Page 111 of Inspiring Izzy

"Was I just..." Steve lets out a shaky breath. "Was I just the guy you settled for?"

"You were my best friend after Ava went home," I tell him.

"That wasn't a no, Iz."

"You are the father of my daughter," I try again. "You're important, too."

"You've always been a shitty liar," he laughs.

"It was real, you know. You and me, it was real for me."

"I'm sorry I fucked it up so badly," Steve apologizes.

"It's alright," I hitch a shoulder.

"Am I still your best friend?"

I chuckle. "No, definitely not."

Steve laughs as we head down the hallway. "You sure about that?"

"Positive."

When we make it down the stairs, most of the Thompsons are congregating in the living room. I find Brady by the fireplace drinking a beer with Liam.

"Everything OK?" he asks me.

I squeeze his arm. "Yeah, have you seen Brianna?"

"She's still in the kitchen," Brady answers. "She's decorating cookies with her cousins."

"I'll be right back," I say to him as Liam winks at me.

The kitchen is just as crowded as the living room. Ava, Mom, Aunt Jenny, and Mia all have a glass of wine in hand as they watch Bea, Ben, and Brianna decorate snowmen sugar cookies.

"Hey," I say to Brianna. She has a glob of red frosting on her nose.

"Hi, Mommy." She shows me her snowman. "We're making cookies for Santa."

"They look so good," I say to her.

"How much longer til dinner's ready," Ben whines as he stares up at my sister.

"Five minutes," Mom answers. "We're just waiting on the green bean casserole."

"Five minutes," Ben repeats with a pout. "That'ssolong."

We all laugh as Aunt Jenny hands me a glass of wine.

"So," she whispers, "Brady's here for Christmas."

"He is."

"And he's staying the night?" she scrunches her nose with excitement.

"He is," I say again.

"Get it, girl," Aunt Jenny clinks her glass against mine.

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