Resting my chin in my hand and shifting slightly so I could see him better, I smiled, overcome by how right it felt to have him here. He smiled back and reached over to smooth a bit of hair off my cheek. I felt relaxed and happy, the contented kind of tired that follows a night you don’t ever want to end.
He brushed his thumb along my jaw. “You thinking what I’m thinking?”
“That we could stay like this all day?”
“No, that’s not exactly what I was thinking.” He grinned. “But I think someone’s awake.”
Footsteps creaked on the stairs, followed by a familiar voice.
“Morning, you two,” Mia said, padding into the kitchen in her pajamas. Her hair was a sleepy halo around her head. “Something smells amazing.”
“Hey, sweetheart.” I smiled, a little flustered. “We didn’t wake you, did we?”
“Nah. I slept great.” She yawned, sitting on the other side of me.
“How do you like your eggs?” Vance asked Mia.
“How you did Mom’s looks perfect. Thank you.”
“Margot’s still asleep,” Mia said. “She looked like an angel.”
“She was wiped out after last night,” Vance said. “Too much fun at the bonfire.”
“She’s fitting right in,” Mia said, smiling. “She told me yesterday that she thinks I’m the best big sister ever. No pressure or anything.”
Vance chuckled. “I think she’s right.”
Heat crept up my cheeks, but I couldn’t stop smiling. Watching them talk so easily, so naturally, made my heart ache in the best possible way.
After breakfast, Mia carried her plate to the sink. “I’ll do the dishes before Margot gets up. You guys should go sit on the porch or something. It’s perfect out.”
“You’re the best,” I said, kissing the top of her head.
“She gets that from you,” Vance said, his eyes soft.
As Mia started humming to herself at the sink. Vance took my hand and led me out to the terrace where my roses were blooming and the air smelled of late summer grasses. We settled on one of the lounge chairs, legs intertwined. I leaned against his shoulder, his arm snug around me. Nothing to do. Nowhere to go. This was the moment I’d been waiting for all my life.
14
VANCE
On Monday morning, I took Margot to her first dance class at Gillian’s studio. At first, she’d clung to my hand, but, when she spotted Madison, she ran over to greet her. “Do you see my new ballet shoes? Mia helped me pick them out.”
“They’re pink and perfect,” Madison said, hugging Margot.
Gillian wasn’t there, but I said hello to the teacher and paid the fee for several weeks’ worth of classes. I blew Margot a kiss and then headed out to kill an hour before I had to pick her up.
I walked down to Esme’s shop with the intent to purchase a bouquet for Lila and leave it at the studio for her. Carol had texted first thing that morning that they wouldn’t need me on set after all, which gave me the day free to hang out with Margot.
The morning sun hadn’t burned off the fog yet, so there was a chill in the air. A few leaves on the maple trees were starting to turn, reminding me that fall was not far away. When I got to the flower shop, Esme looked up from a bucket of dahlias, greeting me with a wide smile.
“Vance, what brings you in?”
“Margot’s at her first dance class, so I’m killing time.”
“Oh, Madison’s there too.”
“We saw her. Margot went right over to her, which I can’t tell you how happy that makes me.”
