ARIA POV
THE NEXT DAY
Roman entered the kitchen wearing a cute smile and said, "Honey, we'll have dinner at home tonight." His eyes were shining with excitement. "I want to spend time with you, just you and me."
I said, "I love that!", casting a smile his way. Suddenly my heart jumped with that thought coming to life.
He began to work on the dinner, chopping vegetables, then rolling out dumplings with a precision that was almost artistry. I perched atop one of the counter stools, watching him work in grateful silence.
Gradually, evening dripped into the room and with it came the kitchen heady with tantalizing smells that began to cause involuntary growls of protest from my stomach. When Roman finally served up dinner, we settled down for the meal together, their friendship making eve
