“Hey kiddo,” I said, kissing the top of Nina’s head as I grabbed her bag. “You okay?”
“What do you think?” she asked in a flat tone.
“Yeah,” I nodded, as I wrapped an arm around her and headed for the house. “Hey, we’ve got a guest for dinner.”
“Oh yeah?” Nina perked up.
“Your History teacher, Ms. Fowler,” I said quickly.
“Are you serious, Dad?” Nina asked, stopping dead in her tracks. “Tell me you're pulling my leg.”
“I’m not, kiddo,” I said, shaking my head. “Her house burned down this morning, and she didn’t have anywhere else to go, so I asked her to join us for dinner.”
“Just fucking great,” Nina muttered.
“Nina!” I warned.
“Fine, I’ll be nice, but between you and Mom this holiday seriously blows,” she said, angrily storming up the walk into the house.
I followed her inside and watched as she grudgingly welcomed Emily before heading into the kitchen to find her grandmother. I shrugged at Emily, who smiled and shrugged back.
Chapter Sixteen
Emily
I watched as Nina hugged her uncle and called out to her grandmother as she entered the kitchen. Blake shrugged at me, and I smiled and shrugged back. I knew it couldn’t be easy for a teenager to welcome her teacher into her home, on a holiday, nonetheless, and I was more than well aware that I was a complete stranger to the Gaston family.
“Is that my granddaughter I hear stomping through my kitchen?” Blake’s father called, as he emerged from the basement.
“Gramps, I don’t stomp!” Nina laughed, as she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. “Merry Christmas, Gramps!”
“Merry Christmas, Punkin Pie!” her grandfather said, as he hugged her tightly. When Nina let go and stepped back, he looked over her shoulder and caught sight of me. “Well, who do we have here?”
“Dad, this is Emily Fowler,” Blake said, stepping closer to me as his father walked across the room. “Emily, this is my father, Alan Gaston.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Gaston,” I said, offering my hand.
“It’s Dr. Gaston,” Nina muttered, as she shot me a look that bordered on nasty.
“Oh, don’t be ridiculous; degrees are degrees,” Blake’s father said, shaking my hand as he leaned forward and added, “Thermometers have degrees, and you know where we stick those. Please, call me Alan.”
“Merry Christmas, Alan,” I said, looking nervously at Blake, who smiled and nodded reassuringly. I smiled back and said, “Thank you for letting me join you for dinner.”
“It’s our pleasure, Emily,” Alan said, as Brian emerged from the kitchen carrying several cold bottles of beer. He gave one to his father and offered the others to Blake and I. “What brings you to our table this evening? Were you not able to make it home to your family today?”
I inhaled sharply and tried to think of something to say that wouldn’t make everyone in the room look at me with pity. The words caught in my throat, and I felt the lump rising as tears began to well up.
“Emily lost her house in a fire this morning, Dad,” Blake quickly offered. “I thought she’d be better off having dinner with us than hanging out in a hotel room alone today.”
“Oh my goodness, what a terrible thing to have happen on Christmas day!” Alan exclaimed. “I’m glad my son brought you here. We’ll feed you well!”
“Thank you,” I nodded. I swallowed hard and then said, “It’s wonderful to be around such a warm and happy family today. It makes it feel a little more festive.”
“Dinner is served!” Ellie cheerfully announced, as she placed a steaming bowl of mashed potatoes on the table before returning to get the turkey.
I hung back as the family headed to the table until Blake smiled and gestured for me to take the chair next to him. Nina sat across the table from me and pointedly avoided looking at me as everyone took their seats. Alan reached out and took his sons’ hands, and soon we were all holding hands as Alan said a blessing.
“We’re so happy that we could have our whole family here for this wonderful celebration and this delicious meal,” he began. Blake’s hand was warm in mine, and I felt a tingle of electricity pass between us. I knew he felt it too when he squeezed my hand as his father continued, “We’re thankful that Emily could join us today even though the reason is not cause for celebration. We’re thankful for all that we have and all that we enjoy, but mostly we’re thankful for our loving family and the opportunity to spend time together. Amen.”