Total pages in book: 225
Estimated words: 218500 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1093(@200wpm)___ 874(@250wpm)___ 728(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 218500 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1093(@200wpm)___ 874(@250wpm)___ 728(@300wpm)
Carson opens his arms, and she steps into them. He gives her a big hug.
“That’s nice. You give good hugs. Always have,” she says, smiling.
“Where’s Joshua, Naomi?” Michael asks.
Her smile vanishes. “He had something urgent at the hospital, so he took a late flight out.”
She’s upset. It’s all over her face. I’m thinking either she’s upset he’s gone or she’s fibbing about why he’s gone.
“Load up your plates, family,” Jonah orders, bringing a large jug of orange juice over.
Grace brings a bottle of champagne. “Mimosa anyone?”
“Mimosas for everyone and a toast to our beautiful mother,” Ash announces, and Jonah and Grace take turns with the orange juice and champagne, filling all the glasses.
Once all the glasses are full, we all raise them.
“To Shannon,” Michael says, “A true beauty. She loved her family. She did, more than you’ll know. She carried a lot of pain. From her childhood. From her regrets. But she loved her children very much.”
“We know,” Elijah says, sounding a little choked.
“I loved her so much it hurt,” Michael adds. “Never dimmed in forty years. Loved her so much it seems it hurt some or all of you. But… I saw so much strength in all of you that I guess I leaned on you to help me make her happy. I…” He swallows. “I never claimed to be perfect, I’ll never be perfect. I have high expectations of my children. You’ve all been given more blessings than most and I wanted you all to work hard anyway, for you to be solid people, hard workers, to make your mother proud. I wanted to give her a beautiful life, a beautiful family, and I might have failed in some regards, but I know I gave her all of you.”
“We’re pretty awesome,” Grace quips.
Michael smiles. “I want to do better in this next chapter of my life. Be in your lives. All of your lives. I don’t want the loss of your mother to mean you don’t bother. Please. Give me a chance to be in your lives.” He looks directly at Derek. “I promise I’ll try to be more open, more approachable. Is this too much to ask? Have I hurt you all too much?”
“No, it’s not,” Grace says. “Is it?”
“No,” Asher answers.
“No,” Jonah chimes in.
“No, it’s not,” Derek puts in.
“Love you, Dad,” Naomi says, voice shaky.
“Love all of you so much,” Michael replies, gruffly.
I reach under the table and squeeze Derek’s thigh, then rub up and down his leg. His eyes close as a smile spreads across his face. He puts his hand on top of mine.
“We’re a family. We’ll continue to be a family,” Naomi says.
Elijah speaks up. “Let’s eat, family. This looks amazing and I’m famished.”
Everyone sips their mimosas.
Me and Sabrina exchange looks, and she unfolds her napkin and spreads it across her lap. “I’d love some scrambled eggs,” she says.
“Pass me some pancakes, please,” I speak up.
“Blueberry or chocolate chip?” Derek asks.
“Yes please,” I nod.
He laughs. So do a few others.
Derek forks up a stack of two of each type of pancake and drops them on my plate with a flourish. They’re huge. No way can I eat them.
“I don’t think I can eat four,” I tell him. “Take two for your plate.”
“Of course you can,” he counters. And then he drinks my mimosa. The whole thing.
I gawk at him. “Hey!”
He laughs and pours me a fresh orange juice.
“You forgot something,” I say as there’s no room for champagne. I reach for the bottle.
Derek pushes it out of my reach.
“I’m sure you don’t need a boozy breakfast, do you, wife?” he states.
“Trying to tell us something?” Ash teases. “Food for two and whisking away her alcohol?”
Derek laughs and wiggles his eyebrows.
I roll my eyes. “No, he’s not trying to tell anyone anything. Don’t be silly, Derek.” I laugh. “Pass me the butter and syrup.”
“Gladly,” he says, a big smile on his face.
Everyone is staring.
“Are Derek and Chloe going to be the first to give me a grandchild?” Michael asks, lightness in his voice. “I thought it’d be Eli and Sabrina. Then I thought maybe Nay and Joshua. But the newlyweds might beat you all. How about you all race and see who can give me the most grandchildren?” He smiles as Naomi fills his plate for him.
“I’m not ready for kids,” Nay says. “Sorry to burst your bubble, Dad.”
“Don’t look at me,” Sabrina grumbles and takes a big sip of her mimosa.
Eli doesn’t look happy. Things are still tense with them.
“Guess it’s down to us, little bunny,” Derek says and drops far too many slices of bacon onto my plate.
I roll my eyes and decide to ignore the comment.
Breakfast is mostly jovial, somewhat playful, except that Elijah and Sabrina are quiet and I can’t help but notice how he keeps looking at her. He looks at her with an intensity that’s not unlike what I’ve seen from Derek, pointed at me.