We check our coats, and Nico waits for me to be seated before he sits across from me.
I’m wearing a black wrap dress that Morgan loaned me when I said I hadn’t brought anything to wear on a date. I have a sister to borrow clothes from. She asked if she could visit me in Miami on her spring break, and we’re already making plans.
“What’re you thinking about? You look so happy.”
“I’m thinking about having a sister to borrow clothes from and how she wants to visit me on her spring break.”
“Happiness looks nice on you—and so does Morgan’s dress.”
“Thank you for encouraging me to look for my dad. I never would’ve done it if you hadn’t given me a push.”
“I’m so glad it’s worked out this way. You deserve to have a wonderful, supportive family.”
“I’m thankful for them, but I already had that before I met my dad and his family. Your family has been the first one I ever really had, and you all mean so much to me. The way you all forgave me for what happened to Milo—”
“There was nothing to forgive,” he says. “You were as horrified by that as we were.”
“Still… It could’ve changed everything, and it didn’t.”
“That’s because we love you. I love you.”
“I love you, too. All of you, but you most of all.”
“And here I thought you’d say Nona and Abuela were your favorites.”
“They’re right after you in second place.”
We order drinks and steak for dinner as well as the crab toast appetizer. It’s all delicious. Not just the food, but the company, too.
“This is our first real date,” I tell him.
“We’re long overdue.”
“We had to come to Minnesota to get a night off together.”
“It won’t always be this way. Soon enough, I’ll be able to hire someone to take the night shifts for me, and we’ll have more time together.”
“Not if I’m still working nights.”
“I think you should try to go to school, if you still want to, that is.”
“I wish I could, but it’s just not feasible. I can’t afford it.”
“If you and Mateo lived with me, you could.” He holds up a hand. “Before you say no, hear me out.” Standing, he comes to sit next to me, turning so he’s facing me. “I know how important it is to you to never again find yourself in a position like you were before.” He pulls a paper from his pocket and unfolds it before handing it to me. “That’s why I asked my mom to draw this up.”
I quickly scan the page but can’t make sense of what appears to be a legal document. “What is it?”
“It’s a deed to half of my house.”
I nearly die of shock. “What? Nico. No.” I try to push the paper back into his hands, but he won’t take it.
“You’re hearing me out, remember?”
I can barely breathe, let alone listen.
“If we had met sooner and gotten married, we would’ve bought the house together.”
“You know how I feel about getting married again.”