not wary.

“Tacos. Easy and you guys always loved those growing up.” She gave a sheepish smile that looked an awful lot like the one I saw in the mirror each day. “I got all your favorite toppings too.”

“I can help.” Draping my jacket over the back of a kitchen chair, I rolled up my sleeves. Opening the fridge, I added an onion and a head of garlic to the collection on the counter. “Do you have canned tomatoes? Fresh is better, but it’s the wrong season.”

She blinked at me before handing over a can. “Who are you, and what did you do with Milo?”

“I’m both impressed and scared.” Bruno laughed as he took a seat at the table. “But I might trust you with a knife more than Mom.”

“None of that. I can cook. I kept you both fed.” She waved a package of cheese in our direction. “I spent all day picking up stuff for the party tomorrow. Rolls from that new bakery. The cold cuts from the deli with that ham Bruno said he can’t get in Virginia. Cake from the place that did your graduation cakes. Oh, and brownies for dessert tonight from the pizza place Milo told me about. The house is stocked for my boys.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

Working together, she and I made the dinner. My onion dice wasn’t as perfect as Professor Herrera’s, but I was getting there. Her eyes got wide when I deftly drained the beef. Her new kitchen was tiny—barely enough room for all the appliances and a small dining nook—but we made a good team. It was fun surprising the two of them with my new skills, and Bruno kept up a steady conversation about being stationed abroad.

“And then our SEALs came in—”

“I love how you claim ownership of the SEALs,” I teased as I warmed tortillas.

“Hey, I save their bacon all the time. Highly classified stuff, but you’d be amazed at how much the support personnel does. And I’m up for an advancement in rank later this year. Might get even more responsibility then.”

“That’s awesome.” I gave him a high five. Mom had lots of questions about what the new rank would be and what he’d be doing, and his answers took us most of the way through eating. Afterward, Bruno and I cleaned up like old times while she made herself a cup of tea.