11. Lucy
“Luke, stop eating the mini quiches!” I scolded him as I caught him—yet again—munching on the appetizers I had spent hours preparing and arranging for the dinner table.
He looked at me with that cheeky grin, the one that showed he was up to no good. He looked so handsome today that I was willing to forgive him for all his culinary crimes—if only he would start behaving from now on.
The Christmas music played softly in the background as I put the final touches on our Christmas Eve dinner. This was my first time hosting a holiday dinner—usually, it would just be me, Sailor, and my mom in my Seattle apartment with a bunch of takeout, since none of us could muster the energy to cook. But I wanted to make a change with this new beginning in Port-Cartier.
I had prepared a lot of food. There were mini quiches—already raided by Luke’s wandering hands—stuffed mushrooms, and freshly baked rolls. The main course featured roast ham with fresh herbs, creamy mashed potatoes, honey-glazed carrots, and cranberry sauce. For dessert, I had classic Christmas pudding and a selection of cookies my mom and Sailor helped me make. All in all, I was happy with how everything turned out despite regularly being sidetracked by Luke’s devouring mouth and mischievous hands.
The doorbell rang, signaling that our first guests had arrived.
“I’ll get it!” Luke called out, heading towards the door. As he opened it, I could immediately hear my mom and Sailor exclaiming over the delicious smells roaming through our home. I quickly looked around to take everything in. The dinner had been all set on the wooden table Luke had made himself, surrounded by a mix of chairs—we didn’t have enough, so we’d borrowed a few from his family. In the corner, our Christmas tree was fully decorated with colorful ornaments and twinkling lights that warmed my heart.
Technically, it was our baby’s first Christmas with us, and Luke didn’t even know about it yet. I couldn’t help but smile at the secret I was keeping, eagerly anticipating the moment I could finally share the big news with everyone but Sailor. The past two days had been difficult—mostly because I had never been good at keeping secrets or surprises from others.
I was worried the entire time that Luke might somehow read my mind and discover he was about to become a father before the perfect moment to share the news arrived. It turned out he had many powers and talents, but mind reading wasn’t one of them…yet.
“Oh, pumpkin! This looks beautiful,” my mom beamed as she stepped into the dining room. She greeted me with a big hug, handing me a wrapped present. I returned the embrace, holding her close for a moment, while Luke took the present and carefully placed it beneath the tree.
In the back of my mind, I was still aware that there was one day left on my Advent calendar, and I was dying to know what it was. The gifts had been so thoughtful and creative that I was curious to see what he had planned for the grand finale. Still, I pushed that thought aside, focusing instead on the dinner ahead of us.
“Thanks, Mom. Of course, it can’t compare to the dinners you organized when I was little, but I tried…” I shrugged with a smile. Mom was known fo her holiday dinner parties. She always went above and beyond. Thankfully she now had Ed to help her out.
Sailor was the next to hug me, her knowing smile hinting at the secret we shared. She was the only person who knew about my pregnancy, and that was such a relief; otherwise, I’d probably have gone insane trying to keep it under wraps from everyone.
“It’s even more beautiful,” she continued, moving around and taking in everything we had done with the place. Ed joined the hugging train as well. He and my mom had moved in two months ago, and I couldn’t be happier for them. Having lived my life without a father and never seeing my mom with anyone else, it filled me with so much joy to see someone fill that void. I couldn’t have asked for a better person for that position than Ed.
“She’s been excited all day. Maybe we should make this a tradition, huh?” he said as he released me. I smiled warmly, touched by his words.
“That’s the plan…” I nudged him.
The doorbell rang again, alerting us of the arrival of Luke’s family. Four more people entered our home, and though it was unusual to have so many guests in our dining room at once, it felt exactly like we had envisioned all those years ago when we first joked about this being our first home. We wanted a place where our family could gather and share our most exciting moments, and I couldn’t think of anything more memorable than announcing that we would become parents.
“Hey, you two!” Logan grinned as he approached us, bypassing Luke to pull me into a hug. “Ah, it’s been a while since we last saw each other! We should make sure that never happens again.”
I laughed. “Logan, it’s literally been two weeks.”
“Two weeks too long.” He nudged me playfully. Luke rolled his eyes, but a smile tugged at his lips. His parents joined the gathering, greeting me by hugging me before mingling with my mom and Ed. This was one of the beautiful things about a small town like Port-Cartier. For the most part, everyone knew—and loved—everyone. It made moments like this feel that much more intimate.
Of course, every family had its black sheep, and for ours, it was Landon. He stayed on the periphery after the initial greetings, but I couldn’t help noticing how his gaze kept drifting toward Sailor. It was odd—in an unexpected way—and I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. Maybe a glass of wine would help him loosen up those tense doctor’s nerves of his.
