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Once Ava was done and heading to find William too, Dorothy turned her attention to me. She smiled at me and pulled me in just the same. She hugged like a bear, with hidden muscles reserved for squeezing her loved ones in her arms.

“How are you, sweetheart?” She gently rubbed my back.

I broke away from her hug and sighed. “I’m just fine.”

Stealing the plastic bag of takeout from my grip, she ushered me inside.

The house was alive with the sound of my father wrestling his grandchildren. I poked my head into the living room, where William’s goofy grin was lighting up the entire house.

Looking up from his roughhousing, Dad winked at me. “Hi, Sarah Bear.”

Before I could even respond, Derek was launching a full-frontal attack on him, with Ava and Leila following diligently behind.

I shook my head as I made my way down the long hallway to the kitchen. Robin had been slowly updating the kitchen for Dorothy. I’d tried to offer my own help, but I was quickly shot down by my mom’s very strong design opinions.

As I walked into the open room, Dorothy had peeled open the takeout containers and placed large spoons in each plastic tupperware. A stack of bowls and plates waited neatly on the island. Dorothy always managed to turn something as small as takeout dinner into an entire production.

“So, just fine?” Dorothy pursed her lips at me.

Taking a seat in a rustic bar stool on the island, I leaned on the countertop. “It’s just complicated.”

Dorothy stared me down, trying to read between the lines. “Jason’s still behaving?”

“Of course.” I nodded. “We actually had a nice chat today. I was late to pick up the kids.”

Raising an eyebrow at me, Dorothy scoffed. “You were late to pick up? How did that happen?”

For a moment, I considered how to answer that. There was the truth:I was being relentlessly flirted with by two stunning women who both wanted my attention.And there was what I wanted my mom to know.

So I settled on a shrug. “Work distracted me a bit. I have a new project.”

“I’ve heard, on the lake house.” Dorothy smirked down into the food she was arranging. “I’ve heard Victoria Bradley is just stunning.”

Before I could stop myself, the words were coming out of my mouth. “She really is. And just commands a room.”

Dorothy lifted her head and nodded, a sly smile on her face. “That’s what I’ve heard. So, what did Jason have to say?”

Meeting her gaze, I knew I was busted. Any attempt to hide what was going on in my brain was completely useless around my mom. She could read me like a book, especially since the divorce forced me to open up to her more.

I tapped my finger against the counter. A cold jolt shooting through my fingertip with each touch. “He thinks that at some point I have to rip the bandaid off.”

“Good man.” Dorothy let her hand rest on the island. Clearing her throat, Dorothy looked at me. “I would’ve thought you’d be more hesitant to tell me something like that.”

I tried not to laugh but a giggle erupted from my throat. Pointing to the mounted picture of Zoey and Robin on the wall, I teased my mom. “Well, I think Zoey already broke that ice.”

Before Dorothy could say anything else, the kids burst into the room. Sweat dripped down their faces from their wrestling session. Without an invitation, they followed their grandma’s protocol and dished themselves food.

When there was a break in the chaos, Dorothy reached across the counter and grabbed my hand. She winked. “Good for you, darling.”

Then a huge hand clapped against my back, almost knocking the wind out of me. “Did you see Zoe’s latest scan?” William grinned as he leaned in, showing off a blurry picture on his phone.

“No, I haven’t.” I grabbed his phone and looked at the sonogram. “Doctors are happy?”

William nodded, unable to tear his eyes from the picture. “Thrilled. Everything is perfect.”

Rolling her eyes, Dorothy chuckled. “We’re all very glad to see that your father’s enthusiasm for new babies in the family was not limited to the first three.”

The stack of plates clattered as William grabbed his own. “And I’ll be this excited for every one, even if we end up with a hundred grandbabies.”