Chapter 137

Haley's POV: The night before the book signing, an unexpected calm settled over our home. I stood in the kitchen, the warm smell of garlic and onions filling the air as I stirred the pasta in the pan. Lily leaned against the doorway with an apron tied around her waist, though she hadn’t touched a single pot or pan. “Mom, I’m your assistant tonight,” she announced proudly, placing her hands on her hips. I laughed softly, glancing over my shoulder at her. “Assistant, huh? And what exactly will you be doing?” She tilted her head dramatically. “Supervising.” I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Supervising, is it? So you’re the boss now?” “Yes,” she said seriously. “You’re cooking, I’m supervising. That’s teamwork.” Her words made me smile wider than I intended. Lily’s presence always did that to me. At the dining table, Jordan was hunched over his notebook, his little hand gripping a pencil tightly as he drew with fierce concentration. His tongue peeked out of the corner of his mouth, just like