The others didn’t seem to care and pushed past her to hug Bluey. She frowned.
“We need to go to the party to have food and drinks,” Jude said in the high-pitched voice. “Take my hand, Lucy, and we’ll lead everyone there.”
El heard Gabe let out a loud breath, but then the kids and their parents arrived at the pavilion and he was swamped with greetings. Maybe next year, El would be by his side, but for now she hung back and enjoyed watching the children eat snacks and cake and listening to their laughter over just about everything.
Lucy chimed in as if she’d never lost her mother. That was something El had come to understand about her. One moment she could be happy and carefree, and the next moment she would be deep in sadness, all of it unpredictable.
Present time arrived, and she maintained her happy go-lucky behavior as she opened package after package, tearing away the paper and tossing it up, then exclaiming her joy andthankfulness. Kenna had taught this child impeccable manners and must’ve really been an incredible mother. No pressure for El. No pressure at all.
After all the smaller gifts had been opened, Brad and Denice brought their giant package forward. Lucy hopped up and down, but looked warily at Brad and his mom.
“Remember, sweetie, this is my brother, Brad, and my mom,” Gabe reminded her. “They bought this present for you.”
“You have a brother?” she asked in wonder.
“I do,” Gabe said.
She suddenly frowned. “I wanted a brother, but Mommy said we couldn’t have one until we got a daddy.”
Brad sucked in a sharp breath, and Gabe shared a sympathetic look with him.
El felt Brad’s pain. If Kenna had lived, he would become the father of a boy and dad to Lucy.
With expectant eyes, Lucy peered up at Gabe’s mom. “Can you be my grandmother? I’ve always wanted a grandmother, too.”
Denise beamed a glowing smile at Lucy, but then gave Gabe a tentative look. “I’d like that if it’s okay with Gabe.”
“Sure,” Gabe said, without even pausing to think about it.
How far he’d come since El had first met him.
Lucy reached for the wrapping paper. “Help me, Gabe. This one’s too big.”
“How about if Brad does it, since he bought it with my mom?”
She flashed a look at Brad. “Can you please help me?”
“Of course.” Without hesitation, Brad dropped down beside her and started to fling paper away from the box, wincing with pain from his surgery.
“It’s a Bluey bike.” She flung her arms around Brad’s neck. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I never had a bike before, and this one’s even more special.”
His look of sheer shock, then warmth and acceptance while Gabe smiled down on them, Denise by his side, was priceless to watch. El could now see this little girl bringing Gabe’s family closer together.
All of the children flooded in to look at the bike, and Brad stood to get out of the way.
“Hey, thanks, man,” Gabe said. “But the person who buys the bike is the one who has to teach the child to ride it.”
“No problem. I’d be glad to do it.”
Gabe arched his eyebrow. “That’ll mean a lot of trips to Lost Lake.”
Brad hesitated. “Um, well, not really. We didn’t want to mention it until we saw how you felt about our big life change, but we moved here.”
Gabe gaped at him. “To Lost Lake?”
“You sound like you don’t like the idea.”
“No. No, it’s fine. Good. I’m just surprised.”
