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The doorbell chime interrupted her.
“Who could that be?” Iris asked.
“I wasn’t expecting anyone.” Aaron stood, setting his gifts carefully back in the box before he walked out of the living room towards the front door.
“Go ahead and grab my gifts for you, Dani,” Iris instructed.
Dani moved towards the tree as Aaron returned, his father at his side with a handful of gifts in his arms.
Iris’s eyes widened a fraction. The corners of her mouth quirked up only a second before the smile disappeared, her expression unreadable.
“Dad has something he wants to say,” Aaron said, his arms folded.
Samuel cleared his throat, and Brynn stood, facing the men who looked so much alike.
“I came to . . . I came to say I’ve done a lot of reflecting since I was last here.” His gaze wandered to his wife and stayed there.
It was clear the man wasn’t used to being in the wrong. He was struggling, but the fact he put his pride aside for his wife and son’s benefit stirred compassion in Brynn.
“I don’t want to lose you.” Samuel turned to Aaron. “Don’t want my family to suffer for a lack of understanding.” Samuel’s focus flicked to Dani and then to Brynn. “I don’t understand why someone would be trans or gay, but I realized it doesn’t matter because it isn’t my life it’s affecting . . . I want to try to understand. I want to get to know you all.” Samuel took a deep breath and let it out. He scanned the room, meeting everyone’s eyes settling on his wife. “I’m here to apologize for the things I said and ask if I could have another chance . . . And I brought gifts.” He held up the boxes in his hands.
Iris stood and walked up to Brynn, wrapping her arm around her. “What do you think? Should we give him another chance?”
The fact the woman consulted her showed that Iris cared for her feelings, that she respected her. It was clear Iris loved her husband. And Brynn couldn’t help but wonder if her mother-in-law suspected this would be the outcome the whole time—her husband showing up with his pride stripped and a new outlook on what matters most.
“I can only speak for me and my daughter.” Brynn glanced at Dani who gave her a slight nod. “And I’d say we all need a fresh start sometimes.”
Some of the tension left Samuel’s shoulders as he walked forward, setting the packages on the couch before he stood in front of his wife. “Will you forgive me?”
Iris shrugged. “I suppose I can be persuaded. As long as you do the dishes from dinner. Every night. For the rest of our lives.”
“Whatever it takes,” Samuel promised before he pulled his wife into his embrace and kissed her.
“Everyone is kissing way too much tonight.” Dani shook her head and blushed.
Iris pulled away, laughing. “Someday you’ll know what all the fuss is about—but not anytime soon.”
Dani mumbled something and grabbed a candy cane off the tree.
“Can I get you something to drink, Dad?” Aaron asked.
“I’ll take some of that cider I smell.”
“Go ahead and open your gifts from me, Dani.” Iris nudged a package closer to Dani, who gratefully accepted it and got to work, ripping the gift paper.
Samuel edged closer to Brynn, speaking quietly, his voice muffled by the Christmas music still playing. “I’m sorry we got off on the wrong foot. But I appreciate you being willing to give me another chance.”
“I want what’s best for my daughter and my husband. You’re his father and he loves you. I know he doesn’t need you in his life, but he wants you there.”
“I want to be here too. And I do want to get to know you and Danielle.”
“I would like that.”
“He’s really something, my boy. I know I can’t take credit. He’s always been someone who needed to save people. Even as a kid, he’d find injured animals and nurse them back to health. Or sneak his lunch money to the homeless man on the street corner. I shouldn’t have been surprised when he wanted to start a whole facility for people like his sister—or I guess I should say brother.” Samuel sighed. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes as a father. That was made clear these last few weeks, and I finally had to face my choices.”
“It isn’t too late to build something with Aaron,” Brynn encouraged.
“I’m glad he found someone as strong as you, Brynn. He needs a partner by his side who can match his strength and keep him in line, much like I have in Iris.”
