Page 44 of The Beat of her Heart

A soft knock broke through her thoughts. Addie turned as Sophie pushed the door open, her face lighting up when she saw her mom.

“Good morning!” Sophie’s voice was bright as she climbed onto the bed, settling close to Addie with a wide grin.

Addie managed a small smile, her attention shifting to her daughter.

“Good morning, sweetheart.” She hugged Sophie, feeling a small comfort in her warmth. “Did you sleep well?”

Sophie nodded, her smile infectious. “Natalie and I had the best sleepover ever.”

“That’s great, honey.” Addie kissed her forehead. “Now let’s get you ready. We’ll be leaving soon.”

Sophie nodded and hopped down, running back to her room. Addie took a breath, steadying herself before getting up to join her.

She dressed quickly, hoping the coolness she’d felt with Giselle earlier was just a temporary reaction, something they could talk through. But as she walked to the living room, her mind was still swirling with questions.

In the living room, Ember was tidying up, her movements graceful, a gentle smile on her face. She looked up, and her smile grew a little wider when she saw Addie.

“Morning, Addie. How’d you sleep?” Ember’s tone held a playful note, her eyes glinting with curiosity.

Addie felt her cheeks warm under Ember’s gaze. “It was nice.” She tried to sound casual, but Ember’s knowing smile made her laugh, the faint blush deepening.

Ember chuckled, her gaze warm. “That’sgood to hear.” She gave a little wink, then continued with her tidying, as if nothing unusual had happened.

Addie smiled to herself, the exchange bringing back a bit of the warmth from earlier. She stayed there a moment, watching as Ember moved around, her mind drifting back to Giselle. She wanted to go back to that closeness again, but she was met with an ache of uncertainty as she recalled Giselle’s distant expression.

When she returned to the bedroom, she found Giselle gathering her things, her expression calm but closed off. Addie took a breath and decided to break the silence.

“So, last night was…” She hesitated, searching for the right words, but Giselle’s face remained neutral, her gaze fixed on packing.

“It was nice, yes,” Giselle replied, her tone polite, almost too controlled. She looked up, her expression unchanging. “But we should probably get going soon.”

Addie’s heart sank a bit at her tone, but she forced a small nod, trying to keep her own expression steady. “Right, of course.”

She turned away, focusing on her ownthings and trying to shake off the frustration building inside. After last night, she’d thought things might be different, that maybe there was something more between them. But now, watching Giselle retreat into her usual guarded self, she wondered if she’d read too much into it.

They moved through the rest of their preparations in silence, the ease from last night replaced by a careful distance. Addie kept glancing over at her, trying to catch any hint of warmth in Giselle’s gaze, but each time, Giselle was focused elsewhere, her face unreadable.

As they stood by the car, Addie took a small breath and turned to Giselle. “About last night…”

Giselle looked up, her eyes steady but distant. “Let’s just leave it, Addie.”

The finality in her tone made Addie’s chest tighten, but she managed a nod, her face calm. “Right.”

Sophie tugged on her sleeve, looking up at her with wide, hopeful eyes.

“Mom, can I stay here a little longer?” Sophie glanced over to where Natalie stood, watching the two of them, clearly just aseager to extend their time together as Sophie was. “Please, Mom. Natalie says they’re going to make waffles later, and it’s not a school day.”

Addie glanced from Sophie to Natalie, then back again. “Sweetheart, we’ll be heading home soon,” she started, keeping her tone gentle but firm. She didn’t want to impose on Josephine and Ember.

But before she could continue, Josephine stepped forward, hands on her hips in mock sternness.

“Now hold on, Addie. I think Natalie would be devastated if Sophie left so soon.” She gave Addie a warm smile, her gaze shifting to the two girls who were now staring at her, waiting for the final say.

“Absolutely,” Ember added, crossing her arms with a playful grin. “It’s a weekend; let them have some fun. We can drop Sophie off later when you’re done with work.”

She gave Addie a nod, reassuring her. Addie hesitated, glancing back down at Sophie, whose expression brightened with hope. “Are you sure? I don’t want to put you both out.”

“Oh, please.” Ember waved a dismissivehand. “They’re no trouble at all. Besides, Natalie has been looking forward to this. It’d be cruel to break a kid’s heart over waffles.”

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