Sucker Punch

Chapter Eleven

Ivy

"You made chicken nuggets?" Somehow, despite going grocery shopping with Finn, he'd manage to keep dinner a surprise. We texted and had lunch together a few times this week, and every time I begged for a clue as to what he'd cook tonight, he would shut me down.

"Technically, they're chicken tenders."

"Pff, they're not dinosaur shaped though."

I'm sitting in his dining room, a playlist going in the background while he makes us drinks. I want him to hurry so I can stuff food in my mouth because I'm starting to get nervous again and I need a distraction.

After our Monday grocery trip, we kept meeting up whenever we had a spare hour for lunch, and we've texted everyday since the concert - since we kissed - so I figured spending so much time together would prime me for tonight, make me less antsy.

But after attacking my closet and Gal's, it was clear that wasn't the case. "I have nothing to wear," I said as I plopped down on my bed. "I don't want to look like I'm trying too hard, but I don't want to look like a slob either. Ugh, I should just go naked." 

"I bet he'd love that," Galeria said into my closet then pulled out a winning outfit of dark jeans and a pale-pink blouse. "Guys don't care about that shit. Tonight will be like any other time you've hung out so just relax."

I could feel that tonight's dinner would be different from other times we've hung out, though. Neither of us has acknowledged the kiss since our grocery trip, but he said he wanted to kiss me again. Now I'm going crazy thinking about whether it's going to happen tonight.

Finn brings me a drink then places a dish in front of me.

"Oh my god, you actually made this? The sauce too?"

He nods and I see a soft blush on his cheeks. It's unnervingly cute.

We eat in silence for a few moments and I know it's only chicken tenders but this is seriously better than anything I could ever make.

"Who taught you how to cook?"

"Ahh," he cocks his head like he's considering his words, "my dad worked a lot after my mom left so I kinda had to step in. My aunt used to bring food over whenever she could, but she had three little kids of her own and, well, a kid's gotta eat so..."

"You taught yourself?"

"Google and Youtube helped a lot. And I taught my brother's so they became like my little helpers."

"How old were you?"

"Around thirteen, I guess."

I nearly drop my fork at his words. The image a young Finn, motherless, cooking for his family seems so warped.

"I'm sorry."

He looks genuinely confused by my words. "For what? It's a great life skill to have. And it brought my brothers and I closer together." I guess that's an upside to having your mom walk out on you...

"When my mom died it was sort of the opposite for my family. We all just started doing own thing. Fending for ourselves." I instantly regret my confession because the mood has turned somber, and that's not what I wanted tonight to be about.

"You think she would've wanted it that way?"  There's no judgement in his voice, just curiosity.

"Of course not. But she made us a family. Without her, we're just a collection of people, related by blood." With her, there is no family.

"Do you talk about her much?"

I shake my head.

"Then I'm glad you can talk to me about her."