The Divorce

38

"I can't wait to give Kyle his goodies."

I took another sip of my drink as I sat facing Gabriel. He was staring into the distance, most likely watching the sun set.

"I think he'll like them," he responded reaching for his own cup.  Unlike me, who settled on some form of a cola soft drink, Gabriel got coffee. I guess he didn't want to sleep tonight. It smelled strong, and looked dark and I knew he never had sugar with it so I didn't know how he was able to sip it without pulling a face. 

"Do you think?"

"I think a belt is a very useful...souvenir, even if you didn't know his size."

I looked at all the bags that now littered the table beside us, maybe I did go a little overboard in buying stuff but I had to get some stuff for the people back at work, some lollies to share and some other desk accessories that I thought were cute.

"It fit you, so it'll fit him," I shrugged one shoulder. Kyle was surely around the same physique as Gabriel, but Gabriel could be a few cms taller maybe, not that I paid attention to my boss's physique. 

But in the store when he wrapped that belt around him after I begged him for ten minutes, he seemed to fit the regular size around the waist, maybe Kyle was a few cms smaller than him which was interesting given that Kyle surely worked out more being in the profession that he was. I don't see Gabriel working out in between his meetings. 

"Well, thank you for taking me shopping," I said as I took a sip. I watched Gabriel almost tip the cup as he placed it back down.

You would think that after a few years of working with someone that you would truly get comfortable around them, but that was just not the case with us. Gabriel never really talked much and it was almost too much effort to get him to talk to us. Sometimes I just started at him as he started into the distance.

I guess that explains another reason why he was still single at his age. When you looked at him you wouldn't think that he was single. He didn't look too bad, he did make it on he covers of a few entrepreneurial magazine and I do see the girls around the office fawn over him. 

Gabriel turned to look at me, our eyes catching for a moment as he held my gaze, almost like an staring contest before he looked away. Ha, I won. 

"We better head back."

I groaned, "Not another family dinner, please, I'm at my wits end."

The corners of Gabriel's mouth lifted up, "Not tonight actually, they're all out."

"Really?" I asked sitting up with excitement, that meant I could totally have an early night and maybe even break into the candy I had bought everyone. It was my duty to taste test it, for educational purposes so I knew what to say when they asked me if they were nice. 

Gabriel stood up and grabbed the bags as I finished the rest of my soda.

"Here, let me carry some," I said as I reached over but he refused to let them go, "They're not that heavy. I'm carried heavier things!"

"Oh yeah?" Gabriel said, in a tone that didn't say that he didn't believe me, but rather he did. But I still found myself explaining to him for some reason.

"I carry all the groceries myself, even if Kyle's there I'll help him."

"You don't come from a big family do you?" Gabriel asked as I walked next to him, back down the tiny alleys we came through. Only now, with the sun setting it was much emptier.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Did you grow up having family dinners?" Gabriel asked. I paused to think.