Common Ground

by Wendy Smith

  Placing it in front of her, I kiss the top of her head and she picks up a piece of bread and bites into it.

  “Is that better?” I ask.

  She nods, and I wipe her tears away with my thumb. Tomorrow will be a new day, and we’ll all be at home together.

  I sit back down, pick up my fork, and take a big mouthful of the mac and cheese.

  No wonder Melly didn’t like it.

  “You know what? Forget this.”

  I stare as Josh stands, picks up his plate and mine, and takes them both to the bench.

  “It’s okay.”

  “Cleary, it’s not. I can see your frustration. Let’s go for a drive.”

  “Can I bring my sandwich?” Melly mumbles.

  “Of course you can. We’re going to get something else though.”

  He winks at her, and her whole face lights up as she sprays crumbs over the table. “Yay.”

  “Pizza sound good?”

  She nods, and he plucks her from the chair and onto his hip. She’s too big for me to do that with now, but Josh just makes it look effortless. And she loves clinging to him.

  “Let’s get going.” He pecks her on the cheek.

  “Come on, Mummy,” she calls.

  Her tone’s flipped. She’s gone from being miserable to sounding like this is the most exciting outing ever.

  “I’ll just take care of the rest of this.” I pick up the dish and move it onto a shelf in the fridge before grabbing my bag and following Josh downstairs and into the garage.

  He buckles Melly into her booster. She’s got a sandwich in each hand, and a wide smile on her face. Her expression melts me. She looks at her father like he’s the most amazing man ever.

  I know that feeling. I’m sure it’s the way I look at him.

  Throwing my bag on the car floor, I climb into the passenger seat. Josh jumps in and starts the car.

  “Let’s go get some pizza,” Josh says.

  I close my eyes as we hit the road, and take a deep breath.

  The car’s quiet but for the smacking sound Melly makes when she chews, and I sneak a look at Josh.

  He reaches across the centre console and takes my hand in his.

  “Are you angry?” I ask.

  “No. Why would I be?” he asks.

  I shrug. “You haven’t spoken to me since the dinner table.”

  “Amelia hated it. And I saw your face when you took a bite.”

  “It wasn’t bad. It just wasn’t that great for a five-year-old.”

  He indicates and turns a corner. “No, it wasn’t. And Amelia has enough change in her life without anything else to deal with. Even if it’s as simple as that.”

  For a moment, I just watch him. I should have told him how I was feeling, but I didn’t want to put him under any more pressure. Now he’s stepping in to take control, and the sense of relief is overwhelming.

  “Where are we going?” I ask.

  “A little pizza place I found a couple of years ago. I visit it far more often than I should when I’m home.”

  I smile. “No Australian baristas there?”

  Josh pulls up to a red light and grins at me. “There’s only one Australian barista who’s ever stolen my heart.”

  “Really? She’s a bit alright then?”

  “Very. I think I might just spend the rest of my life with her.”

  The light turns green, and I’m glad Josh is driving because I can’t focus. I know we’re in a relationship, and plan to spend the rest of our lives together, but hearing those words still sets my heart fluttering.

  It’s not a long drive, but I have no idea where we are. I only really know how to get to the school and back, and we’re a long way from the neighbourhood I stayed in last time I was here. Josh pulls into a small car park behind a building with a large sign outside that reads Lorenzo’s Pizza.

  “How did you find this place?” I ask

  He shoots me a sheepish look. “I got lost, and then hungry.”

  I laugh. “That’s so not like you.”

  Josh leans over and pecks me on the lips. “Best pizza anywhere. But then, you haven’t made me pizza yet.”

  “That could be arranged.”

  “I hope so. What I think we need to do is go to the grocery store tomorrow and you can stock your kitchen your way.”

  I sigh. “You really do know the way to a woman’s heart.”

  “Oh, I have an idea that’ll really put a smile on your face later. Come on.”

