CHAPTER SEVEN
Tuesday morning. Coffee on the counter. Kael waiting.
He looked nervous. She had never seen him nervous.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Nothing. I just..." He paused. "I have a question."
She waited.
"My grandmother wants to meet you."
Lira blinked. "Your grandmother?"
"Aurora. She's... she's the head of the family. She doesn't meet everyone. Only people who matter."
Lira's heart skipped. "She wants to meet me?"
"Yes. Tonight. Dinner at her house."
Lira looked down at herself. Sweatpants. Messy hair. No makeup.
"I have nothing to wear," she said.
"I called Elena. She's coming in an hour."
He had thought of everything. Of course he had.
"Are you nervous?" she asked.
He hesitated. "Yes."
"Why?"
"Because she's the only person whose opinion I care about. And I want her to like you."
Lira touched his arm. "She will."
He looked at her. "You don't know my grandmother."
---
Elena arrived with options. Three dresses. Shoes. Jewelry. Everything perfect.
Lira tried them on. Elena nodded or shook her head. Finally, they chose one. Deep green. Simple. Elegant.
"You look beautiful," Elena said.
"Thank you."
Elena hesitated at the door. "Miss Lira. I've known Kael for twelve years. He's never brought anyone to meet Aurora. Never."
Lira did not know what to say.
"He's different with you," Elena said. "Don't break his heart."
She left before Lira could answer.
---
Kael picked her up at 6pm. He wore a dark suit. He looked at her in the green dress and stopped moving.
"What?" she asked.
"You look..." He shook his head. "You look like you belong in a painting."
She smiled. "That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me."
"It's the truth."
They drove to the Upper East Side. An old building. Old money. A doorman who bowed slightly when they entered.
Aurora's apartment was on the top floor. Old furniture. Old paintings. Old books. The smell of tea and history.
Aurora herself was small and fierce. White hair. Sharp eyes. She looked at Lira like she was reading every secret she had ever kept.
"So," Aurora said. "You're the girl who married my grandson."
"Yes," Lira said. "I'm Lira."
Aurora looked at Kael. "She has good eyes. Strong."
Kael almost smiled. "I know."
---
Dinner was formal. Five courses. Crystal glasses. Silver spoons.
Aurora asked questions. Many questions. Where did Lira grow up? What did her father do? How did she meet Kael? What did she study? What did she want from life?
Lira answered honestly. Queens. Kindergarten teacher. Her father was an engineer. She met Kael through business. She studied early childhood education. She wanted to make things. Draw buildings. Maybe design them someday.
Aurora listened. She did not smile. She did not frown. She just listened.
After dinner, Aurora dismissed Kael to the library. She wanted to speak with Lira alone.
They sat in the living room. Tea in fine cups.
"You love him," Aurora said. Not a question.
Lira hesitated. Then: "Yes. I think so."
"You think so?"
"I know so. I'm just... I'm still learning what that means."
Aurora nodded. "He's been alone too long. His mother left. His father drank. No one showed him how to love."
"I know."
"Do you know what you're getting into? He's not easy. He's cold. Distant. He pushes people away."
"I know," Lira said. "I also know he leaves coffee for me every morning. He bought me a studio because I mentioned I liked to draw. He came home early because he wanted to see me."
Aurora was quiet.
"He's learning," Lira said. "We both are."
Aurora studied her for a long moment. Then she smiled. The first real smile of the night.
"You'll do," she said.
---
On the way home, Kael was quiet.
"She liked you," he said finally.
"How do you know?"
"She kept you for an hour. She usually gives people ten minutes."
Lira smiled. "She's fierce."
"She's terrifying."
"You get it from her."
He almost smiled. "I know."
They drove in comfortable silence.
"What did you talk about?" he asked.
"You. Me. Love."
He looked at her. "What did you say?"
"I told her the truth. That I'm learning. That we both are."
He reached over. He took her hand.
"Me too," he said. "Learning."
---
That night, they sat on the balcony again.
City lights. Stars hidden. Hand in hand.
"Thank you," he said. "For tonight. For being you."
"Thank you for bringing me."
He was quiet for a long time.
"My grandmother asked me something," he said. "Before we left."
"What?"
"She asked if I loved you."
Lira's heart stopped. "What did you say?"
He turned to look at her. His eyes were soft. Vulnerable.
"I said I didn't know what love was supposed to feel like. But that when I'm with you, I feel less alone. Less empty. More like a person."
She squeezed his hand.
"She said that's love," he said. "That's exactly what love is."
Lira leaned her head on his shoulder.
"Your grandmother is smart," she said.
"Yes," he said. "She is."
CHAPTER EIGHT
Wednesday morning. Coffee on the counter. Kael standing there.
But something was different. He was holding something behind his back.
"What are you hiding?" she asked.
He brought it out. A small painting. A cityscape. Queens. Her neighborhood. The street where she grew up.
"I bought it," he said. "At an auction last night. It reminded me of you."
She stared at the painting. The colors. The light. The way the artist had captured the ordinary beauty of her home.
"Kael..."
"I know it's not much. But I thought—"
She kissed him.
Not on the cheek. On the mouth. Soft. Quick. Real.
He went completely still.
When she pulled back, his eyes were wide.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I should have asked—"
"No."
He kissed her back. Gentle at first. Then deeper. His hands in her hair. Her hands on his chest.
When they finally pulled apart, they were both breathing hard.
"Okay," he said. "That was..."
"Yeah," she said. "It was."
---
They stood in the kitchen. Holding each other. Not speaking.
Finally, he spoke.
"I have meetin
gs this morning," he said. "But I don't want to go."
"Go. I'll be here when you get back."
He looked at her. "Promise?"
"Promise."
He kissed her forehead. Then he left.
She stood in the kitchen and touched her lips where his had been