Page 28 of Sinful in Scrubs

In no time, I was preparing a spicy Asian-style cucumber salad. Lily remained unimpressed with everything, but I was determined to win her over.

“Trust the process,” I said when she sneered at the combination of peanut butter and cucumbers.

We filled out the meal with an easy pasta salad. Before long, we had gathered around the dining room table to eat.

“Oh, this is good.” I may have moaned too loudly over the perfectly grilled steak.

Lily stared at her plate with her arms crossed.

“What’s wrong?” Marcus asked. “I made your steak exactly the way you like it. And pasta salad is your favorite.”

“She put peanut butter on the cucumbers,” Lily grumbled.

“I love peanut butter,” Jason said enthusiastically as he shoveled another bite of the salad into his mouth.

“Try one bite before you make a judgment. It’s good. It has a very Asian flavor to it,” Marcus encouraged her.

Her eyes widened in surprise as she chewed. “This is actually good,” she admitted.

I didn’t bother hiding my grin. “That’s the ginger. I actually got the recipe from some little blue-eyed, blond boy off the internet. But it tastes like something my grandmother would have made.”

Marcus caught my eye from across the table, his lips curving into a faint smile. “Looks like you’ve impressed the toughest critic in the room.”

“Don’t get used to it,” Lily mumbled, but there was no venom in her words.

Jason, on the other hand, was wolfing down his plate with the energy only a teenage boy could muster. “This is amazing! Can we have this every time you come over?”

“Jason, let’s not scare Dr. Chen off,” Marcus said, though his tone was light and teasing.

“Oh, I think I can handle it,” I replied. “But you might want to pace yourself, Jason. I don’t think there’s enough salad for thirds.”

“Too late!” he said with a grin, already reaching for another helping.

As we finished up, Marcus stood to gather the plates. “Thanks for helping with the sides,” he said.

“My pleasure,” I replied, following his lead and stacking the empty bowls. “And thank you for dinner. It was delicious.”

“You’re welcome anytime,” Marcus said, his gaze lingering on mine for a moment longer than necessary.

I insisted on helping with the cleanup. “I can’t just sit here while you do all the work,” I said, stacking plates with an ease that spoke of someone who wasn’t afraid to pitch in.

“You’re my guest,” Marcus protested, reaching for the plates I was holding.

“Not anymore,” I replied, sidestepping him with a sly grin. “Now I’m part of the cleanup crew. And I don’t take kindly to being bossed around, so don’t even try it.”

He laughed, a deep, rich rumble, as he raised his hands in surrender. “All right, all right. I’ll let you help. But don’t say I didn’t warn you. My dishwasher’s ancient. It’s practically a relic.”

“That’s fine,” I said, rolling up my sleeves. “Handwashing builds character.”

14

MARCUS

Inviting Emma over for dinner had been a decision I agonized over more than I should have. What if it went sideways? What if she felt awkward and never spoke to me again? Worse, what if the kids hated her?

To my relief, none of those fears came to pass. Dinner wasn’t just good—it was fantastic. Even Lily, who was perpetually carrying a storm cloud these days, seemed to enjoy herself for a moment. It wasn’t a full breakthrough, but there was a flicker of light, a moment where I could see my daughter, the real her, breaking through the pain.

Jason, on the other hand, was all in. He practically glued himself to Emma’s side, asking her a million questions about being a surgeon, what kind of tools she used, and if she ever saw "cool" injuries like in superhero movies. Emma handled him with the kind of patience that made me suspect she’d be an amazing mom one day. She didn’t just answer his questions—she engaged with him, asking him about his favorite superheroes and telling him how, as a kid, she used to imagine herself as a real-life Wonder Woman.

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