Lucas, Agatha, Carson and Jack were sitting in the living room, having some tea when Simon came in, informing them that the lunch was served.
They all got up and Lucas picked up Jack in his arms. As they started to walk down the corridor, there was a knock at the doors.
Simon turned around to go and open them, but Lucas stopped him.
"It's okay, Simon, I'll get it. You take Mrs. Thatcher and Carson to the dining room", and with a nod he went toward the doors, listening as Jack explained to him the latest drawing he made.
He unlocked the doors, opened them and smiled as he saw who was at the doors.
"Hello, Grace. Please, come in", he stepped aside, opening the doors wider to let her in.
Grace smiled warmly at seeing Jack in Lucas' arms.
"Hello, Jack. What do you have there?", she asked, touching a paper in his little hands.
Jack turned the paper toward her and gave her a small smile.
"It's Grandpa William", he said.
Grace raised her eyebrows as she saw the drawing.
"You are certainly a talented young man. I don't know how to draw", she said, her eyes twinkling.
Jack's lips curled up a bit.
"Yes you do", he protested with a smile.
Grace's eyes widened.
"No, I don't. If I try to draw a boy or a girl, their eyes would be like this", Grace looked cross-eyed, making Jack giggle.
Lucas smiled warmly at Grace's antics while he gave Jack a little tickle, making the boy shriek with laughter.
Grace smiled at the joy that shone from the little boy's face. She looked up as Lucas pointed to a basket in her hands.
"What do you have there?", asked Lucas.
Grace squeezed her eyes a bit, pressing her lips together.
"Some treats for after dinner", she replied mysteriously.
Lucas creased his eyebrows, his lips curling up a bit.
"Like what?, he asked.
Grace shrugged as they started to walk toward the dining room.
"Oh, I don't know…", she glanced at Jack "What kind of cookies do you like Jack?"
Little boy grinned widely.
"Chocolate chip cookies!", he replied.
Grace opened the lid on a basket just a bit and peeked inside.
"Hmmmmm…lets see", she rummaged through the basket and smiled "A-ha!", she pulled out a chocolate chip cookie and gave it to Jack.
Little boy's eyes sparkled as his grin grew wider.
"Thank you!", he said.
Grace smiled.
"You are most welcome, Jack", she looked down to see Lucas trying to open the lid in the basket and steal a cookie for himself. She playfully slapped his fingers "Hey! No cookies before lunch!"
Lucas gasped in a mock annoyance.
"What?! You just gave Jack a cookie!", he protested as he tried to open the lid once again.
Grace playfully swatted his fingers away once again, making him yelp in mock pain.
"That's different! Jack is a special guest!", she winked at Jack who was already munching on the cookie, giggling as he watched their banter "YOU have to eat your vegetables first!", she glared at Lucas.
Lucas huffed out as they walked down the corridor.
"That's not fair!", he mumbled, pretending to be annoyed.
Jack broke the cookie in half and smiled.
"Here, buddy! You can have half of mine!", he offered with a smile.
Lucas smiled warmly as he kissed Jack's blonde hair.
"That's okay, buddy. You eat it. I will have my cookie after I eat my vegetables", he whispered conspiratolly to Jack, making the little boy giggle and lean his cheek on Lucas' shoulder as he kept on munching the cookie.
Lucas looked at Grace, his eyes speaking volumes.
Thank you.
Grace gave him a small smile before stopping in front of the kitchen.
"I'm just gonna go and give these to Gustave", she said as she stepped into the kitchen.
Lucas raised one eyebrow.
"If he eats my blueberry cookies, I will be very, very angry", quipped Lucas as he winked at Jack.
Grace slightly snorted.
"Nice try, Lucas", she knocked at the doors, getting Gustave's attention "Vegetables first."
Lucas shook his head and Jack bounced a bit in his arms.
"Come on, buddy! We will eat it together!", grinned Jack.
Lucas looked down at the little boy.
"Even broccoli?", he whined.
Grace rolled her eyes full force.
"Especially broccoli!", she winked at Jack "Will you help him eat it, Jack?"
As Jack nodded eagerly, Lucas shook his head.
"Wonderful, Grace. You just turned my buddy against me", he quipped, biting the inner side of his cheek in order not to burst to laughter.
Grace giggled and turned around to greet Gustave who just approached them. She handed him a basket and winked as she said that he makes sure that Lucas doesn't have any cookies before lunch.
Gustave took one look at Jack's smiling face as he finished the chocolate chip cookie and at Lucas' face who still acted offended and got the picture.
"Don't worry, Mademoiselle Grace. He won't come anywhere near them", he said.
Lucas opened his eyes widely in a mock shock, his mouth slightly opened.
"Oh, this just gets better and better!", he looked at Jack and quipped gently "'Were you conspiring with these two against me?"
Jack grinned as he wrapped his arms around Lucas' neck.
"Noooooo!", he said, giggling.
Lucas looked victoriously at Grace and Gustave.
"Ha! Take that!", he spoke haughtily, tightening his hold on Jack.
Gustave waved him off as he went back to his kitchen while Grace fell back into a step with Lucas and smiled at the little boy in his arms.
"Hey, Jack, can I see your drawings after we eat?", she asked warmly.
