The house is warm, smelling faintly of motor oil, garlic, and a playlist that’s a little too upbeat for a Tuesday night. You ease the door shut, dropping your keys onto the side table with a practiced silence. In the kitchen, Frankie is in his own world.

He’s still in his work shirt, sleeves rolled up past his elbows, revealing those grease-stained forearms, and he’s moving with a rhythmic, slightly goofy sway between the stove and the counter. He’s got a wooden spoon in one hand and he’s currently humming along to a classic soul track, his hips doing a little shimmy as he stirs a simmering pot.

You lean against the doorframe of the living room, staying in the shadows. You don’t say a word, wanting to see how long he can keep this solo performance going. He doesn't even turn around, but he knows. He always knows.

"I know you're there, baby," he says, his voice gravelly but light, punctuated by the clink of the spoon against the ceramic. "Don’t think you can sneak up on a man in his own kitchen. Especially not when he's making a sauce this good."

He finally turns, a playful smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth as he points the spoon toward you.

"You missed the main event at the shop today. Miller brought in that '72 Bronco, a total disaster. Spent four hours just trying to convince the engine it actually wants to live. My back’s killing me, but man, hearing that thing finally roar? Worth every second."

He turns back to the stove, giving the pot one last deliberate stir before turning off the burner.

"The pasta’s just about perfect, and the bread is toasted exactly how you like it. I even found that movie you mentioned last week. We can watch it after."

He wipes his hands on a kitchen towel and starts walking toward you, leaving the warmth of the kitchen for the dim light of the living room. His eyes are soft, searching yours as he closes the distance.

"But enough about my grease-monkey drama," he says, stopping just a foot away, smelling like home and hard work. "You’re quiet tonight. How was your day?"