Sorry about the delay in getting this chapter out. What can I say, I've had my attention split lately between this and a role play with Sponge Bath Hot Pants over at her website. My bad.
Thank you everyone for the reviews. I was beginning to think I only got reviews if I wrote about Robert and Elizabeth so I really appreciate that some of you are claiming interest in the Gallant and Weaver interaction too. The next chapter will be Cordano-less again. But until then…
Romano was surprised when Elizabeth didn't follow him into the kitchen. He stood against the counter staring at the kitchen door ahead of him, waiting for her to enter. He knew that heartfelt gestures didn't come naturally for him, but he was rather impressed with what he had come up with. He had, after all, creatively found a way to tell her that he loved her. And hell, there was even a prop. Screw this romance crap he mumbled to himself before giving up on his waiting for her. He opened the refrigerator and saw the left over enchiladas he had made the last night he was there. He looked down at his watch and decided that they would have to do. It had been a long day for both of them and he made the executive decision not to bother cooking a new meal.
Romano had just finished steaming some broccoli when the microwave dinged. He put together two plates and started gathering silverware. Rinsing out the pot and pan he used he shouted out through the door, "Lizzie! What'll it be, kitchen or dining room?" Elizabeth came in through the door quietly and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind. He jumped dropping the wet pot to the floor.
Elizabeth knelt down quickly and tried to gather up the pot. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare… I'm sorry." Robert knelt down to the ground and laid his hands on the top of hers.
"Relax." Robert said softly. Elizabeth closed her eyes and tried to keep her hands from shaking. Robert saw her whole body stiffen. He dropped her hands. And stood up slowly. He hated seeing her like this… uncomfortable… insecure… and something else. "Elizabeth, what's wrong?"
With her eyes shut tight, still squatting on the floor, Elizabeth rolled back onto her bottom right there on the linoleum. She took a couple of deep breaths. Romano was overcome with care for her. He dropped back down to the floor. "Lizzie, look at me. Open your eyes and a look at me," he ordered.
Elizabeth did as she was told and saw the warm caring eyes of Romano looking back at her. He was searching her face desperate for an answer as to why they were both now sitting on the floor. "Oh God Robert, I'm sorry. I must look like some weepy lunatic."
"No, it's fine, I'm just worried. What are you keeping from me?" Elizabeth blushed that Romano could read her so well. She shyly looked down to the floor between them and fidgeted with her hands. Romano felt instantly guilty for putting her on the spot, "I'm sorry, it's not my business." He stood up and grabbed one of the plates. "I reheated some of the enchiladas and cooked some broccoli for you…" He started Saran wrapping the other plate. "I should probably just go."
Elizabeth found her courage but still spoke to him from her spot on the floor, "please don't Robert. Stay. I do have something I need to talk to you about."
Romano froze not sure what to expect. Trying to keep it light he finally said, "Okay, but do you mind getting a little less comfortable. I mean yeah the floor is nice, but I'm going to sit in the dinning room and eat my dinner. You are welcome to shout through the door. I'll listen."
Elizabeth smiled and took his extended hand to be helped up. They sat down across from one another at the table and silently started to eat their dinner. Romano was rarely silent and he was aware of the weight of his waiting. But he also recognized the importance of not giving her an out by speaking first.
"Robert…" she said finally laying her fork still on her plate. "You scared me a little tonight."
"I did." Robert said softly wanting it to be a question but he delivered it as more of a confirmation. He too had stopped eating.
"Well, no. What I mean is, I scared myself with you. Because of you, I did."
"You've lost me in the pronouns."
Elizabeth took a deep breath and began again. "When you were in the kitchen making this meal, I was trying to process through my feelings for you."
"Oh yeah, and how did that work out for you?" He started eating again to try and keep it lighter.
"Well not so good. I was trying to work through doubts of projection."
"Projection of your feelings for Mark… onto me?" Romano asked skipping through her stammering to the real point of her fears.
"Yes." She agreed, "I'm sorry."
"Don't be. It's to be expected. I'm here. In your home. Cooking your dinner. Putting Ella to bed with you." Romano offered. He was considerably disappointed but he knew what Elizabeth need to hear.
"Actually, Mark wasn't all that good at either of those last parts."
"Really?" Romano concealed his delighted smile.
"Well let me just say it has been a really welcome change in these last few days to not be the one cooking every meal. Don't get me wrong Mark was a great father. But we rarely worked together as parents. I would put her down or he would. He would feed her or I would. In the beginning, I would get up in the middle of the night when she woke, or… well I would. I always wondered if we would ever work through that. Guess I'll never know."
Robert shrugged. He was desperate to not say the wrong thing. And he couldn't for the life of him figure out what the right thing was. He noted inwardly how much easier it was when he didn't care about coming across as a selfish ass.
"Anyway, when I came into the kitchen it hit me all of the sudden."
"What?" Romano was worried that his thoughts had him missing a step.
"I mean I do recognize the differences between you and Mark. I relish them actually. And when I saw you in my kitchen, it just made sense to me all of the sudden. You fit. Not because you're like Mark. But because you're not like him."
Romano was speechless for an entirely different reason this time. He wasn't worried about saying the wrong thing. This time, his heart had just grown so warm he couldn't seem to spit out any words at all.
Elizabeth looked up at him to say something but when he didn't she continued, "so I saw you in the kitchen and it was like my body just took over. I wrapped my arms around you because at that moment… I just knew that that was where I wanted to be."
"I want that too," Romano choked out through a whisper, finally. He didn't make a move to stand. It was hard enough to speak; he knew that full body movement was out of the question.
"You say that now…" Elizabeth smiled. "But I touched you and you jumped through the roof. You flipped out… at little ole me!" Elizabeth was challenging his masculinity and he knew it. Robert lowered his eyelids at her suspiciously, this was a game he felt much more comfortably playing. Elizabeth laughed, "I had to rethink through all of that earlier thought. I mean am I really falling in love with a screaming school girl?"
"I'll show you a school girl," he threatened, crossing to her side of the table in record time, and tickling her. She tried her best to keep her lips closed but once they fell backwards from her chair she squealed out uncontrollably.
Robert stood from her abruptly and straightened his tie. "Told you so."
It wasn't until he drove home later that night, and had a chance to replay their conversation in his mind, that he realized that she had admitted to falling in love with him as well.