Chapter 76

Thomas shook his head slowly, his gaze distant for a moment. “Nope. I don’t remember him,” he said, voice calm but firm. Gently, he closed the leather-bound photo album and set it on the coffee table between them. He looked up at his wife and his mother, offering a warm smile. “Lunch is ready. Come on, ladies.” Without another word, Thomas rose from the couch, smoothing the wrinkles from his shirt. He steered his mother and Cassandra toward the wide archway that led into the kitchen, the air between them light with contentment. The rich aroma of roast chicken and garlic mashed potatoes drifted out to greet them as they passed.

They spent the rest of the afternoon in the cozy embrace of Thomas’s parents’ home. Seated at the long, polished dining table, they talked and laughed, trading stories and toasts. Cassandra glowed in the gentle scrutiny of her in‐laws, who delighted in every flutter of her excitement as she described the first flutterings of life within her. Plates were