out loud.
"Is there cake?" Nic wanted to know.
Chapter Twenty Nine
There was cake. There were chocolate chip cookies. And there were peach and strawberry-rhubarb pies. Cate had planned for the weekend and for extra to send home with her cherubs when they left her again.
Now she sat back, relaxed and contented, with her children and the pup surrounding her. The sound of Nic's acoustic guitar filled the open space, lifting and rolling over the banister to the second story. It rang out gently, breaking on the ceiling three stories above.
In the kitchen, Alex loaded the dishwasher. Merry sat patiently at her feet, hoping for any scrap. Al's pretty blonde hair danced about her shoulders as she worked, effortlessly moving to the beat she'd grown up with.
The sound was soft and intoxicating, unlike Nic's usually haunting melodies. This piece, he told them, was a movie soundtrack he was working on. Cate had to agree it fit. The rhythm and harmony rose and fell with her breath. She felt relaxed, leaning back against the plump couch cushions, warm inside the music.
Now that she had listened to each of her grown children, she felt secure enough to move forward with Tom. Maybe he'd call, maybe she'd reach out, Cate didn't know. She did trust that she'd know what she wanted to do when the time came. He needed support; he deserved his family.
And Cate would see that he had at least those two things. If it killed her, she thought idly, her eyes sweeping lovingly over her children.
Chapter Thirty
"Thanks, honey," Cate lifted her voice toward Al. Including Nic, she added, "Mike's taking us all to dinner."
"I don't think I could eat anything ever again," Nic groaned, looking up briefly.
"Where?" Al called.
" La Mia Famiglia Mangia ."
" Ooh , fancy." She grinned and Nic smiled a little.
"He hasn't seen you guys in awhile−"
"Mmm−" Alex bit her lip to keep from laughing. Her face bubbled with merriment.
"Alex- andra !" Cate said sharply. She was trying not to laugh herself.
"Moth- er !"
"Oh, hush," was all Cate could think of. "Do you have something to wear?"
"There's always your closet, right? Still in the same place?"
"Don't you stop." Cate pointed a finger at Nic. He nodded, his eyes meeting hers, his fingers moving up and down the frets, his mind in another world. The two girls tripped upstairs to try on clothes in Cate's generous wardrobe, chatting and giggling.
Chapter Thirty One
The restaurant was out of the way, about a half-hour drive from Cate's house. It was warm and atmospheric, smelling of good olive oil and crusty bread. A pretty hostess with a warm smile seated the group in an alcove. She left them to their weighty menus. Cate squeezed in against the wall, Mike to her left, Al to her right, her skirt swirling as she lowered herself to the chair. Nic sat down last, across from her.
Their waitress, a dark, petite young woman, introduced herself and took their order. She left the table then, returning with a thick loaf of fresh bread and a bowl of warm, fragrant oil for dipping.
"That's great," Nic stated. The delicious smells wafting through the restaurant had apparently made him hungry again after all. "What are you all having?"
Al rolled her eyes. Cate just smiled, sopping up her children as they dove toward the basket. She missed their smiles, their hearts and their voices daily. She was so proud of their accomplishments though, and who they'd each become.
"Mussels?" Mike asked Nic, who nodded, mouth full.
Al and Cate nodded, too. Drinks were served and they lifted their glasses in a toast. "To us−"
"−Salute, benedizioni, amare." Health, blessings, love .
Chapter Thirty Two
Cate was in the kitchen. Her bare feet were tapping along to Carrie Underwood's Something In The Water . Her low voice was trying to hit the high notes but cresting like an ear-piercing screech. Cate didn't care.
Crisp bacon roasted in the oven with spicy hash browns sharing their warmth. Lemony Portuguese rolls cooled
"Is there cake?" Nic wanted to know.
Chapter Twenty Nine
There was cake. There were chocolate chip cookies. And there were peach and strawberry-rhubarb pies. Cate had planned for the weekend and for extra to send home with her cherubs when they left her again.
Now she sat back, relaxed and contented, with her children and the pup surrounding her. The sound of Nic's acoustic guitar filled the open space, lifting and rolling over the banister to the second story. It rang out gently, breaking on the ceiling three stories above.
In the kitchen, Alex loaded the dishwasher. Merry sat patiently at her feet, hoping for any scrap. Al's pretty blonde hair danced about her shoulders as she worked, effortlessly moving to the beat she'd grown up with.
The sound was soft and intoxicating, unlike Nic's usually haunting melodies. This piece, he told them, was a movie soundtrack he was working on. Cate had to agree it fit. The rhythm and harmony rose and fell with her breath. She felt relaxed, leaning back against the plump couch cushions, warm inside the music.
Now that she had listened to each of her grown children, she felt secure enough to move forward with Tom. Maybe he'd call, maybe she'd reach out, Cate didn't know. She did trust that she'd know what she wanted to do when the time came. He needed support; he deserved his family.
And Cate would see that he had at least those two things. If it killed her, she thought idly, her eyes sweeping lovingly over her children.
Chapter Thirty
"Thanks, honey," Cate lifted her voice toward Al. Including Nic, she added, "Mike's taking us all to dinner."
"I don't think I could eat anything ever again," Nic groaned, looking up briefly.
"Where?" Al called.
" La Mia Famiglia Mangia ."
" Ooh , fancy." She grinned and Nic smiled a little.
"He hasn't seen you guys in awhile−"
"Mmm−" Alex bit her lip to keep from laughing. Her face bubbled with merriment.
"Alex- andra !" Cate said sharply. She was trying not to laugh herself.
"Moth- er !"
"Oh, hush," was all Cate could think of. "Do you have something to wear?"
"There's always your closet, right? Still in the same place?"
"Don't you stop." Cate pointed a finger at Nic. He nodded, his eyes meeting hers, his fingers moving up and down the frets, his mind in another world. The two girls tripped upstairs to try on clothes in Cate's generous wardrobe, chatting and giggling.
Chapter Thirty One
The restaurant was out of the way, about a half-hour drive from Cate's house. It was warm and atmospheric, smelling of good olive oil and crusty bread. A pretty hostess with a warm smile seated the group in an alcove. She left them to their weighty menus. Cate squeezed in against the wall, Mike to her left, Al to her right, her skirt swirling as she lowered herself to the chair. Nic sat down last, across from her.
Their waitress, a dark, petite young woman, introduced herself and took their order. She left the table then, returning with a thick loaf of fresh bread and a bowl of warm, fragrant oil for dipping.
"That's great," Nic stated. The delicious smells wafting through the restaurant had apparently made him hungry again after all. "What are you all having?"
Al rolled her eyes. Cate just smiled, sopping up her children as they dove toward the basket. She missed their smiles, their hearts and their voices daily. She was so proud of their accomplishments though, and who they'd each become.
"Mussels?" Mike asked Nic, who nodded, mouth full.
Al and Cate nodded, too. Drinks were served and they lifted their glasses in a toast. "To us−"
"−Salute, benedizioni, amare." Health, blessings, love .
Chapter Thirty Two
Cate was in the kitchen. Her bare feet were tapping along to Carrie Underwood's Something In The Water . Her low voice was trying to hit the high notes but cresting like an ear-piercing screech. Cate didn't care.
Crisp bacon roasted in the oven with spicy hash browns sharing their warmth. Lemony Portuguese rolls cooled
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