Loss and Longing

Stevie gave herself up to the sensations the touch of his mouth was creating and as his arms closed around her, and her hands came up to rest on his chest, she relaxed against him.

Sometime later, Stevie had no idea how long, maybe minutes, maybe hours, Grant lifted his head and looked down at her. His face creased into a smile. “Sorry just needed to check I hadn’t imagined it.”

Stevie smiled and then she laughed. “No problem” she said “but now we’ve got the first course out of the way, I’d better get started on the main one.”

“If that was the first course, this may have to be a ten course dinner” he teased.

Stevie laughed again and moving behind the island bench, into the main kitchen space she rubbed her hands together and said “okay tell me where everything is.”

She worked with efficiency and competence and even refusing all Grant’s offers of help she had their main meal on the table and dessert in the oven within thirty minutes. Carrying the plates over to the table that Grant had set, she sat down opposite him.

“You’ve done that before” Grant said as he cut into the perfectly cooked steak.

“Once or twice” Stevie said, smiling.

“At home?”

“Yes, I’m often home before Mum so I cook for everyone three or four times a week.”

“Who’s everyone?” he asked.

“Mum, my brother Dean and my sister Catherine.”

“You’re the eldest?”

“Yes” she said. My brother ‘s sixteen and my sister, fourteen.

“What about your father?” Grant asked.

Stevie looked away “He died five years ago.

Grant looked over at her, “I’m sorry” he said.

She shrugged but didn’t meet his eyes, “thanks” she said.

After a minute he said “my father’s dead too and my mother, car accident.”

Stevie reached out and squeezed his hand. His eyes were on his plate. After a second she asked “do you have any brothers or sisters?”

“No” he said disengaging his hand, “not anymore.”

“Oh” she said and knew better than to ask anything else. She could see his pain was still raw and remembered only too well what that was like.

After a minute he looked over at her and said “sorry.”

“Don’t be” she said. “I understand.”

He nodded and they ate in silence for a while.

“Can I ask you a question?” he said as he pushed his now empty plate aside.

“Okay.”

“Why didn’t you want to go out tonight?”