She glows at that and I feel a surge of pride that she's mine, that I get to introduce her to my family like this. We make our way to the large table in the back corner that we've pushed together from several smaller ones, already occupied by family.
Calvin and Maren are there already. Calvin gently bouncing Henry who's awake now and making those little baby noises, Maren looking relaxed and happy. I introduce Isabelle to Emma, Theo's wife, who has toddler Clara in her lap—a tiny redheaded whirlwind who's currently very interested in the breadbasket.
Emma is warm and immediately friendly, making Isabellefeel welcome. And there's Chloe, Theo's daughter from his previous marriage, now nine years old and currently wearing a racing t-shirt and practically vibrating with excitement about meeting someone new.
Chloe spots Isabelle looking at her shirt and immediately launches in. "Do you like race cars? This is from my go-karting team!"
Isabelle smiles, looking thoroughly charmed. "I love it. Do you race a lot?"
"I go go-karting every weekend at this place called Speed Zone in the next town over. I'm number one on my team right now," she says proudly, puffing up her chest.
Isabelle laughs, delighted. "Wow, that sounds super impressive. You must be really good."
Theo sets down a basket of bread at the table and ruffles Chloe's hair. "She's a speed demon who got red-carded last week for aggressive driving on the track.”
Chloe rolls her eyes dramatically. "Uncle Jack told me it wastotallya legal move. He said the ref didn't know what he was talking about. And he’s a Formula 1 driver, so he would know."
"Uncle Jack also has a very flexible relationship with rules," Theo says dryly.
Isabelle mouths 'she's so cute' to me and I laugh, nodding. Chloe is tenacious and fearless, and if Clara's emerging personality is any indication, Theo is going to have two girls who run circles around him and give him gray hair by forty. But I don't think he'd have it any other way.
I take Isabelle back to the kitchen, wanting to show her where the magic happens. Miranda, my sous chef who's been running the kitchen in my absence, lights up when she sees me.
"Look who finally decided to show his face!" She pulls me into a warm hug, squeezing tight before stepping back. She's in her early forties, has worked with us since we opened, and is one of the best cooks I've ever worked with.
"How's your daughter doing?" I ask. "You said she'd be starting college by now, right?"
"Oh, it went wonderfully," she says, patting my back fondly. "She's loving it at University of Washington. Calls me every Sunday like clockwork. Now who is this absolute beauty?"
She turns toward Isabelle, who extends her hand.
"This is Isabelle, my girlfriend," I say, and the word still feels new and good in my mouth. "She's a chef too, that's how we met down in Napa. She's running a pop-up at Solstice Estates."
Miranda's eyes widen. "I've heard word of your skills. Theo relayed some of Alex's rather glowing reports about your cooking. And my god, you're gorgeous, honey. Make sure he knows how lucky he is to have you."
Isabelle laughs and cuts an eye at me. "Oh, I make sure to remind him daily. Sometimes hourly."
"Good girl," Miranda winks. She shows Isabelle around the kitchen, pointing out our systems and setups, and we all naturally fall into talking shop—comparing preferred knife brands, discussing plating techniques, debating the merits of different cooking methods. Isabelle fits right in.
We eventually make our way back out to the table and I'm surprised to see Mateo has arrived, Calvin's half-brother on their dad's side, who lives in Boston but spends a good amount of time in Dark River visiting. He looks so similar to Calvin, tall with dark hair, and is standing talking to Theo when he spots me.
"Mateo," I say, greeting him with a quick hug. "Good to see you, man. I didn't know you'd make it to dinner."
He smiles. "Yeah, sorry I wasn't at the house this afternoon when you stopped by. I've been volunteering at the fire department while I'm here, so I was doing a training session with some of the newer guys."
Mateo is a fire and rescue specialist in Boston, but he's certified to work pretty much anywhere and likes keeping his skillssharp. I introduce him to Isabelle and we all settle around the table for dinner.
The menu is peak Pacific Northwest October bounty—we start with oysters from a local farm and a smoked salmon spread that Miranda perfected while I was gone, move on to mains of pan-seared halibut with roasted root vegetables and a perfectly cooked ribeye with chanterelle mushrooms. The drinks and food flow, conversation and laughter filling the restaurant.
We talk about missing Dominic and Brooke who are in Manhattan this time of year—they split their time between the city and Dark River, and Jack and Lark who are still in LA working on their respective projects. But it's still perfect, the family together and warm and welcoming. And Isabelle here by my side, laughing at Theo's stories and asking Maren questions about motherhood and admiring Chloe's go-kart racing strategy, fitting in like she's always been part of this.
I catch Theo's eye across the table at one point and he gives me a small nod, a smile that says he approves, he understands, he's happy for me. And I feel something settle in my chest, something that feels like coming home in more ways than one.
This is right. She's right. We're right.
And for tonight, in this restaurant surrounded by family with rain pattering against the windows and the woman I love beside me, everything is exactly as it should be.
CHAPTER 25