Page 57 of An Undisputed Christmas
"Look," Estelle murmured, pointing out the window at the familiar landscape below—palm trees and sandy beaches, the sprawling expanse of beachfront property visible from the air. "Home."
"Home," I agreed, though my attention was already focused on what I knew was waiting for us at the executive airport.
The humid air hit us like a warm embrace as we stepped off the plane, such a stark contrast to the mountain cold we'd left behind that I heard Sierra actually sigh with relief.
Sixty degrees felt positively tropical after days in the snow, and I could already feel my muscles relaxing in the familiar warmth.
The executive terminal was mostly empty this early in the day, which made the two small figures pressed against the windows impossible to miss.
"Is that...?" Estelle started, then stopped, her eyes widening as recognition hit.
That's when the terminal doors burst open and Leo came flying,aimed straight at us. His little face was split by the biggest grin I'd ever seen on him.
"Elle!" he shouted, launching himself at Estelle with fearless abandon that still made my heart skip a beat. "You're back!"
Estelle dropped her purse and hugged him, kneeling as tears immediately started streaming down her cheeks. "Leo! Oh my god, what are you doing here?"
“We came to surprise you!" he announced proudly, pulling back just enough to beam at her before turning to include me in his excitement. "We've been waiting! Well, Avery's been waiting. I was being patient."
"Very patient," I confirmed with a laugh, ruffling his hair. "Most patient dinosaur expert I know."
That's when Avery made her entrance, barreling out of the terminal like a tiny pink tornado. She was pure concentrated energy wrapped in sparkly clothes and pigtails that never stayed in place for more than ten minutes.
"ESTELLE!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, adding her own small body to the group hug with enough force to nearly knock all three of them over.
"I missed you SO MUCH! I guess Jax, too. Leo missed you every single night, but he made me pinky promise not to tell anyone!"
"Did not!" Leo protested, his cheeks turning pink, but he was still smiling too hard.
"Did too! And you kept asking mommy to show you the pictures and what day it was and when Santa is coming?—”
"Avery," came a gentle but firm voice from the terminal entrance, and I looked up to see my sister approaching with that warm smile that had been healing broken hearts for as long as I'd known her.
Jovie Easton had always been a steady presence. She moved with the confident grace of someone who'd spent decades wrangling difficult personalities—first me, then Connor and Adrian when they'd joined our makeshift family, and now Leo and Avery.
"Jovie," Estelle breathed, standing up with Leo still clinging to her legs. "Thank you for bringing them. This is... this is perfect."
"Your man is quite the romantic," Jovie said with a knowing smile,reaching out to hug Estelle carefully around Leo. "He called me three days ago with this whole elaborate plan. The kids have been beside themselves with excitement."
Leo smiled up at all of us. "Did you play in the snow? Did you build snowmen? Did you have a snowball fight?"
"All of the above," Connor confirmed, submitting to Leo's hug.
Avery, meanwhile, had attached herself to Adrian with typical enthusiasm. "Adrian! Adrian! Did you bring me presents? Are they sparkly? I love sparkly things!"
"Of course they're sparkly," Adrian replied with mock seriousness, swinging her up onto his shoulders. "What kind of uncle would I be if I forgot about sparkly things?"
Watching our little family reunion unfold, I felt that familiar tightness in my chest that came from moments of pure happiness.
A while ago, I'd been a different man—successful, yes, but ultimately empty. Living for nothing but the next fight, the next championship, the next rush of adrenaline.
Then Estelle had walked into my life with her strength and fierce love for Leo, and everything changed. She'd given me purpose beyond myself, a future that had nothing to do with titles, belts, or recognition.
"Ready to head home?" I asked, gathering Estelle and Leo under my arms.
"More than ready," Estelle replied, gazing at Leo, her beautiful face soft with maternal love.
The drive from the executive airport to my beachfront estate took thirty minutes through familiar streets—palm trees swaying in the ocean breeze, glimpses of sandy beaches between expensive mansions.
