Chapter 28 Fallon #2
“Lead the way. I’ll bring up the rear.”
We drive back to the warehouse in a little convoy. Parking in the back lot feels different this time. Usually, it’s just work. Today, it feels like bringing family home.
We enter through the back door. The kitchen smells of garlic and onions—a good, heavy home scent.
Knox is at the stove, stirring a massive pot of sauce, and Eli is tossing a salad with focused precision. They look up when we walk in.
Knox freezes, wiping his hands on his apron. Eli stops tossing, a bright smile breaking out immediately.
Amber steps forward, her hand resting on Maisie’s shoulder. “Knox, I want you to officially meet Maisie. Maisie, this is Knox and, you remember Eli? They make the best food in the world.”
Maisie stares up at them. Knox is big, and looks a little grumpy, but Maisie doesn’t flinch. She steps forward and extends a small hand.
Knox crouches down immediately, getting to her level. He takes her hand, but instead of shaking it, he holds it gently.
“Bonjour, mademoiselle,” he says, his voice dropping an octave, his accent thickening on the vowels. “It’s good to meet you, finalement. I’m Knox. Your mother tells me you’re very smart. And you know about gnomes.”
Maisie giggles. “They don’t eat socks. That’s just a story.”
“Bien s?r,” Knox says, the corner of his mouth twitching. “Good to know. I prefer facts as well. Welcome to my kitchen.”
Eli steps up next, crouching down on one knee beside Knox. “Hey, Maisie.”
“Hi,” Maisie says, grinning. “We brought chocolate!” She holds up the bag like a trophy.
“Excellent contribution,” Knox says, standing up. “I have the water boiling for pasta. We’ll eat soon. à table.”
Amber helps me move the bags of groceries to the island while Maisie explores the kitchen, looking at the hanging pans and the big mixer with wide eyes.
“It’s so big in here,” she says, her voice echoing slightly. “It’s like a castle.”
“It’s a fortress,” I tell her. “We have everything we need. Even a chocolate defense system.”
She laughs, grabbing a chocolate from the bag. “Can I have one?”
“After dinner,” Knox says from the stove, turning back to the pot. “Lave tes mains, please. The sink is over there. Wash up.”
The dinner setup is casual but perfect. We don’t use the dining room tables; we pull a smaller round table into the kitchen area. It feels cozier.
I cook the meatballs—beef and pork mixed with herbs and breadcrumbs—while Knox finishes the sauce. Eli helps Amber set the table, arranging napkins with a care that makes me smile.
Maisie sits on a high stool near the island, swinging her legs and watching us.
“Spaghetti and meatballs,” Amber says, sniffing the air appreciatively. “Smells like Sunday dinner.”
“It’s comfort,” Knox says. “And you need comfort after a flat tire.”
We eat together. The food is simple—pasta coated in rich red sauce, melting parmesan on top, meatballs the size of golf balls. Maisie attacks her spaghetti with enthusiasm, getting sauce on her chin.
“So,” I say, tearing a piece of garlic bread, “the debate. Tell us the strategy.”
Maisie swallows a massive bite of noodles, her eyes lighting up. “Okay, so, Tyler is on my team. Which is good because he yells a lot, but he listens to me when I tell him to stop. We’re going to do an opening statement about how facts are better than feelings.”
“Strong opening,” I say, grinning.
“Right?” She nods vigorously. “And then we have evidence about how gnomes are made of ceramic, so they can’t digest. And then I get to do the last part, which I practiced on Mommy yesterday.”
“She crushed it,” Amber says, sipping her water. “She’s going to destroy them.”
“I like that you’re confident,” Knox adds, cutting a meatball with precision. “But preparation is key. If you know your facts, you can’t lose.”
“Exactly.” Maisie points a fork at him. “See? Knox gets it.”
“He does,” Amber agrees. She looks at Knox, then at Eli, then at me, and back to Maisie. Her face is relaxed, the lines of stress that usually live between her eyebrows smoothed out. She looks happy.
It hits me then. Right in the chest. Seeing her here, eating my food, laughing with Knox and Eli while the snow melts outside.
It feels right. It feels like pieces of a puzzle I didn’t even know was broken have clicked into place.
“And cupcakes,” Maisie remembers, looking around. “You said?”
“In the oven,” Eli says, pointing to the oven with his fork. “Cooling now.”
“I helped make them,” I say, setting the plate down. They’re lemon—bright yellow frosting with rainbow sprinkles.
“Wow?” Maisie asks. “You can bake?”
“I can do a few things.” I wink.
Maisie takes a cupcake, devouring it in two bites. “Best dinner ever.”
Amber laughs, a sound that bounces off the stainless steel appliances. “I have to agree. The company is better than the food. Though the food is amazing.”
Knox nods, accepting the compliment with a rare, unguarded smile. “I’m glad you enjoy it.”
We sit there for another hour, long after the food is gone. Maisie tells us about school, about a frog they found in the gym, about how she wants a dog just like Rufus but smaller.
I watch Amber. She leans back in her chair, one arm draped over the back of it, watching Maisie with a look of pure adoration. The light from the overheads catches the gold in her hair.
I love seeing her like this. Unburdened. Happy.
“Thank you for inviting us,” she says softly, looking at the three of us.
“Thank you for coming,” Knox replies. “It’s... nice. Having the table full.”
“Yeah,” Eli chimes in, reaching for Amber’s hand across the table. “It suits us.”
Maisie yawns, big and wide, her eyes watering. “Mommy, I’m sleepy.”
“I know, bug.” Amber stands up. “We should get you home and in the bath.”
“Already?” Maisie pouts. “But we’re having fun.”
“You can come back,” I say quickly. “Anytime. The kitchen is always open for you.”
“Promise?” Maisie asks, looking at me.
“Pinky promise,” I say, holding out my pinky.
She hooks her small finger around mine. “Okay.”
We walk them out to the car. Amber buckles Maisie in, then turns to us.
“Tonight was perfect,” she says. She steps to me, wrapping her arms around my waist and hugging me tight. “Thank you for fixing my tire, Fallon.”
I squeeze her back, kissing the top of her head. “Anytime, Sunshine.”
She moves to Knox next. He looks awkward for a second, not sure what to do with his hands, but then he just rests them on her shoulders. “Good night, Amber. Drive safe. Sois prudente.”
“Good night, Knox.”
Finally, she turns to Eli. He pulls her into a warm, easy hug. “Get home safe, Amber. We’ll see you soon.”
“I hope so,” she whispers.
She gets in her car and drives away. I stand there in the cold, watching her taillights fade, Knox and Eli flanking me.
“She’s good,” Knox says beside me, his breath puffing in the cold air. “The kid... she’s special.”
“She is,” Eli agrees. “They both are.”
We go back inside. The kitchen is quiet again, but it feels warmer than it did two hours ago. The smell of lemon cupcakes and garlic hangs in the air.
It smells like family. It smells like a future I didn’t know I wanted until five minutes ago.
“Back to work,” Knox says, washing his hands at the sink.
“Yeah,” I say, grabbing my apron from the hook. Eli is already humming tunelessly as he starts clearing the table. “Back to work.”
But the smile doesn’t leave my face. Not for the rest of the night.