Page 160 of Come Back to Me

“Mom’s in the kitchen,” Noah says.

Grayson salutes Noah with two fingers and heads into the kitchen with me trailing behind him.

“Who’s ready to stuff a turkey?” Grayson asks, his tone light.

“Yay! I’m so happy you’re both here.” Laura walks over to both of us, hugging us one by one. “I didn’t know if you were coming, Violet.”

“I wouldn’t miss this for the world,” I say.

She faces Grayson, leaning on the marble island in the middle of the kitchen. “Alright, so the turkey is already stuffed and roasting in the oven. Do you think you can take on the stuffing and the green bean casserole? I’m working on the mashed sweet potatoes right now.”

“Yeah, definitely.” He walks over to the counter closest to the stove.

There’s a half a pound of fuji apples with the skin peeled off. They’re sitting there along with a large bowl with pieces of ripped bread, vegetable broth, and various herbs and seasonings.

On the other side of the kitchen, there’s a colander of green beans sitting in the sink. A can of mushroom soup, a carton of fat-free milk, and a bag of crispy onions are in a horizontal line next to each other.

“Have you been in here all by yourself?” I ask Laura.

She shakes her head. “No, not at all. Lizzie, Dana, Celia, and Dani have been back and forth, helping me prepare and cook.” She throws the mashed sweet potatoes into a foil tin, smoothing them out on the top. “You should go say hi to everybody if you haven’talready.”

“Okay. Let me know if you guys need help with anything.”

I don’t get an answer from either of them because they’re too focused on making some of the sides for dinner.

I find my way into the living room where Lizzie, Dani, Celia, and Dana are.

“When did you get here?” Dani asks.

“Maybe ten minutes ago.”

Dana’s face lights up when she sees me, and I can feel the tears bubbling up at the inner rims of my eyes.

“Hey, stranger,” she says as she hugs me tightly.

“Violet, this is my mom.” Dani points to Celia.

Celia delicately shakes my hand. “Hi, Violet. It’s nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Dani and her mom could not look more alike if they tried. They both have dark brunette hair, dark brown eyes, similar skin tones, and various other physical attributes.

Lizzie gets up from the sofa chair. “Damn, I remember when you were a kid. You’re all grown up now.”

“Yeah, time flies when you’re having fun.”

“I’m sure.” Lizzie smiles at me, rubbing the top of my shoulder.

“Where’s your brother?” I ask her.

“He’s playing Frisbee with Sammy in the yard behind the house.” She guides me to the back patio. “So, Noah told me you’re the assistant manager at Sweet & Salty now. What an awesome accomplishment.”

“Yeah, it’s been amazing so far, and your mom is the best boss I could ever ask for.”

“Oh, I’m not surprised. She’s one of the best people I know. You’re in good hands with her.”

“What have you been up to?”

“I’m in the process of finishing up my time at Sunset Cove Police Department as a detective. I got a job offer in CrescentFalls in their police department’s Special Victims Unit as a detective, but it doesn’t start until next year.”