“I’m hungry,” she said. “Can I have fries?”
“How about a grilled cheese?” I offered.
Her face lit up, “Really? Can I see how you make it?”
“I’m not gonna make it, the cook’s gonna make it. I’ll go put in the order and see if they got time for me to take you back there.”
“Please! Tell them please for me!” she said.
I leaned into the kitchen and asked Donnie, the cook on this shift, and he said, sure. So, I had Sadie wash her hands and I tied an apron around her, pulled her hair back with a rubber band and set her on a stool. She was fascinated with the kitchen, with the big tub of margarine Donnie scooped out of with a butter knife for her to spread on the bread. I grabbed my phone and snapped a picture, just for myself. Then I went and got her a spatula. Because every cook needs a spatula.
20
Max
When I walked in the diner, there were a couple people eating at the counter and an older woman having pie and coffee at a booth and looking at her phone. I didn’t see Sadie or Rachel, but Sadie’s stuff was spread out all over the booth we usually sat in. Crayons and coloring books, Barbies and LOL dolls strewn over the table and in the seat. The woman at the cash register said, “Hey, Max, they’re in the kitchen making a grilled cheese. Go on back.”
I slipped back to the kitchen and saw them together. A guy was holding a skillet and Sadie stood on a stool with Rachel’s arm around her middle, so she didn’t fall. Rachel helped her use a big spatula to flip a sandwich in the skillet and then Sadie grinned up at Rachel. I felt a swoop in my chest. The feelings I’d barely let myself consider for Rachel just coursed through me at the sight. I had opened that door just a crack over the weekend, letting myself consider having Rachel in my life romantically. But this—this was something deeper and precious and bittersweet. It was a glimpse of Rachel mothering Sadie, loving her and helping her.
Sadie saw me and said, “Daddy, look! Look what I made!” She showed me the sandwich excitedly.
“Looks great, Sadie Cakes. You better eat it before I steal a bite. I’m gonna have to have you make dinner on your own pretty soon.”
She beamed and got down from the chair with Rachel’s help. Rachel helped her take off the apron and handed her the sandwich on a plate. As I held the kitchen door for my daughter, Sadie marched through it and said, “Order up!” We all burst out laughing, even Sadie.
I asked the cook to make me a grilled cheese and an order of fries, and I joined Sadie for an early supper at our booth. I busied myself picking up her crayons and stuff while she told me about her day and gobbled her sandwich down. Business had picked up by the time we left, and I waved at Rachel who had her hands full.
“See you tomorrow,” I said, and took Sadie home.
I couldn’t stop thinking about Rachel, about the way she was with Sadie when I saw them together. It had been so beautiful, and it had been the tipping point on my feelings for Rachel, the ones that I couldn’t even pretend to deny any longer.
When she arrived for the day, I told her that I had a call from Edie Sharpe, Macy’s mom, and Sadie was going to their house for a play date at noon.
“If you can drop her off there, I’ll pick her up after work. You can have the afternoon off. I know you need it. You’ve been working so hard.”
“Thanks. I’ll take her right after we eat.”
“That’s okay, Macy’s mom said they’re making their own pizzas or something.”
“Okay. I can pick her up if you need me to and stay with her till you get home.”
“No, it’s fine. Edie said they’d be glad to have her till after five. They’ve got a new trampoline apparently. Sadie’s excited.”
“I’m glad,” she said.
I nodded. “Have a good day,” I said, when what I wanted to do was kiss her cheek instinctively.
My day was busy, and I took a new order from Noah for an add-on he was doing for a vacation home by the lake outside Overton. I knew I had a couple of the specialty items he needed in my shed at home, so on my lunch break I drove home. When I pulled in the drive, I saw Rachel’s car was still there. I wondered if Sadie had gotten sick and stayed home from the play date or something, because it was after one o’clock.
When I walked in the cabin, I called out, “Rachel? Everything okay?”
She came out of the laundry room with a basket of towels. “Yeah, it’s fine. I just came back after I dropped Sadie off so I could do a load. We made a big mess painting this morning and I didn’t want you or the cleaning lady to have to deal with it.” She put down the basket and took out Sadie’s t-shirt from this morning and checked it. “See, it all came out. If I’d left it set till your housekeeper comes, it would’ve stained the mermaid shirt. And you know how important the mermaid shirt is.”
“Thanks for doing that. I just came to pick up some stuff from the shed that Noah needs for a job. I can fold those later. You can—” I stopped talking.
Rachel was looking at me, and I saw everything. The mix of happiness and embarrassment at my finding her here alone, the curiosity and mischief and affection. The spark of attraction in her eyes. I reached over and took a towel from her, tossed it on the couch. Then I put
