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We ate every bite, reveling in the feast, enjoying each other and the day itself for what it was.
It was, in a word, unusual.
The strange calm continued with a basketball game that the guys watched in the family room, and Savannah joined us too.
At first, I thought it was cute she wanted to stick with me, but then she and Da started bonding over the fucking Knicks, and I had to question how this woman was so perfect for the O’Donnellys. She slotted right in, and I was beyond grateful for the many quirks that had her fitting into the family with such ease.
By the time the game was over, we all started preparing for bed, but Savannah tugged on my hand and asked, "Aidan? I want to FaceTime my folks. Do you want to meet them?"
I arched a brow. "I thought you’d talked to them already."
"I did. But I told them about you, and they want to meet you."
My nose crinkled. "Over FaceTime?"
"Well, they’re curious."
"Do they know who I am?"
"Relatively speaking. They know you’re an O’Donnelly, but they don’t know you’re in the Irish Mob.
“I mean, it wasn’t the first thing I told them,” she scoffed. “Plus, they’re not native New Yorkers. It’s not like that side of you is known outside of certain circles in Hell’s Kitchen."
I wanted to meet them, but not over a fucking screen. Scraping a hand over my jaw, I murmured, "What time is it there?"
"Three in the afternoon. It’s six hours behind us." She pouted. "You really don’t want to meet them?"
"Well, I do, but I wanted to ask your dad for your hand in marriage."
She grinned at me. "How traditional are you?"
"What about my family makes that come as a surprise?" I asked wryly, amused that she was amused.
"True" Her lips twisted. "But I don’t need you to ask for my hand." She shoved it at me, and the engagement ring charm danced from the bracelet dangling off the wrist that wasn’t wearing a support bandage. "See, you can have it now."
I squinted at her. "You know that’s not how that works, right?"
"I do, but I’m being facetious." She teased, "Would you like Mom and me to leave the room while you ask him?"
"No. It’s not that big a deal—"
"Isn’t it? If that’s stopping you from wanting to meet them on FaceTime?"
I heaved a sigh. "You’re not going to drop this, huh?"
"It’s Christmas, Aidan! Don’t be the Grinch."
"I thought I’d been remarkably cheerful today actually."
"Why? Are you normally a grouch?"
I winced. "Sometimes. It’s the first Christmas in years I’ve been lucid and didn’t need to pop pills."
She tipped her head to the side. "I meant it when I said I expect you to get your knee sorted out within the next twelve months. You can’t manage the pain with meds, so you’re going to have to do something else.
“Even if they can just check the knee replacement, maybe there’s something wrong with it. I know they misalign. Maybe it’s a quick and simple fix. Either way, you have to try because the addiction will be ten times harder to control when you’re in constant pain."
I pursed my lips. "I have to tell you something."
