Page 51 of Falling For Us Again

“I don’t know, Mag,” I say eventually, the words tasting bitter in my mouth.

Maggie touches my arm again, her voice low. “She’s going to be devastated.”

“I know,” I shake my head. “But she’ll be better off without him.”

Chapter 17

GIRL TALK

Jenna

“Can I have more pancakes, please?” I hear a little girl say as I step inside The Hartlow House Café with Lola.

Lola walks ahead of me, her curly hair bouncing with each step. The warm aroma of freshly baked pastries envelops me it feels... comforting.

A safe pocket in the chaos of everyday life. The kind of place that lets you forget the rest of the world, even if just for a moment. I try to soak it in, but my mind is elsewhere, still orbiting the flashes of memory I’ve been having, still tangled in things I can’t fully grasp.

I swallow hard as we make our way to a table near the windows.

“I’m thinking the lemon tart,” Lola says as we settle into our seats. She looks back at me with a grin, holding up two fingers. “Or maybe two. You want anything?”

I shake my head as the idea of food twists uncomfortably in my stomach. I know I should eat, but everything feels off-kilter, out of focus.

“I’m good,” I tell her, forcing a smile. “I’ll just grab a coffee.”

A waitress approaches and Lola places our order. A peal of laughter rings out, and my gaze follows the sound. It’s Maggie, her hair pulled back into a loose ponytail, her eyes crinkling at the corners.

But it’s not her laughter that catches my attention now. It’s the little girl giggling as Maggie brushes a dark curl out of her face.

Her eyes are shining with pleasure as she looks up at Maggie. She has a striking resemblance to Dylan, with long, dark hair and her features. My brows crease slightly together.

Wait…

Could this be Dylan’s child?

My heart skips a beat.

The little girl, no older than six, is perched on a chair devouring a plate of blueberry pancakes, Maggie’s movements are gentle as she dabs at her mouth with a napkin, her expression a mix of amusement and affection.

“Kim, you’re going to turn into a pancake if you keep eating like that.”

The girl, apparently named Kim, sways her legs in her chair, clearly delighted by her comment. My heart twists a little while I watch the tender scene unfold.

“But I want more. You make the best blueberry pancakes.” She pleads.

She chuckles softly. “Sure, sweetheart. But remember, let’s try to keep the syrup on the plate this time, okay?”

Kim’s eyes twinkle with mischief as she nods vigorously. “Okay!”

She pats her hair. “Gia, bring some more pancakes for Kimmy,” she says to an attendant.

Something tugs at my chest—a strange mixture of envy and curiosity—and before I can stop myself, the question tumbles out.

“Lola, are Maggie and Dylan... together?”

Lola lets out a laugh, loud enough for the customers close by to glance up. She waves it off with an apologetic smile before turning back to me. “No, God, no. Maggie’s like a sister to him. They’re just very close friends.”

I blink, processing her words. “Then who’s the little girl?”

---