“I wish Hailey was there, too, T.J.,” Jordan told her, putting his arm around her waist and bringing her close.
“Too many people have disappeared from our lives.”
“I know.” He kissed the side of her head. “Does it make you feel better to know that one has reappeared?”
He turned Theo so she could see Birdie pushing Cleopatra through the door in a wheelchair.
“Let the good times roll.”
Jordan couldn’t help but smile. “Literally.”
Theo smiled as she watched Jordan push Delaney around the dance floor.
“It looks like they’re having fun.” Theo looked up to see Yara Diaz walking toward her. Yara was the head of housekeeping and had been working at the hotel long before Patty bought it. She’d been one of the many people Patty had trusted with Indigo from the time the child was just a few weeks old.
“Yara,” Theo said, hopping out of her seat. “It’s so good to see you!” Theo wrapped her arms around the maid and gave her a tight hug.
“I came and said hello to Cleopatra some time ago, but you were taking your turn getting spun around out there.”
Theo stepped away and realized Yara was not alone. “Hello, Rafe,” she said to the young man escorting his grandmother to the party.
“Hi, Miz Theo.”
“You look very handsome tonight.” The boy was twelve and had gone through a bit of a rough patch after his dad succumbed to cancer. According to Yara, he’d stopped acting out, although he was still struggling with his grades.
“I appreciate that.”
“Are you enjoying yourself?”
“The food is terrific.”
Theo smiled. “That’s because Molly is a magician.”
“What was that?”
“She’s also got bionic hearing,” Yara said with a laugh.
“I was wondering if you were going to come and say hello,” the chef told Theo.
“I promise I was,” Theo assured her. She glanced back and saw that Patty was surrounded by guests. “I just wanted to stick close in case I was needed. This is a lot for Patty. She’ll need to get some rest soon.”
“Let me hug on you,” Molly said, reaching her arms out and pulling Theo close to her.
Molly Michaels was the Madeleine’s head chef. Theo guessed that she was in her mid-thirties and had dark auburn hair. She was incredibly kind and made the best cinnamon rolls Theo had ever eaten. She was married and had two kids in elementary school. Hailey’s death had been extremely hard on Molly.
“I wish we got to see you more often,” the chef said. Theo knew Molly to be a genuine person and believed her when she said this.
“I know,” Theo agreed. “Me, too. This has been the world’s craziest year, you know?”
Both Yara and Molly nodded. They were well aware how crazy the year had been.
“Hey, Grandma, can I go get a sundae?”
“Make sure you get all the toppings,” Molly encouraged him.
“Yes,” Yara said. “Go.” She shook her head and laughed. “The kid’s growing so fast, I’m afraid he’s gonna eat me out of house and home.”
“Theodora.”
Theo turned to look at Patty. She been happy to see her in something other than sweatpants when she arrived at the party. Her strawberry blonde hair had been freshly washed and looked as wild and free as it had before the accident, and she’d allowed someone to swipe some mascara on her lashes.
Now she couldn’t help but notice how tired her sister looked. Her face was a bit pale, making the freckles stand out on the tops of her cheeks and across her nose.
“How are you doing?” she asked, excusing herself and slipping into the chair closest to Cleopatra.
“I’m exhausted,” she said, “but I’m even thirstier than I am tired.”
“I can fix that. What would you like?”
“A couple shots of whiskey.”
Theo smiled. “Try again.”
“Diet Coke.”
“That I can do.”
