Page 187 of Embracing the Change

Dru handed Val’s phone back in order to dig out her own.

“They need a bed-length bolster pillow,” Darryn declared.

“You and those bolster pillows,” Allegra replied.

“Baby, they’re the shit,” Darryn said.

“Mom reads, and she says Jamie reads too. They need reading wedge pillows.”

Darryn appeared revolted. “Those are ugly as fuck.”

“They’re useful. Not everything has to be about aesthetics,” Allegra retorted.

“Since when?” Darryn asked.

“I’m so not coming to Sunday lunch when D and A start redesigning Momma Nora’s place,” Archie muttered.

“Word,” Nico said.

As an aside, Nico had taken Jamie up on the offer to move into the brownstone when his courses ended in Vermont so he could keep an eye on it. Jamie was grateful because a home needed to be inhabited for more than safety. Nico was grateful because he didn’t want to interfere with Nora and Jamie’s new situation (even if it didn’t feel new, it was), and it gave him a chance to take time to pick his own place and make it the right one.

The apartment phone buzzed, sharing someone was out front, and Darryn got up from the table to get it.

“Dearest, we need cake, so we’ll have to make a cake tasting appointment, tout de suite,” Nora said to Dru.

Now they were on about the adoption party.

“We don’t have to have a big, elaborate cake, Nora,” Dru replied.

Nora appeared stunned before she assumed her Now, listen to me, I’m imparting wisdom on you expression.

She then imparted wisdom.

“My beautiful girl, unlike most of the rest of the population, essentially, you’ve managed to be able to have two birthdays. As every woman knows, her birthday is the most important day of the year. More important than Christmas. More important even than her anniversary. It reigns supreme. You get two, darling. And if from this day forward you don’t celebrate yourself to the absolute fullest on both, I’m disinheriting you. We’re having an extravagant cake for your first one. No argument. I’ll set up a tasting.”

Jamie was careful to make note of his woman’s views on birthdays as Nora started scribbling in her Mètier notebook that he’d long-since learned was the nerve center to all Nora’s magic, and Dru turned to look at her dad. His girl’s face was beaming with wonder mixed with happiness at the thought of having two birthdays.

Jamie had no idea he could love his daughter more, or Nora.

But in that moment, he knew he could, because he did.

Both of his girls.

Darryn’s raised voice suddenly cut into the space. “I won’t say it again, back off.”

Everyone’s attention turned to Darryn, but only Allegra got up and went to him.

She put her hand on his back as he listened on the phone, and he shook his head at her questioning look.

“You got some pretty big balls to pull this shit again,” Darryn said into his phone.

At that, Jamie turned his attention to Nora. He tensed when he saw her face had paled.

“Is it Dad?” Allegra asked.

“Yup,” Darryn answered.

Allegra held up her hand. “Let me talk to him.”

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