Page 42 of Not In The Christmas Plan
I sprint toward the sound and find Ivy standing next to the counter over a plate of dropped cookies.
We both squeal as I rush forward and wrap her up in the biggest embrace. She’s warm and solid, and my heart is so full as we rock back in forth after what feels like forever.
Once we’ve finally gotten our fill, we lean back with our arms still linked, far enough to see each other but not ready to let go.
“What are you doing here?” I blurt as Ivy asks, “Where have you been?”
“The decorations look amazing. I had no idea you were doing all this,” Ivy says while I tell her, “I just got back fromMs. Thomas’s house. Did you know her and Dad were an item?”
“I missed you so much!” we end up saying in perfect sync.
“Copy!” Ivy fires out.
“Ugh! Paste.”
We erupt into giggles and hug again.
“Okay, okay,” I say, trying to get ahold of myself. It’s hard to do when shocks of elation course through my body like electricity.
My cheeks hurt from how wide my smile is as I look my sister over, taking stock of her red sweater dress and favorite fur lined boots. Her eyes are bright with happiness and her skin glows. The most notable difference, of course, is her flatter stomach.
I can’t believe she’s standing in front of me.
“What are you doing here?” I ask.
“Amani was finally released a few days ago. I’m telling you Eve, it was like a miracle. One day they were saying it’d possibly be another couple of weeks before she was strong enough, then out of nowhere she made a total turnaround. Braxton’s parents wanted us to stay with them throughout Christmas, but I had the feeling you needed me here more.”
A knot of emotion is stuck in my throat and all I can do is nod.
“And, wow, Sissy. The woman that you are…I cannot believe everything you did here.” Ivy’s gaze sweeps from the kitchen and into the living room. “The lights. The tree. And my gosh, you seriously found our janky little Christmas village and made it shine. And the cookies? I was on my third helping.” She laughs, shaking her head. “I can’t thank you enough for it all.”
I almost mention how I was only able to do it with Grant’s help, but his name gets stuck in my throat. I don’t know if Grant told Braxton anything about us, and I don’t want to ruin this moment by telling Ivy how I pushed him away after all.
Before I have to say anything, a small cry slices through the silence. I turn and see Braxton coming forward while gently rocking a tiny bundle side to side. “Someone’s hungry,” he says, voice warm.
Ivy immediately holds her hands out. “Come here, Sunshine.”
Braxton hands over his treasure then immediately wraps me in a bear hug.
“Thank you, Eve. Thank you so much for everything you’ve done for us. I know I said it a million times already, but it still doesn’t feel like enough.” He places a soft kiss on my forehead.
I never realized how similar in stature he and Grant are. I’ll forever love Braxton for how much he loves my sister and now my nieces, but his hug reminds me of how much I miss Grant’s arms around me. Grant’s hugs, gentle and unwavering, felt like being encased in love.
“Do you want me to make her a bottle?” Braxton asks Ivy.
Ivy shakes her head. “No. We haven’t unpacked the formula yet, and this little one is ready to go feral.” The baby in her arms turns toward Ivy’s clothed chest withher mouth open, reminding me of a nesting baby bird waiting for food to magically appear in their open beaks. “I’ll go upstairs and nurse her.”
Ivy beams at me. “My milk came in! My supply is still low so thank God the nurses supplied me with a few cans of formula. These babies can eat.”
As if the baby in her arms understands what Ivy’s saying, she butts Ivy’s chest even more and lets out a frustrated cry.
“Okay, okay,” Ivy coos. “Let’s get you fed.”
I follow Ivy upstairs and into the nursery where she gets settled in the rocking chair with the baby and nursing pillow. Framed by the window and low light from the hallway, this scene is exactly how I imagined it would be.
I quietly move to the crib holding the still sleeping baby.
“Who is who?” I whisper.
