17. Noah
Chapter 17
Noah
I rummage through Lilly’s fridge to see what options I’ve got for dinner. Plenty of ideas come to mind with what they’ve got on hand, making my offer of cooking a whole lot easier.
When we got back a couple of hours ago, Nellie went straight to Lilly’s room for some quiet time. I was shocked to see her reading a textbook the first time I peeked in on her. The second time I checked on her, she was playing on her tablet.
Lilly made fun of me for how often I went to see what she was up to, but I couldn’t help it. I can hardly take my eyes off her. It’s as if she’ll disappear if I don’t have her in my sights. I can’t get over how quickly she’s wormed her way into my heart. It took one brave comment about no one swinging to melt me. Then she hit me with random fact after random fact, and I was sunk. The way her brain works is the most interesting thing I’ve ever encountered. I can’t wait to learn more about her.
I also enjoyed getting to know the adult version of Lilly through her aunt Christine after we got home. She was full of amazing stories about Lilly and Noelle. It gave me a glimpse into their lives I couldn’t have gotten from anyone else. I was grateful Christine was as welcoming as she was. It would have been easy for her to be standoffish, given my absence in my daughter’s life until now.
“Can I help?” Nellie’s voice makes me jump. I didn’t even hear her come into the kitchen.
“I’d love some help. What sounds good? Rigatoni with meatballs or salmon?”
She tilts her head, her blue eyes looking at the ceiling while she thinks. “Pasta,” she says with a nod.
“Pasta it is. Can you grab the box of noodles from the pantry?”
“Mm-hmm.” She does what I ask while I grab the items I need from the fridge. When I turn around, Nellie is placing a step stool near the stove to help her see better. I set my handful of stuff in front of her and then search for the rest of the things I need from the pantry.
Once everything is gathered, Nellie and I work together on dinner. She’s inquisitive, asking why I’m doing certain things the way I am and then trying to emulate the movements. It’s fun to watch her brain work through the problems, but my favorite part is when she smiles at me after she figures it out on her own. The joy on her face makes the extra time it takes to cook dinner worth every minute.
When the food is ready, Nellie and I take the dishes into the dining room. Lilly and Christine come to the table, oohing and aaahing over how good it looks and smells. Nellie beams with pride as she explains what we made.
All I can do is soak in the moment. In the blink of an eye, my life has drastically changed. Nothing will ever be the same after this.
It’s incredible.
“Your parents still live here in Sonoma, right, Noah?” Christine asks.
“Yes, they were both born and raised here.”
“Do you have any other family in the area?”
“My mom’s mom lives in town as well as my dad’s aunt and uncle. The rest of my family is made up of non-blood relatives who are like aunts and uncles to me.”
“Sometimes I think those make for the best family.” Christine smiles, glancing at Lilly and Noelle.
“I would absolutely agree with you. I wouldn’t be where I am today without them.”
“How is the Ellis family doing? I miss going to your grandma Cindy’s house to hang out,” Lilly asks.
“The Ellis family? As in Adam and Matthew Ellis? The owners of Sidelines Sporting Goods?” Christine’s eyebrows shoot up her forehead. It’s not a surprise Christine would know Uncle Adam’s company. It’s a national chain known for selling sports equipment at affordable prices. They also supply equipment for several professional sports teams. Their company was founded in Westlake, which is the next town over from Sonoma.
“That would be them. My mom grew up with the Ellis siblings. To say my childhood was never quiet would be an understatement,” I joke. There are five siblings, and each is married with kids now. Going from the children’s home to attending Ellis family dinners was a shock to the system, but Grandma Cindy took me under her wing, and I never once felt like an outsider trying to fit in. She’s one of my favorite people in the world.
“Not to mention the rest of your parents’ friends,” Lilly adds. “Noah’s parents have a group of friends who live here in Sonoma, too. They’re just as much family to Noah as the Ellises are.”
“True. I never lacked in relatives, even if they weren’t technically related to me.”
“I wish you could’ve had something like that,” Christine says to Lilly, a sad smile on her face.
Lilly’s gaze catches mine. “I kind of did. After Noah and I became friends, I spent a lot of time with them. They brought me into the fold as if I were one of their own. I always loved that about them.” She huffs out a humorless laugh. “I can’t imagine what they think of me now.”
I shrug. “They were sad when you left. They always believed there was more to the story than we were told.” I look over at Nellie, her gaze colliding with mine. The intensity of her stare punches me straight in the gut. It’s taking everything I have not to pull her into my side and never let her go.
“I have more family?” Nellie asks, looking over at her mom.
“Yeah, you do. A pretty big one, actually,” I answer.
“Can I meet them, too?”
“Of course. Whenever you’re ready.”
“They know about Nellie?” Lilly’s voice holds a note of worry.
“Yeah, I told Dad last night while I was on shift and Mom this morning. They were both ecstatic to hear they had a grandkid. Mom wants you both to come over for dinner, but I told her to pump the brakes and give us some time to adjust first.”
A reluctant smile lifts Lilly’s face. “That sounds like her. What do you think, Nells? Would you be interested in meeting your other grandparents?”
Nellie shrugs. “Sure, I guess. Can I see pictures of them?”
I pull my phone from my pocket to show her pictures of Mom and Dad. I tell her about her uncle Carson, too.
“Why is he so much younger than you?” Nellie asks.
“I was adopted when I was six.”
She frowns. “So your mommy and daddy aren’t genetically your mommy and daddy?”
“Yes, that’s right. But just because they aren’t my biological parents doesn’t make them any less so. They are more my mom and dad than the people I’m blood-related to because they chose me. They wanted me in their lives so badly that they made me legally theirs. That, to me, means more than being genetically related to someone.”
“Because they didn’t have to pick you,” Nellie adds.
“Exactly.”
“Kind of like you’re choosing to be here right now. You never knew about me. You didn’t have to meet me or be a part of my life, but you did.”
I swallow the lump in my throat. “Yeah, Baby Bee. And I am so glad I did.”