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Mrs. Bennett clapped her hands together. “Oh, wonderful.” She approached Piper and took the basket. “How about we get these cleaned up, and we can start on our jam and pie?”
Piper nodded enthusiastically, making her pigtails bob up and down. “Momma Liv said we might be able to make cheesecake if there were some leftover strawberries.”
Lincoln’s mother arched a brow at me. “Momma Liv?”
I was just as surprised as she was. Piper had never called me that before; she usually just called me Miss Liv.
Piper’s cheeks flushed, and she darted her eyes down. “Sorry. Is it okay if I call you that?”
My chest tightened. Anything involving her calling me mom made all kinds of emotion well up inside me. “Of course, sweetheart. I love it.”
She smiled, then turned back to her grandmother. I glanced over at Lincoln, who smiled and draped an arm around me. He kissed the top of my head. “Momma Liv, huh?”
“Shut it.” I playfully smacked his chest. “I think it’s cute.”
“It’s adorable. Momma Liv.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. He loved to tease me, and although I pretended to hate it, I loved it.
He playfully patted me on the butt. “Let’s go bake some shit.”
By the time we finished, the kitchen was an absolute disaster. Flour dusted every surface, pans and bowls littered the counters, and the sink was full of dishes.
But we all had smiles on our faces, and my stomach hurt from laughing so much. We ended up with six jars of jam, one cheesecake, and two pies as well as priceless memories.
Lincoln’s mom shooed us out of the kitchen as she started cleaning up. “Y’all go finish up your chores. I have to get this kitchen cleaned up for dinner.”
“Are you sure you don’t want us to help?” I offered.
She waved me off. “No, no. I like my kitchen cleaned a certain way, and y’all will just get in the way. Now, get out.”
Lincoln chuckled as he led Piper and me from the kitchen and out the back door. “There’s still plenty for us to do. We can clean the pigpen.”
Piper and I groaned in unison as we trudged after Lincoln.
The next day, my mom came over after church to meet Piper and have brunch. As soon as she walked in and laid eyes on her granddaughter, her eyes filled with tears. “Oh, my goodness.”
Piper was sitting on the couch reading one of my Little House on the Prairie books. She set the book down as I introduced my mom, “Piper, this is your grandmother, Eleanor Lewis.”
Standing, Piper shyly smiled as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “Hi.”
My mom enveloped Piper in a hug and squeezed her tightly. “Hi, sweetheart. I’ve wanted to meet you for so long.”
They pulled apart after a few seconds, and I smiled at my mom. “I hope you’re hungry because we have a whole buffet planned for brunch.” I walked toward the kitchen, talking over my shoulder, “French toast, bacon, sausage, fresh fruit salad, yogurt, biscuits, and our homemade jam from yesterday.”
My mom’s eyes widened as they darted back and forth between Piper and me. “Wow. That sounds delicious. I can’t wait to eat.”
As we entered the kitchen, Lincoln was flipping a piece of French toast. Bacon was frying in a pan on the stove, and sausage patties were sizzling in another. “Morning, Mrs. Lewis,” he greeted, shooting my mom a wink over his shoulder.
My mom blushed. “Good morning to you, too. It’s good to see you, Lincoln.”
I grabbed the bowl of fruit salad and handed it to Piper. “Could you put this on the table for me please?”
Piper carefully cradled the bowl with both hands and carried it into the dining room.
The timer on the oven dinged, and I scooted by Lincoln to grab an oven mitt. He stepped back so I could open the oven door to grab the biscuits.
I set the cookie sheet on a cooling rack as Piper walked back in. “Is there something else I can help with?”
