Graham appeared next to Paige, eyes glistening faintly as he took it all in. Pride radiated from him. It seemed that regardless of Andrew and Nicole’s marital status, he approved of the future his grandchild was going to have.
Paige reached lightly for his hand, their fingers brushing as they exchanged a glance. She felt honored to be a part of this.
A soft chime sounded from the front door.
Nicole’s eyes lit up. “Perfect timing. That should be my parents. They wanted a chance to say hello before we all head to dinner.”
Andrew chuckled and hooked a thumb into his pocket as he looked at his dad. “Her mom’s been buzzing about tonight like she’s the one having the baby.”
“Both of them have been,” Nicole corrected with affection.
They all returned to the foyer, where Nicole opened the door to a happy couple around Graham’s age. Nicole’s mother wore a tailored green wrap dress, her father was in a crisp navy blazer with a dress shirt and charcoal trousers. They carried themselves like people deeply comfortable in cultured rooms.
Nicole embraced her parents as they came in. Andrew shook hands with her father.
Nicole’s mother beamed and stepped toward Paige. “Nicole told us you were coming,” she said as she took Paige’s hands. “Ken and I are thrilled to meet you both. I’m Joann, by the way.”
“Wonderful to meet you, Joann.” Paige detected a slight Midwestern accent.
Her father shook Graham’s hand with a firm, welcoming grip. “So glad you could come. Family milestones deserve to be celebrated properly. And it’s high time we met.”
Graham straightened. “I agree. Your daughter is everything Andrew said she was, and more.”
Nicole glanced at the wall clock. “We have time for a glass of wine, if anyone wants one, then we can head to the restaurant. Our reservation is in forty-five minutes. If I’m being honest, I could skip straight to dessert.” Her grin widened. “The cake will reveal if we’re having a boy or a girl and I’m desperate to know.”
“Won’t be long now,” Andrew said, though the anxious glint in his eyes suggested he was just as eager. “Actually, why don’t we head over early. If the table’s not ready, we can have a drink in the bar.”
“Sounds good to me,” Nicole’s father said.
Paige exchanged a smile with Nicole. It felt warm and a little conspiratorial, like they were united in the chaotic delight that came with family excitement.
As they gathered their things and moved toward the door, the city skyline beyond the windows glowed with a golden light. It was as if the entire city was about to celebrate the news with them.
Paige took Graham’s hand as they stepped into the elevator together, her heart beating a little faster. Tonight wasn’t just dinner. It wasn’t just meeting Graham’s son.
It was the kind of night people remembered. A family night. A night full of hope and future and belonging. The sort of evening that would become part of Andrew and Nicole’s history.
She had been invited intothat.
As a woman who had spent years putting everyone else first, and being put last by her husband, to be suddenly included in a night like this felt big.
Paige glanced at Graham as the elevator doors slid shut. He gave her a small, private smile meant only for her.
And she smiled back, heart fluttering with possibility, very glad she’d agreed to this trip.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Blaise sat cross-legged on her sofa, Beau curled at her feet like a furry paperweight as she and Cece hovered over the laptop balanced on the coffee table. Morning light poured through the sliding doors, warm against her shoulders. She sipped her coffee as Cece finished rereading the memoir query letter.
“Okay,” Cece said, tapping the screen with a freshly painted nail. “I think the middle paragraph is solid now. Makes you sound accomplished but human.”
Blaise snorted softly. “Iamhuman.”
“That’s debatable,” Cece teased. “Most women don’t look like this first thing in the morning.”
Blaise waved the comment off, but she smiled all the same.
Cece scrolled down. “Now, this closing paragraph.” She went silent a moment, then nodded. “This is good. Feels strong. Confident. But the right kind of confident. Not delusional confident.”
