Finally & Forever by Robin Jones Gunn

together’ so quickly.”
    “According to your time frame, it may seem quick, but for me it’s been a year.”
    Katie knew that Eli had set his affections on her when she was still dating Rick. Eli had hung in there, patiently waiting and praying.
    She tried to explain what she had felt so that he wouldn’t take her embarrassment personally. “I don’t know what some of them might think about us being together.”
    Eli pulled back. “What does it matter what they think?”
    Katie smoothed back her hair. “You’re right. What does it matter? Why am I worried about that?”
    “Exactly. If you’re going to call yourself Princess Hakuna Matata, you need to remember what it means. ‘No worries.’”
    Katie smiled.
    “If you’re going to find pointless things to worry about, you’re going to have to change your name.”
    “Not a chance, Lorenzo.”
    Eli gave her a grin. “Well, maybe we should leave the possibility of a name change open. Someday.”
    It took Katie a minute to put together the pieces and to realize that he was saying they should leave the possibility open that one day her last name might be changed to Lorenzo. She felt her face flush. Eli had gone to work grinding coffee beans, as if his last comment hadn’t carried such weighty possibilities.
    Katie didn’t have time to process what he had just alluded to, because Eli had taken command of the Coffee Bar, and she was trying to keep up with him as he walked her through the steps to sign in, wash up, start the espresso machine, and serve the students who were placing their orders from the handwritten menu on the blackboard hanging over the counter.
    Once again Katie felt her worlds collide. A year ago at this time she was learning the ropes at the café Rick managed. He was the oneshowing her all about food service. What also felt strangely familiar to Katie was that when Eli had come to a pizza night last fall, he had ended up serving beverages to everyone and making himself right at home as he looped Katie into serving alongside him. Here they were, serving beverages again to probably at least one person who had been at that pizza night.
    As soon as everyone had been served, Eli said, “It’s your turn. What would you like? I’m buying, remember?”
    “I didn’t forget. I’d like one of those mochas like you made for Justine.”
    “You got it.” Eli first pulled some Kenyan shillings from his pocket and followed the protocol on the way to take the money and make change that he had explained to Katie earlier. She watched him make her mocha and then asked what he was going to have so they could go sit with the rest of the group.
    In a lowered voice, Eli said, “That was all the money I had on me; so how about if you drink as much as you want and save me a few good swigs at the end?”
    The first thing Katie thought was how impressed she was with Eli’s integrity. He could have made anything he wanted to drink, and no one but Katie would have known that he hadn’t paid for it. The next thing she thought was how her favorite part of a mocha was the last few sips.
    “No way.” She put on a stern expression. “You’re not getting the dregs of my mocha. You and I both know that those last few swigs are the best. All the good stuff settles on the bottom.”
    “You are one determined woman, aren’t you?” Eli returned the teasing expression.
    “Have you already forgotten how you tried to give me a parking ticket at school last fall and how I fought to get out of it?”
    “No, I haven’t forgotten.”
    Reaching for her hair, Eli took a few strands and rubbed them between his thumb and forefinger. The tender gesture matched thetender expression on his face. “I haven’t forgotten anything, Katie Girl. Not a single thing.”
    Katie pulled back, not sure what to do with his expression of affection. She gave him a playful, taunting look. “Nice try, Lorenzo. But you’re still not getting my mocha dregs.”
    “I had a feeling you would