  We get out of the car, and I open Melly’s door. She’s not happy until her father holds her hand and leads her toward the building. It’s a wonderful sight. She really does have him wrapped around her little finger.

  The aroma of pepperoni and oregano hit me when we walk in the door, and I find myself salivating.

  “Josh.” An older man with a wide smile approaches us. “It’s been a long time. And who is this?” He looks between Melly and me.

  “This is my partner, Delaney, and our daughter, Amelia.” Josh turns to me. “Delaney, this is Lorenzo.”

  I take the hand the man offers and he raises it to his lips. “It’s such a pleasure to meet you, Delaney.”

  “You too.”

  “I didn’t know you had a daughter.”

  Josh grins. “It’s a long story, but here she is.”

  Lorenzo lets go of my hand. “I have a spare booth down the back. Follow me.”

  We weave past crowded tables to a quiet corner of the restaurant, and I slide into the large red leather seat. Josh follows, and Melly sits on his other side.

  “What did you want to order?”

  Josh turns to Melly. “Do you like pepperoni?”

  She nods, and he turns to me. “What about you?”

  “I’m happy with whatever you order. I could eat a horse right now. Everything smells so good.”

  Josh laughs. “Lorenzo, could we please have the large pepperoni, and six garlic rolls?”

  He nods. “Of course. I’ll get that out as quickly as possible. Drinks?”

  Josh looks at me. “Coke, please,” I say. “And an orange juice for Melly.”

  “Coke for me too,” Josh says.

  “Coming right up.”

  “I love pizza,” Melly says.

  “I know you do, sweetheart.” I turn to Josh. “This place looks lovely.”

  “It’s pretty popular, but Lorenzo usually squeezes me in.” He reaches for my hand. “Feeling better?”

  “I am.” Melly’s announcement makes us both laugh.

  “Straight to bed when we get home, I think.” I’m not about to forget the tired tears. At least we’ve got the weekend together. That’ll cheer her up.

  It doesn’t take long for the pizza to arrive, and Melly’s eyes grow wide at the sight of it.

  “It’s so big,” she says.

  “I think the slices are as big as your head.” I laugh.

  “Let’s test that theory.” Josh picks up a piece and holds it in the air, looking between it and Melly. He nods. “Confirmed. I hope you didn’t eat too much peanut butter. Be careful with this. It’s pretty hot.”

  She giggles and he places the pizza on a plate in front of her.

  I reach for a slice, and place it on my plate. After grabbing a garlic roll, I take a bite. The garlic is through the doughy bread, and I moan at how good it tastes.

  “Moan like that again and we’ll be taking this home.” Josh murmurs in my ear.

  I laugh, leaning my head against his. “These are so good.”

  “I hope you all enjoy your meal,” Lorenzo says.

  “It’s fantastic so far,” I say.

  “Delaney’s a cook. She owned her own diner back in New Zealand,” Josh says.

  Lorenzo grins. “Wonderful. Are you opening one here?”

  I shake my head. “No plans to. I’m just adjusting to being here and settling Amelia in at the moment. I might have to become a regular customer of yours just for the rolls.”

  He chuckles. “
I’m glad you like them.”

  Leaving us to our meal, he walks around the room making conversation with people on all the tables, and always with a smile on his face.

  “He’s such a nice guy,” I say.

  “Yeah, he is. He’s the big reason I come here. It’s always a family atmosphere, and I enjoy the company.”

  I shift my gaze to Josh. “Was it lonely? I mean, I know you have friends, but living in that big house …”

  He nods. “Sometimes. Other times, I liked rattling around in there. And then there were the times when Reece would come over and Mrs Becker would cook for him. I’m sure he’ll start visiting you once he samples your cooking.”

  “I’d cook for him any time.” I bat my lashes.

  Josh studies me for a moment. “You don’t have to get all starry-eyed over him.”

  “You know there’s only one man who makes me see stars.” I grin.

  “Finished.”

  I look over at Melly. Her plate’s already clean and she’s licking her fingers. She beams a breathtaking smile at me.

