âOf course not,â Gabriel scoffed playfully, âI canât take care of myself, Gabby, that has been proven time and time again.â He was only partly joking of course. Most of the time, beside being a giant, Gabriel was a functional human being. He knew how to leave the house organized and tried his best not to break everything in sight, especially since his sisters and mother had spent their fair share of time decorating his apartment so that it was nicely decorated, but it still felt like his home, and thatâs what was most important to him. However, when it came to the kitchen, Gabriel only knew how to work the microwave and air fryer, and even then not for many. Stacking up on his motherâs food and leftovers had been a habit he had been doing well with, so far, so good.
He hated that it felt like his younger sister needed to measure her words with him. His car accident had been traumatic and it had been good for him that getting behind a car wasnât necessary while he was living in the island. Making residence at Lafayette Square had granted hi easy access to most parts, not to mention he had enough people to drive him around, not to mention Uber or Lyft. If he never had to sit behind a wheel, he would be just fine, but he also knew that Gabby was right. At some point he would have to shake off the trauma and do it, before it turned into something bigger. He used to love driving around, be it in the car, or motorcycle, he absolutely loved to go fast on the hills, now he wasnât sure when he would do so. Still, he nodded, agreeing with what she was saying. âI know, I know, you sound like my therapist,â he teased letting out a long breath as he adjusted the seat belt on his body, making sure it was tight. âTechnically, I can drive any car thatâs not a stick, but Iâd rather have both arms fully functional before adventuring into that againâ I wont, you knowâ run away from it, but time needs to be right.â
He didnât feel anxious about being in a car with Gabby, he trusted her with his life, maybe more, and he felt comfortable being there, but he did grip the handle a little tighter when the car purred under him. âNo weight lifting for the next month, I think? I can pick them up with my good arm, just no direct weight lifting on the right one,â he shrugged with one shoulder, a laughter belting out when his sister sounded dubious about his job with Ava. âItâs not even gonna entitle anything with dead people, just some administrative stuff, Iâm sure mom would love me working at Carmichaelâs again, but I feel she would just used it as an excuse to watch me closer,â his lips pursed at the thought, and while he didnât mind, per se, it wasnât the most appealing idea yet. As Gabby spoke of herself, Gabriel couldnât help but to look at her with a raised eyebrow, good hand scratching his beard doubtfully. âReally Gabs? Nothing new with you? Youâre really wanting me to buy that your life is boring? Come on, tell me. Whatâs the fun outside of work? I accept knowing if itâs PG.â
Gabby rolled her eyes when her brother told her that she sounded like his therapist. âIf only I would get paid for it and you would actually listen to me,â the younger woman pointed out to the tall man with her. She did understand it, however, because she was also stubborn in listening to her siblings even though their advice was well meant. âYou should definitely wait for both hands to be functional again before you get behind the week.â She reached over to her brother so she could place a hand on his lower arm. âYou can always start with a small driving lesson on an empty parking lot again. I will help you if you want, just by sitting next to you.â If that was something that could help Gabriel out in daring to sit behind the wheel again, it was something she would happily do.
It was good to hear that over a month he should be able to at least lift some more weight then he was able to do right now. Gabby didnât even want to know how it must feel to not be able to use your arm to your full capacity. She shook her head when he said that their mum would love it if he worked at Carmichaelâs again âDonât you dare to come work with us. Because you are damn right about the fact that mum will use it to keep an eye on you. And donât we need all our time and space away from the family business.â She already had that time away, even though Gabby was sure that she wouldnât say no to another bit away from the family business. She loved working with her mum but she wasnât sure that this was the right place for her to stay for the rest of her life. She was way too restless for that.
âI thought the âhaving some fun outside of workâ was already enough for you. Unless you want me to tell you what exactly I meant with that. I mean, you know I donât live like a non in a convent,â Gabby said to her brother in the hope that he would accept that as an answer but she knew that she probably would have to give him a little bit more than that. âMaybe a date might be coming up soon but that is all that Iâm going to give you, my brother.â
