Grace sent her a gentle smile. “It’s really nice to meet you. Mia’s told me all about you.”
“Oh. Okay,” Margot said.
My heart sank at the sound of her small voice, clearly finding it hard to believe that anyone would have talked about her.
Grace nodded. “Yeah. She said you’re really good at art. Just like Mia.”
Behind the girls, a teenage boy appeared—tall, lean, with dark hair and kind eyes. He looked about sixteen.
“That’s my brother Peter,” Grace said. “And my sister Bella’s around here somewhere. Come on, we’re all going down to the beach soon. We have a bonfire pit down there.”
I blinked. Brother? Sister? I glanced at Mia, confused.
“Alex adopted Grace when he married Gillian,” Mia explained quickly. “Peter and Bella are Alex’s kids from his first marriage. They’re all one family now. It’s really cool.”
Margot looked up at me. “Papa, can I go with them?”
“If you want to. But stay close to Mia, okay?”
“We’ll take care of her,” Grace said earnestly.
“Don’t worry, we won’t let her out of our sight,” Mia said, holding out her hand to Margot.
Peter stepped forward. “We’ll all look out for her. The beach is right down there—you can see it from here. And if she needs you, we’ll bring her right back.”
“I’ll be right up here if you need me,” I said to Margot.
“Okay, Papa.”
“Come on.” Mia tugged on Margot’s hand. “My friend Bella’s going to love meeting you. She’s the sweetest. And wait until you meet Annie. She’ll make you die laughing.”
We watched them head toward the beach path, voices already chattering away.
“It’s so good for her to be with other kids,” Mama said softly.
“They’re all such nice ones too.” I took a breath. “Let’s find Lila.”
She’d been out at my house working, so had driven separately. We wove through the mingling guests toward the back patio. Lanterns hung overhead, glowing like stars. The ocean stretched beyond the glass doors, calm and silver-blue under the fading sky. I spotted a tall man with dark hair standing near the buffet, his arm around a woman with light brown, curly hair and a dancer’s posture. She was laughing at something he’d said, looking radiant in a soft blue dress.
“I think that’s Gillian,” Mama murmured. “Grace’s mother. She’s the dancer.”
Gillian caught my eye and smiled warmly, heading our way, holding her husband’s hand.
“You must be Vance,” she said, extending her hand. “I’m Gillian Horton—I mean, Garcia.” She gestured to the man beside her. “This is my husband, Alex. Lila’s told us so much about you. And you must be Irene—it’s wonderful to meet you both.”
“It’s nice to finally meet you,” I said, shaking her hand. “Your daughter Grace just whisked mine away with the other kids.”
Gillian laughed. “Grace has been so excited to meet Margot. She and Mia have been planning the welcome committee all week.”
Alex extended his hand with a warm smile. “Great to meet you both. I’ve heard a lot about you from the kids. Fair warning—they’re probably going to keep your daughter occupied all evening.”
“I’m grateful for it,” I admitted. “She was nervous about coming.”
“From what Lila told me, it’s been an adjustment for her,” Gillian said. “Please let us know if we can ever do anything to help.”
“It’s an adjustment—for both of us.” I hesitated.
Alex’s expression shifted to something more serious, understanding. “Yes, please do. We’re still adjusting to our newfamily dynamics too. But it can be done. If you ever want to talk anything out, we’re here for you.”
