Chapter 14 Gabriel
GAbrIEL
After finishing at Purrfect Blend, I returned to Hal’s. He’d given me my own key, so coming in and out of the house was easy. Or, rather, sneaking in and out of the house, because I was doing my best to avoid him and the small talk.
I was grateful he was letting me stay with him, but what were we going to do? Catch up on however many years in the span of a month? I had no interest in doing that. Me being here was for business, and this visit was already taking up way more of my time than I anticipated.
We had a few interactions throughout the week, mostly in the evenings when Hal was back from the store, but our conversation was often cut short by a work call I needed to take.
I wasn’t sure what Hal typically did on Sundays, but I doubted he’d be home.
I easily turned the key in the lock and pushed the door open.
I slipped off my shoes and unzipped my coat, my mind wandering to my conversation with Lily right before I left.
How she validated what I was feeling when she didn’t need to.
She didn’t need to check on me, but she did.
It made me feel even more shitty for what I’d said to her earlier in the week.
What you felt and the reason for it wasn’t stupid. It means you care.
Her words were so simple but impacted me so deeply—especially when my whole life I’d been told the opposite. That I wasn’t supposed to care. That what I was feeling didn’t matter. That I should suck it up and move on.
I let out a heavy sigh, rubbing my eyes as I walked to the kitchen. It wasn’t until I heard Hal’s voice that I realized he was home, sitting at the table.
“I thought I heard the door open,” he said, setting down his pen. He’d been working on a crossword puzzle. “Why don’t you come over and have a seat. I made a fresh pot of coffee.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat, trying to quickly come up with an excuse as to why I couldn’t.
“Come on,” he encouraged. “For a few minutes. It’s Sunday. No work calls should be popping up today, and if they do, they can wait until tomorrow.”
I hesitated but ultimately agreed. “Sure, just a few minutes.” I glanced over and didn’t see a mug on the table yet, so I grabbed two from the cabinet.
I never thought it was too late for coffee, and it seemed like Hal agreed.
After filling each mug, I set them on the kitchen table and pulled out the chair to sit across from Hal.
“I guess I’m not sure how you take your coffee,” I admitted. “Should I grab some cream or sugar?”
Hal waved his hand. “No need. This is great. Thanks, Gabe.”
Since we were both here, maybe this would be a decent time to bring up the building. Try to see if I could gain some insight into his plans to sell. “I was wondering about the building—”
Hal shook his head and cleared his throat. “Let’s avoid talking about the building. You’re in town, and I’d like to hear more about what you’ve been up to.”
Avoid talking about the building? But…that was the whole reason I was here. “Avoid talking about the building today? Or…” I trailed off.
Hal tilted his head, thinking, before answering, “How about until the end of the month. I’d like to use this time to get to know my grandson and the man you’ve become.
I won’t have any updates for you until you and Lily get through the list, anyway.
Tell me more about living in Milwaukee, your friends, what you enjoy doing when you’re not working.
” He brought the mug up to his lips, taking a sip and watching me expectantly.
So much for only being here a few minutes.
It seemed like we’d be here a while, so I got comfortable in the chair and wrapped my hand around the mug, using the warmth to center me.
“Well,” I started, “I have an apartment in the city and live with my cat Beans. My good friend Liam is watching him while I’m here, actually.
Liam was never much of a cat person, but the two of them are bonding with the time they’ve spent together.
” I pulled my phone out of my pocket and pulled up a photo of Beans.
It wasn’t hard to find one, considering that was practically my whole camera roll.
Hal leaned over, sliding his glasses on his nose. A smile quickly appeared on his face. “He’s adorable. I never had house cats growing up, but we had plenty of barn cats. Smart creatures. And when you’re not working? What do you like doing?”
“It’s—well, I don’t have much free time with work, but Liam and I usually go out to dinner once a week for burgers.
Our favorite spot has these retro pinball machines that we’ll sometimes play, even if we’re not very good.
I’ll throw on a movie sometimes or go for a walk along the water.
” I scrolled through my photos. “This is the view from my apartment, and there’s a nice trail nearby that takes you along the shoreline of Lake Michigan. ”
“That’s a great view.” Hal nodded in agreement, scooting his chair closer to me.
I swiped to another photo. This time it was an event I went to with Liam. “Liam’s company does a fundraiser every year, and he saved me a seat at his table. Dinner was a whole multi-course thing, and I had to get some photos. The food was incredibly good—the best meal I’ve had.”
“No kidding. Looks amazing. Then again, anything from a restaurant or event does, especially since I’m not much of a cook.”
“What are your favorite restaurants in town? Any place I need to check out?” I asked.
“Oh, most definitely.” Hal grinned and reached over for a scrap of paper. “Here. I’ll write down a few for you to check out and my favorite thing to order, so you have an idea.”
I watched as Hal started to make a short list, and I found that I was looking forward to trying his favorite spots.
I wasn’t sure how long we sat at the kitchen table going through photos and sharing stories, but I enjoyed myself more than I thought I would.