Chapter 13 - A Complicated Romance
Michael understood that better than most.
Our friendship grew almost accidentally.
Coffee during renovation meetings became dinner after renovation meetings.
Dinner became Sunday walks with Zach.
Sunday walks became evenings where I somehow ended up on Elena’s sofa watching Zach argue that animated movies counted as educational documentaries.
Nothing was announced.
Nothing was rushed.
That mattered.
One spring evening, after Zach had fallen asleep in the car following a school concert, Michael walked me to my apartment.
He stopped beneath the entrance light.
“I need to ask you something.”
I leaned against the railing.
“That sentence has a terrible history in your family.”
He laughed quietly.
“I promise nobody is proposing.”
“Good.”
“I would like to take you to dinner.”
“We eat dinner constantly.”
“Dinner without invoices.”
“That narrows things.”
“Without Elena.”
“Understandable.”
“Without Zach.”
“That sounds suspicious.”
He put one hand in his coat pocket.
“An actual date, Aurora.”
I stared at him.
Michael Moretti.
The man I had once believed was the most dangerous person in Brooklyn.
Standing awkwardly beneath my apartment light.
Waiting.
Not assuming.
Waiting.
“I thought you said nobody was proposing.”
His expression became serious.
“I am definitely not repeating my son’s strategy.”
“Why not? It was very successful.”
“You were hiding behind flour.”
“Romance has changed.”
“Aurora.”
I smiled.
“Yes.”
“Yes?”
“Yes, I’ll have dinner with you.”
His shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly.
“But if you bring a spreadsheet,” I added, “I’m leaving.”
“I can’t agree to unreasonable conditions.”
Our first date was terrible.
The restaurant lost our reservation.
Rain started while we walked to another one.
Michael stepped into a puddle deep enough to ruin one shoe.
I laughed until I cried.
He accused me of lacking compassion.
We ended up eating pizza under an awning while waiting for a cab.
It was perfect.
Our second date was better organized.
Our third included Elena accidentally appearing at the same restaurant and pretending she had no idea we were there.
By our fourth, Zach had realized what was happening.
He confronted us over pancakes.
“So you’re dating?”
Michael put down his coffee.
“Yes.”
Zach looked at me.
“But you’re engaged to me.”
I nearly dropped my fork.
Michael rubbed his forehead.
“We discussed this.”
“No, you discussed it.”
“Aurora?”
I tried not to laugh.
“Your father is right.”
Zach looked betrayed.
“Then what happened to our pinky promise?”
I held out my little finger.
“You promised to protect me from the witch.”
“And I did.”
“You did.”
He hooked his pinky around mine.
“And I promised to marry you because you were six and trying to make me feel safe.”
“I’m seven now.”
“Which completely changes the legal landscape.”
Michael nearly smiled into his coffee.
Zach considered this.
Then pointed at his father.
“He can marry you instead.”
Michael choked.
I stared at Zach.
“Excuse me?”
“It keeps the promise in the family.”
Elena, passing behind us with a plate of pastries, laughed so loudly half the bakery turned.
Michael looked at his son.
“Eat your pancakes.”
May you like
“I solved everything.”
“You created everything.”
