We all clinked glasses, and Mom's eyes sparkled as she looked around the table. "You know, when Grayson first came to that hospital room and revealed getting my new treatment sorted, I never imagined I'd end up with such a big, beautiful family. To be accepted…" Her lip trembled, but she grinned through it, shaking her head to keep from sobbing. I instantly grabbed her hand, and she held mine as tight as she could, her smile so full of love and relief. "Thank you, all of you."
"Of course, you're family, Anna," Meredith said as she touched her shoulder. "All of you are, no question. That includes you too, Ivy," she added with a wink, making Ivy roll her eyes. But my best friend looked happy to hear she was included.
"And now another baby on the way!" My mother covered Meredith's hand on her shoulder and patted it. "I hope you know I'm claiming grandmother privileges for this one from day one. If that's okay."
Meredith laughed, wiping a tear from her eye. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
Mom's gaze shifted to Jackson and me, her eyebrow arching in that knowing way. "You two better catch up. At this rate, you're falling behind. We got babies all around. Now, boys, I need one of you to find Ivy and respectable man. We need babies everywhere."
"Mom!" I gasped as Ivy snorted.
"Respectable, he's going to need to be more than that," Ivy muttered.
The table erupted in laughter as Jackson choked on his champagne and I felt my face flush hot enough to fry an egg. But when I looked at him, the softness in his eyes made my heart skip. There was something there—a question, a possibility, a future we hadn't dared discuss yet. Were kids in our cards? I had no idea, I'd not thought about it much.
Sofia raised her glass again. "To family—the ones we're born with, the ones we choose, the ones we find, and the ones yet to come."
As everyone cheered, I felt Jackson's hand find mine, his fingers intertwining with mine in a silent promise. For the first time in my life, I felt like I belonged somewhere completely. My mother was going to live. My siblings had welcomed me. And the man beside me looked at me like I was his whole world.
I was right where I was supposed to be.
The afternoon stretched into evening, fairy lights twinkling to life in the trees as the sun began its descent. We moved from the table to the comfortable seating area near the outdoor fireplace, where Grayson built a small fire despite the warmth of the evening. Mom was settled into a plush chair, a light blanket over her legs despite her protests that she wasn't that cold. The vineyard staff hadn't taken her word for it, which she was clearly grateful for as a breeze whipped up.
"I'm not an invalid anymore," she insisted, but the fatigue in her eyes told a different story. Remission didn't mean instant recovery. She still had a long road ahead.
"Humor me," I said, tucking the blanket around her. "Doctor's orders are still to take it easy I would imagine."
Jackson appeared at my side with a fresh glass of sparkling water for her. "Mrs. Peters, I've been meaning to ask you something."
My mother looked up at him, her eyes twinkling. "If it's about my daughter's hand in marriage, I expect at least dinner first, young man."
I nearly choked. "Mom!"
Jackson laughed, the sound rich and warm. "Actually, I wanted to ask about Elena as a child. Was she always this stubborn?"
"Worse," my mother said without hesitation. "When she was four, she decided she wanted to be a witch. Made me buy her a broom and witch hat, along with a cauldron. She was making all sorts of potions, and had this wicked little laugh. Refused to go anywhere without her broom and hat."
"Mom!" I protested again, mortified as Jackson's shoulders shook with laughter.
"What? It's true. You were determined. Still are." She reached for my hand, squeezing it. "That's how I knew you'd beokay, no matter what happened to me. My Elena doesn't give up."
The simple pride in her voice made my throat tight. I'd spent so many months terrified of losing her, of having to move on without her in my life. Now, looking around at the people gathered here—Ivy sprawled on a lounger arguing playfully with Grayson about some obscure film, Meredith and Leo sitting close together whispering, Sofia bouncing a sleepy Marcello—I realized I would never truly be alone again.
"I get it from you," I said softly.
Jackson's hand found the small of my back, and I relaxed at the warmth. "Definitely," he agreed. "The Peters women are a force of nature."
My mother's eyes drifted closed, a small smile on her lips. "I think I'll rest my eyes for just a moment," she murmured.
I adjusted her blanket, watching as her breathing evened out. The lines of pain that had been etched into her face for so long seemed softer now, less pronounced. Remission. The word still felt like a miracle.
"She's going to be okay," Jackson said quietly, leading me a few steps away to give her peace.
"I know," I whispered, leaning into his solid warmth. "I just can't believe it's real."
He pressed a kiss to my temple. "Believe it. You both deserve this."
I turned in his arms, looking up at him. "What did I do to deserve you?"
