Behind Closed Doors

Chapter 26

Andre turned the knob of Emily's front door and struggled to get through with his hands full. Making his way into the corridor and then the sitting room, he found Emily kneeling on the floor with her back to him, softly singing a song. She seemed completely absorbed in her music, not noticing his arrival. He couldn't help but notice the party hat hanging around her neck and the playful atmosphere she exuded. She had already quietly begun celebrating.

As he stood there watching her, a box slipped from his hands, causing a noise that caught Emily's attention. She turned, spotting him immediately.

"Good morning, Emily," he greeted her with a smile, noticing the goofy nose she wore and how she held Lucas close as she sang to him.

"I see you've already started the celebration," he remarked.

Emily returned his smile warmly. "He seems to like goofy faces."

"I see," Andre said, glancing at the excited Lucas. "I can't believe he's already a year old."

"Right? They grow so fast," Emily replied, pulling Lucas closer and removing the clown nose.

She was always so attentive to Lucas, he noted. Her gaze shifted to the bags and boxes Andre had dropped.

"What are the bags for?" she inquired.

"They're gifts," Andre replied, moving closer to them. "For Lucas."

Her eyes widened in shock. "All these?"

"Yeah, why?" he asked, puzzled by her reaction.

"How much did it cost you? Isn't it too much?" she queried, concern evident in her voice.

"Too much? Hell no!" Andre laughed, dismissing her worries.

Still eyeing the bags, Emily wondered why he had spent so extravagantly.

"Can I hold him?" Andre asked, gesturing to Lucas.

"Yeah," Emily replied, letting go of Lucas as Andre lifted him up. "He's a big boy now," Andre observed, eliciting a smile from Emily, who looked on with pride.

"He's grown so much within a year. He can even move without support now, but only for a short distance," she added.

"Is that true, Lucas?" Andre addressed the little boy in his arms, receiving only giggles in response.

"He cannot talk," Emily laughed.

"Who said so? Lucas, you're now a big boy, aren't you?" Andre teased, amused by Lucas's response.

"You see, he just answered!" Andre chuckled, and Emily joined in.

"Please, Andre, let me get you something to eat. There's cake, and I also made steak," Emily offered.

"Oh, but I brought cake too," Andre said, pointing to the boxes on the floor. "My sister baked this for him."

"Really?" Emily exclaimed, moving closer to inspect the cake. "It's beautiful. Thank you so much."

"Thank you for the compliment. I'll pass it on to her," Andre replied.

"You'll still have my cake, right?" Emily asked.

"Sure thing," Andre assured her, watching as she walked away, unable to tear his eyes away from her. He heard a sound from Lucas and turned back to face him, marveling at the resemblance between mother and son.

"If you need seconds, just let me know," Emily's voice brought him back to reality as she approached with her hands full. Placing the plates on the table, she looked at him.

"I've only got fruit juice. I hope that's okay," she said.

"Water's fine, Emily," Andre replied.

"The juices are healthy, but water's great too. I'll still pack a bottle of juice for you when you leave. They're really healthy and helped me post-pregnancy," Emily explained.