Chapter THIRTY-SIX ELLIE

Life was perfect. I never thought it could be. But suddenly, it was.

Andres loves me.

He loves Sammy.

We’re building a life together.

I had a basket of sourdough proofing on the countertop. I was going to make that rosemary focaccia Andres loved so much with dinner tonight. Steak and asparagus in a hollandaise sauce.

For Sammy, I was making another side dish, his favorite homemade mac and cheese. He’d already told me the macaroni monster in his tummy was hungry for it.

“Sammy!” I called my son’s name, frowning.

He’d already been warned we had fifteen minutes to spare at the park. No more than that.

I didn’t want to be late for our appointment at the preschool we were looking at for Sammy. It had great reviews and a long waitlist. But luckily, we were able to snag an interview.

I walked past a group of hippopotamuses at the Safari Playground, some of them half sunk into the soft rubbery ground that was safe for toddlers and preschool aged children to play on.