Chapter 10 - The Whitaker Home
One year later.
The afternoon sun streamed warmly through the high windows of the Whitaker kitchen.
The room was filled with the irresistible aroma of fresh cinnamon, butter, and nutmeg.
Nora sat at the head of the long wooden island, her dark hair glowing in the sunlight, wearing a comfortable sweater. She was reviewing a research paper for her new role as a part-time child grief counselor at the San Diego Children's Hospital—a clinic she and Jonathan had co-founded earlier that year.
Around the kitchen, life buzzed in harmony, beautiful chaos.
Thirteen-year-old Hazel was sitting at the dining table, helping thirteen-year-old Brooke with her middle school algebra homework. Ten-year-old Ivy was at an easel near the window, painting a vibrant watercolor landscape of the garden fountain. Eight-year-old June and seven-year-old twins Cora and Mae were playing a board game on the rug, laughing hysterically.
Four-year-old Lena was sitting on a cushion near Nora's feet, carefully dressing her doll—which now has two brand-new arms that Jonathan had custom-printed for her in his tech lab.
The back door opened, and Jonathan stepped inside. He had officially stepped back from daily corporate operations, handing the CEO role to a trusted executive so he could serve as Chairman and spend his afternoons at home.
He wore jeans and a polo shirt, carrying a wooden cradle he had been building in his workshop.
He walked over to Nora, leaning down to kiss her softly on the lips. "How's my brilliant counselor feeling today?"
"Tired, but happy," Nora smiled, placing her hand over her abdomen.
Beneath her sweater was a subtle, beautiful bump. She was four months pregnant with their baby—a boy, as the ultrasound had revealed last week.
Jonathan knelt beside her chair, resting his hand gently over her stomach, a look of profound, eternal gratitude in his eyes.
"Is the little guy kicking yet?" Jonathan asked softly.
"Not yet," Nora laughed softly. "He's waiting for his sisters to finish their noise."
The six girls suddenly stopped what they were doing and swarmed around Nora and Jonathan.
"Is the baby listening?" Mae asked, pressing her ear to Nora's bump.
"I'm going to teach him how to play soccer!" Ivy declared.
"I'm going to make sure he eats his apples in his grilled cheese," Brooke added proudly.
Hazel put her arm around Nora's shoulder, looked at her new baby brother's crib in the corner, then out at the sunlit garden.
"He's going to be so lucky," Hazel said softly, looking at Nora with total devotion. "He gets to grow up in the happiest house in the world."
May you like
Jonathan looked at his six daughters, then at his beautiful wife holding their unborn child, and realized that thirty-seven nannies had fled this house because they were looking for a job. Nora Delgado had stayed because she was looking for a family.
And here, in the mansion overlooking the ocean, thirty-seven heartbreaks had finally led to one forever home.
