Noelle gasped. “Dywan iz no an ath-hole! He iz onwy gwumpy when he no haf suppa!”
My lips quirked at her defensive words, but Alex stood, slamming her hands on her hips.
I stood alongside her, taking Noelle with me. Not that I had any choice, since she had her arms wrapped so tight around my neck I wasn’t sure how much longer I could breathe. “Alex,” I murmured. “Let me.”
I held out my hand. “Seth.”
“Dylan,” he scoffed, ignoring my hand.
Behind me, Alex hissed, “Seth, your manners!”
I held up my hand. “It’s fine, Alex. He’s protecting you. Both of you.”
“How long are you here for?” he asked with purpose. “You might as well tell her and break her heart now.”
Noelle shook her head. “No, Sef! My wifth is Dywan would be a daddy for boffa us! And Mommy need a huband. He is bof! Dats why he’s hewe!” She looked at me, the innocent belief of a child shining through. To her, it w
as so simple. If she was good enough, and wished hard enough, it would be true. Her smile was bright and filled with hope. “Wight, Dywan?”
I kissed her cheek and met Seth’s stare. As strong as he was trying to appear, I could see the vulnerability he was attempting to cover up.
“I came back to ask all of you if it would be okay if I moved here, Seth,” I explained. “If maybe you all liked me enough to let us try to be a family.”
Noelle squealed, tightening her hands. I was certain I was about to start seeing black dots.
“I don’t need a father,” he muttered and began to turn away.
I stopped him. “How about a friend? I thought we got along pretty well. Maybe we could start there.”
He hesitated. “You’re really moving here?”
“I want to. I want to build a life here. I want to build you all a home and share it with you.”
His gaze flew to Alex, who nodded. “All of us?” His tone was less combative and more like the happy teenager I had grown to love.
I extended my hand again and winked. “All of you,” I stated firmly. “I think you need me to help even out the numbers. God knows I can’t keep these two in line without you.”
He grabbed my hand, shaking it hard. “Darn right, you can’t.”
All of a sudden, I was ensconced. I was holding Noelle and Seth, with Alex wrapped around all of us. The love I felt was astounding. I was exhausted and overwhelmed, in a good way, being cried upon, my hair tugged by happy little fists, choked to death with love, and I was pretty sure I was about to weep in front of all of them.
I had flown all night, driven a minivan, played Santa, proposed to a woman who could render me useless with one smile, and it wasn’t even seven a.m.
It was the best Christmas ever.
I HAD NEVER KNOWN A Christmas like it. My childhood, especially after my mother passed, had been lonely. My father buried himself in work, and at times, he seemed to forget I existed. I had nannies, then tutors, to keep me company. Mrs. C had changed all that when she joined my father’s household as his housekeeper. She became so much more to me: my friend, confidante, and staunchest supporter. When I opened my first office, she walked away from my father and stood beside me, even as he sneered at my business idea. Real estate was a foolish endeavor, and I was being irresponsible, he’d said. Once again, I disappointed him. Arlene’s faith in me never wavered.
Nevertheless, Christmas had always been a day of sadness. Arlene spent it with her family, and that forced my father to spend the day with me. There was never a tree, and he simply handed me gifts, not wrapped or signed with: Love, Dad or even From, Santa. They were always useful items—my father didn’t believe in frivolities or spoiling a child. I knew each year that I would receive three things: a gift certificate to a bookstore, some educational item, and an article of clothing. He didn’t choose any of it—one of his assistants did, so none of them was special. I respectfully handed him a card and a small item I had picked out. Although, once I got older, I discovered he discarded it to charity the day after. Dinner was an early affair, usually late lunch, and afterward, he would stand, his duty done, and inform me he would be working the rest of the day. When I was able to get around on my own, I would go to Mrs. C’s and enjoy the rest of the day. Her thoughtful gift was always treasured, but the company and love I found there more so.
Today was the Christmas that I always dreamed of as a child. It didn’t matter it wasn’t me getting the gifts—somehow, it meant more. Seeing the joy and surprise on their faces was gift enough. Boxes, wrapping paper, and squeals of delight abounded. Things I swore I would hate made me smile. Wet, excited kisses were rained on my face. Noelle’s sticky fingers offered me chocolate and candies that I gladly accepted. Fist bumps and a few awkward hugs from Seth were shared.
I loved every minute of it.
Alex finally stopped shaking her head and muttering about me “going overboard” when she saw the happiness and glee on her children’s faces. Her own quiet enjoyment at her gifts warmed my heart. Her effusive kisses of thanks warmed other parts of me. George was thrilled with his cigars, laughing at the way Alex rolled her eyes and scolded me.
As the frenzy wound down, Alex pulled out a gift from the back of the tree, handing it to me, her cheeks pink with shyness.
“What is this?”