Henry crawls onto my lap and steals one of my fish sticks.
“Fish!”
“That’s right, buddy. Fish stick. Nom nom nom.” I chase after the piece in his hand with my mouth.
Henry shoves half of it into his mouth and raises the other half for me. It’s slobbery, but a sweet gesture I can’t turn down.
“I swear he ate already,” Nora says.
I laugh and pop another fish stick in my mouth. “He’s an endless pit. I think he’s going through a growth spurt.”
“What’s a growf spurt?” Emma asks.
“It means you’re getting big,” Jack answers for me. “Can we go outside now?”
Henry can’t get down from my lap fast enough and nearly falls at the mention of going outside.
“Are you okay finishing lunch by yourself?” Nora asks.
“Yeah, I’m good. Go have fun. Thanks for lunch.”
“You’re welcome. Wait up, guys.” Nora turns for the door, and she’s halfway out when I call to her.
“Nora?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
She tilts her head. “For what?”
For being you.
For coming into our lives.
For making my kids smile and laugh.
“Everything.”
She smiles—the same one I’ve seen plastered all over TV and on the front of magazines, and it’s no wonder America has fallen in love with her.
It’s not just America’s heart she’s captured. She’s holding a large chunk of mine as well.
“I win!” Jack jumps from his seat and runs around the table.
I put a hand on Nora’s shoulder. “He beat you again, huh? I warned you.”
She stares at the chess board. “I know you did, but I—I’m good.”
“So am I,” Jack says. “I’m in the chess club at school.”
“They have a chess club at school?” she asks.
I nod. “That’s why we love this district so much. They offer tons of extracurricular activities.”
“Where did you learn how to play?” Jack asks, picking up all the pieces. He stacks them meticulously in the box before folding up the board.
“Bo taught me.”