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The baby looked delighted to be sitting in her high chair at the dining room table, but less thrilled with the bib her mother was struggling to keep in place.
Maureen pulled her attention from her granddaughter to her youngest son, who was grinning broadly.
“So tell us already,” Mitch called out.“The turkey is getting cold.”
Cal’s mood wouldn’t be dampened.
“You’re having a baby!”Chelsea clapped her hands together.
“A baby?”Maureen tried not to sound too hopeful.“Really?”
“No.”Milena shook her head.“Sorry, Maureen.We’re not pregnant.”
“Then what?”Gwen tried and failed not to sound disappointed.
“We’re getting married.”
“When?”
“What?”
“Congratulations!”
Everyone started talking at once with Cal’s announcement.But it was Ian who asked, “Are you even engaged?”
Milena giggled and shook her head a little before finally shrugging.“Yes and no.But it doesn’t matter because we can’t do anything the traditional way.”
It was true.With Cal’s superstardom, everything they did was picked up on almost at once by the media and the paparazzi.Living in Cedar Springs gave them a little bit more privacy, but even then, the world seemed to be hungry for news aboutCalina.
“And that’s why we’re keeping this all a little hush-hush,” Cal added.“It’s also why we’re going to have the ceremony on Christmas Eve.”
Maureen almost choked on the sip of water she’d just taken.“What?ThisChristmas?”
Milena nodded.“We thought it would be the best time to do it, when all the reporters should be home with their families and not expecting anything like a wedding.”
“I don’t think any of us were expecting a wedding at Christmas.”Declan stood and gave his brother a hug.“Congratulations.I think it’s fabulous.”
“We all do,” Gwen added.“And I agree with you.I think the timing is perfect.”
Maureen had to agree.The timingwasperfect.Or it would have been except for the little trip she had planned to North Carolina the week before Christmas.A trip she hadn’t yet told any of her children about.
“To the happy couple.”She raised her glass.“It’s going to be perfect.”
They all toasted to Cal and Milena and began to pass around platters of food.
Maureen only picked at her dinner, trying to work out in her head the logistics of traveling so far away, so close to both Christmas and now the wedding of her youngest son.The timing was already quite tight, but she’d managed to get some good flights that had her home late on the afternoon of the twentieth.It didn’t leave a lot of room for error, or any disruptions, but it was the best she could do.And it should be enough time for everything.
“I have something I’d like to say, too.”She tapped on her glass with a fork before she lost her nerve and changed her mind.It took a moment, but everyone quieted down and turned to look in her direction.
Maureen dabbed at her lips with her napkin.“I have quite a bit to be thankful for this year.Having my family all together, with the exception of Amber and Cole, of course.And I’m especially thankful for my beautiful granddaughter.”
Everyone murmured and nodded.
Maureen took a sip of wine before continuing.“I have something else to be grateful for this year, too.”
Declan winked in her direction.“What’s that, Mom?”
She had a feeling he might already suspect what she was going to say.
