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‘Aren’t you glad you stayed to see this?’ Noemi handed Maria a cup of coffee as she and Anissa came closer to watch the boys playing with their toys. Seb, Maria noticed, was already adding a side track with a turntable and another bridge.
‘I am, actually,’ Maria admitted, unable to hide her smile.
How close had she come to missing all this? By running the first time then trying to run again yesterday? If there had been a flight out then, she might have never seen Frankie playing trains with his uncles. Might never have known that Seb loved her.
If that wasn’t a good enough reason to stop running when things got hard, she didn’t know what was.
Noemi arched her eyebrows. ‘So? Is all well in Maria Land? Do we get our final Christmas miracle after all?’
Maria watched as Seb knelt down to help Frankie set up a small forest of tiny wooden trees off to one side of the track. One by one, they methodically laid out the models, and every time Frankie knocked one over Seb would patiently pick it up and start again.
For a moment Maria couldn’t help but see one or two more little people there with Seb. A whole little family, with siblings that Frankie could rely on and call for help, the same way Sebastian had today. Her future, in one perfect image.
Noemi was right. It was a Christmas miracle.
‘Do you know, I think we just might,’ Maria said, her eyes still on her little family.
Noemi and Anissa both gave a small celebratory whoop and clinked their coffee mugs together, making Maria smile even wider. She looked away at last, and turned to the women who were, to all intents and purposes now, her sisters.
‘Thank you, both. For everything.’ She pressed kisses to first Noemi’s cheeks and then Anissa’s. ‘I know Seb couldn’t have pulled this off without the two of you, and Max and Leo. And it’s meant so much to Frankie.’
‘I’m glad,’ said Anissa.
‘But you know we didn’t just do it for him, right?’ added Noemi.
‘I know.’ Maria ducked her head, warmth coming to her cheeks.
‘If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the last six months, it’s that when times get hard, you need your family behind you. Whether they’re blood relatives, or the people you grew up with, or just new friends who become family before you have time to even realise it.’ Noemi was smiling at Max as she said that, Maria realised. ‘Family is what matters.’
‘And I can’t tell you how happy I am to have mine back again,’ Maria admitted.
‘I’m just glad you found a way to get what you need, here, with Seb,’ Noemi replied.
Seb fished under the tree for one last present, and handed it to Frankie. With a little help he unwrapped it to reveal a green wooden sleigh, just like the one she and Seb had ridden on, pulled by two reindeer with impressive antlers. ‘Wow!’
He added it to the tableau of trees and trains with a proud expression on his face, then launched himself into his papà’s lap for a cuddle.
‘Yeah,’ Maria said softly. ‘I think everything’s going to be just fine.’
* * *
Christmas Eve, Seb reflected later, had been about as picture perfect as it could be. Between his new vows with Maria that morning, the relief of burning that bloody contract, Frankie’s joy at Santa and his new train set, and just spending the day together as a family...it was all Seb had ever wanted. Tomorrow would be the more formal Christmas dinner—the whole family around the dining table for the first time since their parents had died (not to mention Leo’s first time at a family Christmas dinner ever). But today had been...fun. Something Seb was starting to suspect had been sorely missing from his life for too long.
After a long afternoon of playing, Maria had swept Frankie away to eat something that didn’t involve sugar, and Max and Anissa had gone with her. Max was apparently planning to make some sort of traditional Ostanian cocktail that sounded perfectly lethal, and Anissa had a secret supply of ingredients for making her grandmother’s Christmas Eve cookies that she planned to bake and bring out to soak up the cocktails.
Which left just Sebastian, Noemi and Leo—the three Cattaneo siblings—sitting together under the lights of the Christmas tree, a small battery-powered train chugging slowly around the track surrounding them.
‘So what was in the envelope?’ Noemi asked, kicking her leg lazily over the arm of her chair. That was how she’d used to sit as a teenager, Seb remembered, and for a moment it sent him back in time—until he noticed the changes, showing how time had moved on. Her pregnancy bump was really on display at this angle, and Seb couldn’t help but smile at the idea of his little sister as a mother.
He hoped she was half as happy as he was as a father. Looking at her, and watching her with Max, he was certain she would be.
He just wished their parents were there to see it. Still, he knew Nicole and Salvo would be proud of what they were all doing, and the choices they’d made—in their partners and in their futures. Even in the gift he’d given Maria that morning.
‘Leo’s share of the company,’ Seb told his sister, and waited for the explosion.
Noemi bolted upright, at a speed that couldn’t possibly be good for the babies. ‘What?’
‘I offered to sign my shares over to Sebastian as soon as I legally can,’ Leo explained. ‘I don’t need them to feel a part of this family, and he knows the business better than I do.’
