Kyle went to adjust the string of lights around the tree, and when it stopped flickering, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Henry took Marie’s hand in his, and the two of them began to sway to the music. Emma shook her head and tried to steal a piece of golden bread, yelping when her mom swatted her hand away. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of movement and turned to it, her heart missing a beat when Kyle led Jules out into the backyard.
Marie came to stand in front of her and frowned. “It’s freezing out there. What are they doing?”
“Don’t worry about them.” Emma stepped into Marie’s field of vision and smiled. “I’m sure they’ll be in soon. We have some time before the guests get here anyway.”
Marie checked her watch and paused to run a hand through her hair. “I hope they’re not late. I would hate for the food to get cold.”
Henry threw his arms around both of them and hummed to the music. “There are my girls.”
Emma squirmed and shot him a confused look. “Someone has had a little too much eggnog.”
Henry shook his head as he rocked back and forth to the music, prompting them to sway with him. “This is better than I’ve felt in a long time. I was hoping this Christmas would be different.”
And if it hadn’t been for his hairbrained scheme, it wouldn’t have been.
Everything had worked out exactly as her father had planned, and Emma didn’t mind.
She didn’t mind one bit, especially when the doorbell rang, revealing a dapper-looking Jack holding a bottle of wine, wearing a button-down shirt and dark jeans. Derek was dressed similarly and carrying an apple pie, which Marie plucked out of his hands. She ushered him into the living room, handed him a glass of wine, and smiled.
Jack gave her a quick peck on the lips before turning to her parents. “Thank you for having us over, Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan. It’s been a long time since we had family dinner.”
“You really need to start calling us Henry and Marie.” Marie gestured to Henry, who stepped forward to take his coat and hat. “You look especially nice tonight, Jack.”
He flashed Emma a smile and stepped in, the door clicking shut behind him. “It’s a special occasion, Mrs.—Marie.”
She looped her arm through his and led him down the hall and to the living room. “It is. I love having family around this time of year. Tell me, what kind of tree did you guys pick out?”
“She’s going to chat his ear off all night,” Henry joked as the two of them stood side by side, staring after them. “I’d keep that man of yours close if I were you.”
Emma blushed. “Dad, come on. I’m not in high school anymore. Neither is Jack. He can handle himself.”
Henry chuckled and paused to squeeze her hand. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
He spun on his heel and walked into the living room.
Through the glass door, she spotted Jules and Kyle standing across from each other. Her eyes were wide, and he was looking at her with a strange expression. Emma took a step forward but halted when the doorbell rang again. She swung it open,revealing Marley in a red sweater, a black skirt, and thigh-high boots. Her hat was pulled low over her ears, and the bridge of her nose was red, but her smile only grew wider when she saw Emma.
The two friends embraced, the Christmas pudding tray getting crushed between them.
“Don’t ruin my dessert,” Marley scolded. “I spent hours making it.”
Emma snorted and slammed the door shut. “Since when do you bake?”
Marley peeled off her coat and hung it up behind the door. “I decided to try my hand at it a few weeks ago, actually. This seemed like an easy enough recipe to follow.”
“I think I’ve got something to take for food poisoning,” Emma teased, chortling when Marley elbowed her in the side. “What? I was being supportive.”
Marley scowled, and her expression cleared when they stepped into the living room. Marie sat in between Jack and Derek, her eyes darting back and forth between the two. Henry stood by the fire, sipping his wine and glancing at the flames in the fireplace with a thoughtful look. His eyes were a little glazed, and he had a soft, playful smile on his lips. Emma left Marley on the armchair opposite the couch and wandered over to him.
“Are you feeling okay, Dad?”
Henry tilted his glass in her direction. “Never better, darling. I haven’t felt this happy in years.”
Emma reached for a glass of sparkling apple cider and returned the gesture. “It was a roundabout way of going about it, but you’re the reason we’re all here together.”
And she was oddly thankful to him for being so persistent.
If it hadn’t been for his ambitions and dreams, she and Jules would’ve been celebrating Christmas by the dying light of the embers in her apartment over a Chinese takeout meal.
