She’d met the fourth oldest child, Aiden, atthe training compound, and as they gathered around Sera and Liam’sliving room on Christmas Eve, Aiden smiled and waved at her fromacross the room. Mia waved back at him, happy to see him and Abbyhere.
She knew that Abby and Vicky came afterAiden in the family order. Abby had arrived with Brian and Aidenthe night before, but Vicky remained at the training compound. Thethree of them planned to make the drive back to New York that nightto spend Christmas with Vicky tomorrow. Mia knew Sera wasn’t happywith Vicky’s decision not to come home, but she hadn’t argued iteither.
Staring at Abby, Mia recalled theconversation she’d had with Sera three days prior, after Sera hadfound out about Vicky’s decision to remain in New York.
”Vicky will come home when she’s ready,”Sera said. “Pushing her on it will only make her unhappy, and she’shad far more unhappiness than I ever wanted her to have in herlife. I just wish I could hug her again.”
Mia saw the tears in Sera’s eyes before sheturned away from her. “She knows that,” Mia assured Sera, hoping toease some of her sorrow. “And given time, she’ll move on from whathappened to her. I am moving on.”
”Yes, you are” Sera replied with a smileand a decisive nod. “Hopefully Vicky will soon. I missher.”
Mia was brought back to the moment when Hopesquealed in delight and threw herself at Brian, who stood in thecorner. No matter how much Brian frowned at them, the kids weredetermined to climb all over him. Hope wrapped her arms around oneof his legs as she clung to him while most of the family tried tohide their laughter. Ethan and Ian laughed loudly, and Mia had afeeling the two of them had put the kids up to driving Brian nutswhile he was there.
“Hope.” Stefan didn’t look at all amused ashe walked over and pried his daughter off Brian.
“But I want to hug him!” Hope protestedloudly as Stefan carried her away.
“I think you may have some competition,”Issy said to Abby and elbowed her.
“I think so too,” Abby replied, and Brian’sglower deepened to the point where even Mia, who liked the idea ofbeing touched by someone less than Brian did, couldn’t stop herselffrom laughing.
Willow plopped herself down on the couch infront of Brian, draping her arms over the back of the couch andtilting her head to study him. At eighteen, Willow was three yearsyounger than Abby and Vicky. Her eyes were a pure violet likeIsabelle’s, her hair a dark blonde, and she possessed the radiantbeauty of her mother.
“How many vampires have you killed?” Willowasked Brian.
“Willow!” Abby blurted. “Don’t you havesomewhere else to be?”
“No,” Willow replied blithely. “Do you?”
“Get out of here.” Abby took a menacing steptoward her.
Willow yelped and leapt to her feet, nearlyplowing into her brother, Julian, in her rush to get away fromAbby. If Mia remembered correctly, the lanky Julian, with his blackhair and blue eyes, was only a year younger than Willow.
Stefan set Hope down again. She ran backover to Brian and threw herself against his leg once more. Brian’shead tipped down when Hope wrapped her arms around his leg, tiltedher head back, and batted her long lashes at him. He stared at thesmall child as if he didn’t know what to make of her.
Abby bent to pull her niece off, but Brianstopped her with a hand on her shoulder. “It’s fine,” he said.
Abby glanced nervously between the two ofthem before releasing Hope. “Are you okay?” she asked him soquietly that Mia, who was only a couple feet away, barely heardher.
Brian hesitated a second before responding,“Yes.”
Mia didn’t understand why he wouldn’t beokay with a child clinging to him, but there were many who wouldthink she was a freak because she jumped whenever someoneaccidentally touched her. Everyone had their issues.
“Will you be my boyfriend?” Hope asked, herviolet eyes beguiling as she peered up at Brian.
“I don’t think your Aunt Abby would likethat very much,” Brian told her.
“She doesn’t have to know.”
Abby laughed and turned to Issy. “Good luckwith that one,” Abby told her sister.
It was Stefan’s turn to scowl as he stalkedover to pry his daughter off Brian once more. “You’re not allowedto have a boyfriend until you’re at least a hundred,” Stefan toldHope as he carried her away.
Hope giggled and blew Brian a kiss over herfather’s shoulder. Brian blushed the color of a lobster. Isabelleand Abby laughed loudly.
“Looks like I’ve got some seriouscompetition,” Abby said.
“You really do,” Issy agreed, and Brianpulled at the collar of his sweater.
