Page 176 of Shadowing You

It was more than she could fathom. She would never be grateful enough.

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

The kitchen table at Sam and Eliza’s house was tucked in a nook surrounded on three sides by windows. The fourth side held a beautiful gourmet kitchen.

Ethan cut a bite of his breakfast. “This is delicious.”

“Your wife said you were craving French toast.”

“I hope it wasn’t too much trouble, though.” Mei Lin cut a dainty piece of hers, then looked at Ethan. “I’ve never made it. I didn’t realize all the steps.”

“It was no trouble.” A bang from the other room had Eliza standing with a sigh. She headed into the living room.

Little Levi’s cherub face was hiding a serious mischievous streak.

Sam was standing when she returned to the kitchen a minute later, the boy holding her hand. He had curly blond hair and wide eyes. “Hi. Do you want to play a game? Daddy bought me a trampoline. I’ll show you.”

Ethan smiled at him. “Maybe after breakfast I can play a sit-down game. My ribs still hurt a little.”

“Still?” He seemed incredulous.

Sam stood. “Let’s go find your Legos.”

The two left the room, and Eliza sat, nodding at Ethan’s plate. “Anyway, I hope they’re okay.”

He swallowed his latest bite. “They’re amazing.” Then to Mei Lin, “I hope you were taking notes.”

“Very careful notes, so you can make them for me.”

He leaned over to kiss her cheek. “Anytime, sweetheart.”

A phone dinged in the other room, and then Sam came back. “I guess Nana and Papa are coming over.” He looked at Eliza, shaking his head. “In about five minutes.”

She laughed. “Of course they are. They’re not great about warning you before they show up. I guess you won’t have to worry about that, since you live in Virginia. Surely, they’ll call before they fly down.”

Why would Sam’s grandparents fly to…

Oh. Wait. Were these Ethan’s grandparents too?

He pushed his plate away and went to wash his hands. If he was going to meet his grandparents, he should be presentable—or as presentable as he could be with a swollen lip, a black eye, and a sling holding his arm at his side.

The doorbell rang about four minutes later, and Ethan and Mei Lin followed Sam to the foyer off the living room.

A couple in their seventies stepped inside. They greeted Sam, then looked past him to Ethan, studying him so long that he started to grope for something to say.

And then the woman stepped close and hugged him tightly. She was a foot shorter than Ethan, but she was strong.

Ethan’s ribs protested, but he forced himself to hug her back.

“I can’t believe it.” She stepped away and reached up, pressing her hands to his cheeks. “You look like your father. And Roger, and…” She came in for another hug.

“Can’t you see he’s hurting?” the man asked, and she stepped away, swiping her eyes.

“I’m fine.” Ethan’s eyes were prickling. He didn’t know these people, but they were his. He couldn’t wrap his head around it.

The man hugged him next, more gently. “I’m Tom. Or Papa, if you’re comfortable.” He stepped back. “It’s okay if you’re not. You don’t even know us.”

“I’m Nana,” the woman said. “You can call me Nana.”