“Um… I do like pizza,” I say, glancing at my watch.
“Great. Then you’ll come to Uncle Harry’s, too, and we’ll all have food.”
Oh. I’ll need to leave soon if I’m going to feed Mom dinner.
“Usually I have dinner—” I pause.
“Pleeeaase, Delaney.”
“Remember,” Tillie cuts in gently, “we don’t pressure people.”
Layla frowns and rests her head on Harrison’s shoulder. When he cups the back of her head with a comforting hand, I’m pretty sure my ovaries start singing. He looks sogoodlike that—happy, protective, present.
When I glance at his face, there’s something else there. Concern? Uncertainty? I can’t quite read it.
“I’m sorry,” Henry says. “Sometimes in her excitement, she gets a little… overzealous. When she comes down, she comes down hard, and she’s a sensitive little soul.”
“It’s no problem. She’s so endearing. Excuse me for a minute,” I say.
I step away and pull out my phone to text Pat.
Are you going to have dinner with Mom tonight?
Three dots appear.
Pat
I wasn’t planning on it, but I can. What’s up?
Oh, nothing. It’s okay. Some people from work invited me for pizza, but I’d rather see Mom, anyway.
Pat
Absolutely not. You arenotbacking out of a social opportunity, Delaney.
Pat, really, I want to see Mom.
Pat
Iknowyou do. But your mom made me promise I wouldn’t let you forget to take care ofyourself.I’m slipping my shoes on now and heading out the door. You go have some pizza with your friends.
Are you sure?
Pat
I’m positive. Let me do this for my friend. It’s what she’d want.
I walk back to my desk, suddenly feeling awkward. “Um, I can come now.”
“That’s great,” Tillie smiles.
Henry grabs Tillie’s hand. “Come to my office. I want your opinion on a tile. I was gonna bring them home, but now I don’t have to.”
Layla wiggles down from Harrison’s arms to follow her parents, and their beautiful little family disappears down the hall. I can’t stop myself from watching until they’re out of sight.
“Are you okay?” Harrison asks. The gentleness in his voice touches me.
I turn back to face him, and he’s only a few feet from my desk now.
