kept them because they belonged to his grandmother, so Julie wasn’t about to say anything.
“Good morning,” Tina whispered as she came down the staircase.
They’d had a nice dinner together the night before, although Tina was definitely quiet. She was one of those people that you could tell had a turbulent history and was trying to get her footing now. Julie found those kinds of people interesting. Maybe it was because she worked in a bookstore, or maybe it was because she was writing her first novel, but she always wondered about those kinds of stories. What made people tick? What complex backgrounds had caused them to become who they were?
So far, all she knew about Tina was that she was in her early thirties, unmarried and was born in north Georgia. She’d worked in a retail store that sold women’s clothing for several years, and now she was unemployed.
“Good morning. If you’d like some coffee, I have a pot in the kitchen,” Julie offered, starting to stand up.
Tina held up her hand. “No, but thank you. Caffeine gives me migraines.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry. I can ask Lucy to brew some decaf…”
“It’s fine. Really. But thanks.” Tina walked over to the Christmas tree and touched an ornament. “Did Dylan make this?”
Julie laughed. Dylan had made a hand painted snowman ornament at school, but he’d painted each snowball a different color so it looked like the colors for his favorite team. “Yes. Dylan is very into sports.”
She turned around and smiled. “He’s a cute kid. He must keep you on your toes.”
“Oh, he does. To be honest, we just adopted him from foster care a few months ago.”
“He seems really happy here.”
“I hope so. We adore him. I always wanted a son, and now I have one. So, do you have kids?”
Tina looked uncomfortable, and Julie immediately regretted her question. “I was never blessed to become a mother.”
“I’m so sorry I asked you that, Tina. It was none of my business. I hope I didn’t bring up any pain…”
She walked to the chair and sat down. “It’s okay. Really, it is. It’s just that being here with your family has shown me what I’ve missed out on. As a kid, all I ever wanted to be was a mother. I guess it just wasn’t meant to be.”
“It’s not too late, you know. Plus, there’s always adoption. I never thought I’d become a mother again in my mid-forties, yet here I am.”
As if on cue, Dylan came bounding down the stairs. He was so full of energy from the time he awoke until Julie forced him to go to bed. She didn’t remember her daughters being nearly as energetic as her new son.
“Good morning!” he said, almost yelling.
“Good morning. Inside voice, though,” Julie said, smiling.
“Sorry.”
“Say good morning to Miss Tina too.”
He looked at her and smiled, his missing front teeth his most prominent feature at the moment. “Good morning, Miss Tina.”
She smiled. “Good morning, Dylan.”
“I think Lucy cooked you some biscuits and bacon in the kitchen.”
“Yay!” he shrieked before running through the door to the kitchen. The boy had an appetite, she’d give him that.
“I wish I had his energy,” Tina said, laughing.
“Same here. I never realized how exhausting it would be to become a mother again at my age.”
“That must be a challenge.”
“It is, but he’s so worth it.”
“Do you mind if I ask what happened to his parents?”
Julie sighed. She didn’t want to violate Dylan’s privacy, so she decided to just hit the highlights. “His father recently passed away, which landed Dylan in foster care.”
“Oh wow. That’s so sad. Were they close?”
“Honestly, I don’t know much about that, and I’ve never asked Dylan. If he wants to talk about it, I’m sure he will one day.”
“Of course. I didn’t mean to pry.”
“No worries.”
“I assume they contacted Dylan’s mother before he went to foster care?”
“I’m not sure. Unfortunately, she left a long time ago, when Dylan was very young.”
“Oh. That’s terrible. A boy needs his mother.”
Julie smiled. “Well, thankfully, he has his mother now. Love is way more important than blood.”
Tina nodded. “You’re right. I can see he’s well loved here.”
Dylan came bounding back out of the kitchen, a biscuit in one hand and a piece of bacon in the other. Of course, no napkin.
“Young man, you get back in the kitchen and get a plate. We’re not eating like animals around here!” Julie said, pointing him back to the kitchen door. Before he could make it there, Lucy came walking out.
“I