How (Not) to Fall in Love(59)

I blushed. “No, of course not. I just—”

“Darcy!” Pickles ran into the room at top speed, screeching to a stop in front of me. Her eyes were huge. “You look so pretty!” She turned to Lucas. “Doesn’t she?” She turned back to me. “Way prettier dan Heather.” She frowned. “I hate Heather.”

Lucas picked her up like she was a sack of flour and tossed her over his shoulder. “We all know how you feel about Heather,” he said, walking out of the room. “I think you can stop announcing it like the town crier.”

“I’m not a crier!” she protested as he tickled her.

I followed them into the kitchen, laughing, and grateful for Pickles’ interruption.

We spent the afternoon eating turkey and tofu. Charlie and Liz had cooked enough food to please the carnivores and the vegans. I watched Mom closely as she drank wine, but she stopped after two glasses. I sighed with relief when she switched to coffee. Maybe she didn’t really have a drinking problem. Maybe it was just the stress. Maybe if she spent more time with people like Charlie and Liz…

Jazz played on the stereo while Alejandro and Charlie bantered like old friends, which they obviously were. Liz turned her cosmic rays on full blast for Mom, who responded by relaxing and laughing in a way I hadn’t seen in forever. Lucas and I debated whether it was better to watch Studio Ghibli movies subtitled or dubbed. I’d missed arguing with him, joking with him. I’d missed him, period.

When none of us could eat any more, Pickles wormed her way onto my lap and played with my necklace, one of my own creations. Toby snored under the table, full of the scraps people had been sneaking him. No one mentioned Dad or the gossip column in the paper.

I wanted to freeze time at this table, with these people who’d become so important in my life. Mom had said we didn’t have anything to be grateful for, but the gratitude that swelled in my heart brought tears to my eyes.

Pickles stopped playing with my necklace when I reached up to brush a tear away.

“Why are you crying?” she whispered. She darted a suspicious look at Lucas, as if ready to blame him. He settled his gaze on me. My heart raced but I didn’t look away this time. There it was again—what I’d seen that night at his house, what I’d seen on our walk with Toby.

I finally broke eye contact to answer Pickles. “Did you ever cry because you were so happy it just sort of spilled out?”

She considered this seriously. “Maybe. When I got lost in the grocery store, then Lukie found me.” She patted my cheek with her chubby hand. “I love you, Darcy,” she whispered. “Don’t cry.”

I wiped another tear from my face and kissed her nose.

Lucas slid his chair away from the table and left the room. He returned a few minutes later with pie and dessert plates. “What kind of host forgets about dessert?” he teased Charlie.

Everyone laughed, and Pickles slid off my lap. Lucas cut the pie and Pickles delivered plates to each of us. Charlie raised his wine glass and cleared his throat. “I’d like to make a toast.” Everyone raised a glass and waited for him to speak. I was relieved that Mom held up a water goblet. Charlie turned his gaze to me. “To my niece,” he said.

Uh-oh.

“When Darcy walked into my store the first time, I remembered the little girl I’d known long ago. But now she’s an amazing young woman who’s brought so much heart to our little corner of Broadway.” He smiled, and I saw Dad looking back at me. “In spite of all she’s dealing with, she makes us laugh every day. She’s always there when we need her. She has a quiet strength that informs everything she does.” He paused and shot a grin at Liz. “Not to mention, now I get to have date nights since Darcy’s there to close up shop on the weekends.” He lifted his glass. “To Darcy!”

Everyone echoed his words. “To Darcy!”

Mom beamed at me, her eyes bright with tears. I didn’t dare look at Lucas. I’d heard him toast me along with everyone else, and that was enough.

“To family and friends, old and new,” Liz said.

They went on like that for ages, toasting and laughing.

Eventually Lucas started to clear the table. I stood up to help him.

“That’s why you need kids,” Alejandro said to Liz and Charlie. “To do the dirty work.”

Their laughter followed us into the kitchen. Lucas scraped the plate scraps into a trash can while I stacked glasses on the counter. Charlie’s kitchen was exactly as I’d imagined, complete with a dozen sets of salt and pepper shakers lining the windowsill over the sink.

“Are you glad you’re here today?” Lucas asked, turning from the sink. His sleeves were rolled up and his hands dripped with soapy water.

I nodded. “Very,” I said quietly.

“Me too,” he said. “I’ve missed you. Missed us.”

My body forgot how to breathe, and I couldn’t even draw enough air to agree.

He cleared his throat and turned away, drying his hands on a dishtowel. “Did Charlie embarrass you? With his toast?”

“Yeah.” My voice was croaky, but at least it worked. “His toast surprised me. But it was nice.”

“It was also true.”

I stared at my shoes, afraid to look at him. One minute we were joking and debating about books and movies, then the next thing I knew he said things that made me tongue-tied and breathless. Just when I thought I could relax around him, he put me off balance.