I felt a smile tug at my lips.
Her casual calls telling me about the children, her day at work, and her occasional baking disasters… those small, ordinary updates had become the best parts of my day. I remembered how happy she had been when Emma startedwalking. I had captured the evidence on my phone, proudly filming Emma’s wobbly little steps while Jiya laughed in the background, her joy filling the room.
“Not much. Got a proposal I’m working on, but it’s not urgent.”
“Great, then you’re coming with us.”
I leaned back in my chair, curiosity tugging at me. “Where to?”
“Shopping for Jaspreet’s wedding.”
“Okay. When will you get here?”
“Look outside your window.”
I walked toward the glass and glanced down.
Jiya waved with Geeta, Lucas, and Emma standing beside her.
My lips curved into a wider smile as I looked at them.
Lucas bounced on his feet with his usual restless energy while Emma clung to Jiya’s leg, her small face peeking around the fabric of Jiya’s dress.
The sight of them standing there waiting for me made my heart swell.
While walkingfrom store to store, I saw sadness flicker across Jiya’s face. It appeared only for a second, but I knew her well enough now to recognize it.
“What’s wrong?” I asked when we walked out of the store after we finished shopping.
“What... what do you mean?” she fumbled.
“I was watching you stare off into space, and then you just shook your head. Did you forget something?”
“No... nothing. I didn’t forget anything. I wish I could forget what I remembered when trying on clothes.”
My chest tightened because I knew exactly what she meant. I knew the memory she was trying to bury, and anger flickered through me again at the thought of the way her mother had treated her. I remembered how shaken she had been that night, how small and vulnerable she had looked when I found her afterward.
I gently held her by her shoulders, my hands squeezing as though I could soothe the emotions she was trying so hard to hide.
Her eyes lifted to meet mine.
I leaned in, moving closer. “Jiya, what do you want to forget?”
Her proximity made the air between us grow thick. The soft whisper of her breath brushed against my collarbone as Emma shifted between us, and the subtle scent of her perfume drifted upward. Last week, when Jack had told me about us being the perfect union, I couldn’t get her out of my head.
“Mama!” Lucas yelled and bounced toward us with Geeta.
I cleared my throat and let go of Jiya.
“Is everything okay?” Lucas asked, looking at her and then at me.
“Yes,” she fumbled. “Everything is fine.” She caressed Emma’s head.
“Um... yeah... Cole was just wondering... um, how... we would all fit in the car... um, since Jack and Maureen wanted to ride with us.”
Silence crashed around us.
“Oh, that’s easy, Mama,” Lucas stated. “We could just rent a limo. That way, all of us can fit in.”
