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“Guess what, Uncle Cash?” Lola chirps.
“What’s up, ladybug?” Cash pauses from drawing to give her his undivided attention.
“I’m going to be a daisy in Alice in Wonderland,” she says slowly.
I beam with pride when she gets the name right. We’ve been practicing.
Cash lets out a low whistle. “A daisy, huh? That’s an important role.”
“Uh-huh.” Lola bobs her head up and down. “Daddy and Marlow have been helping me practice every night.”
“Is that so?” He glances over at Dylan with a knowing look. “That’s very nice of them.”
Before either of us can respond, Johanna claps her hands to get our attention. “It’s time to eat,” she announces.
The table has been set with dishes and silverware, and there’s a pan of lasagna along with a salad and homemade breadsticks in the middle. Everything looks mouthwatering. Now I know where Dylan got his culinary skills.
My heart melts as Dylan helps Lola onto her chair and tucks a napkin into her shirt so she doesn’t get her clothes dirty. He comes over to me next, pulling out my chair.
“Thank you,” I say as I scoot in. “Don’t I get a napkin too?” I wink.
“How could I forget?” he teases as he grabs another napkin from the table and places it in my lap.
“You’ve outdone yourself, Mom,” Cash says as he dishes up a large serving of lasagna. “It’s a welcome break from eating out three times a day.”
Dylan told me Cash is overseeing the training of a team for Stafford Holding’s new office in London and has been spending a considerable amount of time there.
“I’m always happy to make you a home cooked meal, sweetheart,” Johanna says enthusiastically. “Oh, that reminds me. I ran into Everly’s mom at Main Street Market the other day, and she told me Everly is living in London, running the Townstead’s European division. Why didn’t you tell me? Have you seen her yet?” Johanna peppers Cash with questions in between bites of her salad.
“Theo mentioned it,” Cash shrugs. “But I haven’t seen her.”
“Oh, that’s too bad,” Johanna pouts. “She’s a nice girl.”
“Yeah, I guess,” Cash says, averting his gaze.
Dylan leans over to whisper in my ear. “The Townsteads live on the other side of town, and we grew up together. Theo and Cash have been best friends since elementary school. Everly is Theo’s twin sister.”
I nod as I take a sip of my water.
“Marlow.” Johanna turns to me. “I almost forgot to tell you that you should bring Waffles next week. We have a big backyard that he’d enjoy.
I blink at her in shock, not sure if I heard her right. “Oh, I don’t think that’s a good idea. He’s quite the handful, just ask Dylan.” I nod to him.
“Daddy’s teaching Waffles how to sit,” Lola blurts out as she shovels a forkful of food into her mouth.
“Dylan? Training a dog? Now this I gotta see.” Cash flashes a mischievous grin. “How’s it going, big brother?” he taunts, as if he already knows the answer.
Dylan glares at Cash over his glass of water. He’s had several more unsuccessful training sessions with Waffles. He’s given up on the online videos and contacted a local training facility for advice. I suggested we hire a professional trainer, but he is determined to do this on his own.
“Trained or not, we’d love to have Waffles over,” Johanna says sincerely. “Don’t you agree, Mike?”
“Absolutely. He’s welcome anytime,” Mike assures me from his spot on the other end of the table.
“Thank you.”
Dylan gives my leg a reassuring squeeze. He must know that his parent’s gesture means a lot to me.
Being here gives me a comforting sense of belonging, a stark contrast to feeling like an outsider in my family while growing up. The Staffords have welcomed me with open arms, flaws and all, and a part of me never wants to leave.
