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Her chest rose as she took a shaky breath. “Sharon convinced me I should. If it wasn’t for her spending the last two hours with me, talking me into it, I wouldn’t be here.” She spoke quietly and I was pretty sure her words were only meant for Mum and me to hear.
“You’re always welcome in my home, Stella. Please don’t think any differently.” My asshole father had a lot to answer for. I hated that one man could toy with the confidence of so many women. A thought I’d had a lot lately flitted briefly through my mind - I wondered if he had other children out there that we didn’t know about. Other women and children he’d fucked over.
“Thank you,” she said as a smile lit up her face. “It means so much to me that your family has welcomed me.”
“Mum,” Blade interrupted us, and when I turned to look at him, I found him looking at his mother with a complete look of happiness. Well, it was the Blade level of happiness, but since he hardly ever wore that expression, I was ecstatic to see it now. “I’m glad you came,” he said, his voice gruff, almost like he was a little choked up.
Family.
Love.
Belonging.
It’s all any of us wanted, and I was glad that our two families could finally find a way to move on and make the most of the opportunity we had to merge and share our love. We may have been dealt a shitty hand in life by Dad, but damn it if we couldn’t take that and turn it into something better.
I got everyone settled with food and drinks, and then raised my glass. Looking around at the family I’d assembled here tonight, I couldn’t help but feel blessed. “Merry Christmas,” I started. “Here’s to new beginnings, and to family, and to a year ahead that wipes enough of the bad from our mind so we’re able to embrace the new and the wonderful. I know we’ve all been through a lot this year, but there’s so much to be thankful for and to look forward to. We’ve got each other and I hope we never forget that. Our family is strong and Storm is strong. We can get through anything so long as we stick together.” I lifted my glass a little higher and watched as my family all nodded in agreement and raised their glasses, too.
I truly believed every word I’d said.
Storm could survive anything so long as we clung to our ties of loyalty and family.
THE END
