Chapter 33 Cole
Eleven months later
It was coming close to a year.
Close to a year since my life had changed for good. Since I’d met Samir.
It was surreal how fast things could change in such a seemingly short amount of time.
My days had gone from work, sleep, repeat, to work, family time, love, and repeat in an instant.
I couldn’t even remember how miserable I’d been before I met him.
I didn’t want to remember. All I knew was that I didn’t want to go back to that.
And while sometimes I felt mad at myself for taking so long to pick my life back up after Sandra’s loss, I knew that even if I’d tried to do so before Samir, it wouldn’t have been the same. This… this thing between us, Samir and I, it was meant to be. Even if I’d had to go through hell first.
I still missed Sandra—God knew how much I missed her—but Samir helped me.
He helped both of us by crafting stories, fairy tales, where Ella’s mommy looked out for her and helped her in small little ways.
We had even discussed him turning some of those stories into picturebooks to help other kids like Ella.
But he didn’t stop there. When we’d moved into his apartment over the bookstore he’d been the one who’d picked the best photos of Sandra to put up along with all our other family photos because she was a part of us wherever we were and however long it’d been.
It had only been a month since we’d settled in Samir’s apartment, and our life was beyond my wildest dreams.
Ella had proven a kitty whisperer just like her Sami, as she called him. She watched how he treated the rescues we brought home and copied his moves, his words, his facial expressions. It was adorable to witness.
And as for me, I hadn’t realized how much I’d needed my own space until I was out of my family home, that was now exclusively Enzo and Carson’s.
My parents had found a small two-bedroom apartment to call home whenever they weren’t jetting off to another cruise, but even so, being in Samir’s place, it felt different.
Like a fresh start. And wasn’t that exactly what I’d needed when I met Samir too?
I loved living with him, sharing my life with him, watching him read his books or light up whenever a kitten trusted him enough to make cookies on him or purr like a truck. I loved his food and I contributed as much as possible with my own recipes.
I also loved kissing him and making love to him.
Being with him. Discovering new ways to pleasure each other.
Finding out everything we liked and everything we hated.
And I loved being Samir’s first for all those experiments as well as those big moments like being his boyfriend or moving in together.
Maybe getting married one day.
There were a lot of things I loved about my life now, but mainly, it was that.
That I was living. That I wasn’t sleepwalking my way through life, through fatherhood.
That I had a reason to go on. Actually, two reasons.
And they were enough to make me want to live forever just so I could love them both with all my heart and soul.
“Is everyone here?” Samir popped his head out of the kitchen door, and Carson did a head count.
“I think so,” my brother replied, and Samir disappeared back into the kitchen.
I handed the napkins to Enzo, who continued putting them around the long table we’d set up at the Grill, and walked into the back, in the kitchen where Samir, Remi, the head chef, and Kinsley were cooking up a storm.
Only this time, it wasn’t for our customers. It was for us. For our family.
It was actually Samir’s idea. And Enzo’s. To close the Grill on a Monday evening and have a proper family meal since the rest of November and December would be so hectic at the restaurant and all our other businesses.
Which was how we’d ended up at the Grill a week and a half before Thanksgiving, about to have a wholesome meal; a marriage of American, Somali, and Filipino cuisine—thanks to Remi—and have a blast with our extended family before the chaos of Christmas hit this town once more.
I wondered who, out of everyone here, would find love this time. Would it be Kinsley, our resident chef, or maybe Remi? Nah, it couldn’t be him. He was too slutty to settle down just yet. Maybe it’d be Cooper or Josh. Or maybe one of the waitresses.
I shook my head and helped the guys take the food out. When had I become such a romantic anyway?
Oh, right. Must be right around the time I fell in love with my beautiful bookworm and cat superhero.
My Samir.
“Thank you so much, sweetheart,” Mom said, looking at Samir, “for suggesting we have this dinner. It was such a brilliant idea.”
She raised her glass and so did everyone else. Dad was too busy staring at his plate, but Mom jabbed him with her elbow, and he raised his glass too.
“To Samir,” she said. “And to family. Because that’s what all of you are.”
“To family,” said everyone else.
Before we could clink our glasses though, Samir cleared his throat and pushed his chair back.
“If you don’t mind,” he said.
“What are you doing?” I asked as he went down on one knee, and I suddenly forgot how to breathe.
“Colin, Lydia, may I have your blessing?” he asked, and Mom bit her lip and held Dad’s hand, who was grinning from ear to ear.
“Your blessing for what?” I turned back to Samir, and there was a box in his hands.
It was a small black box and inside was a silver band with a red heart-shaped stone inside.
“Cole Jackson Williams, almost a year ago I promised to look after your heart forever. This year, will you do me the honor of taking mine?” he said, but I must have misheard.
Had he really said…
“Huh?” I asked.
“Will you marry me, silly?” Samir said.
I froze.
This. It was moments like this one that I was terrified. Just when I thought I’d gotten over all my fears, a new one would pop up and make me want to run, to hide, to shut out the entire world.
But even though it was my first instinct—to be scared—I didn’t want to hide or run. I wanted to stick it out, see it through, and live it with all my heart.
No more running.
Unless it was running in his arms.
“Of course I will,” I said, and the whole restaurant full of our friends and family erupted in cheers that made both Ella, and my manager’s baby cry.
But it was okay. It would all be okay. There was nothing scary here. Just love in the making.
A few moments later, after toasting to our engagement and having everyone congratulate us, we were just about to tuck into our meals when there was a knock on the glass.
“We’re closed,” Mom shouted, but the knock insisted.
I pushed my chair back and walked to the front where a tall, Black man stood in a long black coat and a red scarf, looking nothing short of a movie star.
“Sorry, we’re closed today,” I said.
“I’m sorry to interrupt,” he said. “I… I’m looking for Colin Williams.”
“Is he being served or something?”
The man shook his head and avoided my gaze. He rubbed his hands together and licked his lips like he was worried about something.
“He… he’s right inside. Come on. It’s cold out there,” I said, and he walked in.
As soon as we entered the main floor, past the hosting point, the man froze, and I took the lead.
“He’s looking for Dad,” I said.
Dad stood up and approached us, and the man started panting.
“Hello?” he said.
“I’m so sorry to b-bother you.”
“That’s okay,” Dad said. “Is everything okay? Do you need something?”
The man glanced at me, and then at everyone else, then Dad.
“My name is Callum. Callum Pope.”
“Nice to meet you Callum. I’m Colin Williams,” Dad said, and offered Callum his hand, but Callum didn’t shake it.
“I… I think…” Callum said, staring at Dad’s hand. “I think I’m your son, Mr. Williams.”
Had he just said what I thought he’d said?
“Dad?” I asked.
Dad looked contemplative, but he didn’t respond, and something told me this Christmas would be interesting. Very interesting indeed.