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Lily laughs. “We all should have.” She continues, softly, “I think she added more liquor than usual. I think she’s getting forgetful now that she’s in her eighties.”
“Hmm, I’ve noticed. I mentioned it to Lucien.” Sabrina looks into her glass and shakes her head.
“Oh, where are my manners,” Lily says. “Come sit, Brooke.” She pats the seat beside the one she takes. “Pippa is our mother-in-law, and in all these years that I’ve known her, she’s never changed…until now.”
I smile, and add, “Considering she’s in her eighties and only started getting forgetful, I think she’s done amazingly well.”
“Me too.” Lily pats my hand on the table and then, sighing, pours me a large glass of the cocktail they’re drinking. “Only one glass for you. I don’t want Michael angry with me for getting you drunk. I’m referring to your Michael.” She laughs. “I’ll let you in on a secret,” Lily pauses when Sabrina snorts, which has us laughing, “when we’re altogether we call your Michael, Mickey. He made us promise not to use that name around you.” She chuckles.
“Mickey, huh? I think I’ll have to tease him with that for a while.”
“You do that,” Lily encourages. “I’ll tell you something else as well,” she becomes serious, “this is the first time that he’s ever introduced us to a girlfriend. It makes my heart lighter knowing that he isn’t going to be a workaholic anymore.” She holds my hand. “I can see that on his face when he looks at you. He has someone at home waiting for him—a reason to go home early instead of working late…so thank you, Brooke.”
I don’t know what to say. I feel close to tears listening to his mom talk about him like this. So I give her something, “Michael makes me smile, amongst other things.” I blush.
“Oh don’t worry, we’re well aware of how good the McKenzie men are at ‘other things’,” Sabrina drawls.
My blush deepens as I meet the amusement in Lily’s gaze. “What I’m trying to say is that Michael means everything to me even though we’ve only known each other for a short time.”
“Trust me on this, I fell for Michael the minute I laid eyes on him and twenty-nine years later, I still love him with everything I have. He’s my soul mate and I can’t live without him.”
“Lucien was difficult and confused when we met, but my heart had belonged to him from the moment we met. I just wanted to wrap my arms around him and keep him.” Sabrina smiles as she shares her own story with me. “I did that, eventually, but it wasn’t easy at first.” She sighs. “I love him, Brooke…and if that’s how you feel about Michael, then tell him because I know my nephew and he’s already at that point with you or you wouldn’t be here with his family.” Sabrina grins and reaches for her purse.
“Now,” she continues, “he made his mom promise not to get the baby pictures out, but…he never made me promise.” She smirks.
I laugh as we huddle together and she opens a photo book. “I chose the best ones and put them together in here.” She shrugs. “I didn’t think Lucien would appreciate me hauling the lot with us.”
“Oh look,” Lily sighs. “Michael and Charlotte were a few hours old on this picture.”
“How did you give birth to twins and look like it was a walk in the park?” I mumble.
Lily laughs. “Trust me, it was no walk in the park.” She sighs and looks lost in thought. “Michael had stayed with me. He helped me get cleaned up while the twins slept. I was excited and so in love with Michael and the twins, I don’t think anything could have made me sad right then.”
“Oh, I love this picture,” Sabrina gushes as she turns the page. “That’s my Alexander with Michael and their cousins’ Paige and Rachel…Mmm…I think that was taken at a family wedding out in Montana.” She smiles. “The girls would follow the boys around everywhere. Michael used to get annoyed with it, but not my Alex.” She frowns. “It stopped once the girls went to college but I think it was more Rachel than anything. She has a love of horses like Alex so they’d spend hours out at the grandparents’ ranch riding. In fact, they’re both around today, out riding on the horses here…they might be back before you leave.”
“You included the family picture,” Lily adds, smiling. “We have this in a huge print in the dining room. I’ll show you later as you can see everyone more clearly on that. It was taken last year at Pippa and Elias’s anniversary party.
Sabrina smiles and rolls her eyes. “If you wore your glasses Lily then you’d see them just as clearly on here.”
“Tsk, don’t mention that word.”
I laugh at them and hope I have that kind of friendship one day.
I hold the picture up, searching and finding Michael amongst all his family. I notice Alex standing close with his arm slung around Rachel’s neck. She has her arm around his waist and clearly looks happy…I wonder…
“Look at this one,” Sabrina points out, “this was taken when we had the twenties dress up party a few years ago to celebrate New Year.”
I laugh when she holds it out to me. “Michael looks hot as a gangster,” I comment.
“They all look good. Took forever to get the right costumes. One of t
he best parties you’ve had here Lily.”
“Gosh look at all my babies,” Lily becomes sad. “That’s Joshua, my youngest, and those two hiding behind masks are Sirena and Charlotte. That’s Alexander’s sister, Olivia to his right, and Rachel to his left. Paige acting the goat with Dylan.” She smiles fondly. “I need to do another party, and get everyone together. It’s been too long since that has happened.”
She grabs my hand. “Of course, you’ll be there as well and you’ll be able to meet everyone. There’s a lot of us, but you’ll remember who we all are and our relationship to each other eventually. Might take a few years.” Lily laughs.
Coming through the backdoor is a man, who I presume is Ramon, which is confirmed when Lily jumps up and embraces him.
