Page 26 of A Bright Winter Season

“That’s good, because Samantha is starting to eat as much as a gorilla.”

“I heard that!” Samantha called from the hallway.

“I’m sorry, you’re right—it’s more like two gorillas!” Hazel called, teasing. “I don’t know where you’re putting it. I think your stomach is a bottomless pit.”

“Wow, Mom.” Samantha returned to the kitchen, shaking her head. “I request more flattering metaphors in the future. First a gorilla, and then a bottomless pit.”

“Technically, the first one was a simile,” Hazel said, raising a finger.

Samantha shook her head, laughing, and Hazel pulled her into a hug.

“Come here, my beautiful girl, who in no way resembles a gorilla or a bottomless pit. You’re like… a very pretty lumberjack.”

Samantha wrinkled her nose. “Do lumberjacks eat a lot?”

“So I hear.”

Vivian chuckled as she pulled the cinnamon rolls out of the oven. They looked perfect—fluffy and golden brown. “I like that analogy. I’ve often felt like I was feeding a crew of lumberjacks. All you kids ate so much when you were teenagers. It’s because you’re still growing, Samantha.”

“I know! I’ve grown two inches since I was last measured, I think. We need to check. Mom, can we—oh, hey, Aunt Alexis!”

At that moment, Alexis and Grayson stepped inside through the back door. Alexis looked a little tired, but she was smiling broadly. Behind her, Grayson was wearing a homemade knit hat,and Vivian thought to herself that it was good to see him looking so laid-back, instead of like the uptight city slicker he used to be.

“Good morning, everyone!” Julia called as she appeared in the kitchen, yawning. “Sorry, I overslept a little. I was up late talking on the phone with Cooper.”

“Giggling like a couple of teenagers,” Vivian teased.

“Did I keep you up?” Julia’s eyebrows lifted in worry.

“No, not at all. I was up a little late myself. Just had a lot of thoughts bouncing around in my brain.”

Vivian hadn’t been worrying about anything the night before, not exactly. She’d felt a little overwhelmed as she contemplated everything they had left to do for the Christmas event, but for the most part she’d stayed up because she’d gotten lost in thought, reminiscing about the past. She missed Frank, and she couldn’t help wishing that she wasn’t going through life without a partner.

“Now we’re just waiting on Dean,” Hazel said cheerfully, carefully taking the cinnamon rolls out of the pan and placing them inside a cloth-lined basket. “He’s always last.”

“And usually a little late,” Alexis said. “Let’s go sit down and start eating without him. I’m starving.”

Dean arrived within the next minute, however, smiling and looking energetic. Soon they were all seated around the big dining room table, dishing out large helpings of the delicious food. In addition to the skillets, parfaits, and baked goods, there was also a dish of breakfast sausages and a plate of toast.

As the family was cheerfully chatting about how their weeks had gone, Vivian noticed Alexis spooning an enormous glob of peanut butter onto her toast. Vivian cocked her head to one side in confusion, wondering why her daughter was choosing to eat something that she’d always disliked instead of the ham and cheese skillet, which was usually one of her favorite meals.

“Alexis,” Vivian said in a quiet voice. “Don’t you hate peanut butter?”

Alexis shook her head. “Not right now I don’t. I have a major craving for it. Thanks for having on the table, Mom. I know you brought it out for Dean, but this is hitting the spot right now.” She took a big bite out of the toast and closed her eyes, clearly savoring the taste.

“If you don’t tell Grayson your news soon, he’s going to get suspicious,” Vivian whispered. “You’re having pregnancy cravings, and he’s going to notice that your food preferences have changed. Besides, what if you send him out in the middle of the night for some bizarre food you’re craving? Then he’s really going to know.”

Alexis shook her head as she chewed. “I’ll do it soon. I just haven’t found the right time.”

Vivian gave her a sympathetic smile. “Is it really about finding the right time? I don’t think there’s any ‘right moment’ for news like this. He just needs to know.”

“I’ll tell him.” Alexis sighed and took another giant bite out of her peanut butter covered toast.

“So, Dean, when are you going to start bringing Noelle to these breakfasts?” Hazel asked, grinning. “I saw the two of you walking down Main Street holding hands last night. You looked as thick as thieves.”

Dean held up his hands. “Hey, we didn’t steal anything.”

Hazel laughed and threw a blueberry from her yogurt parfait at him. “Stop avoiding the question. When are you going to bring her to family breakfast?”

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