And Leilani—
Leilani was glowing. And huge. And according to her, “Exactly one sneeze away from launching this baby into the stratosphere.”
The baby had dropped. The due date loomed. Every time she so much as winced, Cal reached for his phone, ready to speed-dial an ambulance.
Tutu had taken to packing and repacking the hospital bag like it was a military operation. Even Rashida had installed a whiteboard in the kitchen and was crossing off the days like she was planning an escape from Alcatraz.
We were all holding our breath. But this time, it wasn’t fear.
It was anticipation.
On the afternoon Mr. Banks was due home, Cal and Angus went to the hospital to pick him up. An hour later, they were wheeling him through the door in a wheelchair, a wide grin slapped across his face while we all cheered his homecoming.
“Well, it’s about damn time,” he said, as we all gathered at the front door to greet him. “I thought they were going to keep me until I qualified for assisted living.”
Tilly had blown up balloons. Rashida had baked a pie. And Mrs. Mulroney had set out a tray of shortbread cookies, a bottle of brandy, and the “good” teacups.
Mr. Banks looked around at all of us, eyes shining. “So, it takes a near-death experience for you lot to crack out the good china, I see.”
“Just don’t break it,” Mrs. Mulroney said, handing him a cup of tea. “It’s older than you and twice as valuable.”
He took a sip. “Ah, Earl Grey. My favorite.”
“It’s Irish Breakfast, thank you very much. We didn’t bring you back from the dead just to drink bad tea.”
Before another argument could break out, Leilani stepped forward and gently tucked a fresh hibiscus flower behind his ear.
He turned to her, his voice soft. “I hear I have you to thank for saving my life.”
Leilani gave a shy smile. “I just did what anyone would’ve done.”
“Don’t be so sure,” he said, taking her hand. “I once started choking in a café and the woman next to me offered me a mint. Some people react very strangely in an emergency, but you kept your head, and I now have the honor of thanking you.”
He kissed the back of her hand, and she fought back happy tears. “Oh God, please don’t make me cry. My hormones are already clinging to the edge right now.”
Cal wrapped an arm around my waist and leaned in close. “It’s good to have him back.”
“It’s good to haveallof us back,” I said.
And for a brief, perfect moment, the world felt settled.
Outside, the wind rustled the palm fronds. Inside, Mr. Banks reclined in his chair like he’d never left it, sipping tea and regaling Tilly with a story about the time he’d accidentally joined a French pirate crew in 1972.
The house was full again.
Full of noise. Full of light. Full of life.
And soon—very, very soon—it would be full of something else too.
Someoneelse.
We just had to wait.
CHAPTER 31
The morning was still.Too still. So still I should have sensed something was coming.
Cal left just after eight, dressed sharply and moving with the kind of focused tension that always meant lawyers were involved. He kissed me on the cheek, promised he wouldn’t be long, and slipped out the front door where a car was waiting to pick him up.
