That boy from earlier—Dante—I keep scanning the grounds looking for him, and I can't find him anywhere. He wasn't at the table collecting food either; maybe he left? Out of the corner of my eye, I see Bianca collecting some empty plates to take back to the kitchen. I take mine and Rhodes's and stand up to do the same.
"Babe, you don't have to help clean," Rhodes half-chuckles as I stand up, at the same time shooting me a look that says "do not leave me alone with this woman." I shake my head and collect some more sitting on the small table in front of us.
"It's fine. I'll be back in a few," I smile down at him and carry the plates back towards the house, collecting a few stray plates as I go. Eloise is busy in the kitchen, cleaning things up, moving leftovers to smaller containers, and playing Jenga with their positions in her fridge.
"Oh, you're so sweet to help. Thank you, Amelia," Eloise calls out as I approach, placing the dishes beside where Bianca has placed hers. I shrug my shoulders with a smile, helping Bianca place them in the dishwasher.
"Good news; everyone loves you," Eloise walks behind me and squeezes my shoulder as she passes. I turn my head to watch her as she grins widely, emptying the remaining potato salad into a smaller bowl. "Everyone keeps telling me what a lovely girl they think you are; you're a hit!" My cheeks flush red and begin to ache from all the smiling I've done today. Thank God I didn't lie about who I was, and they still liked me.
"Oh, I'm so glad," I reply with a grin and a sigh, releasing some more of the hidden tension I've been holding in my shoulders. Bianca sits at the counter island across from us, taking a small sip out of a glass of wine.
"I hope we haven't been too overwhelming for you. I've been told I can come on a little too strong when it comes to my kids' partners," Eloise shoots a knowing look at Bianca, who giggles against the liquid in her glass. Partners, I like the sound of that. I hated it in the beginning of our relationship because, to me, it meant "business partners" in this little deal we had, have. But now it has more of a romantic notion to it; it means so much more, at least to me.
"Yeah, no kidding! The second time she met my husband, she gave him my great-grandmother's wedding ring for him to propose with. We'd barely been together six months!" I let out a quiet laugh as Bianca recounts the story. Eloise is quick to defend herself, though.