At first it was a little strange for Chord to kiss Grace or snuggle with her on the sofa in front of the kids, but they embraced it. CoCo especially. It took Grace a little while to figure out exactly what it was, but CoCo felt like she’d played matchmaker. The girl smiled every time her father showed Grace any affection. That made the whole situation perfect. Acceptance by the kids, a loving partner—this was the life she’d been looking for. Except for Uncle Vernon. Grace scrubbed the pot she’d made chicken stew in until it was clean and then placed it in the dishwasher. Belle Verde had an opening, but before they would take her uncle, they needed a ten thousand dollar deposit. They understood her situation and were willing to hold the spot for a month for her to gather the money. She glanced at the calendar hanging on the refrigerator. Project Hope was moving right along. Dell Children’s Hospital had donated a suite of rooms and the build out was scheduled to begin next week.
