Page 145 of The Twelve Months of Christmas
“Am I going to be picking her up tomorrow, too?”
“No. I’m gonna borrow my mom’s car. Look, just do this, okay? It’s not that much out of your way.”
Actually it was. It was forty minutes from her place to theirs, and Alden had only just arrived. She sighed. “Okay. Fine.”
“Wow, just like that? No ragging on me?”
“Goodbye, Wyatt,” she said. Calmly. Yay for her.
“Okay, sweetie, it’s time to go see Daddy,” she said to Sophie. “Get your things. I’m going to take you to Grandma and Grandpa’s.”
“Okay,” Sophie said happily and ran upstairs to fetch her backpack.
“You’re taking her?” Mia asked.
Arianna made a face. “Wyatt’s having car problems.” Then she smiled. “But I think I handled that rather well. No yelling. Frustration, but no yelling.”
“I’m proud of you,” Mia said.
Arianna shrugged. “Just keeping the Christmas spirit going.”
“Mrs. W and I will do that while you’re gone,” Alden said.
He wasn’t going anywhere. Was it a sign or a wish?
“So, Mia, I bought a little something for us to kick off the season with,” Alden said after Sophie and Arianna had left. “You up for a holiday drink?”
“I am,” she said.
“Okay, be prepared to be amazed. I got this recipe from my sister and she guarantees it will make you merry if not bright.”
Mia chuckled and he went to the kitchen and got to work pulling the drink makings out of his bag. He filled two glasses with the vodka, cranberry juice and sparkling soda he’d had chilling in his refrigerator. He added the requisite dash of lime and garnished it with mint, then took a moment to admire his handiwork. Just like in a magazine. He took a picture with his phone in case Arianna would want to post it somewhere.
“Fa-la-la,” he said as he walked back into the living room. He handed a glass to Mia.
“That is so pretty,” she said.
“It should go down easy,” he said, and hoped he was right.
She took a sip and smiled. “Ah, a lovely drink. One of life’s many pleasures.”
“You gotta live it up,” he said.
“While I still can,” she added. Then, seeing his uncomfortable expression, said, “I know my time here is ending. But I’m glad God let me stay around long enough to see my daughter find her feet again. You’ve been a big part of that.”
Not really. “She’s got her friends.”
“Of which you are one,” Mia pointed out. “Don’t worry. I’m not saying that to pressure you in any way. I just want you to know how grateful I am that you’ve been part of our lives.” She saluted him with her glass and took another sip of her drink.
So did he. He usually preferred beer to fancy drinks but this one was going down pretty darned easy.
They talked some more, her reminiscing about past Christmases and encouraging him to do the same. And soon their glasses were empty.
“I think we need a refill,” he said, and went back to the kitchen for seconds.
Music had been playing the whole time they’d been visiting and partway through their second drink helping “The Twelve Days of Christmas” began to play.
“I always liked that song,” Mia said.
