Elena smiled, recalling sitting courtside a few times with Gage while they’d dated. Back then, when he was working almost all the time, she had enjoyed seeing him relax for a couple of hours. “That wouldn’t surprise me in the least,” she said, stepping through the oversize glass door before Astrid slid it back into place.

“Your suit is gorgeous, by the way,” Astrid observed, stroking her fingers over the fabric of the sleeve in a friendly way. “Is the designer anyone I know?”

“It’s one I made, actually.” Flattered, Elena took a moment to enjoy the compliment, glancing down at the angled cuffs and buttons she’d found in salvage shops three years ago.

“Wow.” Astrid’s gaze zeroed in on the boning around the corset-style waist. “There are so many unique details. You’re incredibly talented.”

Elena searched the woman’s face, wondering at first if she was just making polite conversation, but seeing genuine interest in her eyes, she explained, “When I blogged more regularly, I made some pieces that I wanted to wear and couldn’t find. I did a few social media stories about the process of picking fabrics and finding a tailor for sewing samples.”

The reminder of the hard work she’d done to build her blog and connect with followers made her regret slowing down when she’d married. Why had she turned her full attention to supporting Tomas in his work instead of being loyal to the people who had been loyal to her? Why hadn’t she found a healthy balance between Tomas’s career and her own?

“You are very talented,” Astrid repeated, underscoring the words by pointing with her index finger. “Wait.” She froze, turning her head toward the house. “Did you hear the baby cry?”

Astrid pulled her phone from her pocket and checked the nursery monitor feed that she’d already viewed a handful of times since Elena and Gage arrived. Katja had been sleeping the entire time.

“Is she okay?” Elena asked as she moved to the sleek steel-and-wood railing surrounding the deck. The springtime air was cool, and there was still snow on the mountaintops, but the sun felt warm on her face and the breeze was scented with green and growing things.

“She’s fine.” Astrid laid the phone on the marble tabletop surrounding the row of flames that shot up in the center. “But I just buzzed Chiara in at the front gate. Do you mind if I go greet her and then I’ll come right back? I can’t wait to introduce the two of you.”

“Of course.” Elena walked the dark wood planks of the raised deck as Astrid disappeared inside the house.