*Several Months Later*

*Caterina*

‘He should be home any moment now,’ I thought calmly to myself as I leisurely stirred the red sauce I had simmering on top of the stove.

I’d decided to give the chef the night off and make dinner myself tonight. I chose a simple menu—eggplant parmigiana with angel hair pasta and a tossed salad.

Now that I’d officially finished up with my classes, I was finally free to relax and take a proper breather. ...