AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“We just learned yesterday that Lillian has a fully clean bill of health,” he says, hugging my mom in close to him as he makes the announcement.
As the room erupts with cheers, grateful relief floods my whole body. There’s been so much uncertainty this year with my mom’s cancer treatments, and to hear that she’s in the all-clear is the best Christmas present I could have ever asked for.
The high from hearing that good news stays with me as the party goes on. It’s after ten o’clock when the last of my parents’ guests leave. The house is a whole lot quieter then, but I’m happy that it’s a smaller group of us now.
My mom makes a big pot of hot chocolate, which is poured into ten mugs. As we all settle into the living room to relax, Tessa and I grab spots on one edge of the couch. I put my arm around her and she cozies up next to me.
I look around at the new version of my family—my parents, my three brothers, their future wives…andmyfuture wife. It feels perfect, the ten of us gathered together, sipping hot chocolate with my parents’ grand Christmas tree twinkling in the corner of the living room.
And to think that a few years from now, there will be kids running around, too…man, the thought gets me feeling all sorts of feels.
I kiss the top of Tessa’s head, and she looks up at me with adoring eyes. God, I can’t wait to spend tomorrow and the day after that and all the days after that with this woman. I can’t wait to make all of our dreams come true.
In the meantime, I’m going to soak up every bit of this happiness. Because Tessa is my new happy place.
* * *
