Simple Perfection

around little girls like this. Or sisters. It’s very entertaining.”
    Jillian’s laugh reminded me of tinkling bells. “You may not feel that way anymore before the meal is over.”
    Woods’s hand slid over my leg and rested on my upper thigh. I had faced Nile the first time alone but it was nice to have Woods beside me now.
    “I invited Nile to play a round tomorrow morning with me, if that’s okay with you,” Woods said, leaning closer to me as he spoke.
    I liked the idea of his getting to know Nile. “Of course. That’s fine,” I assured him, and smiled over at Nile.
    “Are you married?” one of the girls asked. I glanced back at them and saw Jocelyn elbow July.
    “She’s not wearing a ring. Don’t ask that,” Jocelyn hissed.
    “No, we’re not. But it’s okay for her to ask,” I replied, unable to keep from smiling at them. Their constant fighting made me wish I’d had a sister.
    “Why not? You live with him, don’t you?” July asked.
    “July.” Jillian was the one to scold her this time.
    “It’s okay, really. I want them to ask me questions,” I assured her. Then I looked back at July. “I do live with him. He’s my boyfriend.”
    “Mommy and Daddy lived together for two years before they got married,” Jasmine announced from across the table.
    I saw red splotches appear on Jillian’s face but she just laughed and shook her head. “You need to stop listening to adult conversations. I swear, you know more than you’re supposed to,” Jillian said as she tried to cover her amusement.
    “Does that mean you will be getting married, too?” July asked.
    They really weren’t going to let the marriage thing go.
    “Maybe I will get married one day. I don’t know that right now.”
    “Let’s ask Della questions that don’t pertain to her personal relationships. Okay, girls?” Nile said with a stern voice. I watched as all three nodded with a look of defeat.
    “I have a boyfriend. Can we talk about him?” July asked.
    “I would love to hear about him,” I assured her. She beamed.
    I heard Jasmine sigh from across the table. “Great, here we go,” she muttered.

Woods
    D ella had opened up more than I expected to Nile and his family. Mostly it had just been to Nile’s daughters. They had been drawn to her, too. Watching it had been heartbreaking and amazing all at the same time. Della could have had a normal life. Her father was a good man.
    I had also watched Nile most of the night. He had watched Della and his girls, too. The pleased look on his face was hard to miss. He might never be someone that Della considered a father but I had hopes that she would form a relationship of some kind with him and his family. I thought she needed it.
    “Tell me what you thought of Nile and his family,” Della said as we walked into the house. She had been quiet on the ride back and I had left her alone with her thoughts. It was a lot to process without my trying to pull things out of her.
    “I think he’s a good man and he’s a good father. The girls are well-adjusted and they are fascinated with you.”
    Della grinned as she slipped off her heels. “I liked the girls. Each one was so different. It was like they made this one complete person. I wonder what it must be like to know you have someone on your side all the time, knowing you can make snide comments and even push and shove but they’ll love you when the rest of the world is against you.”
    I walked over and wrapped my arms around her from behind. “I’m always on your side. You can push and shove—hell, you can even slap me—but I will still be right here, ready to face the world with you.”
    Della leaned back against me and wrapped her arms around mine. “I know that. I meant growing up. Having a sibling to stand in your corner.”
    I understood what she meant and it broke my heart to think about the little girl who was so alone in dealing with a mother who wasn’t there mentally. “You did find Braden.”
    “Braden found me. And you’re right. She was always in my corner.”
    “I like knowing you have her. She loves you almost as much as I do.”
    Della laughed. “Don’t let her hear you say that. She’ll fight you for that title.”
    I wondered what Braden would do when I asked Della to marry me. Would she grill me? Make sure my intention was to treat her like a princess? I had no doubt I’d hear from her when the time came. I just wasn’t sure about the right time.
    I loved Della and I knew no one