Daph thought about it seriously. She glanced at Adrian, then over at Luke Holloway, torn between the two.
After a moment’s struggle, she finally said, “Um… I’ll tell Mommy tomorrow morning!”
On the way home, Adrian managed to coax Daph to sleep.
He took out an earbud and gently placed it in Daph’s ear.
Then, he played a recording–a message he’d typed out on his phone:
“Today, little Dafina took Mommy and Mr. Shaw to the family activities day. The whole Dafina family was awarded the title of Most Beautiful Family!”
A smile crept onto Daph’s lips as she slept.
“But when Daph went with Mommy and Uncle Luke, her big, burly uncle scared so many kids that the Dafina family was crowned the Worst Family of the Day.”
Her smile immediately faded, her lips drooping.
“Mr. Shaw and Daph swept the competitions, and Daph’s mischievous dad had to surrender, begging for mercy. But when Daph brought Uncle Luke, he couldn’t figure out the rules and missed all the events. Her bad dad held Dames and couldn’t stop laughing at her.”
The scenes played out in Daph’s dreams. She shrank into herself, suddenly feeling unsafe, and in her sleep, she began to nibble on her own fingers.
The Range Rover came to a halt outside the Shaw family’s front gate. As Adrian got out, he casually mentioned to Selene, “I’m free this weekend.”
In the driver’s seat, Luke Holloway’s face turned stormy.
Daph woke up early the next morning. She stretched her chubby little fing and
scratched at her ear.
Last night’s dream had felt like a glimpse into the future. If she picked Adrian to join her for the family activities day, everything turned out wonderful. But if she picked Luke Holloway, her dream had all the other kids bursting into tears the moment they saw him.
Daph sat up in bed, pondering for a few seconds.
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no 06
She dressed herself, tidied her blanket, and pushed open the door to the kids room Instantly, she was enveloped in the delicious aroma of breakfast.
Is Mommy cooking?
Excited, Daph raced to the kitchen.
There, by the stove, stood Luke Holloway–nearly six foot three, broad–shouldered and solid as a rock, with his big hands dusted in flour.
“Uncle Luke, what are you making?”
He turned to look at Daph. “I made some beef pies. There’s one almost ready.”
The smell of the pies made Daph’s mouth water uncontrollably.
“What else? It smells amazing!”
She hurried over to the stove, and Luke lifted the lid on a heavy pot, letting her peek inside at a bubbling, golden soup.
“Creamy shrimp soup,” he said.
“Wow!!”
Daph’s eyes sparkled with delight.
Luke tossed in a handful of greens.
“Did you wash up yet?”
Daph rubbed her sleepy eyes. “Not yet.”
“Go get ready. Breakfast will be waiting.”
With a spring in her step, Daph dashed out of the kitchen in her slippers. “I’ll be super quick!”
Just then, Selene opened her bedroom door, still drowsy from sleep. She caught sight of Daph rushing toward the bathroom.
Selene walked to the kitchen and paused at the doorway, taking in Luke Holloway in his black t–shirt, his muscular arms exposed. He hadn’t bothered with an apron–hers was far too small for him anyway,
She wasn’t surprised to see–Luke cooking. He was a fantastic cook; whenever he had the chance, he’d make a feast for her.
Selene stepped closer and peeked into the pot, marveling, “When did you start, making breakfast?”
ΠΟΠΑ
Making a soup like that meant simmering shrimp heads for hours to get the flavors just right–a labor of love.
Luke just shrugged. “Thought you two deserved something special.”
Selene grinned. “I love it when you cook, big brother. Come over more often, okay?”
At that, the hard lines of Luke’s face softened.
The three of them gathered around the table for breakfast. Daph devoured her meal, alternating between big bites of beef pie and spoonfuls of soup, as if she could barely keep up with her own appetite.
“Uncle Luke, your cooking is the best! Mommy, can I take some of his beef pie to school?”
Selene smiled. “I’ll pack some for you. Will one be enough?”
“I can eat three!”
Luke chuckled. “I’ve been working on some new recipes lately. Next time we go for a picnic, I’ll make you all a homemade lunchbox.”
