Sophie smiled to the waiter, too, waiting for him to leave them alone before turning back to Emmett too. "Me too." She paused, then nodded, a little more confident. "I'm glad you're here. And I don't want you to be like a big brother. I'd rather think of you as a parent, if that's all right."
She knew he wasn't really old enough, but she hoped he wouldn't mind. "And I'm sorry if I accidentally call you Mom. I've never had someone to call 'Dad'. It sounds weird." She drizzled some dressing over her salad as she spoke, then took a bite of it when she'd finished.