Once dinner was over, several people volunteered to clear the dishes and bring in the dessert. Julia stayed put, feeling full and a little sleepy and knowing her family wouldn’t let her help anyway. As she looked around the room, enjoying the good-natured chaos around her, she noticed Noelle’s expression. Noelle was sitting across from her at the table, and although she had been smiling cheerfully during the meal, now that Dean was in the kitchen there was a slight hint of tension on her face. Julia watched with concern as Noelle looked down at the tablecloth as if it was a worrying document she was reading, a frown forming on her face and growing deeper.
Julia stood up and walked over to Noelle, sitting down beside her.
“Hey,” she said softly, giving her future sister-in-law a sideways hug. “How are you doing?”
Noelle looked up and smiled, but Julia couldn’t help noticing that her smile looked a little put-on. “Oh, I’m good.”
“Are you sure?” Julia said. “If there’s something that’s bothering you, you know you can tell me, right?”
Noelle bit her lip, looking around the room as if making sure that Dean wasn’t there. “I have been feeling… well, sad, I guess, about Dean’s condition. It’s been getting worse, and I want to have faith that it’ll all work out fine and it’s going to get better again like it did before, but I’m worried that he’s just going to keep being in pain, and that it’s going to get worse. I hate seeing him suffering like this, and it’s hard when we still have weddingpreparation to do and he’s feeling too tired to do anything. It does feel a little like a dark cloud overshadowing our wedding day.”
Julia nodded, feeling a rush of sympathy for Noelle. “I’m so sorry,” she said, touching her arm gently. “I can only imagine how disappointed you both must feel. But try to stay optimistic. Maybe he’ll feel much better by the time of the wedding.”
“That’s what we’re hoping,” Noelle said, nodding. “He decided to wait to do anything drastic like get surgery in the hopes that we don’t have to disrupt our wedding plans, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s in pain. I just wish this wasn’t hanging over both of us, especially right now.”
“I wish it wasn’t either,” Julia said, her heart aching for her brother and Noelle. “But remember, when he first got diagnosed we all felt this way—worried and afraid that things weren’t going to get better. But then they did—and he met you.” She smiled. “Hopefully this new medication he’s on will start doing the trick. Let’s stay hopeful that it all works out. That’s all we can do right now, right?”
Noelle smiled, brightening. “You’re right. Thanks.” She took a deep breath. “I’ll try my absolute best to focus on all of the good things that are happening and not get too discouraged.” She glanced around the room again and lowered her voice. “How are the plans for Faith’s party going?”
Faith was in a corner of the room, talking and laughing with Ryan as they set out vanilla ice cream to go with the chocolate lava cake. Julia glanced at her with a conspiratorial grin.
“Well, we’ve officially decided on aStar Trektheme for the party, since that’s Faith’s most recent TV show obsession,” she whispered, her eyes on her cousin to make sure that Faith couldn’t hear her. “Alexis and I have been working out the details whenever she has the time—but that’s not very often.Now that her jewelry-making business is back in full swing and she’s got a baby to take care of, she’s had her hands full.”
“I can imagine.” Noelle laughed.
Julia nodded. “We’ve definitely had some meetings where we both stand at her kitchen sink and wash all her dishes.” She chuckled. “But we’ve worked out the menu for the party, and we’re going to host it at The Lighthouse Grill.”
“What’s the menu?” Noelle whispered, sounding intrigued.
“A smorgasbord,” Julia whispered back. “We’ll have hot and cold meats, deviled eggs, salad, meatballs, rolls, and then a couple of fancy charcuterie boards as well. Alexis found the most incredible cheese spread to go with the seasoned crackers. It literally melts in your mouth.”
“Sounds great,” Noelle said. “I know Faith is going to love that.”
Everyone else returned to the dining room, and Delilah began to dish out the delicious chocolate lava cake.
Julia was amazed by how delicious the cake was, and after everyone had complimented Delilah profusely, they played a trivia game while sitting at the table and eating. Faith, with her quick mind that was used to memorizing information from her many years of being a lawyer, won the game in leaps and bounds, and Julia made a mental note to include a trivia game at her surprise party.
Once the meal was over, everyone helped clean up. Julia felt full and content, and still a little as if the evening must have been some kind of wonderful dream.
As she and Cooper were helping Macey put on her shoes by the front door, Julia remembered that she’d left Macey’s stuffed rabbit on a table in the living room.
“Oh, no, I’ve got to go get Bernie!” she said. “He told me he doesn’t want a sleepover at Grandma’s house, he wants to stay with you, Macey.”
“Yeah, Bernie!” the toddler exclaimed, looking excited rather than concerned that her favorite toy had almost been forgotten.
Julia laughed and hurried into the living room, where the rabbit was lying on its back, staring up at the ceiling as if lost in thought. Julia had just picked it up when she noticed the sound of voices speaking softly.
“Do you have any time on Sunday afternoon?” one of the voices said.
Julia didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but her curiosity got the better of her. At first, she simply wanted to listen long enough to figure out who the speaker was, since she knew it wasn’t Dean or Grayson, and she didn’t think it was Jacob or her mother’s boyfriend Terrence either.
“Yes, I do.” That voice was Delilah’s. Julia would have known it anywhere.
“Would you like to go for a stroll with me? Maybe along the beach?”
Tom! Julia’s mouth popped open as she realized that the speaker was Tom, his voice sounding lower than usual because of how quietly he was speaking. Tom was asking Delilah to go for a stroll with him—an activity that sounded romantic and therefore suspiciously like a date.
“I would love that,” Delilah said, her tone warm and eager.
