that info later today for your friend.”
The girls were waiting for him on the front porch. Sarah was sitting next to his mother on the big sofa swing, brushing his mother’s hair while Becky was chattering non-stop and doing pirouettes while she spoke. As soon as he pulled in the driveway, she stopped mid-twirl and came running to greet him.
“Daddy, you’re late! We have to leave now.”
“We’re not going to be late. Go grab your bag and let’s go.”
“You are cutting it awfully close,” his mother said. “Did you have a nice time, at least?
He smiled. “Yes, it was nice to see Kate and catch up. I’ll fill you in when I get home. Come on, girls.”
“Who did you go see, Daddy?” Sarah asked once they were on the way.
“An old friend. Her name is Kate, and she invited us to her house for a cookout Memorial Day weekend.”
Sarah thought about that for a moment. “Will there be hot dogs?” she asked seriously.
“I don’t know for sure, but there’s a very good chance. Probably hamburgers, too.”
Sarah nodded. “That’s okay, then. We’ll go.”
“You’re taking us to see the sailboats still, right?” Becky sounded worried.
“Yes, of course, honey.” He pulled up to the dance studio and made sure the girls had everything they needed. He watched them run inside and then headed back to his mother’s. He had an hour to kill before he had to pick up the girls. His mother was in the kitchen, dicing celery and onions for a pot of chicken soup. She looked up when she saw him.
“Have a cup of tea with me?”
“Sure.”
She added the cut veggies and a chicken to the pot of simmering water. Then washed her hands thoroughly with soap and water before making their tea. Once it was ready, she brought the two cups to the kitchen table and sat down.
“So, tell me about Kate. I heard something about an engagement, but maybe that’s not true?
He laughed. He knew his mother was hoping it wasn’t true. She had always really liked Kate. “It’s true, and she seems very happy.”
“Oh, that’s too bad. I mean, I’m happy for her. I just thought it would be nice if the two of you got back together.”
“I didn’t go see her with that intention. I’m really not ready to date anyone. Not yet.”
“It’s been over a year, honey. It might be good for you to get out there and meet some people.”
Sam groaned. “Mom, seriously I have no desire to get back ‘out there’. I’ll let you know when I do.”
His mother sighed and changed the subject. “Okay, so you’ll all stay for supper tonight? I made some fresh bread this morning and the chicken soup will be ready by the time you get home with the girls. And I got a blueberry pie at the market. The girls love that. Your father should be home by then, too. He’s off fishing.”
“Sure, Mom. We’ll stay for dinner.” He knew his mother just worried about him and wanted to see him happy again. And he was happy. He had the girls, and they were his whole world. It was nice to see Kate again, and hopefully reconnect with some more friends he once knew and make some new ones. He was looking forward to going to Kate’s cookout. He thought that would be fun for the girls, too. A glance at the clock told him it was just about time to go get them.
“We’ll be back in a bit and I’m sure the girls will love to stay for dinner.”
Chapter 9
“I can’t wait until our fiftieth wedding anniversary. We’ll be one of those annoyingly happy couples that are still madly in love…”
Mia’s eyes welled up as she remembered Mark’s words. They’d been eating ice cream together on a rainy Sunday, and he’d been a good sport and watched When Harry Met Sally with her. One of her favorite movies, she’d lost count of how many times she’d seen it. She’d always loved the interviews with the old married couples throughout the movie. She hadn’t watched it since Mark died, and just a few seconds of the commercial telling her that it was going to be on later that week triggered the memory, and the tears.
Mia clicked off the TV and checked the time. It was a little after two. She’d been lazily watching an old Marilyn Monroe movie while she ate some microwave popcorn instead of lunch. Will’s cookout was later that afternoon and knew she’d want