The women get up to hug her, and after a brief hesitation I squeeze her too. Grant, who is sitting to the right of Sebastian, slaps him on the back. A huge smile stretches Sebastian’s mouth.
Lucie beams quietly next to him, her head on his shoulder, then takes another bite of the pie. She closes her eyes and sighs. “Oh thank God. I almost feel human again.”
“I know you said you don’t make it often, but I’ll give you anything if you can make it for Luce.” Sebastian’s all sincerity. “She hasn’t thrown up, but she can’t stomach eating anything. She says everything tastes like sh—uh, dirt.”
“Oh, no need to pay,” I say, pleased and flattered that my pie is helping. I saw how it was with Ivy and Yuna. Both had weird food cravings and couldn’t tolerate a lot of food that they normally enjoyed. “I’ll be happy to make some for your wife. Just let me know when and I’ll have it at the bakery for you to pick up.”
Lucie looks at me like I just single-handedly protected the world from a zombie apocalypse. “You’re a life saver.”
Sebastian and I exchange numbers so he can figure out when he should come and pick up the pies. Meanwhile, Noah feeds Ellen some peach cobbler filling after blowing on it to cool it off. She takes it from the small plastic spoon, smacking her lips as she eats it, then sticks her tiny tongue out. “Too delicious, huh?” He laughs.
The girl opens and closes her adorable rosebud mouth, slapping at his wrist with her little hand.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Molly leans closer. “Ellen’s a picky eater,” she whispers. “Although I think she’s more particular about who feeds her rather than what she gets fed. Noah managed to charm her into eating mashed broccoli last time we had a family meal. She never lets her dad come anywhere near her with anything green.”
Noah feeds Ellen another spoonful with a grin, then busses her rosy cheeks. Drool drips from her mouth, and he wipes her tenderly with a napkin, then praises her. “Look at you, eating like a champ.”
The sight is so ordinary and beautiful. My womb just shivers in a spontaneous ovulation.
Emmett and Amy’s little daughter Monique trots over and taps Noah on his leg. “Unca Noah.”
“Yes, Monique?”
“I’m gonna marry you.”
He laughs. “Are you now? Why me?”
“Mommy says I should marry a man who’s nice to me,” she says primly, her chin tilted up.
I press my lips together hard to contain a laughter bubbling in my throat.
“Hey, I got you a princess tiara!” Sebastian says in a feigned outrage.
“Yeah, but you’re married, Unca Seb. Also Daddy said only the SOBs take their presents back.”
A stunned silence falls over the table. Amy recovers first. “Emmett!”
He raises both hands, palms out. “I never said that in front of her!”
“He said it on Zoom,” the little girl clarifies, “I heard him.” She turns to Noah again. “You have to buy me a ring.”
“Sorry, Princess, but I’m taken.”
Monique’s eyes widen. “Who?” she whispers, like her world just ended.
“It’s a secret right now.” He flashes me a smile. “But she took my heart, so I can’t marry you.”
“Oh.” Her shoulders sag so forlornly it’s all I can do to bite my lip and not laugh.
“But guess what? You bring home a boy and I’ll look him up and make sure he’s worthy of you. How about that? I know exactly how to be nice to you, so I’ll know when I see the right boy.”
Monique thinks about it for a moment. “Okay. I’ll tell you first, then Daddy.”
Emmett stares at his daughter like she just stabbed him in the gut, which elicits a laugh from everyone.
I drape my arm over Noah’s shoulder, feel his lips on my palm, and decide this is better than his vision painting.
