“Hi, Mama.”

I walk around her island and give her a kiss on the cheek. She adjusts her pearls around her neck and gives me a quick once-over.

“Oh, my,” she says, taking my chin in with her hand. “What’s wrong?”

“I need to talk to you.”

She sets the spoon in her hand down and heads to the breakfast nook. I slide into a seat beside her, the smells of some kind of soup floating around the kitchen.

I’ve had dinner in this kitchen thousands of times. Just walking in here, I feel at home. I hear my brothers’ laughs, my sisters singing stupid songs, my father telling us to all quiet down from over the years. It’s a room full of memories, but we have the ability to recreate those sometime. Ellie doesn’t, and I can’t begin to imagine how she feels right now.

“Ford?” Mom asks. “Talk to me.”

I blow out a breath. “This is not how I want to tell you this, but I’m kind of in a bind right now.”

“Go on.”

“Brace yourself,” I say, shaking my head. “Do you remember Ellie Pagan?”

“Of course. Your sisters tell me you’re seeing her again. Lincoln says—”

“Just stop there,” I laugh. “Whatever Linc says is probably not true.”

“Well, in this case, I hope it is.” She gives me a motherly smile. “You’ve seemed happier lately. And you’ve not been coming by for lunch. While I miss your handsome face, I think it’s a good thing you’re finding someone else to eat with.”

“I have been seeing her again. Actually,” I say, testing the waters, “I’m been doing more than seeing her.”

“Really?”

“Mom, Ellie and I are having a baby.”

Her jaw almost hits the table.

“Look, whatever you’re thinking, it’s not,” I ramble. “This isn’t some random thing or a mistake that needs cleaned up somehow. I wasn’t drinking or on drugs or—”

“Ford.” She stops me with one word. “I only have one question.”

“Yeah?”

“Do you love her?”

I slink back in my seat, smiling without meaning to. “She’s the first thing I think about when I wake up and the last thing that crosses my mind before I go to sleep. When I think back on my day or the last week or the last month, it’s like a highlight reel of the moments I got to spend with her. And, if I play that back over the course of my life, the sweetest memories all include her.”

Mom bats her eyelashes quickly, one hand going to her chest.

“I can’t imagine doing anything and not telling her about it or taking her with me to do it. There’s nothing that could be as tempting as slipping in bed with her at the end of the day. And, the thing is, Mom, I’ve always known that. I just didn’t know how to deal with it. Now, I know. And I’m not about to ever, ever give that up.”

“That’s all I need to know.”

I wait for her to continue, but she doesn’t. She just watches me with a smile that reflects mine.

“So … nothing else?” I ask.

“No.” She shrugs her narrow shoulders. “When can I meet her again? I’d love to get to know her and see if she needs anything for the baby.” She places a hand on her heart. “I’m going to be a grandma again. Maybe I’ll get to hold this one.”

We laugh at her joke. I close my eyes and feel relief course through me.

“Thank you, Mom.”

“For what, son?”

I shrug as I blow out a breath. “No matter what we do, whether it’s Barrett wrecking Dad’s car or Lincoln getting written up in the tabloids or Sienna moving to Los Angeles—you always have our backs. I haven’t always appreciated that about you.”

She grins softly. “It’s not always easy raising this brood. You’re a bunch of headstrong, opinionated, capable people, and that sometimes gives me heart failure. But I have to sit back and remember a couple of things.” She folds her hands on her lap, a gold bracelet twinkling in the light. “For one, that means we’ve raised healthy, intelligent children that aren’t afraid to be themselves. And two, your father and I—more your father—aren’t perfect either.”

Chuckling, I nod. “None of us is perfect.”

“No, we aren’t. But a hallmark of a strong family, Ford, is one that allows its members to grow and learn. And not just when they’re babies. Sometimes the hardest life lessons are learned when we’re adults.”

“I’ll try to remember that.”

“Yes, you should. Especially now that you’re going to be a daddy,” she smiles. “I can’t believe it. I want to go buy all the babies things.”

“Easy there,” I laugh. “You know, I was afraid you were going to think it was some kind of setup or something. I haven’t brought her around and after some of my brothers’ shenanigans …”

“You are different from your brothers,” she says. “You’re level-headed. If you tell me this is what you want and what is right, I’m behind you one hundred percent. Besides,” she laughs, “I’m going to be a grandma again!”

I watch her face light up, her cheeks matching the color of her dress.

“I have something else to tell you,” I sigh. “Ellie’s father died last night.”

“What?” For the second time in as many minutes, she looks shocked. “How? That poor girl. Where is she?”

“It’s a long story, but he had cancer. Had an accident last night and didn’t make it. She’s at his house now with a couple of her friends.”

“I need to make a casserole.” She gets to her feet and is at the freezer before I can say anything. “What does she like to eat?”

“Mom,” I chuckle, “give me a second.”

One hand holding open the door, she looks at me.

“She doesn’t need a casserole, although that’s very nice of you. It’s just her. He didn’t really have any friends and she doesn’t have siblings or family. I can handle feeding her.”

The door closes with a thump. “I have to do something,” she insists. “What does she need?”

I stand and look at her, my phone in my hand poised over Graham’s name. “There is one thing …”