Page 151 of The Twelve Months of Christmas
“I’ll do my best, Mom,” Arianna said. At least, with having Alden by her side, she’d have a better chance of celebrating in a way that honored her mother.
He was over the next night, Buster with him, and bringing presents for Mia and Sophie, as well as red velvet cupcakes and eggnog. Sophie was delighted with the heart-shaped necklace he gave her.
“To my girl,” she read on the card. She smiled at Alden. “I like being your girl, Alden.”
“Good,” he said. “And now, here’s something special for your Grammy.” He leaned over and handed Mia a small, wrapped box.
“Oh, Alden, you shouldn’t have,” she protested.
“Hey, you can’t invite yourself over for a Christmas celebration and not bring presents, right?”
There was no card with the box. In light of Sophie’s, it seemed odd that he hadn’t bothered.
Mia opened her present and took out a gold chain necklace bearing the infinity symbol. “Oh, my, it’s lovely,” she said reverently.
He reached in his shirt pocket and pulled out a small gift card. “Oh, I forgot to give you this,” he said, and handed it over.
Mia took it and read it, and her eyes got big. So did her smile.
“What does it say, Grammy?” asked Sophie.
“It says, to my future mother-in-law,” Mia replied, her eyes filling with tears. “Really?”
“I hope that’s okay,” Alden said. “Because I am in love with your daughter. I want to spend the rest of my life making her happy.”
“You have no idea how happy this makes me,” Mia told him.
“I want to be there for Sophie, too,” Alden continued. “Sophie, is it okay with you if I marry your mom and we all live together?”
“Buster, too?” Sophie asked.
“Buster, too,” he said.
Sophie nodded enthusiastically. “Oh, yes. Let’s do that.”
“I guess you can show them your present now,” he said to Arianna, and she pulled the ring box out of her sweater pocket and slipped it on her finger.
“Now it’s official,” she said.
“A perfect Christmas present,” Mia murmured as Sophie examined the new bit of sparkle on her mother’s hand.
Yes, it was, thought Arianna, looking at the best thing she’d ever moved in next to.
“Baby, baby, that’s some bling,” Molly said. Arianna was showing her ring off as the friends gathered at her house for a quiet celebration before Christmas.
It was just the women, no children—Bella was back at Sunny’s house with Travis, keeping the younger ones entertained—and there was plenty of eggnog with rum and Christmas cookies and chocolates. Mia had been too tired to party and was in her bedroom, resting, and her absence was felt.
“I’m glad he proposed while Mom was still around to see it. I know she’s been worried about how I’ll cope when she’s gone,” Arianna said. Alden would, of course, be a great comfort, and he was the love of her life. But no one and nothing replaced a mother. “I already can’t cope. I can’t even bear to think about it.”
“Then don’t. Not yet,” said Ava. “Your mom’s still here. Don’t let the shadow of what’s coming ruin right now.”
“She’s right,” Molly agreed, “but that’s easier said than done.”
“We’re back on the feeding tube,” Arianna said. “It’s too hard for her to get down anything but tea and juice. If she makes it through Christmas, I’ll be grateful.”
“Why is it so many people seem to die at the holidays?” Sunny said with a sigh. “There should be a moratorium on death until after New Year’s.”
“That’s no way to start the year,” Ava protested.
