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Severin scowled then scowled harder when his brother hugged him.
“I missed you, you gigantic asshole.”
Ilse hissed at her husband to watch his language.
“Asshole!” four-year-old Scarlet repeated loud enough for an older man in line ahead of them to snort in amusement.
“Scarlet, that’s a bad word,” Ilse told their younger daughter. “If you talk like that we’re going to get kicked out of playgroup again.”
Minnow bit her lip to keep herself from laughing, but Ilse only made it more difficult by giving her a helpless grimace. It couldn’t be easy to keep the little ones from swearing, considering how much of it their father and uncle did in front of them.
“Daddy always calls you ‘the asshole,’ Uncle Sev,” six-year-old Sage confided, from where she clung to Severin’s other hand. “Then Mommy makes him put money in the swear jar and sometimes Daddy even gets a time out.”
“A time out?” Severin asked.
“Yup. He’s real bad sometimes.”
Ilse nodded solemnly, her red curls bobbing impishly around her face. “Sometimes he’s so bad I have to supervise his time outs.”
“Supervise, huh? How about I watch the girls while you two go to confession?” Minnow teased.
Church waggled his brows.
Ilse laughed. “Confession? None of us are Catholic.”
Minnow glanced around. “Then...why are we here?”
“Sutton loved the choir here, so we always attend their Christmas mass,” Severin muttered, his voice low.
She looked from one to the other, frowning. “Sutton was Catholic though, right?”
Church shook his head. “Only if you count her watching Sister Act every few months.”
“Oh my God, we’re imposters!” Minnow whispered.
“Shh!” Ilse held a finger up to her lips. “Don’t blaspheme, and don’t panic! All we have to do is follow the crowd while they do the Catholic workout.”
“Don’t worry. When it comes to stand, sit, kneel, she’s well trained.” Severin growled, smirking at Minnow in the cocky way that made her toes curl.
“Mister Leduc!” Minnow swatted him.
“Why do you call Uncle Sev ‘mister?’” Sage asked her.
“Um...he’s my boss. It’s polite.”
The little girl frowned, her bright blue eyes startling against her dark skin. Church and Ilse’s kids were so adorable. The family Christmas gathering was a lot more magical with little ones to share it with. It had been ages since she’d been around kids, and they were starting to make her wonder what it would be like to have her own, and not in a vague future context, either. Did Severin even want kids? He was good with them. He tried to be standoffish, but the girls wouldn’t stand for it, and he’d been on the floor playing Lego with Sage for a good part of the morning.
“Uncle Sev is your boss? I don’t think mommy kisses her boss.”
She could feel Severin’s gaze on her, and she flushed.
“Your uncle is too handsome. I can’t stop myself from kissing him.”
Sage laughed into her hand.
The service began, and Minnow listened with interest as the elderly priest gave a sermon on thankfulness. Afterward, the choir sang, and it was more beautiful than Minnow could have imagined. The group was small, but gifted, their voices strong and harmonious, filling the candlelit stone building. The sound reverberated through her, keying something deep. Her emotion welled as she thought of Sutton missing this, and regretting the relationship she’d started with her that would never have a chance to grow.
The next piece was lighter, reflecting the joy of the season and the fun of winter. The sadness and regret sloughed off. She found herself smiling at Church’s children, watching as their feet swung in time with the song, and enjoying their singing when that song moved into a few secular Christmas ones.
