Page 101 of Happily Ever After

The universe, Marlene would probably say, operated on patterns, too. And sometimes the most important thing was noticing when something didn’t fit. That was how she’d found the anomaly, after all.

Peanut moved to lay closer to Cece. She flopped down and pushed her back feet into Cece’s thigh.

“Yes,” Cece said. “I am aware of your presence but thank you for reminding me.”

She reached down to scratch Peanut’s belly as the good news of the day continued to lift her spirits. She felt more alive, more capable than she had in months.

Her body was cooperating, thankfully. The reach of her podcast was growing. Her friends were supporting her. And they were amazing people to boot.

And somewhere above them all, something new was moving through the darkness of space. Unexplained, patient, waiting to be understood.

How could she think this wasn’t a great day?

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Essie stood at the stove, easing pancake batter onto the hot griddle, and thought, perhaps absurdly, that her life right now felt like a small miracle. God was good and she was blessed, that much was true.

The kitchen smelled wonderfully like butter and coffee and the faint sweetness of vanilla. Bacon sizzled in the skillet beside the griddle, getting crispy the way Frank liked it. She’d slightly burned the first batch when she’d gotten distracted with making the pancake batter, but it was no big deal. Frank didn’t mind if it was a little dark and he never complained about extra bacon.

Her fingers went to the diamond cross resting in the hollow of her throat.

It still surprised her when she caught sight of it. The way it caught the light. The way it felt warm and familiar, as if it had always belonged to her. Frank had clasped it around her neck the night before, his fingers gentle, his expression becoming so serious.

For everything you do for me and this family, he’d said.

He’d almost made her cry. Especially when she’d filled him in on Darcy and the book club and he’d offered to foot the legal bills for the bylaws fight, should it come to that. She hadn’t even had to ask. He was such a wonderful man.

She flipped two pancakes onto the holding plate, then added two more scoops of batter to the griddle.

She glanced toward the front porch.

Sophie and Frank were sitting out there with their coffee, the door slightly cracked so Maple could come and go. Sophie’s voice drifted in, low and tentative, and Frank murmured something back. Maple’s tags jingled faintly as she shifted at Frank’s feet, the dog already fed and walked and entirely content with her morning. She clearly adored Frank, but then, who didn’t?

Essie smiled to herself as she flipped the pancakes.

This was what she’d wanted. Not perfection. Just everyone in the same place, breathing the same air, willing to sit together and be civil.

She got the bacon out and onto paper towel to drain, before adding it all to a plate. Then she slid the last of the pancakes onto a platter and turned off the griddle. She wiped her hands on a dish towel.

“Breakfast!” she called. “Before it gets cold.”

There was a pause, then the sound of chairs scraping back.

“We’re coming,” Frank answered.

Essie carried the platters to the table Sophie had set. The plates were neatly spaced, the napkins were folded, although slightly crooked but that didn’t matter. The jug of syrup sat in the middle, the butter dish next to it. Essie almost straightened one napkin, then stopped herself and let it be.

Sophie came in first, moving toward the table awkwardly, like she wasn’t quite sure where to sit yet. Frank followed, Maple padding along behind him, tail wagging enthusiastically at the scents reaching her nose.

“This smells incredible,” Frank said, smiling as he took in the spread. “I’m starving.”

Sophie smiled faintly. “I helped,” she said. “By requesting pancakes.”

“And you set the table. But I added the bacon,” Essie said. “Because I know my audience.”

Frank laughed and pulled out Essie’s chair for her before sitting down himself. Maple circled once, then settled near his feet with a sigh. Amazing how she’d attached herself to him so quickly. Did that make Frank the alpha dog? She smiled to herself.

They all took seats and Frank held his hands out to Essie and Sophie. “Grace?”