When Aaron said he would make breakfast, she expected him to bring back yogurt or something simple. Waffles served with strawberries and whipped cream were the last thing she anticipated.

"You made these?" she asked incredulously.

"Don't be too impressed; I used a box mix," he replied.

He handed her a plate of waffles and a coffee mug, watching her with an expectant expression. For a split second, he looked like a dog that had performed a trick, waiting for a treat before reverting to his usual reserved self.

"Dish is very good," Keeley mumbled around a mouthful of waffle. "What brand is this mix?"

"Stonewell Pantry. I bought it online."

Ah. It was probably far more expensive than the pancake mix she bought at the grocery store. Still, they were delicious.

Halfway through her waffle, she noticed he was still sitting there empty-handed. "You don't have to watch me eat. Go make yourself a waffle."

"Okay."

He got up and returned five minutes later with a waffle of his own. "Would you like another one?"

"Yes, please! You eat, though; I'll make it."

She hurried to the kitchen, still disbelieving that Aaron Hale had made her waffles. She didn't think he even knew how to operate a waffle maker—in her past life, a personal chef handled everything for him. She made him a second waffle and brought them both back to the TV room.

"Thanks," he said softly, accepting the waffle.

They watched the show and ate in silence for a while before Keeley could contain herself any longer.

"I'm so sorry about this morning; I really don't know what came over me, and it must have been uncomfortable for you," she apologized. It certainly had been uncomfortable for her once she'd realized what had happened.

"Don't apologize; I haven't slept that well in ages."

She scrutinized him, unable to tell if he was being serious. It's hard to read someone whose face is practically an unchanging mask. Although, lately, he'd shown odd flashes of expressiveness…

Something she hadn't noticed yesterday started bothering her. "Hey Aaron, how did you know I liked Dancing with the Stars?"

He mentioned recording it for her, but why? Was it a coincidence?

"It's one of the first things that pops up on your 'liked' pages in your Facebook 'About Me' section."

That was reasonable, but… "Why did you record it for me?"

He furrowed his brow. "I would have thought that was obvious. You know some Spanish from your telenovelas, right? Mi casa es su casa."

My house is your house. Keeley knew the phrase—Valentina had said it was a common way to invite someone to feel at home. So, all those snacks…were for her, too? She hadn't thought much of it before, but they weren't the kind of things Aaron normally ate.

This guy must be even lonelier than she'd thought if he'd prepared all this just to get her to come over. She felt bad for him…and a little touched. Even though she didn't like him, it was flattering to receive such special treatment.

Her lips curved into a small smile. "You're very thorough."

"I try."

Keeley curled up on the sofa and continued watching the show. After a while, Dinah, the cat, appeared and jumped onto Aaron's lap.

She reached out to pet the cat. "Hey pretty kitty! I haven't seen you yet!"

"She has a lot of space to explore; sometimes I hardly see her," he explained.

That made sense. Her apartment was small, and she sometimes couldn't find Molly, her cat, because the sneaky creature knew all the hiding places. In a space that size, it was remarkable he saw Dinah at all.

Dinah seemed perfectly comfortable in his lap; this must be a regular occurrence. Keeley never would have imagined her Aaron allowing that, even once.

She had to stop comparing the two. This Aaron shared a name, a face, a job, and a few mannerisms with her Aaron, but that was about it. It was like he'd had a personality transplant. He was far too kind to be the man she married.

With that thought, she steeled herself to ask a question she might regret. "Since you've already recorded all the episodes this season…is it okay if I come back after Thanksgiving and watch the last two? The finale is the day before the holiday."

"Of course! My TV is always at your disposal."

"Awesome, thanks!"

Keeley secretly glanced at him when she was sure he wasn't looking. He was absentmindedly petting the cat, a hint of warmth emanating from him. Maybe this version wasn't so bad after all.

She didn't want a long-term relationship with him; his world was still unsettling. But she should be more accepting of his friendship. She'd been so resistant, thinking he was the same man who'd destroyed her life, but he clearly wasn't. Would it be so terrible to have a friend this kind, even if he looked and sounded like Aaron?

After catching up on the show, she reluctantly stood. It was time to face the music.

"I should get going. But first…do you still have that toothbrush I used last time?" Keeley felt unclean after not brushing her teeth since yesterday morning.

"Yes, it's in the same bathroom, in the toothbrush holder."

She thanked him and went to the bathroom. She also needed a shower, but that could wait until she got home and changed clothes.

Grabbing her spoon, Keeley asked to borrow a pair of shoes to walk home. She could return them in a couple of weeks. Even if they were too big, she was wearing thick socks, so it should be manageable.

Aaron returned with a pair of black Louboutin heels. "…these are my mother's. They should fit."

If Roslyn Hale knew someone else, especially a nobody, had worn her shoes, she would be furious. Keeley had never particularly liked heels, even after wearing them for years, but she was happy to wear these, knowing her former mother-in-law would disapprove. She looked down at her fuzzy socks protruding from the heels.

"I'm the pinnacle of fashion," she said dramatically, striking a pose before bursting into laughter, forgetting who she was with.

It was something she would have said with her roommates. What had prompted her to act so silly in front of Aaron? She glanced at him nervously, ready to apologize, when she saw him covering his mouth with his hand.

He was clearly trying not to laugh, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

"Go ahead, laugh it up," she huffed. "This is why you can't be silly around serious people."

"Sorry," Aaron chuckled. "It's been a long—I mean, I've never seen you do something like that before."

"Yeah, yeah. Let's go."

Keeley wasn't even self-conscious about who might see her dressed so ridiculously. She was more worried about her roommates' reaction to her disappearance the previous day.

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