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He smiled, the expression one part sympathy and one part joy. “Then, yes.”
Christmas had never been his favorite holiday. He’d never had a reason to celebrate, let alone anyone to celebrate it with. Not once. So he’d expected to feel a little awkward as he sat back and watched the sisters exchange gifts after a lively breakfast, the house once again humming with songs of mixed generations. A recently popular pop icon belted out some altered version of a classic holiday song about yearning and hope and Fenn found himself fighting a smile.
He watched the sisters laugh over some joke connected to a gift Sienna had purchased for Maya. He shared Sienna’s pride when Piper teared up and ducked her head minutes later. That swell of pride shifted to satisfied happiness—his best guess—when it was Sienna’s turn to gush over something she’d been gifted.
They didn’t exchange piles of presents. Just a few each, and it seemed they tried hard to make each present matter in some way. It was sweet, and he recognized that this specific morning would be hitting Sienna harder than usual in her own way. Because she’d decided to focus her energy on tackling the task of immortalizing herself starting the next day.
“One more Christmas.”
Some would have argued it was silly, even ridiculous, but if it mattered to her then he would make it happen. Living out their original plan for one more day was no hardship, not when he knew he would get more. More of her, more of everything she made him feel that he’d never known how to tap into until that night they’d met. He’d meant what he’d said. He would never let her go, not so long as she was choosing him.
His jaw tightened, just for a moment, as something she’d said the day before flitted through his mind. She was probably right that some would want to tie her down and experiment on her if or when they found out about her healing abilities. It was the only thing he’d ever understood about Florence’s long-standing decision to keep her gift to herself. But Sienna had nothing to worry about. He knew what her life-giving power tasted like now, he would never lose her—and he would never let her be hurt.
He kept the words to himself, but seared the vow into his soul all the same.
“Come on, Fenn,” Sienna said suddenly, holding her hand out to him. The sisters had gotten up and were gathered in front of the tree. Her phone was anchored onto her selfie stick, held in her other hand. “We’re taking a picture.”
He arched a brow, but stood obligingly. “What do you need from me?”
Her sisters laughed.
Sienna wiggled her fingers impatiently. “It’s afamilyphoto. We take one every year. You’re family now. Come stand with me.”
On Sienna’s other side, Maya smiled. “I don’t need any special powers to know you’re sticking around. So you have to get used to us.”
“We’ll be better prepared to include you next year, Fenn,” Piper said. “I’m sorry you had to sit and watch today.”
He shook his head and stepped up to Sienna’s side. “I already have more from this weekend than I expected to get.”
Sienna giggled and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Look who’s suddenly romantic. Everyone gather close!” She kept herself between him and the next person, and he kept his arm low around her waist. He even smiled a little for the camera.
It was mid-afternoon when Piper asked the question Fenn doubted Sienna expected any more than he did. “Sienna, what are you going to do about your media exposure?”
Both his eyebrows rose and he turned to the woman at his side.
Sienna was staring blankly across the table at her sister. “Um, what?”
Piper set down her cards. “You post at least three videos a week, right? How are you going to keep up with that if you become immortal? You need a plan.”
Maya nodded calmly, still arranging her refreshed set of cards. “She’s right. You’re too public.”
Sienna’s mouth fell open for a beat before she blurted, “You follow me?”
Amusement lit Piper’s eyes. “Of course I do. I don’t catch every video, but I try to keep up with your life, you know.”
Sienna shook her head, then finally looked over at Fenn.
He shook his head at the question in her eyes. She hadn’t known how to break the news to her sisters, and he certainly wouldn’t have taken that from her without cause.
Sienna swallowed visibly, drew a breath, and asked quietly, “So you … knew?”
Piper smiled. “We’re your older sisters, it’s our job to know these things.”
“And you barely made it down for dinner yesterday,” Maya added, lips twitching.
Sienna laughed weakly and set her cards down as well. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I … I didn’t know how to tell you.”
The sisters smiled easily and Piper asked, “Are you sure?”
