“Not terribly.” That was a total lie. I’d been mentally calculating what stage of Scaife family Christmas was happening across the ocean all day long, but I didn’t want Neil to feel guilty. I’d made the choice to come here. “They got me for twenty-four years. I can spare one for you.”
“It’s the best present I’ve ever gotten.” He ducked his head and finally, finally kissed me.
“I don’t see any mistletoe,” a cheerful voice with a faint Scottish accent warbled, and we both looked up.
Neil grinned and rubbed my lipstick off his bottom lip with the side of his index finger. “Sophie, this is Valerie Stern, Emma’s mother. Valerie, this is my girlfriend, Sophie.”
“I should hope so, otherwise you’d have some explaining to do.” Valerie smiled a smile of the straightest, whitest teeth I’d ever seen. And I used to work at a fashion magazine. She did not look remotely old enough to be Emma’s mom, but I knew she was about the same age as Neil, since they went to college together. Her hair was a gorgeous, glossy auburn that fell in perfectly smooth slashes to her shoulders. Her eyes were big and animated, and she came over immediately to shake my hand without a trace of awkwardness.
I almost let out a sigh of relief, but I thought that would be rude. “It’s so nice to meet you.”
“And you. Emma has told me all about you.” She turned to give Neil a friendly hug and a kiss on the cheek— it looked so much less awkward when she did it than when I did, because she was easily four inches taller than me.
“Happy Christmas, Neil,” she said with warmth I knew I shouldn’t have interpreted in a jealous way, but I couldn’t help myself.
I had never been in a relationship with someone who had a serious past with another woman. On the one hand, I was comforted by the fact that they were able to maintain a friendship even after their romantic relationship was over. That meant that if we didn’t work out for some reason, it probably wouldn’t be an awful breakup. On the other hand, I hated literally everything about her from the moment she walked into the room. I hated that I perceived this bond between them I was driven to try and overcome. I didn’t want to be the woman who needed to fill every role in her partner’s life. I hated that their daughter was in her twenties and they were still this parental unit for her sake. I thought it was weird and I was super envious because my parents hadn’t been able to do that for me. And I really hated that kiss on the cheek.
Most of all, I hated my jealousy, which for all I knew, was totally unfounded. There was nothing wrong with anything she’d said or done, but I irrationally wanted to pick apart everything about her. It wasn’t a nice way to feel, and I was so disappointed in myself.
Then the butler walked in carrying bags of presents to put under the tree, and I realized that I was probably just feeling out of my element. After all, Valerie had brought beautifully wrapped gifts in Harrod’s bags, and I was used to seeing hand-wrapped presents toted in laundry baskets. We certainly didn’t get this dressed up at home, and I suspected the punch bowl was not full of sherbet, Hawaiian Punch, and 7-Up.
That was my problem. Valerie didn’t intimidate me; Neil’s whole life intimidated me, because I felt like I would never really fit in to it.
Gosh, I was sure glad I figured that out right before meeting his mother. She and Neil’s sister were only about ten minutes behind Valerie.
When Neil had told me his mother was in her eighties, I had expected someone who looked frailer than she did. In fact, she was a little plump. And I was surprised at how much she and Neil looked alike; they shared the same kind green eyes and perpetually amused expression. She smiled broadly and reached her arms up as Neil went to embrace her.
“Mother,” He said, bending over her wheelchair to kiss her cheek. She patted his face, the way mothers the world over do to their children, and I hid my smile behind my hand.
“How are you feeling, little bird?” she asked, and it took every bit of self-control I had not to say, “awwwww!”
“Tired,” he told her with a reassuring smile. “But fine.”
“I think those doctors are charlatans,” she grumbled. “They should have kept you in the hospital in New York.”
I felt the same way. It was nice to have someone on my side.
Neil straightened and turned, gesturing me over. “Mother, this is Sophie.”
“Oh?” She looked to me with as polite a frown as I’ve ever seen, trying to puzzle me out. “Are you a friend of Emma’s, then?”