Seb was momentarily stunned into silence. The Sullivans had been an amazing support after Cora had passed, taking charge with Matty on so many occasions. But Seb had never exactly bonded with them. He’d always felt like a presence they’d tolerated in order to have access to their grandchild. When Cora had been alive, he’d barely exchanged more than pleasantries with them on either ends of their visits.

Yet, here she was, referring to herself as a connection.

“Do you...” he almost didn’t ask “...think of me that way? As a connection to Cora?”

“No,” she answered so firmly that Seb felt immediate tears of reaction tighten behind his eyes. Damn, the woman was harsh. “But you remind me so much of Matty, and Matty reminds me so much of Cora, that, well, I guess it’s all just one thing a part of the next.”

She was describing...family. Seb blinked at her rigid back, the perfectly knotted apron and the dyed blond hair, white at the root and tucked into a crisp French twist. She thought of him as family?

“Muriel,” he started, testing the waters. “If I remarried, would you keep coming here?”

“If I were invited,” she answered stiffly. He couldn’t see her face but he could hear her lip curling.

“Of course you’d be invited.”

She said nothing. Not for a long time. Seb had already gotten sucked into a few work-related emails when she spoke up again.

“So, that’s what it is then. You’re conflicted because you have a woman in your life.”

“Oh—”

“Well, that’s silly, too. Of course you should have a woman in your life. Matty needs a mother figure.”

Again, Seb was stunned. He wished to heck that she’d just turn around already but he knew that was never going to happen. “You’d be all right with me finding someone?”

“Of course,” she scoffed, like it was a waste of breath even to ask. “If she were a worthwhile person. Had a firm hand with Matty. If she wasn’t dreadful, naturally I’d be all right. I don’t expect you to be a widower forever, Sebastian.”

“Well...” He cast around for what to say next. It was a conversation that had about forty different threads he could follow. “It’s not imminent. I—she’s not available. And she doesn’t even know I have feelings. It’s just something I need to get over. I’m sorry I’ve been moping.”

She was quiet again for a while. All while she dressed the salad and brought the roast out of the oven. She was slicing bread when she spoke again.

“Maybe she’d become available if she knew you had feelings. I can’t imagine this other fellow can compare.”

Seb coughed. Hard. “That sounded suspiciously like a compliment.”

She rolled her eyes at him. “Don’t be so melodramatic, Sebastian. I give you plenty of compliments.”

“Name one other.”

She glared at him, then went back to arranging the slices of bread in the bowl. “I’ve stopped folding your laundry, haven’t I? I don’t call the school to check in on Matty anymore. I don’t insist on picking him up from school or buying his clothes. What would you call all of that?”