I chuckle as I emerge from the hallway, bending down to scoop her up. “How’s my favorite girl feeling?”
She lays her head on my shoulder. “Better. My belly’s still weird, though.”
“Well, that’s why I brought soup and bread. Should be easy on that tummy of yours.”
“Promise?”
I nod against the top of her head before I settle her at the kitchen table. “Promise. And you don’t have to eat what you don’t want, okay?”
Pickles plops himself at Amber’s feet beneath the table like the furry sentinel he is. Amber reaches beneath it, scratching the top of his head lazily. I smooth her hair away from her forehead, and I notice she’s still a bit clammy.
“Let’s get this one some ice water,” I say as Eli comes to the table with the pot of soup.
“I’ll get it,” Lia says.
“Ohhh, we’ve got fresh bread,” Knox says as he pulls the loaf out of the oven. “Eli, where’s your butter?”
“Already on the table,” Eli says as he places the butter dish down.
It takes us no time at all to gather around Eli’s kitchen table. The scents from earlier are drowned out by the comforting smell of butter, soup, and the comfort of family.
Pickles is still underneath the table, his tail swishing aimlessly and batting at my shoes. No doubt waiting for anything that might fall so he can snatch it up for himself.
I watch them all while they eat.
Eli serves up soup for Amber. Knox butters some bread for Lia before he takes a hunk for himself. Amber foregoes her spoon completely and picks the bowl up, sipping from it like it’s a mug. Lia giggles at her before she abandons her spoon as well, cupping her bowl and raising it to her lips.
I can’t help but watch them all while they feast.
Their conversations go over my head. My ears are ringing with a desperate need that thuds in my chest. As I sit there and watch them all talk and exchange food together, the reality of it slams into me like lightning.
I need my family home.
“You know,” I say, interrupting the conversation going on around me, “there’s something that’s been on my mind today.”
Lia looks over at me. “Oh?”
“You still thinking about that trolley roof?” Knox asks. “Because Ford and I have that under control.”
“The trolley roof?” Eli asks. “Did something happen?”
I wave my hand through the air. “This isn’t about the trolley roof.”
I glance around at the table, looking at how they all look at me. Lia’s eyes, bright and wondering. Knox, completely perplexed. Eli, patiently waiting for whatever it is I have to say, and Amber sneaking Pickles a piece of buttered bread when no one else is looking.
My chest feels strangely full as the words come tumbling out.
“My place at the vineyard is more than big enough for all of us. If that’s something we all want in the future.”
Lia
The question slips out of me before I can stop it. “What do you mean?”
Walker looks like he didn’t expect a response so quickly. “I know things are moving quickly. I know we’ve all sort of… found ourselves in each other’s orbits. And don’t get me wrong, Eli, you have a lovely home?—”
“H-hold on,” I stutter out.
My heart stops in my chest. I hate how my words sound so small. I hate how Ifeelso small. The whirlwind of everything that’s happened in the past three or so weeks slams against me with force.
