When my long-haul trucker friend came to stay, I cooked his favorite comfort meal but had to leave for an hour to help my mom. When I got back, something felt off. My girlfriend barely spoke… and the next day, she told me he had to go.
What happened while I was gone turned my life upside down.
I’m plating the meatloaf with extra gravy when Jace bounces through the front door and calls my name like it’s been a year since he last me, instead of a month.
He smells of diesel and road dust, but his grin is warm as ever. His eyes scan the kitchen, and I swear they light up when they land on the steaming plate in my hands.
“Is that meatloaf?” he asks, already dropping his duffel by the door like he owns the place.
I nod, trying not to smile too widely. “Mashed potatoes and green beans, too.
Your favorite.”
He groans in relief, and I mean really groans. “Marry me.”
From the couch, my girlfriend Kaylee laughs. It’s the first time they’ve met in person, and honestly?
I’ve been a little nervous about this moment.
Jace is a long-haul truck driver, so I only get to see him once a month. When he’s in town, he always stays with me.
I worry about him feeling lonely on the road, you know? This is my way of keeping him grounded, making him feel like he has a home.
Kaylee and I have only lived together for two months, and she was away last time he visited.
Bad timing, I guess.
Dinner goes smoothly on the surface.
While I carry plates to the table, Kaylee heads to the fridge and quietly throws something together for herself. It’s not unusual.
She has specific tastes when it comes to food, and I never take it personally.
Jace demolishes his plate like a man who hasn’t seen home cooking in weeks. Which, to be fair, he hasn’t. Between bites, he glances at Kaylee’s sparse meal.
“You don’t like this?” he asks casually, nodding toward my meatloaf.
The story doesn’t end here — it continues on the next page.
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