“There’s no good time to lose the ones you love, trust me. My husband died right before Father’s Day,” said Molly.
“All right, guys, we need to lighten the mood,” Sunny said. “How about sharing the best Christmas present we ever got?”
“That’s easy. Alden,” Arianna said.
“Spill the beans. How’d he propose? All we know was that he was taking you out for your birthday,” Sunny said.
Arianna happily related his ferryboat proposal and then the way he’d brought Mia and Sophie in on everything. As she talked, happiness rushed in and blew away the dark cloud she’d been sitting under. With Mia so sick and Wyatt planning to steal Sophie for the day again, it wasn’t going to be an ideal greeting card–style Christmas, but that was okay. For her, Christmas had come early.
31
Christmas Day was special for Molly. Reggie was out of rehab and she was staying at his condo, making the day as perfect as she could. He was still working on his mobility and strengthening his arm, but he was making progress, walking with a cane, and his doctor was pleased.
She and Ava had bought him a tree and decorated it with colored lights, silver ribbons and blue balls. Very manly. They’d bought some glass ornaments shaped like vintage cars as well, wrapped them and put them under the tree for him to open. They’d ordered a complete dinner from the local Safeway—no muss, no fuss—and Ava and Paisley had baked cupcakes and decorated them with sprinkles. Lots of sprinkles, Paisley had insisted, and on most of the cupcakes Molly could hardly see the frosting for those sprinkles.
Reggie insisted that he loved sprinkles. The more, the better.
With the help of the occupational therapist, he’d managed to get ahold of a gift bag, and he looked on with a big grin as the three women opened it and pulled out printed tickets to Disneyland. Paisley jumped up and down and whooped, then rushed to hug Reggie. Ava gaped in amazement and Molly said, “Reggie, what on earth?”
“I want my girls to enjoy the happiest place on earth,” he said, “and I hope by the time school’s out I’ll be ready to go with you all and go on those rides with Paisley.”
“Thank you, Grandpa Reggie,” Paisley said. “I always wanted to go to Disneyland.”
“Me, too,” Ava said with a laugh.
“Me, three,” put in Molly.
“Now, Molly girl, open that other one.”
“You already gave me a lovely ring. There’s nothing else I need,” she said, but she picked up the white shirt box wrapped in silver paper and tied with a blue ribbon. Had Reggie ordered an article of clothing online for her? That would be interesting, considering his own taste in clothes.
But when she pulled aside the tissue paper, she got the shock of her life. “What’s this?” she demanded, frowning at him.
“It’s me making sure you’ll be okay no matter what.”
“What is it?” Paisley asked.
“A will,” Molly said, still giving Reggie the stink eye. “You already scared us half to death. I don’t think this is funny.”
He sobered. “It’s not meant to be funny. I want you to know that, no matter what happens to me, you will be okay. You’re my beneficiary, and I’ve left something for Ava and Paisley, too. I don’t want any of you to have to worry about money ever again.”
“Oh, Reggie,” Molly said, her eyes filling with tears.
“It’s awfully sweet of you,” said Ava.
“You girls have taken care of me. I’m only returning the favor,” he said. “Anyway, I have to do something with my money. I can’t take it with me.”
“And you can’t go, not for a long time,” Molly informed him.
“Sure not planning on it. I want to spend a whole lot of Christmases with all of you.”
“Let’s drink to that,” Molly said, and went to fetch the eggnog.
Sunny’s Christmas was looking very different from the one the year before. Her whole family was together, both the one she’d grown up with and the one she’d married into.
“This candy cane pastry is so cute,” Jeannette said, and pulled out her phone to take a picture of it.
“Never mind the pictures, Mom. Let’s eat,” Travis said.
