Page 65 of Feels Like Home

“Aren’t they dating now?” Grady looks around the cabinconfused.

Bri rolls her eyes. “They’re like where we were” —she points to him then back at herself— “about six monthsago.”

“Ahh. Gotcha,” Grady says, grinning and nodding hishead.

“Can we please get back to theplan?”

“Oh, right. Ofcourse.”

The boys and I explain to Bri and Grady our plan and ask for their help. Tell them that they have to pretend to need me so I’m not around while the boys let Christine know they need help with somethingelse.

The five of us are sitting in a circle, huddling close together, when Christine comes into the room. Then we fail miserably at trying not to lookguilty.

We all stand up, busying ourselves, bumping into each other and mumblingnonsense.

She isn’tconvinced.

And why would shebe?

We aren’t doing a very good jobofconvincingher.

“What’s going on?” she asks us, a teasing smile to herlips.

“Why would you think anything’s goingon?”

“Just ahunch.”

“Not very trusting of us,huh?”

She raises aneyebrow.

“I’ll let it go. This time.” She winks and turns to go into thekitchen.

I motion to the boys and they quick snap to attention, standing up abruptly. “Wait!” Reece shouts at the same time Aidan yells, “Don’t goyet!”

She looks at them with a soft smile. “Yes?”

“Um, we need your help. You know how you taught us to cookyesterday?”

“Yes,” she says, drawing out theword.

“Well, um, we want to know how to make dessert, too. Like, a cake or something? ‘Cause, you know, I think it’simportant.”

“To make a full meal, right?” Aidan adds to Reece’sexplanation.

“Yeah,” he nods and swallowshard.

No Oscars will be won by these two any timesoon.

But Christine isn’t paying attention to their poor actingskills.

“You want me to help you bake a cake?” her voice is shaky and eyes glossy. She reaches for my hand and squeezes and it hits me then. That what we’re building is more than just about Christine andme.

* * *

Christine

“When the timergoes off then we’ll pull it out of the oven and put it on the cooling rack here. We need to let it cool before we put the frosting on, otherwise it will basicallymelt.”

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