Page 26 of Rescue My Heart

“McKenna!” the little girl shouted, her excitement infectious.

McKenna grinned, hopping out of the car. “Hey, kiddo!” She kneeled to give Natalie a big hug. As they embraced, Mazey stood back, watching with a small smile.

“Come see what I did in school today!” Natalie demanded, grabbing McKenna’s hand and dragging her inside before she could even introduce Mazey.

Josephine and Ember appeared at the door, stepping out to greet Mazey. “Hi, you must be Mazey. I’m Josephine, and this is Ember,” Josephine said warmly, extending a hand.

Ember smiled. “Welcome. It’s great to finally meet you. McKenna’s told us a little about you.” She gave Mazey a knowing look, though her tone remained light and friendly.

Mazey blushed slightly, glancing at McKenna, who was being whisked away by Natalie. “It’s nice to meet you both.” Meanwhile, McKenna found herself in the kitchen, trying to listen to Natalie about her school project while wondering how Mazey was feeling. Was she nervous? Was she okay meeting herfriends? Maybe she was pushing this too far too fast, McKenna thought, but she quickly pushed the thought away as Natalie proudly displayed her drawing.

“I drew this today,” Natalie said, holding up a picture of a firefighter drawn in crayon.

“Wow, Natalie, that looks amazing!” McKenna exclaimed. “Who is it supposed to be?”

Before Natalie could answer, Mazey walked in, smiling. “Can’t you tell it’s you?” she teased.

Natalie beamed, proud of her work. “Yup! Do you like it?”

McKenna grinned, glancing between Mazey and Natalie. “I love it. Can I keep it?”

Natalie pretended to think for a moment before agreeing. “Hmm…okay!”

Just then, Josephine entered the room. “Natalie, go wash your hands and get ready for dinner, okay?”

“Okay!” Natalie scampered off, leaving McKenna and Mazey standing there.

Ember soon followed, wiping her hands on a towel. “You both want some wine or a beer or soda?” she offered. “Oh, and, Mazey, I hope you like steak because Ember’s been working hard at the grill today, and she’s very proud of her grilling skills,” Josephine said with a playful grin.

“Hey, I’m proud because I’m good!” Ember retorted, puffing out her chest dramatically.

Mazey laughed. “I’ll have a glass of wine, and steak sounds great.”

McKenna was relieved that her friends were so welcoming. It seemed as if Mazey had been nervous at first, but the banter between the two couples seemed to put her at ease. There was a warmth and familiarity here that she hadn’t realized she’d been craving.

A few minutes later, Natalie came back, hands freshly washed, and they all sat down to eat. McKenna kept stealing glances at Mazey, relieved to see her fitting in as the conversation flowed.“This steak is amazing, Ember!” Mazey complimented.

“Please don’t give her a bigger head than she already has,” Josephine teased, rolling her eyes playfully.

Ember grinned. “Hey, I take pride in my grilling skills.”

Mazey smiled. “So if you don’t mind me asking, how did you guys meet?”

“Well, you see—” Ember started, but Natalie interrupted with the frankness only a child could muster.

“Mommy E, you talk forever! Let Mommy J tell the story.”

“Uhm, rude,” Ember quipped, feigning hurt, but her smile betrayed her amusement.

They all laughed, the atmosphere growing more relaxed by the minute.

“Okay, my love,” Ember said with a wink toward Josephine. “Why don’t you tell it?”

“If you insist,” Josephine said, gently nudging Ember with her elbow. “Well, this might be the more censored version,” Josephine nodded to Natalie. “We met on a dating app, just you know for a one off.”

“And you guys just hit it off right there and then?” Mazey asked.

“Oh, we definitely hit it off!” Ember jumped in with a smirk.

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