Page 78 of Your Hand in Mine

When I look to Leo I see that he’s sitting up again and watching us. It’s hard to read his expression.

“What’s up?”

“Huh?”

“You look like this,” I tell him, contorting my face into a super serious pout.

Olivia jumps on the bandwagon, making the same face. “Yeah, Daddy, you look like a grump.”

I raise an eyebrow and fix her with a look. “We said we’re not using that word anymore, remember?”

Olivia gets up and brushes the pine needles and tinsel from her leggings, walking back over to admire the tree. So quietly that she thinks no one else can hear, she says, “But he does look like a grump sometimes.”

She’s right, but I don’t like teasing Leo that way anymore. I’ve come to realize that his grumpy exterior can be a front for times when he’s worried about Libby, about me, or on rare occasions, about work-related stuff. So no more making fun. The people in your life who love you are supposed to be there to make it better and to ease those worry lines.

Moving back onto his lap, I wrap my arms around his neck. “Is everything all right?”

“Better than all right. I’m happy.”

“You looked worried or something for a minute there.”

He lets out a soft laugh. “Grumpy dudes tend to do that. We worry whenever we’re happy.”

“You’re waiting for the other shoe to drop, huh?”

“It’s feels too good to be true, you know?”

“No.” I shake my head before planting one soft kiss on his cheek. “This is how it’s supposed to be, Leo. Trust in this.”

“They’re here!” Olivia runs over to us. “Quick, get the gate!”

We ordered a gate, outlet covers and rubber bumpers to cover every sharp edge on the first floor in preparation for the arrival of the Messiah, otherwise known as my nephew, James.

“Ta-da!” Olivia calls out as Garth comes in carrying James’s car seat with Sienna following behind. “We got a gate so James can’t eat the tree!”

Sienna and I start cracking up at that one but Garth nods his head, all serious. “You’re always thinking, Olivia. He’d make a meal out of that tinsel.” They fist bump as he says, “Good job.”

“Is James crawling yet?” she asks Sienna.

“He gets up on his hands and knees and rocks back and forth, so it should be soon. C’mere and give me a hug.”

“You smell good,” Olivia says as she nestles into Sienna’s arms.

“I was baking all morning so I should smell good!”

I peek into the containers Sienna set down on the table when she came in. “Apple pie with extra crust baked into the shape of a Christmas tree on top, cupcakes with reindeer faces and sugar cookies in the shape of Santa hats.” Shaking my head I look back to my sister. “Even if this stuff doesn’t taste good you get an A for effort.”

“As if.” She scoffs. “I could win the Great American Bake-Off with that apple pie.”

And with John Legend’sBring Me Loveplaying in the background, I start rocking from side to side and then break into a sexy little shimmy. “Don’t know about a bake-off, but I’m pretty sure I can take you in a dance-off nowadays.”

“Did you hear that, Olivia?” She comes next to where I’m standing in the kitchen and hip checks me off balance. “Thems fightin’ words!”

“Yeah, thems fightin’ words!” my little traitor says as she comes over and takes Sienna’s hand. And watching Olivia as she tries to imitate every single step my sister takes, I’m overcome with this feeling of goodness and love for every person in this house.

For a moment I think to myself that it’s like Leo says, too good to be true, but it’s really not.

This love? It’s true.

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