Instead of recipes, its pages were filled with drawings of buildings, arches, bridges, and carefully balanced structures. Emily had once studied architecture before her former fiancé convinced her it was an unrealistic dream. Even so, her pencil never stopped searching for balance—the balance missing from her life.
She was about to close the notebook when the bell above the café door rang sharply.
The sound was louder than usual.
Several customers looked up.
Emily lifted her eyes—and froze.
Standing in the doorway were two identical little girls wearing bright pink coats. Their brown braids bounced as they hurried inside, cheeks flushed from running. Their eyes scanned the café until they landed directly on her.
“Are you Miss Emily?” one asked, still catching her breath.
Before Emily could answer, the other stepped forward with surprising seriousness.
“We’re Lily and Chloe Parker,” she announced proudly. “And we came to tell you our dad is really sorry he’s late. His whole day kind of fell apart.”
Emily blinked in confusion as the girls stood beside her table like tiny diplomats on a mission.
“Your dad?” she asked gently.