One year later
Mia had outdone herself with Christmas Eve dinner this year. She could admit it. She didn’t even mind cooking meat for others. She just wanted her guests to be happy and full. The roast was cooked to perfection, a lovely, crusty sear on the outside while the inside remained juicy and slightly pink—only slightly or Angelo would moan and whine about it still mooing. She smiled when she thought about that, though, because Angelo had become a dear friend over the past year and was either over for dinner or invited her to dinner at least once a week. And he had brought his beau of six months now, Charles, to Christmas Eve dinner, so she wasn’t going to give him too much of a hard time. He was clearly in love, and she was too happy for him to harass him. For now.
“What can I do, Mom?” Maggie came into the kitchen, rubbing her hands together as if itching for a task.
“You’ve been weird all day,” Mia said, stopping her basting of the roast to look at her daughter-in-law. “Are you all right?”
“What? Me? Absolutely. Just excited about Christmas. Aren’t you?”
“Sweetie, I’m eighty-one years old. Not much excites me anymore.” She finished basting, then moved the roast to a cutting board to rest for a few minutes before she sliced it up. Hulk sat quietly off to the side, having learned if he didn’t beg too vocally, the chances of him getting a bite of meat went up in a big way.
“Do you want me to slice that so you don’t have to?” Maggie asked.
“I appreciate that, sweetie, but no. I’m fine. Thank you.”
With a shrug, Maggie grabbed the salt and pepper and took it out to the dining room. Something was up with that one, but she didn’t have time to suss it out right now.
“Oh my God, that smells amazing.” Sammi came into the kitchen and kissed Mia on the cheek.
Beckett trotted in behind her, seemed to figure out what was happening, and sat down right next to Hulk. They barely greeted one another.
“Well, hello there, my girl. And my boy.” She petted Beckett’s head, then slipped him and Hulk each a small chunk of beef that had crisped on the pan. “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas, Grams.”
“You look very pretty today,” Mia complimented. Sammi was dressed up nicely in black dress pants and a lightweight red sweater. She’d grown her hair out for the past several months and now had it partially pulled back, the rest cascading over her shoulders in dark waves that were the same color as her father’s. Her dark eyes—also just like her dad’s—were bright. Happy. It had been a good year for her. “When will Keegan get here?”
Sammi glanced at her watch. “Any time now.” Her smile was wide, telling Mia she was excited and happy that Keegan was bringing her parents and sister with her to Christmas Eve dinner. “Thanks again for inviting them.”
“Keegan is part of the family to me, honey.”
“I’m really glad you feel that way.” Sammi glanced over toward the counter where all the alcohol had been set up like a makeshift bar. “Hey, is there champagne in the fridge?”
“I think? If not, put some in it.”
Sammi gave a nod, then grabbed two bottles from the counter and put them both in the refrigerator—no easy feat, since it was already packed full of Christmas food. Mia watched as Sammi found space, shoved them both in, then smiled at her and left the room just as the doorbell rang, causing a cacophony of dog barks, likely the Duffys arriving.
An hour later, everybody was seated at Mia’s large dining room table and enjoying both the dinner and the company, if the smiles and laughter were any indication. These were the times she missed her Bob more than anything. Yes, it had been more than fifteen years since he’d passed, but she could still picture him sitting at the head of the table opposite her where Sammi sat now. She could still hear his laughter as he told ridiculous anecdotes Sammi called his dad jokes. She could still see him smile across the table at her, making her knees go weak well into her late sixties. Maggie had tried to get her to date after Bob died, but she hadn’t seemed to understand that no other man could come close to comparing. Of course, Maggie understood it now, even as Mia pushed her to date. She was far too young to spend the rest of her life alone.
Keegan and her family sat at the far end of the table near Sammi, her parents on one side, Keegan and Shannon on the other. Then Maggie, Angelo, and Charles, who leaned toward each other like a troublemaking trio in high school. Every now and then, Maggie would burst out laughing, which made Mia smile because since Kevin’s death, Maggie’s laughter wasn’t something heard often.
A clang rang out as Sammi dropped her fork. For the second time. Sammi glanced at her, her eyes wide, and Mia grinned at her, even as she wondered why she seemed so jumpy.
“Mia, this dinner is fantastic.” That was Charles, Angelo’s boyfriend. Mia liked him a lot. He seemed kind and polite and very attentive to Angelo. Didn’t let him take himself too seriously.
“Thank you, Charles. I’m so glad you could come.” She smiled at him, and his face lit up.
“It’s my first holiday with people since my husband passed, so…” He blushed a bit, his cheeks turning pink beneath his neatly trimmed beard. “Thank you for inviting me.”
She hadn’t known that, and she softened even more toward him. “You’re very welcome.”
Suddenly, Sammi was up on her feet. “Champagne?” Before anybody could answer, she hurried off to the kitchen, then came back with a bottle. Flutes had been set at each place, so she removed the cork, which came out with a fun pop, and went around the table, pouring the golden liquid into glasses, overflowing two of them.
Mia stood up and took the bottle from her, giving her a look that clearly said What’s the matter with you? She filled the rest of the flutes as Sammi returned to her end of the table but didn’t sit. She waited for Mia to finish and sit back down, and suddenly, Sammi had everybody’s attention.
“Okay, so. I have a few words, if nobody minds.”
Nobody did, the conversation dying down to silence as everybody’s attention moved to Sammi. It wasn’t unlike her to give toasts and little speeches, Mia knew. She’d actually become quite good at such things, giving both eulogies and toasts when her grandfather and then her father had passed. Mia focused on her granddaughter, who was clearly nervous, judging by the slightly trembling hand holding her champagne. That was unusual.
