“Like, holding hands or hugging her?” Tejas asked. “That’s okay, but please no more.” Cole laughed.
“I was just wondering why you were looking at us when we were back at the stove,” he explained, to the boys’ nodding knowingly.
“Nah, it wasn’t that,” Manav said, spearing some penne and veggies on his fork. “You just went to the stove and started cooking.” Cole shot them a quizzical look. “We’ve never seen that before,” Manav explained. “Our dad never cooked and our grandpa and uncle didn’t know how. Hell, our dad’s sister barely ever cooked, and even then not a family meal. It was always mom or sometimes our grandma.”
Cole slowly turned toward Maya as if to ask whether they were serious. She solemnly nodded.
“You’ve never seen a man in your family cook?” he asked incredulously, which the boys confirmed. “Want me to teach you?” he then asked to their surprise.
“Even if it’s just boiling some rice and having it with a can of cream soup, it’s something you don’t have to depend on someone else for. You can’t be a man unless you’re independent, and you can’t be independent unless you cook and clean,” he added. “Even if you’re not at uni yet, you could still help your aunt out now.”
“Marry this one,” Sunitha instructed her younger sister. Cole grinned at Maya.
“About that,” Maya said, meeting Cole’s gaze, “that’s what we were talking about at the stove.” The boys stopped chewing and looked at her. “But it’s kind of been a big day,” she went on quickly. “If you guys feel everything is moving too fast–”
“Do it, mom,” Manav said. “Even if you did it next weekend it’s not too fast. Tejas was right, it’s actually way overdue.” He cleared his throat and looked over at Cole.
“I was terrible toward you in front of everyone, so it’s only right I say this part in front of everyone. I was an asshole, and I’m sorry. I was trying to hold on to something that was gone a long time ago, and maybe never existed the way I thought it did.” He scoffed.
“I don’t even remember having a conversation like this when we were sitting with our dad at this very table. If we talked at all, it was like we were reporting to him about what we did all day. And sometimes why we didn’t do better.”
“I’m sorry to hear things were so hard,” Cole said. “I don’t know if you both peaked in second grade,” he added to everyone’s laughter, “but I never thought either of you needed to do anything more. You were both brilliant.
“At first I thought it was only Manav, but when Tejas was just as smart I realized it was your mom’s nurturing that was giving you guys the edge.” He paused to add another scoop of pasta to his plate. “Whatever you became wasn’t because of me or any other teachers you had, before or after. It was because of her.”
>>>>>>>>>>>>
Maya was snapped out of her reverie by Isabel pulling at the hem of her shirt.
“You all hung out and played video games? Why didn’t anyone call me?” Isabel enquired, moving from the boys’ rooms toward Maya’s room and walking in. She seemed to forget her question as she twirled around in the open space. “Wow, this is a big room. Is this where you and Daddy sleep?” Maya could feel her cheeks heat up as the child skipped around.
“Izzy!” they heard Cole’s voice call out from downstairs. “No stomping and no running, please.”
“Sorry,” Isabel replied before remembering to walk out into the hallway. She scurried to the last two rooms, which were empty. “Who stays in these rooms?” she asked, peering in.
“No one right now,” Maya replied.
“Can I stay here when I’m with my dad? You know, after you get married?” Isabel looked pleadingly up at Maya.
“Of course, baby,” Maya’s heart melted although she was surprised Cole talked to her about their wedding. “You can pick either of these rooms for yourself. And you and I can decorate it however you want. Next time you come over, we’ll look for ideas on the Internet.”
They eventually wandered back downstairs where Cole sat amid a flurry of papers. Maya set Isabel up in front of the TV to watch her favourite show, and then went back to him at the kitchen table.
“You told her we were getting married?” she asked, amused. Cole looked up in surprise.
“No,” he said. “I wanted to tell her about that with you. Did you tell her we were getting married?”
“No,” Maya laughed, “she asked me upstairs if she could have her own room here after the wedding so I thought…”
“At least she made it easier for us,” Cole shrugged. “After last weekend I realized I couldn’t predict how kids will react to this sort of thing.”
“She’s not feeling like I’m infringing on her mom’s territory?” Maya asked. She was happy Isabel liked her, but the little girl’s receptiveness was such a switch from the emotional reaction her own kids had had toward Cole. Cole put his pencil down and took off his glasses as Maya pulled a chair from the table.
“Janice isn’t the most expressive mother,” he said tactfully. “She’ll take care of what Izzy needs, but she likes her space. Some kids are okay with that, but it’s a bit of a mismatch with Izzy. If the way Izzy has taken to you already is any indication, I’d say you’re supplementing the attention she needs from a female role model.
“This entire school year, she’s been gushing about her teacher,” he added. “Since I mentioned you to her on Friday, she hasn’t brought up her teacher once.”
Cole then returned to his work. Maya didn’t say anything for a whole minute, looking over at the precocious little girl sitting alone in the living room, her back toward them.
“So you’re going to take care of the pizza?” she finally spoke up. Cole nodded without looking up. “Okay. I’ll be over there.”
A cool afternoon wind was blowing through the windows so Maya grabbed one of the light blankets sitting on the loveseat. “I don’t know about you, but I like to be cozy when I watch cartoons,” she said to Isabel. “You can join me in here if you like,” she added, lifting up the corner. Isabel jumped at the chance and curled in against Maya’s side, picking up Maya’s arm and placing it around her shoulder.
Cole wrapped up his work a half-hour later and was suddenly aware of how he could finish quickly because he was never once interrupted. He slowly approached the living room to see Maya and his daughter cuddling, Isabel whispering to Maya about what was happening in the show they were watching.
Maya was nodding and asking questions, and neither of them noticed him. He savored the scene for a few minutes, feeling an even deeper love for his fiancée than he thought possible.
He quietly stepped out and returned soon after with a pizza, only to see the blanket had turned into a tent on the living room floor. Hearing giggles as he neared, Cole opened the front flap and peeked in.
“Oh no, the bear found us!” Izzy yelled from inside. “And he’s extra hairy!”
“But wait!” Maya responded, squished in beside her. “I smell food. Maybe he’s a friendly bear?”
“I am the angriest bear you will ever meet,” Cole said with a straight face. “I’m so angry I’m going to eat that whole pineapple–eww, no, I’m never going to be that angry.” Isabel was out of the tent in a flash, remembering the new food she wanted to try.