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“Yeah!” they replied in unison.
“Good, Tony’s is my favorite. What kind of pizza do you like?”
“Pepperoni,” Ethan answered first.
“Sausage and peppers,” Olivia replied.
“And what about you, Jake?” I glanced up to meet his gaze, which watched us with obvious affection. “What do you take on your pizza pie?”
“I like Hawaiian, but I usually end up eating whatever is left of theirs,” he confessed, grinning.
“Well, we can fix that. I think between the two of us we can put away a whole Hawaiian pizza, don’t you?”
“I’m up for the challenge, if you are.”
“You’re on.”
“Hey kids!” A shout from behind Jake drew their attention away, and in an instant they were both tearing down the sidewalk toward an older couple. Obviously Jake’s parents.
My fingers shook with nerves, but Jake wrapped his hand around mine and tugged me forward. “Mom, Dad, this is-”
“Ellie!” Ethan shouted excitedly. “Ellie’s here!”
“Yes, I see that,” the older gentleman said with a laugh, then turned his gaze to me. “Ellie, lovely to meet you. I’m Malcom, and this is my wife, Violet.” He stepped forward to shake my hand, and his wife did the same.
“It’s very nice to meet you both.” Somehow I kept my voice steady, despite my nerves.
“Come on Grandpa, Ellie isstarving. We have to go inside. Let’s go!” Ethan grabbed his hand and tugged him toward the door.
Laughing, he held the door open for the little boy, and the rest of us followed inside. Once we had a table and placed our order, the kids ran off to play video games with the pile of quarters Malcom provided.
“So, you’re Isabelle Tremont, of Aspen Ridge, right?” he asked conversationally.
“Yeah, but I prefer Ellie. Isabelle always felt way too fancy to me.”
The older man chuckled. “Pretty much since he could speak, Jake refused to answer to Jacob. He said it wasn’t his ‘real name’ at some point. Despite what it said on his birth certificate. But what can you do? Kids have minds of their own.” His gaze traveled affectionately to Jake.
“That I understand, although I wish my dad was as understanding as you are. He’s called me Izzy since I was a little girl, despite my refusing to answer to it since I was eleven.”
“That’s a long time to hold on to a nickname you don’t like.”
“Tell me about it. He says he’s an old dog who can’t learn new tricks. I tell him he’s just stubborn. Either way, I don’t think he’s gonna change soon.”
“Well, it’s always good to acknowledge the situation as it is,” he agreed. “So, how is Jake working out for you?”
Jake, who’d been taking a sip of his iced tea, choked, spewing the drink back in his cup. “What?”
Malcom continued earnestly. “It’s always good to get a feel for how you’re doing at a new job, son. If you don’t ask, you miss an opportunity to get an answer and improve.”
Oh, the job, right. “Nothing to worry about, Mr. Wright. Jake is doing a great job. He fits right in.”
“Malcom, please. I’m glad to hear that. I knew it would be a difficult transition for him out of the military, but we’re so grateful to have the chance to see him more.” His voice cracked with emotion, and Violet took her husband’s hand where it sat on the table. He smiled at her in appreciation, then his gaze strayed to his son. “We’ve barely seen him a half dozen times since he joined the Air Force. So despite everything that’s happened, this is quite the blessing to us.”
“I can imagine it’s nice to have time with your grandkids, too.”
Violet answered. “Absolutely. These past few weeks have been the best we’ve had in a dozen years. We feel very fortunate to know we’re looking at lots of time with them going forward.”
Just then, the pizzas arrived, and the kids materialized out of nowhere to claim their share.