“This past year has been”—Sammi grinned and shook her head—“so many things.” Her gaze traveled as she spoke. “Getting used to life with that guy.” She indicated Beckett, who sat at attention in the doorway next to Hulk, neither of whom were allowed in the dining room or they’d beg and drool all over the place. “Mom found some new good friends who’ve been hauling her out of her shell.”
“She might be on a dating app,” Angelo chimed in, his hands cupped around his mouth, and a collective happy gasp went around the table.
“Mom! That’s amazing,” Sammi said, eyes wide.
“He said might,” Maggie said, her face going deep red. “Might.”
“Mm-hmm,” was all Angelo had to say to that, and Mia reached over to grasp her daughter-in-law’s hand and give it a squeeze, hoping her approval showed in her eyes when Maggie met them.
“These two,” Sammi went on, indicating Angelo and Charles, “have become so very important to this family. We’re so glad you found each other. And us.”
Angelo leaned into Charles, whose arm was around him. Their smiles said it all, and Mia felt her chest warm with her love for them both.
“And I’ve become part of what feels like a second family,” Sammi went on, her gaze moving to the Duffys. “I don’t want to say new family, because my own is so important to me, even as it grows. But second, definitely.” Mia watched as Sammi’s gaze moved from Keegan’s parents to her sister to her. “And that brings me to this one.” Her eyes stayed on Keegan’s, and even if Mia hadn’t been there from the beginning, even if she hadn’t had the tiniest bit of a hand in bringing the two of them together, the love was glaringly apparent. On both their faces. She’d have seen it even if she’d walked into this house for the very first time and had just met them. “You,” Sammi went on, “are the most incredible, giving, loving woman I have ever met. Every morning when I open my eyes, the first thing I do is reach for you. And if it’s one of those rare days where you had to stay at your place or I had to stay at mine, I search my brain to make sure we’re really a thing and not some wonderful dream I had in the night.”
Keegan smiled at her, her eyes soft and bright and filled with love for Mia’s granddaughter. “We’re really a thing. Promise.”
“Good. But I don’t want to have to do that anymore,” Sammi said, and Mia watched as Keegan’s eyes went slightly wide, and a soft gasp went around the table as people figured out what was about to happen. Sammi set down her flute, pulled out a small velvet box, and dropped to one knee.
“Oh my God,” said Keegan’s mom.
“Keegan Elizabeth Duffy,” Sammi said, tears clear in her eyes and voice, even from the other end of the table where Mia sat, “I love you so very much. Will you make it so that I never have to wonder again and be my wife?”
Keegan was nodding vigorously even before Sammi had finished her question, and she almost stepped on Sammi’s lines with her own very exuberant, “Yes!” She threw herself into Sammi’s arms as the entire table erupted into cheers and applause, Mia included. She’d never been happier in her life, and she clapped loudly as her eyes filled with tears of happiness.
Keegan pulled Sammi to her feet, and they kissed and hugged and murmured words of love to each other. Mia glanced at Maggie, who didn’t look terribly surprised, and the pieces fell into place.
“You knew,” Mia said on a gasp, then laughed as she playfully shoved at her daughter-in-law.
Maggie’s poker face had always been nonexistent, and she glanced down guiltily. But before she could confirm or deny or offer an excuse, Sammi spoke up.
“She did, Grams, but there was a reason for that.” The table went quiet as all eyes turned to Sammi. “It was because I wanted to run something by her first.”
Mia was thoroughly confused now, and trying not to feel a bit hurt that Sammi hadn’t let her in on her plans. It must have shown on her face, because Sammi smiled at her as she came around the table and held her hands out to Mia. Mia took them, and Sammi pulled her to her feet.
“Grandma, you have always been my rock. My conscience, my voice of reason, my favorite person on the planet. No offense, Mom.”
Maggie laughed. “None taken.”
“So, I was wondering…” Sammi swallowed hard and her dark eyes, so much like Kevin’s, pooled with tears. “Would you be my best man? Err…woman? Err…person?” She sighed. “Would you stand up with me at my wedding?”
Mia blinked at her, speechless—something that didn’t happen to Mia Sorenson. Ever. But this? This was…it was so many things. Unexpected. An honor. A privilege. Unheard of. She blinked some more until Sammi gave their still-linked hands a little shake.
“Grams?”
Mia cleared her throat, trying to stave off her own tears at least for another moment or two. “Well, that’s the silliest question I’ve ever heard.” And just as Sammi’s face was about to fall, she added, “Of course I will. You don’t even have to ask. I will be the best best person you’ve ever seen.” She reached her hand up and laid her palm against Sammi’s cheek. “Of course I will.”
And then they were hugging, and the guests erupted again into applause and cheers and hugs. Keegan’s parents hugged, then hauled Shannon into their midst. Angelo and Charles had their arms around each other and clasped Maggie’s hand across the table. Then Maggie came around and wrapped up Sammi, and Keegan was suddenly there, hugging Mia. Even Beckett and Hulk were not to be left out of the celebration, breaking the rules and bounding into the room to push into Sammi with vigor and love.
God, had there ever been a room filled with such love before?
Mia simply watched in awe and happiness until Sammi put a champagne flute back in her hand and picked up her own, held it aloft until the rest of the room followed and quieted.
“I’d like to propose a toast. To Mia Sorenson. The best volunteer, mother-in-law, and grandmother in the world.” She met Mia’s eyes. “And matchmaker extraordinaire. Thank you, Grams. And Merry Christmas. You’re stuck with all of us now, and we love you.”
Mia’s tears wouldn’t stay in her eyes this time. They spilled over and tracked down her cheeks as she looked around the table at all her guests. Her family. “I love you all, and I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she said, and she held up her own glass. “Merry Christmas.”