Chapter 13
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Julia pushed open the front door of her mother’s home, feeling like she must be dreaming.
“Hello?” Macey called loudly from behind her, in her perch in Cooper’s arms. “Lady?”
Both Cooper and Julia burst out laughing. Hazel, who was sitting on the couch in the living room, looked up with a huge grin.
“Her name is Delilah, Macey,” Hazel said. “And she’s still in the kitchen, so I don’t think she can hear you.”
“I just got a thrill through my whole body,” Julia said, sitting down in one of the armchairs and shaking her head. “I cannot believe Delilah Bates is in our childhood home. Cooking.”
Hazel laughed. “I can’t either, and I’ve actually seen her in here.
I was helping for a while, but there were too many of us in the kitchen and once it was all in the oven I decided to come sit out here.
Samantha and Mom and Alexis are still in there with Delilah and Tom.
We’re having honey citrus pork chops with roasted sweet potato and butternut squash cubes. It all smells unbelievable.”
Julia sniffed the air eagerly, and her stomach growled. She didn’t have any raging pregnancy cravings at the moment, but what she was smelling told her that the meal Delilah and Tom had put together was just going to hit the spot.
“So, did she actually ask to see us again?” Julia said, her voice almost a whisper. “Tom told me that she had, but I couldn’t believe it. I mean, she only met us once. And like, who are we?” She laughed. “It’s not like we’re important people or anything.”
“She really did.” Hazel nodded, looking elated.
Her eyes were shining like she was a child on Christmas morning.
“I don’t really know why, but I guess she liked meeting us.
Tom said something about her loving Rosewood Beach and wanting to spend more time soaking up the hominess our town has to offer. ”
“Wow.” Julia felt a kind of glow in her chest. “Okay. We can definitely provide some hominess for her.”
She looked around her childhood home with a smile.
Although it was clean and tidy, it was clearly a place that had been well-loved and well lived in.
There was a basket of homemade blankets resting next to the couch, pictures covering the walls, and a variety of knickknacks on the bookshelves.
She remembered all of the antics that she and her siblings had performed in that very living room over the years, and the memories made her heart ache in the best way.
“Time for dinner everyone,” Vivian said, stepping out into the living room. Her cheeks were flushed, and she looked every bit as excited as Julia felt.
“How does it feel having a movie star in your kitchen?” Julia asked, standing up and giving her mother a hug.
“It makes me feel glad that I deep-cleaned it last week,” Vivian said, laughing. “But honestly, she’s so kind. Sometimes I forget she is a movie star, she’s so pleasant and down to earth.”
Julia sat down at the table, since her family had barred her from carrying in dishes of food because of how far along she was in her pregnancy. Cooper and Macey sat down beside her, both looking excited—although Julia had a feeling that Macey was mostly excited about getting to eat dinner.
Samantha spilled out of the kitchen a moment later, carrying a dish of roasted sweet potato and butternut squash cubes. “Ta da!” she sang out. “Who’s ready to eat some food made by a movie star?”
Everyone laughed, and Delilah stepped out of the kitchen after Samantha, carrying a basket of soft, steaming dinner rolls.
Her hair was a little messy and there was a smear of flour on her cheek, but she looked ecstatic.
“I didn’t really cook it,” she said. “I just did a few things that Tom told me to. He’s such a wonderful cook. ”
Julia noticed the warm way in which Delilah spoke about Tom and smiled.
“So nice to see you again,” she said, standing up and shaking Delilah’s hand. “Welcome to our home and thank you so much for helping cook.”
“I wanted to,” Delilah said, leaning in slightly as if she and Julia were old friends and she was sharing a secret. “Tom and I cooked together the other night, and I had so much fun. Cooking isn’t something I’ve ever really done, but I wanted to get better at it.”
The rest of the family sat down or helped carry the remaining dishes to the table. There were pitchers of apple juice and sparkling water to drink as well as a dish of white rice for anyone who wanted to eat it underneath the pork and roasted vegetables.
The meal began, and everyone proclaimed it to be delicious. Most of them kept glancing at Delilah, a little in awe, as they ate, but Vivian initiated a conversation about favorite recipes that soon had everyone chatting comfortably.
“My mother used to make a tuna casserole with potato chips, peas, and mushroom soup,” Delilah said, shaking her head and chuckling. “It was hardly healthy, but oh my goodness, it was good.”