  “Did you want to try one of these rolls? They’re very nice.”

  She nods. “Uh huh.”

  “Here you go.” Josh hands her one, and she takes a big bite.

  “They’re yummy too,” she exclaims, and my heart’s so warmed by the sight.

  She’s happy again.

  Josh demolishes most of the pizza, but there’s more than enough for the three of us.

  Lorenzo approaches. “Did you want anything else?”

  I shake my head. “We’re full. But thank you so much. It was wonderful. I can see why Josh loves your food so much.”

  “I appreciate that.” He turns to Melly. “How old are you?” he asks.

  Melly holds up her splayed out fingers. “I’m five.”

  “Really? Would you like to meet my granddaughter? She’s five, and she’s having dinner here tonight too.”

  Melly nods.

  He looks at me. “They’re right over there. Do you mind if I take her over?”

  Josh leans toward me “She’ll be fine.”

  I nod. “It’s okay with me.”

  Melly stands, takes Lorenzo’s hand and he leads her to a nearby table. Another dark-haired little girl looks up as they approach, and her eyes light up when she sees Melly.

  Josh slides his arm around my shoulders. “You’re not happy.”

  When I turn, his eyes search mine. “We’re still settling in.”

  He shakes his head. “That’s not it. There’s something missing. It’s crept up, and I couldn’t put my finger on it until tonight.”

  I blink back tears. “We’ll work through it. This is such a big change for Melly and I.”

  “Look at her, Delaney. That’s the biggest smile I think I’ve seen on her face all week.”

  I look over to where Melly’s sitting with the other little girl. He’s right. She’s gone from tears in the dining room to beaming smiles.

  “You’ve got enough on your plate, Josh …”

  “No. I want my feisty Delaney back. The one who puts me in my place and turns me upside down.”

  I give him a small smile. “And I thought I was the bossy one.”

  “Amelia didn’t like the dinner Mrs Becker cooked.”

  I shake my head. “It wasn’t the same as my mac and cheese. She’s spent all her life with my cooking, and the food we get in New Zealand. A lot of things taste different here.”

  “Why didn’t you make dinner?” His gaze is so intense. My stomach twists. He’s trying to work this all out because he cares, but I still feel like an ungrateful naughty schoolgirl being told off by my dad.

  I sigh, and he holds me a little tighter. He loves me, and I know that. I also know his change in career direction is putting pressure on him, and that’s one of the reasons why I don’t want to make a huge deal over it.

  “I feel like a stranger in my own home.”

  His brows knit. “In what way?”

  “Every time I step into that kitchen with the intention of making anything, Mrs Becker all but pushes me out. I know she wants to take care of us the way she’s taken care of you, but I’ve never needed taking care of before.”

  He reaches up and brushes a stray lock of hair behind my ear. “You are the most capable person I’ve ever met. I needed her to make sure I had good meals and to run the household in my absence. It’s your home now. Say the word and I’ll help her find work somewhere else.”

  For a moment, I pause and just look at him. “You’d do that?”

  He nods. “She’s been good to me, and I wouldn’t just throw her out, but yes. I’d do anything for you.”

  His expression softens, and tears roll down my cheeks at just how sweet he’s being. I feel like I’m always crying around him, but the roller coaster of our life seems far from over.

  “In the meantime, I’ll talk to her tomorrow and make it clear she needs to give you the space to do your own thing. I thought it was weird you weren’t cooking at all, but just assumed that you wanted a break for a while.”

  I shake my head. “I really do miss cooking.”

  “Well, there you go.” He wipes my tears with his thumb. “I’m sorry I didn’t work it out earlier. The last thing I ever want to see is you or Amelia unhappy. You two are my everything.”

  “I didn’t want to worry you unnecessarily.”

  “You come first. No matter what.”

  He strokes my cheek as I smile. “That’s better. Now I need you to say something really sarcastic or bitter to complete the Delaney experience.”

