Page 67 of The Lake House

As luck would have it, Roger was sitting with him in his office and he asked him right on the spot, which turned into him calling Rachel right then and there, and she was thrilled about it.

Now, as I’m waiting for the four of them to arrive, I can’t sit still. I’ve been dressed and ready to go for the past hour and a half. But the whole time, I’ve been going from the bathroom mirror to the couch, to the bedroom mirror, to the loveseat, making sure I look okay.

I didn’t get crazy done-up. I want to look nice but still feel comfortable so that I’m not fidgeting with my outfit all night. I settled on a pair of light blue denim jeans and a black top. On my feet, I’m wearing black open-toe sandals.

At ten after seven, my doorbell rings. I jump up from the couch and head to the front door. Before I can open it, I suck in a deep breath and prepare myself to meet the most important person in Declan’s life.

“Hey, Giules,” he says with a smile as I pull the door open. “There’s someone I’d like you to meet.”

I smile back nervously as Declan gently motions Lily forward. Her big green eyes look up at me, and slowly, she smiles.

She’s the prettiest little girl I’ve ever seen, looking exactly like a model for one of those name-brand kids’ clothing companies. And even though I had seen her that night weeks ago at the fair and thought she was precious then, up close, she looks even more adorable.

Declan bends down and whispers in his daughter’s ear. “Go on, baby girl. Say hello and tell the pretty lady your name.” He winks at me.

She studies me for just a second more before saying, “H-hi. I’m Lilienne, but everyone calls me Lily.”

My nerves fade. “Hi, Lily. You have a very pretty name. I’m Giuliana, but everyone calls me Giules.”

She tilts her head to the right. “Can I call you Giules, too?”

I giggle softly to myself and quickly exchange a look with Declan as he rises. He’s pleased and I can tell he’s feeling good about this. I’m sure that even though he wanted me to meet his daughter, he had to be nervous about the whole thing as well, too.

I meet Lily’s gaze once more and nod. “Lily, I would be honored.”

She smiles widely.

I look back at Declan once more. “Do you guys want to come in, or are we going to pick up Roger and Rachel?”

“Nope, they’re waiting in the car and ready to meet you, too,” he says.

I’m not so nervous about meeting them, even though I want them to like me since they’re his good friends.

“Okay, cool. Let me just go grab my purse, and we can get going.”

“Sounds good.”

“Yay! Party Penguin’s Pizza!” Lily announces.

Declan smiles. “I kind of promised her we’d go to her favorite pizza spot… I hope that’s okay?”

I smile. “It’s fine.” I wink, then turn around and walk over to the couch. Picking up my bag from it, I say, “Okay, let’s go.”

Once I lock up, we walk toward Declan’s car. As we inch closer to it and I get a glimpse of Rachel and Roger, the nerves in the pit of my stomach start to twist and knot.

Holy shit. Forget everything I said about not being nervous to meet them; I totally am. All of a sudden, every little sense of calmness I had managed to hold on to inside melts away. These are Declan’s best friends and people who are also very important in his life, having been there for him throughout all the hard times. They were there for him when Claire walked out on him.

Declan reaches in front of me and grabs the door handle. “Here, sweets. Hop in.” Then he opens the back door and Lily hops in over Rachel. She helps her get situated in her seat.

I pop my head inside and when my eyes lock with Rachel and then with Roger’s, their smiling faces relax me. “Hi, I’m Giuliana.”

“Hey, Giules!” Roger says, as if we’ve been friends for years. “Is it okay if I call you Giules? When Dec talks to me about you, he usually calls you that and now it’s kind of indented in my brain as so…”

“Babe, you’re such a clown,” Rachel breaks in and grabs my attention. “Don’t pay him no mind. I’m Rachel.” She puts out her hand and I grab it.

I chuckle at their banter. “Hi, it’s lovely to meet you both.” Turning my gaze back to Roger, I say, “And it’s perfectly fine. You can call me Giules.”

He smiles again. “Woo. Thanks.”

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