“I’ve had that!” Hazel said. “I had it at my friend’s house in grade school when I was growing up. I’ve never forgotten it. You’re right, it was amazing.”
“I miss stuffed peppers,” Tom said. “I haven’t had a stuffed pepper in years. Those were my comfort food.”
“Why don’t you ever cook them?” Delilah asked, looking surprised.
Tom shrugged. “I guess I just don’t usually cook for myself. I prefer cooking for other people.”
Tom and Delilah shared a warm smile, and Julia watched them curiously. It almost looked as if there was a romantic spark between the two of them, and she felt both floored and intrigued by the suspicion.
After a while, Samantha worked up the courage to ask Delilah a slew of questions about what it was like to work on a movie set. Delilah answered all of them patiently, as if an adult that she respected were asking the questions instead of an exuberant preteen.
She fits in so well with us, Julia thought. She’s so good-natured and friendly. Who would have thought that a movie star would click so well with our little family?
“Thanks for telling me all that, Delilah,” Samantha said, after Hazel had given her a soft tap on her elbow to remind her to be polite. “I’m probably your biggest fan here in town—maybe anywhere.”
Delilah laughed. “That’s what I’ve heard. And actually, I made a special treat for you, Biggest Fan. I do bake a little, even though I’m not much of a cook, and I heard that you love chocolate lava cake, so we made one for dessert.”
Samantha gasped, thrilled, and Julia grinned.
“Wow,” Dean said, clapping. “Samantha, did you ever in your wildest dreams think that you’d get to meet your favorite movie star and she’d make you a cake?”
“No,” Samantha said, blushing furiously and looking completely overjoyed. Delilah leaned over and gave her a hug, which Samantha returned vigorously. Jacob quickly snapped a photo of the moment from across the table.
Once dinner was over, several people volunteered to clear the dishes and bring in the dessert.
Julia stayed put, feeling full and a little sleepy and knowing her family wouldn’t let her help anyway.
As she looked around the room, enjoying the good-natured chaos around her, she noticed Noelle’s expression.
Noelle was sitting across from her at the table, and although she had been smiling cheerfully during the meal, now that Dean was in the kitchen there was a slight hint of tension on her face.
Julia watched with concern as Noelle looked down at the tablecloth as if it was a worrying document she was reading, a frown forming on her face and growing deeper.
Julia stood up and walked over to Noelle, sitting down beside her.
“Hey,” she said softly, giving her future sister-in-law a sideways hug. “How are you doing?”
Noelle looked up and smiled, but Julia couldn’t help noticing that her smile looked a little put-on. “Oh, I’m good.”
“Are you sure?” Julia said. “If there’s something that’s bothering you, you know you can tell me, right?”
Noelle bit her lip, looking around the room as if making sure that Dean wasn’t there.
“I have been feeling… well, sad, I guess, about Dean’s condition.
It’s been getting worse, and I want to have faith that it’ll all work out fine and it’s going to get better again like it did before, but I’m worried that he’s just going to keep being in pain, and that it’s going to get worse.
I hate seeing him suffering like this, and it’s hard when we still have wedding preparation to do and he’s feeling too tired to do anything.
It does feel a little like a dark cloud overshadowing our wedding day. ”
Julia nodded, feeling a rush of sympathy for Noelle. “I’m so sorry,” she said, touching her arm gently. “I can only imagine how disappointed you both must feel. But try to stay optimistic. Maybe he’ll feel much better by the time of the wedding.”
“That’s what we’re hoping,” Noelle said, nodding. “He decided to wait to do anything drastic like get surgery in the hopes that we don’t have to disrupt our wedding plans, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s in pain. I just wish this wasn’t hanging over both of us, especially right now.”
“I wish it wasn’t either,” Julia said, her heart aching for her brother and Noelle.
“But remember, when he first got diagnosed we all felt this way—worried and afraid that things weren’t going to get better.
But then they did—and he met you.” She smiled.
“Hopefully this new medication he’s on will start doing the trick.
Let’s stay hopeful that it all works out. That’s all we can do right now, right?”
Noelle smiled, brightening. “You’re right. Thanks.” She took a deep breath. “I’ll try my absolute best to focus on all of the good things that are happening and not get too discouraged.” She glanced around the room again and lowered her voice. “How are the plans for Faith’s party going?”