Finding Our Forever (Silver Springs #1)(67)
“Oh my gosh! That’s it!” she exclaimed. “Finally! Do you know how many shops I’ve visited?”
“More than ten?”
“More than twenty!”
“Lilly must’ve loved such an in-depth hunt.”
Cora smiled at the sparkle in Aiyana’s eyes. They both knew how much her adoptive mother enjoyed shopping. “She did. I’m sure she’ll be slightly disappointed that we came up with this on our own.”
“I’ll have to tease her about that,” Aiyana joked.
“It’s a good thing she likes you.”
“I never realized that by getting my daughter back, I’d also be getting such a good friend.”
They checked the price, sent Lilly a picture and, after receiving her exuberant reply, ordered one in the appropriate size for Jill, Darci, an old childhood friend who Cora kept in touch with every few months, two other friends from high school and a teacher she’d met while substituting at Woodbridge High.
“Well, it’s exciting to finally meet with success, but finding the dress so early cuts our day short,” Cora said as they left the boutique. “I didn’t expect to buy from the first shop we visited.”
“We can start searching for something else on the list. What’s left?”
“My shoes. I haven’t yet found a pair that’s both pretty and comfortable. But the restaurant’s just down the street, so let’s eat before we do any more shopping. I’m starved.”
“Me, too.” As Aiyana linked her arm through Cora’s, Cora felt such a tremendous rush of love and admiration. Her relationship with her biological mother was every bit as good as she’d ever dreamed it could be.
“Thanks for taking the time to come with me today,” she said.
“I love being included, love having you in my life. I can’t wait for the wedding.”
Cora covered her mother’s hand as they sauntered down the sidewalk. “We could always make it a double wedding, you know.”
Aiyana pulled Cora to a stop. “What are you talking about?”
“Me and Eli—you and Cal.”
A blush suffused Aiyana’s cheeks. “What makes you think I’d ever marry Cal? We’re just friends.”
“It’s hilarious you’d even try to say that!” Cora said, laughing. “I know you stayed over at his place last Friday, when we had Bentley and Liam.”
Her cheeks, already red, turned crimson. “I got home late, that’s all.”
Cora couldn’t quit grinning. “Uh-huh.”
“How’d you know?” her mother asked.
“Liam forgot something, so we dropped by the house. Your car wasn’t there.”
“Liam doesn’t know I slept at Cal’s, does he?” she said with a gasp.
“He didn’t even seem to notice that your car was gone. He was too preoccupied with getting the video game he wanted. And Eli and I didn’t talk about it until later, after the boys were asleep.”
“I can’t get away with anything,” she grumbled.
Cora laughed again. “Which brings me back to the idea of a double wedding...”
Seemingly flustered, Aiyana waved her off. “Don’t even suggest that! We would never horn in on your happiness.”
“You wouldn’t be ‘horning in.’ We’d be thrilled to share the limelight.”
“You’re jumping to conclusions.” Aiyana started to walk away from her, picking up the pace as if she could outdistance the conversation, too. “Let’s not even talk about it.”
Cora hurried to catch up with her. “He loves you, you know.” And the two of them had grown so much closer in the last few weeks. Eli had noticed the same thing.
“I’m too old for that sort of thing,” she insisted.
“That’s what you always say. But I think you should reconsider your stance—to allow yourself to be happy at last.”
Aiyana stopped again and pivoted to face her. “He’s mentioned it,” she suddenly admitted, sobering.
Cora felt her eyebrows slide up. “And?”
“I’m not ready. But—” her lips curved into a rather shy smile “—maybe soon.”
“That’s wonderful!” Cora cried.
She lifted a hand. “Like I said, let’s not talk about it now. Your wedding comes first. After that’s over, in another year or so, I don’t know. We’ll see.”