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“All right.” I step back, satisfied. “I’ll see you after your shift.”
Lottie nods as she turns away.
“Oh—” I say, stopping her. “Liam’s been asking for his Bernie?”
“That’s his bunny,” she says. “It’s a plush rabbit he’s had since he was born. It’s in his room.”
I tap the counter as I step back. “All right. I’ll swing by and grab it after lunch.”
With a nod, she walks away to grab the plates waiting to be delivered to the other tables.
I leave her to her work and return to our booth, purposefully ignoring Summer’s smug grin as I sit down.
“What?” I say as I take a sip from my soda.
“Nothing,” Summer says, sitting back. “Small Town looks good on you, that’s all.”
I don’t reply.
But I don’t think she’s wrong, either.
Summer makes a face. “So serious,” she says with a funny voice that makes Sonya laugh. Her laugh makes Liam laugh and suddenly they’re all giggling as Summer tickles Sonya.
I smile as I peek over my shoulder at Lottie again.
And she looks back.
9
LOTTIE
Once my afternoon shift is over, I leave Bruno’s and head across the street to the grocery store. There, I fill up a basket with everything I need to make another big batch of my blueberry mini muffins.
Though, after today, I feel like I owe Scott Smolders a little more than baked goods.
“It was nice meeting you,” Summer said, approaching me in the diner after lunch.
“You, too,” I said. “And Sonya is really sweet, by the way.”
”Thank you.”
“It’s wild how similar you two look.”
She grinned at that, then looked at Liam standing next to Scott by the exit. “Just say the word, Lottie,” she said. “And I’ll start the paperwork.”
I took one more look at my son, at my precious boy, and I nodded. “Go ahead,” I said.
With my arms full of grocery bags, I walk home to Third Street. The sound of the television in the living room greets me as I step inside and I pause, expecting the house to be empty.
“Hello?” I say, walking in.
Then, I smile.
Scott is sitting on the couch with Sonya on his left and Liam on his right. The children rest snuggly against him, safely tucked beneath his arms, their eyes closed. Fast asleep.
Scott is, too.
I stand still for several minutes, my heart suddenly beating so fast. The image of them, so precious and wonderful. So perfect and natural.
