Free Heart's Surrender by Emma Weimann Page A
Authors: Emma Weimann
child of mine but ‘gimme’ is not what we say when we want something.” Victoria glared at her daughter.
Chloe’s cheeks bulged even more. “I’m hungwy.”
“Manners, manners, manners.”
Sam grinned at her sister. “You sound just like Mother.”
The glare she received in return was an exact copy of the one they both had regularly received as kids. “Stop it. I feel like a ten year old.”
“Well, then stop behaving like one and sit down. Both of you.”
Sam chuckled, picked up a piece of pizza and put it on a plate before offering it to her sister. “Here. Have at it. You behave like a diva when you’re hungry.”
Chloe chuckled and sat down.
Victoria growled. “Hey, no ganging up on me.”
“But we always do, Ma.”
Sam smirked. “Yes, Ma. We always do.”
“Oh, shut up you two.”
Sam accepted the plate that held a huge piece of steaming pizza. She inhaled the smell of cheese and tomato sauce and fresh basil before she took her first bite. The taste exploded in her mouth. She groaned. “That is so amazing. And I’m so thankful for your vacation in Italy.”
“You will be delighted to hear that we’re going back next year.”
Sam nodded. “That’s great. The whole summer?”
“Four weeks in Tuscany.” Victoria’s eyes twinkled. “I’m counting the days.”
“Oh, I’m counting with you and I can’t imagine what kind of recipes you’ll come back with this time.” Out of the corner of her eye, Sam noticed how Chloe stuffed a second piece into her mouth as fast as she could.
Victoria cocked an eyebrow. “What exactly is the hurry, Chloe?”
“Ma, I have to call Laurie in,” she glanced at the clock on the wall, “about two minutes.”
“And why is that?”
“Her birthday party.” The unspoken “duh” rang loud and clear in the air.
“Make it five minutes and eat properly. All right?”
Chloe’s sigh was pure drama queen. Sam had a hard time not laughing out loud. Her niece was at times a copy of a much younger Victoria.
The next minutes were filled with laughter and stories from Chloe’s school. Sam basked in the feeling of family and belonging that always enveloped her at times like this. She couldn’t hide her smile when Chloe finally jumped up and Victoria rolled her eyes at her daughter. This was all so familiar and safe. A warm feeling spread through Sam. This was how family was supposed to be. She swallowed the rest of her pizza and patted her stomach. “That was really good. I love your pizza.”
“Really?”
Sam threw her napkin at her sister and hit her square in the chest.
Victoria picked the napkin up between her thumb and her forefinger and threw it in the trash can. “Coffee?”
“No, thanks.” Sam took the plates and put them into the dishwasher while Victoria busied herself with her shiny coffee machine.
The sound of grinding beans vibrated through Sam’s teeth. “A sledgehammer has nothing against this monster.” She took a closer look. I’m pretty sure that the last time the coffee machine was black and not a silver monster of steel. “A new one?”
Victoria sighed. “Yes.”
“From?”
Victoria peered into her coffee cup before she set it down and pressed a button on the steel giant. Dark liquid poured into the cup. “Daddy dear.”
“Oh, so what has he done now?” Sam couldn’t hold back the bitterness in her voice.
“He forgot to attend Chloe’s theater group premier last month even though he promised to be there and take us out for dinner afterwards.”
“Sure he did.” Sam rolled her eyes. “And a new coffee machine for you is supposed to do what?”
“A new machine for me and a new iPad for Chloe.” Victoria held up her hand. “And yes, we did accept the presents.”
“I really don’t get how you can let that asshole—”
“Stop.” Her sister pinched the bridge of her nose. “We’re not discussing this again. He is her grandfather. And I’m not cutting him out of our lives. And as fucked up
Chloe’s cheeks bulged even more. “I’m hungwy.”
“Manners, manners, manners.”
Sam grinned at her sister. “You sound just like Mother.”
The glare she received in return was an exact copy of the one they both had regularly received as kids. “Stop it. I feel like a ten year old.”
“Well, then stop behaving like one and sit down. Both of you.”
Sam chuckled, picked up a piece of pizza and put it on a plate before offering it to her sister. “Here. Have at it. You behave like a diva when you’re hungry.”
Chloe chuckled and sat down.
Victoria growled. “Hey, no ganging up on me.”
“But we always do, Ma.”
Sam smirked. “Yes, Ma. We always do.”
“Oh, shut up you two.”
Sam accepted the plate that held a huge piece of steaming pizza. She inhaled the smell of cheese and tomato sauce and fresh basil before she took her first bite. The taste exploded in her mouth. She groaned. “That is so amazing. And I’m so thankful for your vacation in Italy.”
“You will be delighted to hear that we’re going back next year.”
Sam nodded. “That’s great. The whole summer?”
“Four weeks in Tuscany.” Victoria’s eyes twinkled. “I’m counting the days.”
“Oh, I’m counting with you and I can’t imagine what kind of recipes you’ll come back with this time.” Out of the corner of her eye, Sam noticed how Chloe stuffed a second piece into her mouth as fast as she could.
Victoria cocked an eyebrow. “What exactly is the hurry, Chloe?”
“Ma, I have to call Laurie in,” she glanced at the clock on the wall, “about two minutes.”
“And why is that?”
“Her birthday party.” The unspoken “duh” rang loud and clear in the air.
“Make it five minutes and eat properly. All right?”
Chloe’s sigh was pure drama queen. Sam had a hard time not laughing out loud. Her niece was at times a copy of a much younger Victoria.
The next minutes were filled with laughter and stories from Chloe’s school. Sam basked in the feeling of family and belonging that always enveloped her at times like this. She couldn’t hide her smile when Chloe finally jumped up and Victoria rolled her eyes at her daughter. This was all so familiar and safe. A warm feeling spread through Sam. This was how family was supposed to be. She swallowed the rest of her pizza and patted her stomach. “That was really good. I love your pizza.”
“Really?”
Sam threw her napkin at her sister and hit her square in the chest.
Victoria picked the napkin up between her thumb and her forefinger and threw it in the trash can. “Coffee?”
“No, thanks.” Sam took the plates and put them into the dishwasher while Victoria busied herself with her shiny coffee machine.
The sound of grinding beans vibrated through Sam’s teeth. “A sledgehammer has nothing against this monster.” She took a closer look. I’m pretty sure that the last time the coffee machine was black and not a silver monster of steel. “A new one?”
Victoria sighed. “Yes.”
“From?”
Victoria peered into her coffee cup before she set it down and pressed a button on the steel giant. Dark liquid poured into the cup. “Daddy dear.”
“Oh, so what has he done now?” Sam couldn’t hold back the bitterness in her voice.
“He forgot to attend Chloe’s theater group premier last month even though he promised to be there and take us out for dinner afterwards.”
“Sure he did.” Sam rolled her eyes. “And a new coffee machine for you is supposed to do what?”
“A new machine for me and a new iPad for Chloe.” Victoria held up her hand. “And yes, we did accept the presents.”
“I really don’t get how you can let that asshole—”
“Stop.” Her sister pinched the bridge of her nose. “We’re not discussing this again. He is her grandfather. And I’m not cutting him out of our lives. And as fucked up