Chapter 9 - A Seat at the Table
Six months later.
The grand dining room of Bellandi House had undergone a complete transformation.
The cold, twenty-seat marble dining table was gone.
In its place sat a massive, custom-built round table made of warm, rustic reclaimed cedar, built by local craftsmen. Surrounding it were comfortable, cushioned armchairs. The walls were painted in soft, warm earth tones, hung with colorful paintings drawn by Lily and family photographs—including a framed picture of Elena on the mantelpiece, surrounded by fresh flowers.
It was a Sunday evening.
The mouth-watering aroma of roasted garlic, seared steaks, homemade gravy, and hot apple pie filled every corner of the house.
At the center of the round table sat a huge bowl of mashed potatoes, fresh green beans, and a basket of warm, pull-apart garlic rolls.
Sitting around the table were Noah, Lily, and Sophie.
Noah was showing his father a blueprint for an RC boat he was building for the river, his eyes shining with excitement. Lily was laughing as Sophie tried to feed a tiny piece of bread to her stuffed rabbit.
Adrian sat at the table wearing a soft blue sweater, looking relaxed, happy, and younger than he had in a decade. His arm was wrapped comfortably around the back of Grace's chair.
Grace sat beside him, wearing a lovely wine-red dress that hugged her gorgeous, generous curves perfectly. She looked radiant, her hair falling in soft curls around her shoulders, her hand resting comfortably over Adrian’s knee beneath the table.
Margaret walked in from the kitchen, setting a large gravy boat on the table, smiling as she took a seat in one of the open chairs beside the children.
"Alright, everybody," Grace announced, raising her glass of sparkling apple cider. "Before we eat, who wants to say grace?"
Sophie raised her hand eagerly. "Me! Me!"
"Go ahead, sweetie," Adrian smiled, holding his daughter's hand on one side and Grace’s hand on the other.
Sophie closed her eyes tightly. "Thank you, God, for this food. Thank you for Mommy in heaven watching over us. Thank you for Daddy’s big smiles. And thank you for Grace... because she makes the best rolls in the whole world and she's never, ever leaving."
"Amen," Noah and Lily whispered together.
"Amen," Adrian murmured.
He looked across the round table at his three healthy, laughing children, then turned to look at the beautiful, warm-hearted woman sitting beside him.
He reached out, picked up a warm garlic roll from the basket, and set it on Grace’s plate, leaning in to kiss her softly behind her ear.
"What was that for?" Grace whispered, her hazel eyes shining with love.
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"Just making sure the angels don't get mad," Adrian whispered back with a tender smile.
Grace laughed, a rich, musical sound that filled the room, blending with the laughter of the children, the warmth of the fire, and the enduring peace of a family that had finally, truly come home.
