Page 116 of Winter With You

‘I must.’

She hugged him again, let herself be gathered up by the sheer masculinity of him. ‘I can’t believe you’re here.’

‘Good surprise?’ Luca asked her.

‘The best surprise.’

‘Well,’ Luca said. ‘Actually, I didn’t come alone.’

Right on cue there was a bark and from the Felix house, scurrying, rushing forward looking as groomed as she had ever seen him was Mr Darcy. Gabriella caught him at the gate, grabbed his collar and ruffled his fur.

‘Mr Darcy!’

She looked at Luca. ‘How did you make this happen?’

‘What can I say?’ he said. ‘Maybe it’s some kind of Christmastime miracle.’

‘I mean, a dog, in my parents’ home, you’re talking the kind of miracle Jesus could only dream about.’

‘Gabriella!’ Phoebe yelled from the doorstep. ‘Mr Darcy is here. Pop-Pop was hiding him in the living room and… Luca!’

Luca waved a hand. ‘Hey, Phoebe.’

Mr Darcy tugged himself from Gabriella’s grip and rushed to Phoebe. ‘Gabriella, can I play ball with Mr Darcy until the food is ready?’

‘Yes, Phoebe. Sure.’

Just as quickly as she had arrived, Phoebe and Mr Darcy were gone again.

‘So,’ Gabriella said. ‘Forty-eight hours you say?’

‘Give or take,’ Luca answered.

‘And you want to spend it with Madam Mince Pie, The Grinch from Temu, Phoebe, Mr Darcy and me.’

‘I mean, I’m thinking I don’t have to spend the whole forty-eight hours with everyone on that list, right? I was kind of hoping that you’d show me a little house between a builders’ merchants and a cemetery.’

‘I can do that,’ Gabriella said, nodding. ‘I can definitely do that.’

And as Luca leaned forward to kiss her and the first fireworks of the celebrations were set off somewhere in the district, Gabriella realised that the best present of all was the presence of the people you cared about most. And the ones that couldn’t be there in person anymore would always be cherished, because the memories they’d gifted would never ever fade.