Edie Moran smiled as she lifted a bottle of white wine from one of the crates padded with packing straw. With a glance at the label, he knew it was a Chardonnay imported from the Cote de Beaune region in France. Bâtard-Montrachet was not only a go-to wine of choice for parties thrown in the warmer months but also one of his mother's favorites.
"You didn't tell me that she was coming." His mom handed off the bottle to one of her staff. From assistants to housekeepers to nannies, they were truly the ones who kept their homes running smoothly. While Edie washed her hands at the sink, Marta began to open and unload the rest of the crates. "Your father won't like federal agents hanging around the house."
"Why?" Blake pushed off the doorframe and walked toward the counter. "There's nothing illegal going on here, right?"
She gave him a look over the frames of her glasses.
Dropping the joke before he pushed too far, he said, "Mom, she needs some motherly love." He pursed his lips. "Or the closest thing you're capable of offering," he teased.
"You're too funny," she said as she dried her hands.
He let out a breath. "But seriously," he began. "Elizabeth has been having a hard time."
"I hoped the person fourth in line for the presidency would be made of tougher stuff than you and I."
His hands found his hips as he arched a brow.
"What?" Edie asked as she folded the towel over the edge of the sink.
"She hasn't been eating, Mom. She waits until she's shaking and dizzy at two in the afternoon to have half of a banana." Blake stared into her eyes. "It reminds me of how Meredith used to be." Although the situations weren't the same, he mentioned his sister because he knew it would resonate. To this day, she took Meredith's disorder to heart.
Edie was quiet for a moment, thinking, before she huffed. "Reworking the seating arrangements for Saturday will be a hassle, but I suppose."
Before he had the chance to utter his thanks, his mother's PA walked into the prep kitchen, head down and nose buried in her tablet.
"The flight cancelation issue is all sorted out. I booked—" Jenna's head popped up. "Blake!"
"Hey," he greeted with a smile.
"It'll be good having you back around the house for a bit."
Given how much time Jenna spent with the family, they'd gotten to know one another well. She was like a sister to him and Meredith. They laughed, they loved, and they fought— just as siblings did.
Edie grabbed his arm. "Jen's a lifesaver."
He found it ironic that while his mother (and his father for that matter) relied so heavily on her assistant, she turned her nose at the prospect of him continuing as Elizabeth's PA. His parents very much respected their employees, treating them kindly and with gratitude, but they expected more for their only son.
"The people from Veranda magazine will arrive on…"
"I'll catch up with you later," he said.
Blake left the ladies to their party planning, slipping away to find Elizabeth.
