Chapter 186 - Over A Cup Of Capp
"Santi?" Angela teasingly smiled as she whispered to Gael when his grandmother left for the kitchen, and they followed several steps behind.
"She's the only one who calls me by my second name." He shook his head and softly chuckled. "I should start calling you by yours... Kylie."
Her eyes widened, and her lips parted, looking like she didn't totally hate the idea but also didn't want to allow him to call her that. He knew she liked it whenever he called her "Angel".
"Don't. I don't answer to that name. No one calls me by that name..." Then her expression changed. "Except for..." Her voice trailed off just as they stepped into the kitchen.
"I just realized I only have coffee," said Grandma Susan as she moved about the space and talked while her back faced them. "I hope it's okay for you, dear."
There was a nurse on the side that he hired to watch over his grandmother during the day, but the nurse stayed out of the way and sat at the side with a tablet in hand, glancing at the older woman from time to time. Susan didn't like being monitored all the time, but Gael didn't want to negotiate when it came to her safety. So as per Susan's order, the nurse would just be in the same room whenever she's not sleeping and the latter was told to never hover.
Gael took off his leather jacket and then removed Angela's before tossing them over the back of a chair. "She's actually a cappuccino lover just like you, Grandma." He looked at Angela, catching the smile in her eyes.
"Ah...yes." Angela chuckled.
"Oh, is that so? Then let's make one. I'm sure you'll love this espresso. It's a new coffee bean I tasted a month ago. My Santi bought it for me before he left for Esmea."
"Was it good?" He moved closer to where his grandmother was and leaned on the kitchen counter, his large frame towering over Susan's thin one.
"Darling, it was perfect. I still love the one you always brought me from Italy, but I quite like this one too. It's strong coffee but the bitter taste balances out when milk is added. Yummy."
Angela watched as the two interacted, a small smile plastered on her face. Gael helped Susan with the cups and other stuff while his grandmother prepared the coffee machine—one that you'll find in coffee shops. Angela felt warm just watching him around the people in his life. It was hard to imagine that he was mafia with all these lovely people around him.
"Do you know how to make a cappuccino, Angela?" Susan turned around with a smile on her face. She looked dainty as ever—like a flower that would never wilt despite her age.
Angela walked over to where they were and stood next to Gael, his arm immediately snaking around her waist so naturally, like he'd been doing it a thousand times, and it was out of habit, which she didn't mind one bit.
"Hmmm… I know it's a mix of espresso and steamed milk. I don't have an espresso machine like that, but I use a Keurig to make a cup of capp or other coffees if I want one at home. It's quite convenient to use. I got the one with a milk steamer on the side—a special edition. I don't think I'd have the patience to learn coffee making with a complicated machine even if I wanted to. I mostly get my fix from the coffee shop in my building." She chuckled, watching Susan scooping out ground coffee from a grinder.
"Ah, I used to have a Keurig a few years ago too until Santi bought me this monster." Susan patted the fancy espresso machine. "I never thought I'd want to learn how to use it at my age, but as soon as I tried to make one good cup, I didn't want to touch my K machine anymore! Would you like to try making one with me?"
Angela glanced at Gael who was watching them. "Oh, I don't want to break anything, Susan. I'll just watch while you do your magic."
The older woman laughed and began to tell the other the steps in making espresso using her machine. Her movements were a bit slow but elegant—she was strong despite her age.
Gael smiled, his thumb softly brushing Angela's waist as the two women conversed.
His gaze dropped to the bandage on Susan's foot, and his brows knitted. "What happened to your foot, Grandma?"
The older woman stopped talking about the coffee and followed Gael's gaze. "Oh, this? I stubbed it on the wall by accident in the bathroom last night. The bulb suddenly went off while I was washing my face. It doesn't hurt, though."
He kneeled down to check on her foot and saw that it wasn't serious, but he was still worried. He cast a glance at the nurse on the side who stiffened at his glare. It wasn't the nurse's fault, but he instructed her to tell him if anything happened despite how small it was. Obviously, he hadn't heard about it until now.
Gael got to his feet and let out a sigh. He couldn't help worrying—what if she slipped and something worse happened? He gritted his teeth. "Which bathroom?"
"Mine."
"I'll go and check." He quickly disappeared upstairs for a few seconds before coming back down and opening a cupboard in the kitchen where some spare bulbs were stored. He grabbed one and breezed back up to the second floor.
"He always worries. This is why I don't tell him if I prick my finger with a needle. That boy..." Susan shook her head, but a smile brightened her face. She clearly loved how Gael was caring towards her.
Susan then began to show Angela how to make a cup of cappuccino. She didn't make fancy art like the ones in the coffee shops. The steamed milk with thick froth was poured into a cup with espresso in it, filling it up to the brim. It was a traditional cappuccino with foam on top and then sprinkled with cocoa powder.
The older woman handed the cup to Angela. "Go on, taste it. I don't do the hearts and swan thing on the top. It all tastes just the same once you drink it." Then she proceeded to make another cup for herself.
Angela received the cup and took a careful sip. "Mm! This is really good. You're right about the espresso. I can definitely taste the kick in this, but the milk is still sweet and creamy."
Susan's smile was warm as she patted Angela's arm. Gael came back downstairs, and they all moved to the living room where the three of them chatted about the De Lucas' Christmas tradition.
Angela noticed the picture frames on the mantel above the fireplace. She got up to check them out and saw several photos of other people and a family which she figured was the family of Susan's niece, whom she shared the house with. Then Angela's gaze landed on a black and white photo of a young woman in a ballet outfit, posing elegantly by standing on one leg while the other was raised behind her and the arms stretched—the arabesque pose.
"Is this you, Susan?" Angela wondered, her eyes still glued to the picture.
"Yes, Dear. That's me over seventy years ago."
"You were a professional ballet dancer?"
"That's right. I danced for many years professionally until I couldn't." Susan glanced at her right foot with a sad smile on her face. "I broke my ankle from a minor accident one time and I could no longer dance like I used to. So I retired at the age of thirty-one."
"Oh, I'm sorry. That must have been tough."
"It was... I missed performing so much. I've danced my whole life before that, so I didn't know what to do afterward. It took me a while to get back up on my feet again. Then I started teaching dance classes. I met my late husband a few years later. I never thought I'd get pregnant but I gave birth to a miracle baby in my late thirties—Santi's mother."
Gael brushed Susan's arm as he got up from the sofa and kissed the top of her head before taking the empty cups back to the kitchen.
Although he tried to mask it, Angela could sense that the mention of his mother still pained him. Wanting to divert the topic, she smiled broadly and complimented Susan, "Your arabesque is stunning. I wish I could have seen you perform. I bet you were phenomenal on stage."
A smile brightened the other's face, gleam lacing her eyes as she joined Angela by the fireplace. "Do you dance?"
Angela softly chuckled. "I used to attend a ballet class that my father forced me into when I was ten years old. I only lasted for several months."
Gael came back to the living room and leaned against the wall. He curled his lips into a satisfied smile, watching the two women laugh as Angela talked about some stories from her childhood. Bringing her to meet his grandmother wasn't what he planned, but it turned out to be one of the best decisions he made today.