Page 28 of Best Kept Secret

"Kids eat what they get used to," Fallon interjected. "Did you grow up eating Indian food, Mira?"

"Yes." Mira wiped Pari's hands as she dipped them inside the soup.

"Miramashi, pink fish."

"That's salmon," Mira explained cheerfully, ignoring Fallon. "I'll make you a plate,amar chhoto Pari."

When it was just Mira, she seemed vulnerable, but when she was with Pari, Mama Bear took over.

"What was that?" I asked. "Ama…what?"

Mira laughed, and I felt it all the way inside me. There was something so joyous about her, it was infectious. "It's Bengali for my little Pari."

"I love that," Roxy exclaimed. "Amar…what?"

Mira helped Roxy learn the Bengali words as she plated herb-crusted salmon withpulaorice. It smelled divine.

"You should make more child-friendly food, Mira," Fallon suggested while Roxy cleared the soup bowls to set us up for the next course Pari was almost done with.

"What does that precisely mean?" Mira demanded. "Child friendly?"

Fallon shrugged. "Just that children don't have a sophisticated palate and prefer simpler foods."

"Somechildren," Mira corrected. "I grew up eating whatever the grown-ups ate, and I'm doing the same thing with Pari. Ifsomething is too spicy, I pare it down for her, but otherwise, she eats what I do.AndI eat healthy food."

Roxy all but snarled when she added, "You can't say salmon with dill and rice with carrots and peas and coriander is not healthy. I haven't seen a child eat so well as Pari does."

I put a hand on Fallon's shoulder, deciding to let her talk to Pari despite my previous reluctance. "Let's finish dinner, and you can spend time with Pari, yeah?"

After that, Fallon, thankfully, shut up, and we got on with the food. The main course was restaurant quality—herb-crusted salmon with a bright, zesty lemon-dill sauce that melted in your mouth.

Pari ate her food like a champ—carrots, peas, and the fish, crispy skin and all.

I could see the effort Mira had put into every detail, from the way she plated the meal to the care in its presentation.

She was in her element here, and I was more attracted to her than I had been to any woman,ever.

Chapter 11

Mira

Fallon sat on the couch, watching Pari play. She peppered her with questions, and in true toddler fashion, Pari responded with cheerful nonsequiturs.

Beau sat with them. He was on the floor with Pari, accepting a cup of tea from her ‘cause she was servinghigh tea, which I made for us on Sundays. She pretended her milk was tea, and we ate cucumber sandwiches andpetit fours. We hadn't done that in a while, but this Sunday, I intended to bring it back for us. Maybe Roxy and Beau would join, I thought, and then immediately shook that off; Roxy, yes, Beau,no,thank you.

I knew he meant well, but it felt like a betrayal to havethiswoman come to test my abilities as a guardian, and pass judgment on how my baby was doing mentally.

"I don't understand it," I murmured to Roxy when we sat on the porch, leaving Beau and Fallon with Pari as requested, drinking the last of the wine. "Is something wrong with Pari? Is she not normal? Why did he have to do this?"

"He became a parent all of a sudden, and he has no clue how to handle it. Beau is…practical, and likes to have a lot of knowledge before he dives in. He's always been like that," Roxy mused. "It's going to take a minute, darlin', but he'll find out that there is no manual to raising a child."

I set my wine glass down, drew my knees up, and rested my chin on them. "Wish there was. I could've used one."

"Hey, you're doin' great. Don't let that jealous cow make you feel otherwise."

I turned to look at Roxy, amused. "Jealous cow?"

Roxy snorted. "Come on, girl, everyone can see somethin' is goin' on between you and Beau, so—"

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