“Made you smile.” He kisses me softly, pressing his forehead to mine. “Just remember that what’s mine is yours. Redecorate the house—make it a real home for us. And if it’s too much, we’ll sell it and buy something smaller.”

I laugh. “You’d really do that?”

“Told you. Anything for you.”

Forty-Five

Delaney

I’m not sure what he says to Mrs Becker, but the kitchen is clear in the morning, and I revel in the simple act of making French toast for breakfast.

Amelia’s smiling again, and by the time Josh rolls out of bed, she’s finished eating.

“Daddy!” she squeals. “Can we have pizza again today?”

He laughs. “You really enjoyed yourself last night.”

She nods. “Maria is so much fun. She likes Paw Patrol too.”

“Does she now?” He looks at me for guidance.

“It’s her favourite cartoon.”

“Oh.” He plants a kiss on her head. “We can’t go back today, but I’d be happy to talk to Lorenzo and maybe we could arrange a play-date.”

“That would be wonderful,” I say.

It’s funny how one night fixes so much. There’s a part of me that feels bad about Mrs Becker. She’s a lovely lady, but this is my home.

The house is still ridiculously big and overwhelming, but every day I get a little more used to it. I’ve walked every inch of it, so at least I know it well now.

“After breakfast, let’s go to the grocery store,” Josh says.

“Really? I haven’t even looked at the cupboards yet to see what’s here.”

“Do that first and then we’ll go for a drive.” He smiles.

It’s the small actions that make me appreciate Josh all the more. He gave me time and then acted when he knew something was wrong.

I’m the luckiest woman alive.

* * *

Monday morning, I’m back in a funk.

Amelia’s at school, and while I have a kitchen full of groceries, I’m not in the mood to cook.

I’m sure there are emails that need to be taken care of. Since I accepted the offer on the diner, there have been a few messages back and forward.

Josh bought me a new laptop when I arrived here. My old one had been through the wringer, doing all the work for the diner as well as my personal stuff. This one, at least, doesn’t take forever to load.

I sit at the computer and load up all my tabs. I’ve barely touched social media since Josh and I got back together, and I know I’m asking for trouble, but maybe I can do some more work on muting and blocking what I don’t want to see.