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Nate chuckled, shaking his head. “I told you to let a professional handle it.”
Hunter grinned and winked at him, patting his shoulder. “Next time, I’ll keep that in mind.”
Hunter’s mom smiled as I held Tate close.
“Welcome to the Knox Christmas Comedy Special, little man,” she said, touching her grandson’s cheek. “These are your uncles, and for that, I apologize.”
Beckett grinned and rolled his eyes. “You know you love us.”
She nodded as he hugged her. “And I know Tate is one of you. The apple doesn’t fall from the tree in this family.”
Cash pretended to be offended, but the twinkle in his blue eyes gave him away. His gaze caught mine, and he motioned for me to come into the hug with Tate, and I found myself swallowed up by the Knox brothers as Hunter came in last.
Tate looked up to see all of his uncles surrounding him, and I knew just how lucky he and I were to join this family.
And then Tate got that dopey smile on his face.
“Ah, how cute,” Cash said, touching Tate’s chin.
“Look at the little pucker,” Beckett said, smiling.
Hunter winked at me, and I picked Beckett. “Here you go, buddy. It’s time to hug your little nephew.”
Beckett brought him into his arms and hugged him, but a funny look spread across his expression as Nina snickered. “Uh, Nina?”
Her brows rose. “Yeah?”
“I think…” Beckett whistled.
“You think he wasn’t as happy to see you as you thought?” Nina chuckled.
Grace brought over a diaper and grinned. “Yeah, that’s called gas.”
Everyone erupted into laughter, the Christmas cheer running through the room. The Christmas tree still stood tall with only a few ornaments crooked from the fiasco, and I couldn’t believe how good it felt to enjoy the holidays again.
The guilt wasn’t completely gone, but it didn’t burn into me like an ugly reminder like before.
In the midst of the laughter, their mother crossed the room, her eyes gleaming with happiness at the sight of her sons and their loved ones enjoying each other's company. She joined Maya on the sofa, sharing a knowing look that spoke volumes about the pride and love she felt for her family.
As the evening wore on, the teasing subsided, giving way to shared stories of past Christmases, plans for the future, and reflections on the year gone by.
For the first time in years, I felt something growing inside me.
Hope.
I no longer felt the incessant need to make everyone else smile or laugh while I ached inside. I could finally be me.
The room was filled with a sense of togetherness that I belonged to, a testament to the bonds of the Knox family and beyond.
“I never really believed in fate or destiny until I met you. Now, I can’t imagine my life without the belief in those things.” Hunter’s eyes stayed on mine.
“That’s the key, Hunter. A belief in something.” I rested my head on his shoulder and took in this special scene on Christmas Eve.
We sat there quietly, basking in the warmth from the fireplace. Tate was sleeping soundly in his bedroom while his uncles played Santa Claus.
But I couldn’t wait for the real one.
As yawns began circulating from guest to guest, they all left one batch at a time until it was only Hunter and me left, sitting on the couch together, reliving tonight’s events.
