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She happily ignores him. “I’m Juliette.”
“It’s lovely to meet you too. Happy Anniversary.” I hand her the bouquet and she gushes over them like they’re the most beautiful thing she’s ever seen. “Your home is amazing.”
The inside is just as stunning as the outside with beautiful high ceilings, oak wood floors, and a lovely blend of modern and traditional design.
“Thank you,” Juliette beams. “Phineas mentioned that you’re an interior designer. You and Cornelia should really discuss doing a few projects together. She’s a realtor, you know?”
I frown. “That’s why I’m here actually. I’m going to help Nel—”
“Mom, where’s Dad?” Finn cuts across us loudly.
“Yeah,” Nel joins in quickly, her voice equally as loud. “We’ve got a gift for you two.”
Juliette’s eyes light up as she spies the green gift bag in Nel’s hands. “A gift? Children, you shouldn’t have.”
Finn rolls his eyes. “That’s what she said on their thirtieth anniversary.” He leans in and says in a loud, conspiratorial whisper, “There’s a reason we went all out this year.”
Juliette swats a playful hand at her son and then crouches down in front of Maya. “Go and find Grandad, sweet pea.”
Maya nods seriously and then scampers off yelling for her grandfather. While we wait, Juliette directs us into the kitchen. The island in the middle is filled with trays and dishes and my mouth immediately waters at the sight of it.
“How many people are you expecting, Mom?” Nel asks, hoisting herself up onto a stool.
“Maybe fifty or so?” Juliette says as she lifts the foil on one of the trays and sneaks a cocktail sausage. “That’s just from the RSVP’s, I’m sure a few others will turn up. You know Marion and Ernest didn’t RSVP, but she messaged earlier and said they’re on their way.”
Finn stiffens slightly beside me. “Ernest is coming?”
The atmosphere in the room changes. It’s a subtle difference, but it’s palpable. Even Juliette’s smile wavers slightly.
“Yes,” she says. “Your uncle is coming.”
“Does Dad know?” Nel asks.
“Does Dad know what?” Henry Hawthorne lumbers into the kitchen. Maya is on his shoulders, cackling with delight, and I get an almost mirror image of Finn – just thirty years older. His blond hair is clipped short, his dark eyes are kind and warm, and the look on his face when he spots Finn and Nel is filled with nothing but love.
He jogs around the island and pulls both his children into deep hugs. When he gets to me, his brows crinkle for a second. I watch as he and Finn share a glance, some kind of silent communication that has Finn’s lips twisting into a goofy grin. When he turns back to me, Henry smiles. “Amber, I presume?”
I nod. “It’s so nice to meet you.”
“Amber’s an interior designer,” Juliette jumps in. She comes to stand beside her husband and presses her hand idly against his chest. Henry immediately leans into her touch. It’s clearly a familiar action, one they must have done thousands of times over the last thirty-five years and requires no thought to it. “I was just saying, she might be able to work with Cornelia on a few—”
“Ernest’s coming tonight,” Finn says loudly.
I narrow my eyes. That’s the second time he’s done that and while the others might fall for his clumsy attempt at a distraction, I don’t.
Henry’s features twist into a grimace. “Lovely.”
“He’s your brother-in-law, Henry,” Juliette scolds gently. “And today is our wedding anniversary. I’m sure you two can manage to be civil for one night.”
“I’malways civil,” Henry grumbles.
“Try a little harder.” Juliette kisses him on the cheek then sidles over to Nel and plucks the gift bag from her hand. “Now onto happier topics.Gifts.” She takes the photo album out and spreads it on the island. “Oh. Oh,children. What is this?”
“It’s a photo album of some of our most cherished and important memories as a family,” Nel explains softly. “Think of it as a timeline of your love.”
Finn nods by my side. “Everything in there is because of you two.”
As they predicted, Juliette promptly bursts into tears as she flips through the album. Even Henry’s eyes get a little watery at some points.
