“Chocolate chip out of one of those tubes,” he said. “It’s the best I can do and we can’t leave Santa hungry.”
Becca stood up and pulled Alana’s hand for her to get up. “Get them now, please.”
“I guess I know what I need to do,” she said.
“You do that and I’ll get lunch ready. Go wash your hands, Becca.”
His daughter took off toward the half bath, one arm up, a finger pointed in the air. “I’ll be back in a flash.”
He yanked Alana close and put his lips to hers. “Once she’s napping we can give each other our real gifts.”
She laughed and smacked her lips to his. “I was hoping you’d say that!”
26
HAS MEANING
“Welcome to chaos,” her aunt Sophia said when she walked in the door on Christmas morning. Alana, her parents, and her brother all drove over together. There was no reason not to.
“I welcome it,” she said. “I can’t wait to see everyone.”
She had gifts for them all because she just loved kids.
There was yelling and giggling in the back of the house and she was positive it was her cousin’s kids playing with the loot they got from their grandparents.
“Alana,” Zandra yelled when she walked into the family room in the back of the house. Penelope’s daughter was four and the oldest of her cousins. “Are those for me?”
She laughed. “They are for all the kids.”
“That’s my daughter,” Penelope said.
“The most vocal of the group,” Griffin said. “Always.”
“Someone has to be,” she said.
“I got trucks,” Micah said. Zandra’s brother was two and spoke well. He was on the floor smashing them together and sending them launching with Emily’s son, Cole, who was three.
“I see that. Where is Cara?” she asked of Cole’s twin sister. “I’ve got gifts for her too.”
“She’s pooping,” Zandra said. “Her butt stinks.”
“Your child,” Griffin said to his wife. “Just remember that.”
“You’ll never let me forget,” Penelope said.
“We’ve got lots of gifts,” her mother said. “Something for everyone.”
When Cara came running back in, Alana unloaded her gifts and let the kids have fun opening more loot.
Emily and her husband, Crew, were off to the side talking to Crew’s grandmother. Lucy was the only family that Crew had and was welcomed in by her Aunt Sophia and Uncle Mason as one of their own.
“How is work going?” Uncle Mason asked her.
“It’s great. I love it.”
In more ways than one, but she wouldn’t admit that to anyone here.
When Penelope snorted and stared her down hard, she wondered if Kelsey had blabbed about Brennan.
