Page 45 of Icing on Top

Sadie’s death had affected everyone she loved. For my parents, she had been a daughter to them long before we said our vows. Not only had they grieved for her, but they’d grieved for me as well.

“I know, Mama,” I murmured softly.

We just held each other for a while before she finally stepped back, sniffling quietly as she quickly dabbed under her eyes.

“Do I get to meet her soon, then?”

A laugh rumbled deep in my chest, and I rested back against the counter, eyeing her playfully as I crossed my arms. “If you promise to play nice.”

Her jaw dropped, and she lightly swatted my arm, making me laugh more.

“Jeremiah Langfield,” she scolded, but it was half-hearted at best. “Of course. If she’s going to be a part of my son and granddaughter’s life, I want her to feel welcomed.”

“Good, because I want her to be. More than anything,” I admitted.

She smiled affectionately up at me before nudging my hip. “All right, now move over so I can get a piece of this pie before your dad eats it all. You said she works at a bakery?”

Despite talking things out with my mom, I still tossed and turned all night stressing—unnecessarily, I told myself—over Charlie’s feelings on the matter. My mom had planted the seed of doubt, and I knew I wouldn’t be confident until I had a chat with my daughter. She may only be seven, but she was capable of determining how she felt about something and voicing those feelings. Of that, I was very sure.

“Tot?”

“Hmm?” Charlie mumbled around the giant spoonful of cereal she’d just shoved into her mouth.

“Can I talk to you about something?” I asked, leaning on the island across from her.

She nodded, too busy attempting to chew her food to answer verbally.

“You know that Zoe and I went on a date, but do you know what that means?”

Her focused expression as she tried to chew faster would have made me laugh if I hadn’t been so sleep-deprived and anxious about this conversation.

“Yeah. You got dressed up and went to dinner at a restaurant like when you and I have our Daddy-Daughter dates,” she answered matter-of-factly.

I smiled. “Yes, we did. But our dates are a little different from the ones me and you have.”

Her head tilted to the side and her eyebrows crinkled.

“When adults go on dates, it’s to see if they like being around each other,” I explained.

“And do you?”

“Do I what?”

“Do you and Coach Zo like being around each other?”

I couldn’t stop my laugh this time. “Yes. I very much enjoy being around her.”

“And she likes being around you, right?”

Now that I wasn’t so sure of.

“I believe so.”

“Okay.”

She returned her attention to her breakfast, assuming that was the end of the conversation. Unfortunately, that was the easy part.

“So when adults decide that they do like being around each other, they choose to be in a relationship with each other. Which means spending more time together.”