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On the way out of the restaurant, Maddie ran into a pretty woman with thick, dark hair, wire-rim glasses. Fireman hat first. The woman was sitting at the counter, eating a bowl of oatmeal. A small container of chia seeds by her purse.
Lee. Why should I be surprised? Jacob had said they came here most mornings, but it was different to see her in person, spooning up her oatmeal.
Maddie raced for the door, sideswiping her, Lee swaying to hold on to her stool.
“Whoa there!” she said.
“Sorry!” Maddie said.
Then she reached for my hand, needing my protection from this strange lady who could yell at her, who could do anything. I took Maddie’s hand and gave Lee a smile.
“We are post-pancakes,” I said.
Lee laughed, throwing her head back. “Don’t worry about it for even a second.” Then she pointed at her healthy breakfast, picking up her spoon. “I wish I was post-pancakes too.”
Maddie jumped up, the fireman hat falling over her eyes. “If you get some, I’ll share with you.”
Lee gave Maddie a sweet smile. And I took her in. Up close, behind those glasses, her skin was porcelain—like a doll. Which maybe was why Maddie couldn’t take her eyes off of her either.
Lee looked back up at me. “She’s adorable,” she said.
“I can’t take any credit. She’s my fiancé’s daughter.”
Lee nodded. “A good thing to come with the deal,” she said.
Maddie smiled at Lee, her new fan. She was used to being told how cute she was and milking it after. She was, after all, the daughter of a movie star.
Maddie picked up Lee’s package of seeds. “What are these?” Maddie said.
“Those are chia seeds,” Lee said.
Maddie looked at them, confused, putting them down. “Yuck,” Maddie said.
She laughed. “Yes, that seems to be the consensus. She sounds like my fiancé.”
I must have cringed, hearing those words. Lee tilted her head, as if noting it, considering something.
“Is that why you look so familiar? Did I meet you through him? He’s a local winemaker. Jacob McCarthy?”
I shrugged. It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t an answer either.
She adjusted her glasses, looking confused. “Maybe you look like someone else I know,” she said. “I’m Lee. For the next time I confuse you with someone that you’re not.”
I laughed, feeling guilty about withholding from her. I pointed at the chia seeds. “I’ve heard a lot about those recently,” I said, wanting to tell her something true.
“You need to try them, then . . .”
She licked her spoon to clean it—and then dipped it into the oatmeal, making me a seedy bite. I didn’t want to take it, though there didn’t seem to be much choice. It was such a familiar gesture—as gross as it was—so openhearted.
I took the spoon, swallowing it all at once—her oatmeal and her seeds and her licked spoon—the slimy, gooey mix.
“What do you think of the chia seeds? Friend or foe?”
Maddie started tugging on my shirt, done being hospitable. Done with any more adult conversation. “Come on!”
That saved me from answering. I smiled and handed her back her spoon.
And Lee waved good-bye as Maddie took my hand and ran out of there.
