Chapter 8 - Maya #2
Owen clears his throat, looking suddenly nervous. "So, uh, Ivy and I have been talking. And we've decided..." He reaches for Ivy's hand. "We're moving in together. Officially. She's moving into my place next month."
The table erupts in congratulations and cheers. Levi stands to hug his brother, clapping him on the back, and Ivy gets passed around for hugs from everyone.
"About damn time," Jenny says. "You two have been circling each other for what, fifteen years?"
"Something like that," Ivy admits, laughing.
"Don't wait fifteen years to propose," Granddad Jim advises Owen. "Life's too short."
Owen flushes red but he's smiling. "Working on it, Granddad."
As everyone settles back down, still buzzing with excitement, my mom leans over to me.
"They seem happy," she observes.
"They are. They wasted a lot of time being scared."
"Smart of you and Levi not to make the same mistake."
I look at her sharply. "What do you mean?"
She gives me that knowing mother look. "I mean you're clearly crazy about each other. Anyone with eyes can see it. And instead of dancing around it for years, you just... went for it." She squeezes my hand. "I'm proud of you for being brave, baby."
Brave. I never thought of it that way. If anything, being with Levi felt like the easiest decision I've ever made, despite the complications.
"He makes me happy," I say simply.
"I can see that. And you make him happy too. I've never seen someone look at another person the way he looks at you."
I glance over at Levi, who's deep in conversation with his grandfather about something food-related, his hands gesturing animatedly. As if sensing my gaze, he looks over and winks.
Yeah. I'm falling in love with him. Might have already fallen, honestly.
The thought should terrify me. It's only been a month, that's way too soon to be in love, but it doesn't. It feels right. Like everything about us has felt right from the start, once we stopped fighting it.
Dessert gets served. My galettes, which everyone raves about, making me blush with pride. Coffee and tea appear. The conversation flows into easier, quieter territory as everyone gets full and comfortable.
Eventually, people start to leave. Jenny and the servers head out first, thanking us profusely for the meal. Tommy and Marcus follow, both looking slightly overwhelmed by all the food they consumed. Owen and Ivy linger, helping us clear plates until Levi shoos them away.
"You're guests. Go home. We've got this."
"You sure?" Ivy asks.
"Positive. Go enjoy your last month of living separately."
They leave with promises to stop by the restaurant later this week, and then it's just Levi, me, Granddad Jim, and my mom.
"I should get going too," Mom says, standing. "Early shift tomorrow."
I walk her to the door, and she pulls me into a tight hug.
"I love you so much," she whispers. "And I'm so, so proud of you."
"I love you too, Mom."
She pulls back and cups my face. "He's a good man, Maya. Hold onto him."
"I plan to."
She leaves, and when I return to the dining room, Granddad Jim is also gathering his things.
"This was wonderful," he tells Levi, pulling him into a hug. "Your grandmother would be over the moon."
"Thanks, Granddad."
Jim turns to me next, enveloping me in a hug that smells like coffee and Old Spice. "Take care of my boy, Maya. And don't let him work himself to death."
"I'll do my best."
"That's all I ask." He steps back, eyes twinkling. "And Levi? Don't be stupid like your brother. Don't wait fifteen years to lock this one down."
"Granddad—"
"Just saying." He heads for the door, chuckling to himself.
And then we're alone.
Levi and I stand in the middle of the dining room, surrounded by the remnants of the meal, and the silence feels comfortable rather than awkward.
"Come here," Levi says softly, holding out his hand.
I cross to him and let him pull me close, his arms wrapping around me. We sway slightly, even though there's no music, just the hum of the refrigerators in the kitchen and the settling sounds of the building.
"This was perfect," I murmur against his chest.
"It was." He presses a kiss to the top of my head. "Thank you for being part of it."
"Thank you for letting me be part of it."
We stand like that for a long moment, holding each other in the restaurant we've built together, surrounded by the evidence of a successful day.
"Maya?"
"Hmm?"
"I know it's only been a month. And I know we said we'd take things slow and be smart about this." He pulls back enough to look at me, his expression serious. "But I need you to know... this isn't casual for me. You're not casual for me."
My heart pounds. "You're not casual for me either."
"Good." He cups my face in his hands, those scarred, capable hands that create beautiful food and touch me with such tenderness. "Because I'm falling in love with you. Probably already have fallen. And I wanted you to know."
The words settle over me like a warm blanket, and I realize I've been waiting to hear them, needing to know I wasn't alone in this feeling.
"I love you too," I whisper. "I think I have since that night with the flour."
His laugh is relieved and joyful, and then he's kissing me. When we finally break apart, we're both grinning like idiots.
"So, what now?" I ask.
"Now we clean up this mess. And then I'm taking you home—my home—and we're going to celebrate properly."
"I like the sound of that."
"Thought you might."
We clean up together, washing dishes and wiping tables, and it feels like the most natural thing in the world. This is my life now: working alongside the man I love, building something beautiful together, surrounded by people who've become family.
A month ago, I was just hoping to prove myself.
Now I have everything I never knew I needed.
And it's only the beginning.