Page 100 of Charm

“I’ll get it,” she announces before she takes off in a run toward the stairs.

As soon as she’s out of view, Holden reaches for my hand. He cups it in his before he drags it up to his lips to kiss my palm. “You’re a great mom.”

The compliment is unexpected but welcome. “That’s all I really want to be.”

The sound of movement above us lures Holden’s eyes to the ceiling. “It sounds like she’s moving furniture up there.”

“She might be.”

“That would give us time to kiss.” He cocks a brow. “A chaste one, of course.”

I lean closer to press my lips to his for a soft kiss. “Like that?”

“How can a kiss like that make me want you so much?” he whispers. “Why can’t I get enough of you?”

I want to tell him it’s the same for me. I can’t get enough of him. I don’t know if I ever will.

The rumble of Olive’s feet on the stairs pulls us apart. Holden gives my hand one last squeeze before he drops it.

Olive appears again, but this time, she’s dressed in blue. It’s the dress that Martha sewed for her just last month. They chose the material together, and Olive sat by her grandmother’s side as she worked on her vintage sewing machine. I captured so many images and videos of that because I want to remember it forever.

“What do you think?” Olive spins in a tight circle to show off the dress. “It’s so pretty.”

Holden’s gaze lingers on the pendant hanging from the gold chain around her neck that is now in view. She’s tugging on it. I know that move. She does that when she’s extra excited.

“You’re looking at my necklace, aren’t you?” she asks before Holden can say anything. “It’s my good luck charm. A four-leaf clover.”

He leans forward to get a better look. “With two small diamonds.”

“Right.” She nods. “My first Mommy gave it to my Mom. I get to wear it whenever I want.”

Grateful that I explained Olive’s birth to Holden, I glance at him, but his gaze has dropped to his lap. When he does look up, he’s focused solely on Olive.

“The dress and the necklace are beautiful, Olive.”

She takes a step closer to him. “I was wearing this necklace when I won the spelling bee at school.”

He smiles gently. “You must be very good at spelling.”

“Average.” She laughs. “But whenever I wear this, good stuff happens.”

She’s now directly in front of him. Her fingers toy with the four-leaf clover charm. “Do you think they’re real diamonds. Mommy said they might be, but maybe not.”

He stares at the pendant, his gaze never leaving it. “Those are real diamonds, Olive.”

I’ve always suspected they were, too. Celia told me she treated herself to the pendant when she saw it at a market while on a beach vacation with some friends from work. She was struck by the idea that the pendant might bring her good luck.

It did in many ways, and not in others.

It is something tangible that bonds her to Olive, so I hope my daughter treasures it forever.

“I’ll take extra good care of it.” The pendant disappears into her fist when she closes her hand around it. “Can we have dessert now, Mom?”

A phone’s chime fills the air. Holden mutters an apology under his breath before he tugs the phone from his pocket. When he looks up, his gaze catches mine. “I need to take care of something.”

“My home office is at the end of the hall.” I motion in that direction. “It’s the last door on your left.”

“I’ll be right back.” He slides out of his chair, stopping to glance at Olive before he disappears out of view.