Page 72 of Twins for the Silver Foxes

We’d given Deena a few weeks off to visit her family and all pitched in so that Hannah didn’t feel the need to do all the work. We were past all that. She was family too, and I hoped to one day make her my wife. Our wife. The stickiness of the logistics threatened to bog me down, but I focused on the present and stopped borrowing trouble for the future.

“I’m on dish duty.” Ryland rolled up his sleeves and began gathering up a stack of dirty plates.

“Can we talk some more?” Megan’s chair scraped the floor when she stood.

With a wink from Hannah, I followed Megan into the living room. The bare tree looked obscene amid the red berries and boughs lining the mantle. We’d already decorated three trees, but Hannah insisted on one more, along with a decorating party later tonight where everyone had to participate. Either she knew something I didn’t, or this was another of Henry’s traditions she sought to keep alive.

Megan opened one of the boxes of decorations and grinned. “I remember this.” She pulled out my snow globe ornament fromHenry and spun it around. She shook it hard, sending the snow flying around the little Christmas village trapped away in a world of perpetual happiness. “I want a better relationship with you.”

Quick. Quiet. The words pierced the distance and shot straight into my heart.

“I’d love that. I have wanted it for years.” I wrapped my hands around hers and brought the snow globe up to eye level. We watched each other through the whirling snow. “Will you stay after Christmas?” It almost felt like asking for too much but my yearning for my daughter’s presence overruled everything else.

“For a while. I don’t want to overstay my welcome, but I’ve realized that my anger and resentment have robbed me of the opportunity to have a relationship with you. I’ve missed you, without recognizing that I was most of the problem. Not you.”

I pulled her into a hug that threatened to crush the snow globe between us. Love flowed thick as honey through my veins. I wanted to hold us there forever. I’d never hugged her as much as this year in all the previous years combined. It was a fierce and overwhelming feeling to have her acceptance and promise that we’d work on our issues. “I promise you that I will not go back to how I was before. I want us to be able to talk about our problems.”

“Talking is good.” She laughed into my chest. “Especially when I keep myself under control and don’t yell and accuse you all the time.”

Agreed. I kept that thought pinned away. “We’ll figure this out, Megan. We’re family. You’re welcome here any time. All the time.” I rocked us side to side. “Your room is always available for you.”

“Thanks, Dad. I can’t promise I’ll move in or anything, but I’ll come by more often.” She grinned but a hint of fear lingered inher eyes. “I don’t want to come around so much you’ll get sick of me.”

“Never. Nothing would make me happier than to spend more time with you.” I meant every word and more.

Best Christmas ever.

38

HANNAH

Liddy squealed and tore the paper from another box of ornaments. “Can we use all of them?” Her eyes twinkled in the glow of Christmas lights. She spun and danced, an ornament in each hand. Thankfully, Scott had set aside the shatterproof ones so even when she inevitably dropped one, it bounced instead of sending shards in every direction.

“Yes.” I added a red ornament to a branch and reached for another. “You can use every single one.”

And at the end, we’d add the snow globe ornaments. Arthur had taken it upon himself to gather them all up and line them on the mantle out of Liddy’s reach. I stopped to examine them again. He’d even gone to my house and brought mine over to join theirs. Four snow globes filled with four miniature villages with Christmas lights on the houses and gingerbread cookie characters dancing in the yards. Four tiny reminders of Dad to remind me of the truth behind the holiday season. It wasn’t about the presents under the tree, though I couldn’t wait for everyone to open their gifts. This year proved to me above all others that love was the most important thing.

Ryland picked up a strand of red snowflake garland. He looped it around the tree, stopping to kiss me every time he passed and Liddy wasn’t looking. I’d been cautious at first, worried about Liddy’s reactions, but whenever she did catch me hugging or kissing one of them, her whole face lit up with a smile. She knew I was happy, and that made her happy.

And Megan…

I ducked my head to check on Megan where she sat in the corner with a photo album Ryland had handed her an hour ago. She studied each picture with a furrow between her brows. Three times she’d stopped to ask Arthur a question about one of the pictures. I’d heard them discussing each one, memories building with every conversation.

Ryland finished with the garland and lifted Liddy into the air. “Where do you want to put that one?” Liddy pointed at a branch high overhead and Ryland set her on his shoulders. Liddy locked an arm around the top of Ryland’s head, stretching out her other hand to hang the ornament. It caught on the end of the branch and dangled precariously until Ryland nudged it back.

“More.” Liddy pointed at the box.

Scott pressed a lingering kiss on my lips while Arthur crossed to Megan and held out a hand with a sleigh ornament in his palm. “Here. You should hang this one.”

“What’s this?” Megan took it and turned it around in a slow circle. “Is that us?”

“Yes. I had it custom-made.”

Arthur picked up an ornament from Liddy’s box and nestled it in the tree. Scott turned up the music and plucked Liddy from Ryland’s shoulders. He set her toes on his and danced them around the living room while singing “Jingle Bells” completely out of tune with the music. It reminded me of Dad, and my throat tightened. My stomach gave a familiar twist, the twins awake and deciding to join the festivities with a few barrel rolls.

Arthur dimmed the lights, causing the Christmas tree to cast a luminous glow across the room. I thanked Ryland with a nod as he prodded the fireplace and prompted the fire to blaze brighter. The ambient light warmed me, and I stepped back to take in the whole scene.

“What are you thinking?” Arthur slid an arm behind my back and rested his hand on my hip.

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