  “You’re such a smart-arse.”

  “I do like the way you say arse.” He says it with the r slightly rolled and it just sounds weird. “I also like your arse.”

  “Okay, you need to start talking your Canadian way again because this attempt at a Kiwi accent is really freaking me out.”

  “Made you smile.” He kisses me softly, pressing his forehead to mine. “Just remember that what’s mine is yours. Redecorate the house—make it a real home for us. And if it’s too much, we’ll sell it and buy something smaller.”

  I laugh. “You’d really do that?”

  “Told you. Anything for you.”

  Forty-Five

  Delaney

  I’m not sure what he says to Mrs Becker, but the kitchen is clear in the morning, and I revel in the simple act of making French toast for breakfast.

  Amelia’s smiling again, and by the time Josh rolls out of bed, she’s finished eating.

  “Daddy!” she squeals. “Can we have pizza again today?”

  He laughs. “You really enjoyed yourself last night.”

  She nods. “Maria is so much fun. She likes Paw Patrol too.”

  “Does she now?” He looks at me for guidance.

  “It’s her favourite cartoon.”

  “Oh.” He plants a kiss on her head. “We can’t go back today, but I’d be happy to talk to Lorenzo and maybe we could arrange a play-date.”

  “That would be wonderful,” I say.

  It’s funny how one night fixes so much. There’s a part of me that feels bad about Mrs Becker. She’s a lovely lady, but this is my home.

  The house is still ridiculously big and overwhelming, but every day I get a little more used to it. I’ve walked every inch of it, so at least I know it well now.

  “After breakfast, let’s go to the grocery store,” Josh says.

  “Really? I haven’t even looked at the cupboards yet to see what’s here.”

  “Do that first and then we’ll go for a drive.” He smiles.

  It’s the small actions that make me appreciate Josh all the more. He gave me time and then acted when he knew something was wrong.

  I’m the luckiest woman alive.

  Monday morning, I’m back in a funk.

  Amelia’s at school, and while I have a kitchen full of groceries, I’m not in the mood to cook.

  I’m sure there are emails that need to be taken care
of. Since I accepted the offer on the diner, there have been a few messages back and forward.

  Josh bought me a new laptop when I arrived here. My old one had been through the wringer, doing all the work for the diner as well as my personal stuff. This one, at least, doesn’t take forever to load.

  I sit at the computer and load up all my tabs. I’ve barely touched social media since Josh and I got back together, and I know I’m asking for trouble, but maybe I can do some more work on muting and blocking what I don’t want to see.

  There’s nothing too crazy recently. The fuss died down a lot after Josh put out a statement acknowledging Amelia as his daughter and disavowing the article about me.

  But there is the odd thing that piques my interest.

  Like the tweet with a photo of Josh and me. I’ve seen it before. It was taken the first week Amelia started school here. They don’t show her or the school, but I had a hard time saying goodbye to her that first day, and Josh has me in his arms.

  I know I shouldn’t click.

  The tweet reads: Ugh! Why is he with her? When will he be allowed to be with his real girlfriend?

  His real girlfriend?

  I click and click, falling down a well I shouldn’t be falling down. It doesn’t hurt. In fact, I think it’s almost funny knowing what I know, but there are people who think Josh and Gabby are secretly married. Some think they have a child.

  I wonder if Gabby knows about this. I’m sure she’d find it as amusing as I do.

  A loud thud comes from behind me, and my heart races.

  I turn to find Mrs Becker, a sheepish look on her face, quietly closing a cupboard door.

  “Oh, sorry, Delaney. I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

  I shake my head. “You didn’t.” Licking my lips, I stand. “Mrs Becker …”

  She smiles. “If you’re worried about Josh talking to me about the kitchen, it’s fine, love. I knew this day would come, and I’m glad that it’s you.”

  I stare at her.

  “Josh hired me four years ago, but I always told him that I’d leave when the time was right. My daughter’s just had her fourth baby, and I think it’s time.”