41. Chapter Forty-One | Savannah
Chapter forty-one
“Not so high, peanut!” I squeal as Lucy tries to get her pizza dough to touch the ceiling.
“Oops, sorry, Mama!” She grins, showing the adorable gap where her two front adult teeth will be coming in before I’m ready for it.
“You’re doing great, kiddo!” Theo reaches across the counter with a closed fist and Lucy meets with her own for a fist bump. “I think you even threw it higher than I did, but if anyone hits the actual ceiling, I call not it for cleaning it off.”
I laugh as I look up at Theo’s kitchen ceiling and realize that it’s probably impossible for any of us to toss dough that high unless we rolled it into a ball and threw it straight up.
My eyes meet Theo’s across the kitchen and he winks at me.
Gigi read some book where a family made their own mini pizzas and requested that we do that—together.
While other couples may be spending their Saturday night out on the town, we are spending it with our four girls, and I think we got the better deal.
Each girl has their own little station set up to make their own pizzas, and Theo’s granite countertops are covered in flour, dough, and soon will likely be covered in marinara sauce.
It's wonderful.
“Who’s ready for toppings?” Theo sets a bowl of mini pepperonis next to a bowl of cheese, but I’m unsure which cheese it is because the man decided we needed five different types of shredded cheese for the girls to pick from.
We both know our girls likely won’t choose any of the vegetable toppings, but we still made sure to have bowls of bell peppers, mushrooms, black olives, red onions, and spinach.
Personally, I will load my pizza with all the toppings, but what can I say, I like when there’s a pizza party of flavors in my mouth.
“Theo, can you help me with this crust?” Olivia is convinced she can do a stuffed crust, but it’s proving to be a little more complex than our amateur pizza making skills.
“I make no promises, but I’m happy to give it a valiant effort.” Theo slides up next to her as they try to use pieces of string cheese and tuck them under the edge of the dough.
“Hey, I think that looks pretty good, y’all!” The string cheese idea was a brilliant suggestion made by Gigi. As I look at Emily and Gigi’s pizzas, I’m pretty sure they both have more cheese piled on there than an actual large pizza would have, but I just smile and give them a thumbs up.
“Yeah, I think that will work. Thanks, Theo!” Olivia grins, satisfied that her pizza actually somewhat resembles a stuffed-crust pizza. She grabs a handful of mini pepperonis and makes a smiley face on her pizza.
“Perfecto! Alright ladies, finish up the toppings, and then we’ll get these out in the pizza oven before we feast!” Theo’s voice booms like a sportscaster announcing the starting lineup, and his silly antics make all four girls laugh.
This evening has been loud, messy, a bit chaotic, and so perfect.
Theo takes charge of cooking the pizzas because of course they have a stone pizza oven on their patio.
I have yet to think of an appliance or gadget this man doesn’t have in his house, although considering his brother is Sullivan Smith-Harrington, that shouldn’t surprise me that much.
Despite gadgets, it still feels like a home, instead of a bachelor pad filled with electronics.
We eat dinner inside as the weather decided to quite literally rain on our plans to dine outdoors, but when Gigi said this was the most fun she’s ever had in their formal dining room, I can’t help the large smile that spreads across my face .
Theo sits at the head of the table, and I’m next to him, with Gigi and Olivia on his other side. Lucy is sitting to my left and Emily is next to her.
“No, there is no way that is possible.” Theo shakes his head. “You just think they were side characters, but that snowman and reindeer are just as important as the two sisters,” Theo debates with Emily, using his fork to emphasize his point before taking a big bite of his pizza.
Emily throws her hands up in frustration. “No way, Theo! If you take them out of the movie, does the plot still work?”
“Well, technically, yes,” Theo concedes.
“Then they are minor side characters, although adorable ones, but they’re not essential to the plot!” Emily grins, knowing she just won the debate.
Theo sets his fork down and raises his hands with his palms out in front of him.
“Miss Emily, I am man enough to admit when I have been defeated, and you, young lady, have indeed done just that. Well done.” Emily preens under his praise as the girls continue discussing what characters are essential in a princess movie.
We listen to their discussion before Theo leans over and quietly says to me, “Your little artist over there may be an attorney in the making. I appreciated her methodical approach to that argument. Emily may be the quietest of your girls, but she’s intelligent and thoughtful.
Good job, Mama.” He leans further and kisses my cheek as I smile at his words.
Theo has been purposeful in his approach with my girls, not assuming they are all the same person or like the same things and clearly has found common ground with them as they forge their own relationship with him.
He hasn’t demanded respect, or assumed they would like him, but has made an intentional effort in getting to know them.
He isn’t their father, but if he’s going to have a role in their lives, he needs to build those relationships, and he is doing just that—and doing it well.
I would hope he thinks I’m taking a similar approach with Gigi, but to be honest, that girl is so easy to love that it doesn’t take much effort at all.
She gives the best hugs and has the sweetest disposition.
When we had a movie night last weekend, Gigi sat next to me and snuggled in, falling asleep under my arm before the movie was over.
As Theo picked her up from the couch and carried her to bed, the two of them stole whatever piece of my heart wasn’t already theirs.
“How did the pepperoni and the sausage decide their favorite pizza?” Gigi asks the table.
“I don’t know, how?” I respond.
“It wasn’t possible. It was a hand toss-up!” Gigi laughs at her own silly punchline and the rest of us join in.
“That was so cheesy!” Lucy proclaims between giggles. “Get it? Like cheese pizza?”
“Yeah baby, we get it,” I tell her as I pull her in for a side hug.
Give me the people at this table and their questionable looking pizzas, cheesy jokes, and rambunctious laughter for the rest of my life and I think it may be the recipe that ends in happily ever after.