“This is our son, Alex,” Cooper said, reaching out to tousle the boy’s curls. “And this is Chloe, our daughter, who thinks she’s a princess.”
Chloe stepped out from behind her dad, showing that she was indeed dressed as a princess that day.
Angela smiled at her and gave a small curtsy. “It’s lovely to meet you both, Alex and Princess Chloe.”
Chloe beamed at Angela's acknowledgment of her royal status, twirling once to show off her sparkly blue dress.
"I'm a snow princess today," she announced proudly. "Like Elsa."
"The most beautiful snow princess I've ever seen," Angela replied, and Jude could tell by the genuine warmth in her voice that she meant it.
Cooper gestured toward the living room. "Make yourselves comfortable. Lunch is almost ready."
Jude guided Angela into the living room with a light touch on her back. The room was cozy and lived-in, with toys tucked into baskets and family photos covering most of the wall space. He watched Angela take it all in, her eyes lingering on the framed pictures of the Sullivans throughout the years.
"Uncle Jude, do you want to see my new LEGO set?" Alex asked, already bouncing on his toes with excitement.
Jude glanced at Angela, who nodded with an encouraging smile. "Sure, buddy. Let's see what you've built."
Alex grabbed Jude's hand and tugged him toward a corner of the living room where an elaborate LEGO construction covereda low table. Angela followed, settling onto a chair near Alex's creation, while Jude dropped down to one knee next to it.
"It's a space station," Alex explained, his words tumbling over each other in his enthusiasm. "And it has a docking bay for spaceships and a command center and everything. Look, this part moves!" He demonstrated by rotating a section of the structure.
"That's some impressive engineering, buddy," Jude said, genuinely admiring the boy's work.
He didn’t have much interaction with children in his day-to-day life. However, the time he spent with Alex and Chloe was a bright spot. They’d welcomed him without hesitation, having adopted him as an uncle.
And it seemed they were just as welcoming of Angela. Alex happily answered the questions she had about his masterpiece, and it warmed Jude’s heart.
It made him wonder if she’d ever thought about having children. He hadn’t given it a lot of thought himself. But now, watching her with Alex and Chloe, the image of her with a child of her own took root in his mind and wouldn’t leave.
"Do you want to see my princess room?" Chloe asked Angela, drawing Jude's attention back to the present moment.
"I would love to," Angela replied, reaching out to tuck a curl behind Chloe’s ear. "But maybe after lunch?"
"Okay!" Chloe clapped her hands together, then skipped over to where Jude knelt beside the LEGO creation. "Uncle Jude, will you come see my room too?"
"Of course, " he said as Melanie appeared in the doorway, wiping her hands on a dishtowel.
"Lunch is ready, everyone. Kids, please wash your hands."
Alex groaned dramatically but trudged toward the hallway bathroom. Chloe followed, her princess dress swishing as she skipped after her brother.
“They’re so cute,” Angela said with a smile that lit up her eyes.
“That they are.” Jude got to his feet and held out his hand to her. Angela took it and allowed him to pull her to her feet. “And now we get to endure their parents’ curiosity.”
Melanie’s laugh told Jude she’d heard his comment. “You know us so well.”
With a grin at Angela, Jude led her from the living room into the dining room. “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you.”
Angela laid her head against his shoulder. “I know.”
Those two words meant the world to Jude, and he prayed God would give him the strength to be worthy of her trust in him.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
In other circumstances, Angela might have been worried about spending time with people she didn’t know, especially ones who weren’t hiding the fact that they were curious about her. However, she was with Jude. She knew that he would make sure she was alright. And that anyone he counted as a friend would be someone she was safe with.
