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Riley laughed. “Another Christmas miracle?”
Aunt Janice knocked on the door. “Exactly. Miracles do happen, you know.”
The door flew opened, and a smiling Aiden wearing an apron motioned them in.
“Are you cooking?” Riley asked.
“He has to.” Shaking her head, Vivian approached them. “His wife is a bit useless in the kitchen.”
“She makes up for it in many other ways, though,” Aiden said, hugging his wife before he removed Dylan’s jacket and picked him up.
“Where’s the baby?” Dylan asked.
“The baby? Oh…” Aiden smiled. “Aunt Vivian is still carrying it close to her heart. We’ll only see it in nine months’… well, probably eight months’ time.”
Dylan looked at Vivian, clearly puzzled.
Vivian patted her tummy. “The baby still has to grow, sweetie. At this point, it’s no bigger than a poppy seed, but in a few months’ time, I’ll have a round tummy.” She motioned with her hands.
“Oh, okay.” Dylan nodded as if it all made sense to him. “I’m hungry, Uncle Aiden.”
Chuckling, Aiden turned away with Dylan still in his arms. “You know what? So am I. Let’s go and see what we can find to eat.”
“He’s a sharp one.” Vivian smiled.
“Has he asked about his own dad yet?” Aunt Janice asked as they left their jackets in the closet next to the front door.
“Not yet, but with all the talk about babies and husbands, he’s bound to ask one of these days,” Riley said.
They left the hallway and entered the big open-plan kitchen-living room area.
Riley sighed. “Oh, Vivian, I love your house! I still remember the very dilapidated place you bought. You’ve turned it into a beautiful home like I knew you would. This is so nice.” She touched a nativity scene on one of the tables. “Another Christmas fanatic, I see.” She chuckled.
“I’m not as bad as Annie, but I do love Christmas.” Vivian smiled.
Riley pointed toward a door leading from the living room area. “Are you still involved at the hospital or do you mostly see patients from your offices here?”
“I’m still working part-time at the ER,” Vivian said, but as Riley turned around, Mitch was standing right in front her. Everything else, including Vivian’s words, faded.
“Hi, Riley.” Mitch smiled.
Her mouth was so dry she was worried she wouldn’t get a word out. “Hi.” It was barely a whisper, but that was all she could manage.
“You haven’t seen Mitch’s house, have you?” Vivian’s voice finally penetrated her foggy brain. “Oh, Mitch, you have to show Riley. He was lucky enough to find a place that has already been renovated. Or haven’t you unpacked yet?”
“Of course not,” Annie said as she rushed closer. “He had a story to write. Hello, everyone. Oh, I love that we’re all together; this is so nice.”
“I started reading your story last night,” Vivian said to Mitch.
“And?” Mitch asked.
“Interesting plot, believable characters. I particularly liked the character of Dorothy. The way you describe her, I feel I should know her…” Her eyes twinkled.
“I’ve also read the first couple of chapters,” Annie added. “And yes, Dorothy is certainly an interesting character.”
“Well, I’m waiting for your feedback while I’m editing,” Mitch said, ignoring their remarks. He turned to Riley. “I can show you my house after lunch if you like. I haven’t quite finished unpacking, though, so it’s still a bit of a mess.”
Riley swallowed. Alone with Mitch in his house… so not a good idea. “Don’t worry, it’s okay, I don’t want to be a bother…”
