Page 44 of Revival

"Hi, my name is Bobbi. What can I get for you tonight?"

Daniel gestures for me to begin.

"Can I please have a peanut butter chip waffle, biscuits and gravy, and a Hash Browns all the Way." I look across the table at Daniel and flash a wide grin.

His eyes are wide.

The waitress clears her throat. “Okay, sir, and for you—”

"Oh, and a side of bacon, please. Crispy."

She nods as she adds one more item to my order, then looks expectantly at Daniel.

"I'll have the bacon, egg, and cheese grits bowl, please," Daniel adds.

"That's it?" I ask.

He nods. "I thought I would just share with you."

"Au contraire, mon frère. This is Momma's first time at a Waffle House. There will be no sharing up in here tonight."

The waitress laughs. "Can I get you anything else, sir?"

"Just two coffees, please."

"I'll be back with your order."

"You know the food here is cheap diner food, right?" he whispers across the table.

"Yup, and that's exactly why I want to eat here. As soon as my ex-husband started medical school, everything was about keeping up with the Joneses. For a while, it was a struggle, especially with two young kids, but Jason always made it work. Then we became the Joneses, which was all about keeping up our image. Waffle Houses were not on the menu for us.” I pause, smiling as I recall a family vacation we took a few years ago. “Yet, I will never complain about being able to sample fresh croissants in the South of France."

"Ooh, la la. Fancy," Daniel teases. "Where are you off to next on this revival journey of yours?"

"I'm not sure. The momma bear in me wants to take my kids to Southern California and ensure they are settled in and have everything they need. This is the first time they've ever been on their own, and look at the trouble Madi is already getting herself into. But on the flip side, I know I need to let them go and do their own thing, and I should go do mine."

"You never have to stop being their momma bear," Daniel reassures me.

“Do you have kids?” I ask, curious to know more about him.

“Unfortunately, no. I was so busy hustling to build my empire, I was never in a relationship long enough to get to that point. I’m too old now.”

“Whatever.” I playfully roll my eyes. “Guys can have kids forever as long as they can still get it up. No biological clock ticking over there,” I say, wiggling my finger in his direction.

Daniel chokes on his coffee, laughing. “Do you want more kids?”

It’s a question I’ve never thought about. Soon after the twins were born, Jason got a vasectomy and made the decision for us. Running my finger along the lip of my coffee cup, I ponder his question for a moment. “I wouldn’t be against it. I love being being a mom.”

"Here's your food, folks. Anything else I can get you?"

"Tabasco," we say simultaneously.

"Be right back with that," Bobbi says with a giggle.

"I don't care what the dish is; it can always use a little more spice." His deep voice is gruff, making everything he says a hundred times sexier.

"You better watch out then, mister, because I come from a long line of spicy Latina women."

"Sounds hot."