Page 47 of Between the Lines

Chapter Nineteen

Essie tied the apron strings at her waist and set a large pot of water on the stove, turning the burner all the way up so the water would boil faster. She added a handful of salt and gave the water a stir.

Spaghetti for dinner wasn’t anything fancy, but it was familiar and something everyone would eat without a fuss. It was the reliable kind of meal that was the sort of easy Essie needed after a long day at the pool.

Even though Essie had raised her own children, she didn’t remember her son or daughter being as rambunctious as her grandchildren. How Liliana took care of those two and kept herself sane, Essie didn’t know, but she gave her daughter a lot of credit. She knew Mat helped, but she also knew that he had a stressful job.

She wasn’t praying for those two nearly enough. She glanced over to see how her daughter was doing.

At the moment, Liliana had Mira settled into a bouncy seat in the living room. She was humming softly to Mira while Mattie zoomed a toy car along the back of the couch. The smell of garlic and onions warming in olive oil filled the room with a comforting aroma.

Smiling, Essie went back to work. She’d just started browning the meat for the sauce when she felt someone else come into the kitchen.

She looked up, surprised to see Sophie standing there.

Sophie was a few feet away, hands tucked into the sleeves of her sweatshirt, watching like she wasn’t sure she was allowed to be there.

“Hi,” Essie said, keeping her voice relaxed.

“It smelled like you were making spaghetti,” Sophie said. “I thought…maybe I could help. If you want.”

Essie didn’t let her excitement show. This was a huge step for Sophie. Essie simply smiled and nodded. “I’d love that. You can start by opening that jar of sauce and adding it to the empty pot on the stove.”

Sophie picked the jar up, turned it in her hands, then tried twisting the lid the wrong way. She struggled a moment, but Essie pretended not to notice, turning back to the stove. Essie didn’t think Sophie would like being told how to do it, and she’d figure it out eventually. A second later, there was a sharp pop as the seal broke.

“There you go,” Essie said. “You’ve got it. I have trouble with those all the time. I usually ask your dad to help me.”

Sophie poured the jar’s contents into the pot, then set the jar down like it had personally offended her. “I don’t cook,” she said, a little defensively.

“That’s all right,” Essie said. “Neither did your dad when I met him. He’s learned how to do a few things now, though.”

Sophie let out a short bark that might have been a laugh.

Essie chose to believe that’s what it was. She showed her how to stir the meat so it cooked evenly, then asked her to take over while Essie got a few spices out of the cabinet. Sophie held the spoon stiffly, stirring too fast, then too slow, concentrating like this was a test she might fail.

“You can relax,” Essie said gently. “The meat won’t mind. All you really need to do is keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan and make sure it’s all getting cooked.”

“Okay.” Sophie glanced at her, then eased up a little. “This smells pretty good,” she said.

“Thank you.” Essie added a pinch of sugar to the sauce to cut any bitterness in the tomatoes, gave it a stir, then wiped her hands on a towel. She held out one of the spice jars. “You want to sprinkle in the oregano?”

“I can do that.” Sophie took the jar and tipped it, overdoing it a bit. Her eyes widened. “Was that too much? It was, wasn’t it.”

Essie peered into the pot of sauce. “We’ll survive.”

That earned a real smile. Maybe the first one Essie had ever seen Sophie produce. At least the first one that had ever been aimed at Essie.

They worked side by side for a few minutes, the rhythm of it settling in. Sophie didn’t say much, but she did whatever task Essie gave her. She didn’t drift back to the guest room or check her phone once. She made the salad, chopping up the lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumber the way Essie showed her.

When Liliana set the table, Sophie stepped in to add the napkins. When Essie brought the food to the table and called everyone in, Sophie followed without hesitation and took a chair next to Mattie, who seemed captivated by her.

She waited until everyone was seated before resting her hands lightly on the edge of the table.

Liliana brought Mira over and got her settled into her highchair before taking her own seat.

“Before we eat,” Essie said, her voice soft but firm. “I want to say grace.”

Mattie, reaching for his fork, froze. Liliana bowed her head, one hand taking Mira’s little hand where she was reaching for her mother. Sophie hesitated, then followed suit, eyes dropping to the table.