‘That part I get. But... Seb? You gave them away—gave away the controlling share in our family business. To Maria?’ Noemi’s eyes were wide with amazement and...something else Seb couldn’t put his finger on.
‘Uh, yes. Are you...angry?’ It seemed as good a guess as any. Maybe he should have talked to Noemi first. Now they were getting along again, he really didn’t want to ruin it so soon.
But Noemi laughed—high and tinkling and happy—and Seb’s shoulders relaxed again. ‘Of course I’m not angry! I think it’s wonderful. You always loved that company more than anything...and now you love Maria most. That’s exactly how it should be. I’m actually proud of you, big brother.’
‘Well, okay, then. I’m glad you approve.’
‘That said, though...’ Noemi gave him and then Leo a calculating look. Then she nodded firmly, whatever decision she was working on clearly made. ‘We should sign my shares over to you and Maria, too. I mean, I’m about to become a crown princess. It’s not like I need the income. And to be honest...’ she smiled, as if at a private joke ‘... I think I’ll have enough wonderful things going on in my life as it is.’
‘Well, if you’re sure...’ Seb said.
‘I am.’ Noemi glanced over at Leo, who hadn’t said anything. ‘And, actually, now is probably the perfect time to discuss that other thing I mentioned to you, don’t you think, Seb?’
Now it was Seb’s turn to grin. ‘Absolutely.’
Leaning forward, Noemi twisted the ring on her right hand a few times until it popped off. Then she placed it in her palm and held it out to Leo, who stared at it, confused.
‘It was our mother’s engagement ring,’ Seb explained, rather enjoying seeing his new-found brother dumbfounded for once. ‘We want you to have it. For Anissa.’
‘And before you start, it’s totally obvious you’re going to propose to her soon,’ Noemi added. ‘We think you should do it with this.’
‘I... Well, yes. Actually, I was planning to...but I can’t,’ Leo said, shaking his head. ‘This was your mother’s ring. She left it to you, Noemi.’
‘And I’m giving it to you.’ Noemi placed the ring firmly in Leo’s hand, then held on to his fingers for a moment. ‘Listen. We have a lifetime of memories of our mother. I don’t need a ring to remind me of her. But you missed out on all that. And this ring...it can’t make up for that. But it can be that reminder for you.’
‘Why would I need a reminder when I have you two?’ Leo joked, but Seb could see the affection in his
eyes. ‘Thank you. Both of you.’
‘Now you just need her to say yes,’ Seb said, grinning at his brother. ‘If you need them, I have some ideas about proposals...’
‘Given that your last idea involved me dressing up in a Santa suit at six in the morning on Christmas Eve, I think I’ll handle this one myself, thanks,’ Leo said, smiling back.
Noemi shrugged. ‘I don’t know. I think Anissa liked the Santa suit...’
* * *
‘“Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night,”’ Maria read, shutting the book quietly as the story came to a close.
Frankie was already mostly asleep on the bed beside her, lulled by the rhythm and rhyme of the classic festive story.
‘He’s had a long day,’ Seb observed from the doorway. Then he yawned.
‘Not as long as you have,’ Maria replied with a low chuckle. The poor man couldn’t have slept in thirty-six hours or more.
Tucking the blanket securely around Frankie, Maria placed the book back on the shelf and crossed the room to be wrapped in her husband’s arms.
‘Tomorrow we’ll give him the most perfect Christmas,’ Seb whispered in her ear, and Maria huffed a soft laugh.
‘He already opened all his presents today.’
‘Not all of them,’ Seb muttered, and Maria rolled her eyes, even though he couldn’t see her do it. Clearly, one of the things their team was going to have to discuss soon was not spoiling the children. Well, child for now. But maybe soon... ‘We had to save some for epiphany. It’s traditional.’
‘Fair enough. And good call on the train track, by the way,’ she said, to stop her mind running away with the possibilities of siblings for Frankie. ‘He loves it.’
‘I used to have one when I was little,’ Seb said. ‘Papà and I would play with it for hours.’
‘And now you’ll play with Frankie with his.’ Maria thought about all the men playing trains that afternoon. ‘And probably his uncle Leo and uncle Max, too.’
‘He’ll have so many people to love him,’ Seb whispered. ‘Even if his grandparents aren’t here to see it.’
Tears stung Maria’s eyes as she thought about how much Seb had lost this year. How much more she’d almost taken from him.
‘Hey.’ Seb tucked a finger under her chin and tilted it to make her look up at him. ‘Don’t cry. Things might not be perfect, but I know the future is going to be wonderful. Okay?’
‘How do you know that?’ Maria asked, dabbing at her wet eyes.
