Page 118 of David's Love

“I’m so sorry,” she says. “I thought Julie was back.”

She hugs David before shifting to me.

“You must be Elizabeth,” she says with a smile before hugging me as well.

“I’m Miranda,” she says, stretching her hand out. “Julie’s aunt.”

Our hands connect, and her focus shifts to him.

“I told her to buy a case of water this afternoon. She forgot, so she had to go back.”

The headlights of a car sweep the windows, summoning her attention.

“That must be her.”

David and Miranda start chatting, and soon after, Julie walks in. She wears sweatpants, her pink locks pulled back into a ponytail.

“Let me get that,” David offers, and I sense a familiarity between them that is more than normally seen between co-workers.

He picks up the case of water and takes it to the kitchen while Julie turns to me.

“Hey,” she says with a glint in her eyes. “I’m so happy that you’re here.”

She stops from hugging me at the last moment. I had a feeling she almost wanted to hug him as well.

“I’m happy too,” I say evenly, still a bit awkward about the whole situation.

David returns and moves his eyes between the two of us.

“Let’s go into the dining room,” Miranda says, heading in that direction.

You can tell she likes to entertain her guests.

The food is on the table, and she went the extra mile with the eye-catching fall centerpiece.

The next hour is exactly how David had described it.

Once we start eating, it feels like a familial reunion, and I find myself studying his features against Julie’s.

I’ve heard stuff about her. She can be tough, abrupt, and simply obnoxious.

No part of that persona is present at the table.

And maybe that’s what I see on her face. She seems exuberant and optimistic, and she smiles a lot.

I almost see a dimple when she grins from ear to ear.

Her dimple reminds me of David’s while her blue eyes seem copied and pasted from his face.

Other than that, it’s hard to find much resemblance. But there are things. The way she tilts her chin down and raises an eyebrow like him.

The glint in her eyes when she jokes about something.

Some parts of him are woven into her face. Am I the only one seeing these things?

Or am I going mad?

Eating my greens, I look around the table.

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