Page 135 of Holiday Romance
I still remember the moment I got it. It was the middle of the night and I’d woken up like I did a lot during that time, the nerves eating away at me. When I saw the alert on my phone, I almost threw up. When I started reading it, I woke Andrew so he could confirm it was real. There were some happy tears and then pancakes and then forwarding the review to every single person I knew. It had been a good morning.
“I love it, thank you.” I rise up to peck his cheek.
“I am, as always, extremely proud of you, Moll. Even if you did pick a panettone over the tiramisu.”
“Stop it.”
“Probably should have told you that Mamhatespanettone.”
“She does not! She—”
“Molly!”
We both turn as my name rings across the arrivals hall. The latest batch of passengers has started trickling through the doors and among them is Hannah. Her hair is dyed bright pink this year and is tied up in a high ponytail that bounces as she runs toward us.
My great, stupid Christmas plan is about to begin.
I half expected Andrew to laugh in my face when I suggested we invite both our families to join us in Chicago, but he got immediately excited about the idea. As nice as our little tradition was, neither of us wanted to spend the holiday apart and I think we were still experiencing PTSD from last year. To my even greater surprise, both the Fitzpatricksandthe Kinsellas immediately said yes, though Andrew’s brother Liam is going to stay at home with the kids and spend the holiday with his wife’s family.
I really didn’t know how everyone was going to fit. Both sets of parents had booked into a hotel, but Christian and HannahplusZoe and the baby are all staying in our apartment, where we’ll be hosting Christmas dinner as well. My initial determination had turned into full-blown panic these last few days as Andrew and I got everything ready, but that starts to fade as Hannah throws her arms around me, the biggest grin on her face.
“It’s so great to see you,” she squeals, and I smile as I return her embrace.
“Also your brother,” Andrew says beside us. “Who is also here.”
“I like Molly more,” Hannah says, squeezing me tight, but she lets me go to do the same to him as I turn back to the door just in time to see the rest of her family walk through. Hers and mine. Both my dad and Sean are in deep conversation, while Christian is wedged between our mothers, a look of waning patience on his face as they gossip around him.
Zoe appears a moment later, pushing an empty stroller with one hand and holding my nephew in the other.
Baby Tiernan looks about the airport with a kind of apathetic neutrality that morphs into grumpy confusion as my sister bends her head, pointing at me as she whispers in his ear.
“Auntie Molly!” I hear her say as she approaches us. “Remember your Auntie Molly? Auntie— Yeah, he doesn’t care.”
I smirk, kissing him on the head. “I’ll win him over.”
“I don’t know. He only likes talking animals at the moment. Also spoons? Weirdly into holding spoons all day. I’m hoping it means he’s a genius.” She hands him over to Hannah, who doesn’t bat an eyelid when he immediately starts playing with her hair, and Zoe turns back to give me a hug.
“You’re regretting this idea already, aren’t you?”
“Totally and completely.”
“I’ve got you,” she whispers into my ear, before pulling back to shove something into my hands. “Happy Christmas. Don’t open it until you’re alone,” she adds as I gaze down at my present. “The smell is… not good.”
“Is it cheese?”
“No,” she says, smiling wickedly, and I wince as I slide it into my purse just before I look properly at my parents.
“Zoe?”
“Hmmm?”
“What the hell is Mam wearing?”
“I thought I’d make an effort this year,” Mam announces as she reaches us. She looks a little flustered, probably due to the oversized, bright red sweater she’s wearing.Granny Clauseis written in block letters across the front. “Your father and I wanted to mark the occasion.”
“Then why isn’t Dad wearing one?”
“Because he respects himself,” Zoe mutters, ignoring the look our mother gives her.