Jack nodded eagerly.
"Yeah! And I can draw you!", he said with a smile.
Grace gasped.
"An autoportrait! I am flattered!", she put her palm on left part of her chest "Thank you, Mr. Thornton!"
Three of them came inside the dining room, Grace and Lucas with big smiles on their faces while Jack giggled.
"Hello, everybody", Grace greeted them with a smile on her face.
Carson and Agatha smiled as they greeted her back. Agatha was expecting Lucas to introduce her as his fiancée, but that didn't happen.
And she wondered why.
Agatha looked at Jack and smiled at the precious boy. Lucas sat down next to her and placed Jack on the chair next to him.
"What's that, young man?", asked Agatha as she peeked at Jack.
Jack looked up at her with a smile on his face.
"What?", he asked.
Agatha tapped the corner of her lips.
"That right there", she acted all serious, but she was smiling inside herself.
Lucas turned to look at Jack and grimaced.
"Oh, buddy…you were suppose to eat chocolate chip, not keep it on your face!", said Lucas and chuckled.
Jack's eyes widened as he wiped his lips with his little palm.
"Uh oh", he said, making all four grown ups chuckle.
As dinner was served, Agatha watched as Jack took his spoon and ate soup without even a word. But the biggest surprise came when the main dish was served.
Jack jumped down from his chair, climbed up on Lucas' lap and, to Agatha's surprise, started to eat from his plate and feed Lucas from his own plate!
As Jack scooped up some mashed broccoli and brought a fork to Lucas' mouth, Lucas shook his head. Jack bounced as he repositioned himself on his lap and giggled.
"Buddy, come oooon!", Jack giggled as Lucas turned his mouth away from the fork.
"It's disgusting", Lucas mumbled through his teeth, peeking at the fork with one eye and grimacing like he is going to be sick.
Jack giggled and quickly took his own fork, scooped some broccoli and put it in his mouth. He chewed slowly and once he swallowed, he smiled.
"No, it's not. See?", he rocked himself back and forth on Lucas' thigh.
Lucas leaned down to look into Jack's face.
"Wait, I wasn't looking. Can you do it again?", he asked with a gentle smile and Jack quickly ate a bit of more broccoli.
Lucas sighed and took his own fork.
"Fine", he put a bite of mashed broccoli inside his mouth, making a face like he just ate a spider, only to open his eyes, pretending to be surprised "Hey, that actually is not so bad!"
Jack jumped down from his lap and went back to his own plate where his meat was already cut by Grace into small pieces. He took a fork and continued to eat with gusto.
Agatha noticed how a young lady cut Jack's meat while he was busy feeding Lucas and was touched by her care and warmth for the little boy.
Grace looked up at that moment and her eyes met Agatha's.
Agatha gave her a small nod, her lips curling up in a sad smile.
Grace's facial expression turned sympathetic and she nodded back, her lips curling up in a small, gentle smile.
—--
After the lunch, they went to the living room where Simon served tea along with Grace's cookies.
Agatha, Lucas and Carson were talking while Grace sat on an armchair, posing to Jack while the little boy draw her on a paper, his tongue peeking out in concentration as he used the brown crayon to draw Grace's wavy hair.
"Are you nearly done, Mr. Thornton?", asked Grace, not moving from her pose in order not to break the little artist's concentration.
Jack pressed a crayon on a paper and at hearing her question, he looked up.
"Why?"
Grace grimaced as she leaned toward him.
"I have to go to use the bathroom. Do you think you could draw someone else while I'm gone?", asked Grace with a soft smile.
But, before Jack could reply Lucas' voice was heard.
"Come on, buddy. You can draw me", he said with a smile as he leaned toward Jack over the edge of sofa.
Jack nodded, snatching another cookie from the plate and taking a sip of his milk.
In the next moment, he took another paper and the first thing he draw was a huge circle that took up almost half of the paper, making Lucas peek over his shoulder, his eyebrows creased in confusion.
"What's that?!", he asked.
Jack took a black crayon and started to use it with all his might on the top of the circle.
"Your head. And now I am drawing your hair", replied Jack, not even looking up.
Lucas gasped.
"My head?! You didn't draw Grace's head that big!", he said, pretending to be offended.
Grace came toward them and peeked at Jack's drawing.
She started to giggle.
"Well, you do have a big head, Lucas", she quipped and she and Jack bursted to giggles.
Lucas gasped once again.
"No, I don't!", he protested.
Grace gently squeezed Jack's shoulders and laughed even more.
"Oh, yes you do!", she quipped, sending Jack into fits of giggles. Lucas turned around and frowned at her in a mock annoyance. Grace giggled "You just keep drawing, Jack. I'll be right back", and with those words she ran away from the dining room.
Jack giggled as he draw two brown dots in the circle (presenting Lucas' eyes) and looked up at Lucas, without a word.
Lucas looked back at him with a smiling face.
Only to have Jack put the crayon down and climb up on Lucas' lap.
In the next moment, he wrapped his little arms around Lucas' neck and whispered in his shoulder:
"I love you, buddy."
Lucas swallowed hard and closed his eyes, hugging the precious boy warmly.
"I love you too, buddy", whispered Lucas and gently rocked Jack in his arms.