Page 69 of Finders Keepers

A squeal of delight draws our attention back to Sophie, who’s now sitting cross-legged in the grass while Nugget shows her all his toys, bringing them one by one to lay at her feet.

“So, are you two ready to make some dinner?” Gavin asks, turning toward me with that easy smile of his.

“Sure, I can help,” I offer, already mentally cataloging what I know how to cook that might impress him. “What were you thinking of making?”

“Actually…” He gestures for us to follow him back inside. “I thought we could do something fun tonight.”

My jaw drops when we enter the kitchen. The large island is already set up with three stations, each with a perfectly round disc of pizza dough. Bowls of colorful toppings surround them. Diced bell peppers, mushrooms, fresh basil, and tomatoes. A pan sits ready on the stove with what looks like Italian sausage waiting to be cooked.

“DIY pizzas?” I can’t help the childlike excitement that creeps into my voice.

“Pizza!” Sophie claps her hands, already rushing toward the island.

I lift her onto one of the barstools, where Gavin has thoughtfully placed a cushion to boost her height.

“I hope this is okay,” he says, washing his hands at the sink. “I figured everyone likes pizza, and it’s more fun when you get to build your own.”

“It’s perfect,” I admit, joining him at the sink to wash my hands. “I haven’t made pizza from scratch since… well, I don’t think I’ve ever made my own pizza”

He turns on some music, something acoustic and light, and gets to work browning the sausage while explaining the pizza-making process. Sophie listens with rapt attention, her little fingers already reaching for the cheese.

“Remember to save some toppings for the actual pizza, Soph,” I laugh as she pops a piece of mozzarella into her mouth.

“But cheese is the best part!” she protests, sprinkling an excessive amount onto her dough.

I work on my own creation, adding a careful balance of vegetables and just a touch of the browned sausage Gavin offers.

“Mommy, look! I made a smiley face!” Sophie points proudly to her pizza, where olives and pepperoni form a lopsided smiley face.

“That looks amazing, baby.”

“Ready for the next step?” Gavin asks, picking up Sophie’s creation carefully. “Follow me.”

We trail behind him through the back doors, and he approaches what looks like a stone structure at the edge of the covered patio.

“You have a pizza oven?” I ask incredulously as he opens the front and I feel the wave of heat escape.

“Built it myself last summer,” he explains, sliding Sophie’s pizza onto a long wooden paddle. “Nothing beats wood-fired pizza.”

“This pizza is yummy!” Sophie declares, carefully blowing on her second slice.

“I have to agree,” I say, savoring the perfect blend of crispy crust and melted cheese. The fresh ingredients make all the difference.

Sophie takes another bite. “Mr. Gavin! Guess what?”

“What’s that, Sophie?” He gives her his full attention, setting his slice down.

“I’m gonna be five!” She holds up five fingers, pizza temporarily forgotten. “Next Saturday is my birthday party at Ms. Lucy’s house. Wanna come?”

My heart skips. We haven’t actually planned anything yet, but she’s obviously made an executive decision. I open my mouth to explain, but Gavin’s already leaning forward, matching her enthusiasm.

“Five is a very important birthday,” he says seriously. “Will there be cake?”

She nods. “Chocolate with sprinkles.’” She says matter of fact and then adds, “and balloons. Right, Mommy?”

“We’ll see what we can do, baby.” I try to keep my voice light, already mentally calculating our budget.

“Mommy’s birthday is almost here too,” Sophie says, her expression falling slightly. “But we don’t usually have…” She hesitates, and I see that shadow cross her face, the one that appears when she’s thinking about before. About Matt.

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