“Here,” Charlotte said, handing me one.
I bit into it and smiled. It tasted like pure sugar, but a superior, flavorful kind of sugar. And the pecans added some crunch. Best of all, it wasn’t spicy. Raphael’s food was wonderful, but I half suspected it was drilling holes through my stomach lining. “This is really good.”
Nana beamed. “Never met anyone who didn’t like it.”
Raphael appeared at the door, and his gaze fell on the tin. He looked at the twins sternly. “Do you know the rule about eating in bed?”
I started to defend them, to say that they were there to keep me company, but he flashed me a quick wink and I stayed silent.
Lucas shook his head. “What rule?”
“You have to give me some,” he said, and the twins laughed, handing the tin over. His eyes lit up as he bit into one. “Your pecan pralines are still the best, Nana, no matter what those state fair judges said.”
She laughed. “That’s ancient history.”
Raphael finished the sweet treat and then addressed Lucas. “Uncle Flynn just texted. The owner is coming to pick up that black pig who had pneumonia. George, I think its name was. Do you want to go say good-bye?”
“Yes.”
Lucas hopped to his feet, but I called out to him before he could take off “Why don’t you take your other uncle some pralines?” He nodded and grabbed a handful.
“Charlotte?” Raphael said. “Do you want to go too?”
The little girl just wrinkled her nose and shook her head. Apparently, she was much fonder of horses than pigs.
Lucas headed out, and Raphael helped himself to one more praline before excusing himself.
“Just us girls,” Nana commented. Charlotte smiled, and it dawned on me that this was the kind of moment I’d been waiting for—the chance to talk with her one-on-one. Or maybe one-on-one-on-one. Either way, it was a nice opportunity.
I asked Charlotte about school, but quickly learned she preferred to talk about horses.
“I went riding a few times when I was a girl,” I responded when she asked me about it.
“Uncle Flynn can teach you. He taught me.”
“Let’s let Alyssa’s leg heal first. She needs to walk before she can ride,” Nana said. That struck me as half profound and half comical, and I couldn’t help laughing a little. “It’ll get there eventually,” she said with a kind smile.
I tried to keep Charlotte talking. “Did you know that today was the first time I ever tried a pecan praline?”
The little girl looked shocked. “Ever?”
“Ever. What other things do you think I should try?” I raised my eyebrows at her before adding, “Except not alligator.”
She giggled. “Nana makes the best beignets.”
“What are those?” I had an image of a soft, pillowy donut-type thing in my head, but Charlotte, as a Louisiana native, could probably explain it better. And she did. The subject of local specialties—especially desserts—was one she seemed almost as enamored with as horses.
Then Nana got to her feet. “I need to go back and start making dinner, but you two stay,” she said, as if I had much of a choice. “It’s nice seeing you get the chance to chat.”
She gave Charlotte a kiss on the top of her head and sent a wave in my direction. Then she stopped. “I almost forgot.” She dug into her bag again and pulled out a cardboard box. “This came for you earlier. I had to sign for it—I guess you and Raphael were at physical therapy.”
“Thank you.”
Charlotte took the box from her and handed it to me. “What is it?” she asked when Nana had left.
I scanned the return address. “It’s a present from my friend Sierra.” The package was a total surprise, but perhaps it shouldn’t have been. Sierra was a kind person, and I had almost gotten used to the idea that a genuine Hollywood actress was my friend.
“Sierra? I’ve never heard that name before.”
“It’s a bit unusual.” I managed to get my fingernail under the edge of the packing tape on the side of the package. “It’s nice to get presents, isn’t it?”
“Yes.” She seemed more excited than I was. It made me wonder what the twins were like on Christmas morning.
Finally, I got the box open. Inside was another box. The lid was a pale pink with white flowers on it. Carefully, I lifted the lid off and set it aside. Inside was white tissue paper, and I began to wonder if I’d ever get to the present itself. But it was just one more layer down.
At first, I didn’t know what it was. It was made from a smooth, pale peach material that was incredibly soft and silky.
“What is it?” Charlotte asked. She touched the fabric with her finger and smiled.
“I don’t know yet.” I lifted the fabric from the box. It was long and slinky. Was it a scarf? Then I realized it was a robe. An incredibly luxurious one, though it looked a bit on the short side. Maybe Sierra had chosen it so that it wouldn’t get in the way of my cast?