like beef parmesan and fettuccini,” she said in a pouty voice.
“They will love whatever you made. They will love you.” He kissed her on the lips, then pulled away when they heard a knock at the door.
“They’re here.”
7
J OSIE HAD BARELY ADDED THE EXTRA PLACE SETTINGS when Robert opened the door.
“Carley, Noah, so nice to see you.” Robert stepped aside so the couple could enter. Josie joined them in the foyer, and she tried to mask her disappointment by forcing a smile. Good thing she’d chosen her good china.
“This is my wife, Josie.”
Josie extended her hand to Carley, then to Noah. “So nice to meet you both.”
Robert motioned everyone toward the living room, and he wound his way around the wet bar in the corner. “Can I get anyone a drink before dinner?”
“No, we’re fine,” Noah said as his eyes scanned the room. “This is a beautiful home you have.”
“It really is.” Carley smiled at Josie.
“I’m still unpacking boxes. I should already be done.” Josie waved her arm around the room where a few boxes were still pushed up against the walls.
“It takes time.” Carley smiled warmly. “But you’ve done an amazing job so far. It’s really pretty.”
I want our home to be perfect for Robert after I’m gone . “Thank you.” She paused. “Robert said you have a daughter?” Josie walked toward the couch, sat down, and motioned for Carley to do the same. Robert and Noah sat down in high-back chairs facing the couch. “I thought he said her name is Jenna? How old is she?”
Carley’s face lit up at the mention of her daughter, and Josie could certainly understand that. “Jenna is nine, and we’ve had her for four glorious years. We adopted her when she was five.”
“Really?” Josie crossed her legs and leaned forward. “From an agency?”
“No. Actually, Jenna’s parents died and her older sister, Dana, had been raising her, but when Dana went off to college, she asked Noah and I if we would like to adopt Jenna. Noah was a good friend of their family before he and I got married.” Carley paused. “I couldn’t have any children, so we felt very blessed to be able to adopt Jenna.”
“Josie recently reconnected with her daughter that she gave up for adoption,” Robert said, much to her horror. How could he possibly bring up something so personal to these people she didn’t even know? She cut her eyes at him in a way that told Robert he’d messed up. “She was very young,” he added, as if that would make up for his blunder.
“Well, we are big advocates of adoption,” Noah said. “I think it’s a wonderful thing you did. You said you recently reconnected?”
Even though Noah directed the question to Josie, Robert stepped in once more. “The main reason we moved here is so that Josie could find her daughter. She’s seventeen now. This is where Josie used to live, in Lancaster County.”
“It was an open adoption,” Josie added. This was not how she had envisioned her night at all, sharing something so personal with total strangers. She’d looked forward to a quiet dinner with Robert and an opportunity to share everything with him about her day with Linda. To make things even worse, a knot was building in her throat, and she choked back tears. She could feel Carley’s eyes on her.
“Josie, I’d love to see your house.” Carley stood up, and Josie stood up beside her.
“Sure.”
“You girls go ahead,” Robert said. “Okay with you, Noah? I’ll show you around later.”
Noah nodded, and Carley followed Josie around the corner and down a hallway lined with four bedrooms. “This is our bedroom,” Josie said as her emotions about everything continued to build.
Carley didn’t seem too interested in the bedroom, but instead stood staring at Josie, and then did the most unexpected thing. She walked toward her, grabbed her hand, and said, “You looked like you were about to lose it in there. Are you all right?”
Josie clutched this
“They will love whatever you made. They will love you.” He kissed her on the lips, then pulled away when they heard a knock at the door.
“They’re here.”
7
J OSIE HAD BARELY ADDED THE EXTRA PLACE SETTINGS when Robert opened the door.
“Carley, Noah, so nice to see you.” Robert stepped aside so the couple could enter. Josie joined them in the foyer, and she tried to mask her disappointment by forcing a smile. Good thing she’d chosen her good china.
“This is my wife, Josie.”
Josie extended her hand to Carley, then to Noah. “So nice to meet you both.”
Robert motioned everyone toward the living room, and he wound his way around the wet bar in the corner. “Can I get anyone a drink before dinner?”
“No, we’re fine,” Noah said as his eyes scanned the room. “This is a beautiful home you have.”
“It really is.” Carley smiled at Josie.
“I’m still unpacking boxes. I should already be done.” Josie waved her arm around the room where a few boxes were still pushed up against the walls.
“It takes time.” Carley smiled warmly. “But you’ve done an amazing job so far. It’s really pretty.”
I want our home to be perfect for Robert after I’m gone . “Thank you.” She paused. “Robert said you have a daughter?” Josie walked toward the couch, sat down, and motioned for Carley to do the same. Robert and Noah sat down in high-back chairs facing the couch. “I thought he said her name is Jenna? How old is she?”
Carley’s face lit up at the mention of her daughter, and Josie could certainly understand that. “Jenna is nine, and we’ve had her for four glorious years. We adopted her when she was five.”
“Really?” Josie crossed her legs and leaned forward. “From an agency?”
“No. Actually, Jenna’s parents died and her older sister, Dana, had been raising her, but when Dana went off to college, she asked Noah and I if we would like to adopt Jenna. Noah was a good friend of their family before he and I got married.” Carley paused. “I couldn’t have any children, so we felt very blessed to be able to adopt Jenna.”
“Josie recently reconnected with her daughter that she gave up for adoption,” Robert said, much to her horror. How could he possibly bring up something so personal to these people she didn’t even know? She cut her eyes at him in a way that told Robert he’d messed up. “She was very young,” he added, as if that would make up for his blunder.
“Well, we are big advocates of adoption,” Noah said. “I think it’s a wonderful thing you did. You said you recently reconnected?”
Even though Noah directed the question to Josie, Robert stepped in once more. “The main reason we moved here is so that Josie could find her daughter. She’s seventeen now. This is where Josie used to live, in Lancaster County.”
“It was an open adoption,” Josie added. This was not how she had envisioned her night at all, sharing something so personal with total strangers. She’d looked forward to a quiet dinner with Robert and an opportunity to share everything with him about her day with Linda. To make things even worse, a knot was building in her throat, and she choked back tears. She could feel Carley’s eyes on her.
“Josie, I’d love to see your house.” Carley stood up, and Josie stood up beside her.
“Sure.”
“You girls go ahead,” Robert said. “Okay with you, Noah? I’ll show you around later.”
Noah nodded, and Carley followed Josie around the corner and down a hallway lined with four bedrooms. “This is our bedroom,” Josie said as her emotions about everything continued to build.
Carley didn’t seem too interested in the bedroom, but instead stood staring at Josie, and then did the most unexpected thing. She walked toward her, grabbed her hand, and said, “You looked like you were about to lose it in there. Are you all right?”
Josie clutched this
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