That was Luke’s job—to ensure everyone had a glass of wine in their hand. I had every intention of announcing my pregnancy soon, since there was no way I would be having a single sip of alcohol. As everyone chatted and smiled from ear to ear, the room filled with holiday spirit. My knees felt weak at the thought of what I had to do, but the moment had arrived, and there was no turning back now.
I cleared my throat, looking around the room. From the other side of the table, Sailor looked at me, seeming to say, ‘You go, girl.’
“If you’ll give me a moment of your time,” I began, “as your host, I’d like to share a few words before we start the dinner. First of all, thank you all for coming.” All eyes were on me now. Though they belonged to people who loved Luke and me, it felt like the walls were closing in…until I felt Luke’s hand on the small of my back. That simple gesture was instantly soothing, easing my nerves just enough to continue. “It means the world to us. After so many years spent apart, it’s wonderful to have our family all in one place. We want to make this a tradition, so consider yourselves already invited for next year.” A few small laughs and snuffles of amusement came from different corners of the room. “Anyway, a lot has happened this year, and we’re thankful for all of it. But there’s one more Christmas present I want to share with all of you…” I turned toward Luke, knowing these words were particularly for him. “We’re going to be parents.”
Instantly, gasps rippled through the room. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I could already hear my mom starting to cry in that dramatic way she was known for. Ed and Sailor were quick to soothe her. On the other side of the room, Linda said, “I knew it! I told you we’d get grandchildren soon!”
But all my attention was on Luke, who stood before me, dumbfounded and speechless. It took him a few seconds to recover before he finally regained some control over his voice.
“We’re—do you really mean that?”
I nodded, feeling a flicker of nervousness as I wondered if I had misjudged his reaction. But in just a moment, all my doubts vanished. The widest smile spread across his face, and he scooped me up into his arms, spinning me around with sheer joy.
“We’re going to be parents!” he exclaimed. “I’m going to be a dad!”
I let out a relieved laugh, clinging to him tightly as he spun me. “Babe, you’re going to need to put me down. I’m still feeling a bit nauseous.”
“Right, right. Sorry,” Luke quickly apologized, setting me back on my feet before cupping my cheeks in his hands and kissing me passionately. It wasn’t like us to show such public displays of affection in front of our parents, but neither of us could contain our joy. His eyes were brimming with tears—the happy kind—and I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d seen him cry.
He then turned to Landon. “I’m going to need to have a long talk with you to learn everything there is to know about babies.”
Landon tilted his head to the side, his smile still in place. “I don’t specialize in pediatrics, Luke.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Luke retorted with a grin. “I’m still going to need your help.” He glanced back at me, kissing the top of my head as he held me close. There was a silent agreement between us that we’d discuss this in greater detail soon, but for now, we were simply excited to enjoy the news with everyone.
Luke wiped away his tears and took a moment to compose himself before drawing everyone’s attention again, holding up his glass of wine. Sailor had already taken my wine and claimed it for herself, replacing it with cranberry juice that I could enjoy, and I smiled with gratitude. Turning toward Luke, I saw him clear his throat, ready to continue.
“Well, that was unexpected news,” Luke began, his voice filled with emotion. “I’m so glad all of you are here to witness it. I can’t imagine any news being more exciting than this. I’ve always dreamed of starting a family with Luce, and this is the perfect beginning. But I’m about to make it even better—or at least, I’ll try…”
He turned toward me, and I was momentarily confused. The realization hit me like a bolt of lightning, followed by a rush of panic because I hadn’t anticipated this. The look in his eyes said everything I needed to know.
“Luce, you have been the love of my life since the moment I met you all those years ago. Ten years apart couldn’t keep us away from each other, and I don’t want to spend another second not connected to you in every possible way. I know you are my one true love—you always have been. When I was a teenager, I thought people were exaggerating about their love stories, but I knew it was all real the moment I met you. A love like this can’t be compared to anything else in the world. And now, with our child on the way, I’m more certain than ever that this is the perfect time to take this step.”
Everything around me seemed to blur as he moved in what felt like slow motion. He placed his glass of wine down and then lowered himself onto one knee. I was in such a state of blissful shock that my knees nearly gave way, but somehow, I managed to stay upright. He pulled out a small velvet box from his pocket, opening it to reveal a silver ring with an oval-cut diamond.
“Luce Milburne, will you marry me?”
The answer came in an instant, without a moment’s hesitation. I didn’t even need to think about it; before I could fully process my response, the words were out of my mouth. “Yes! Yes, of course, I’ll marry you!” I choked out, watching as he carefully slid the ring onto my finger—a task made all the more difficult with how much my hands were shaking.
The room erupted into applause, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that everyone knew about this beforehand. Not a single person in the room—except for me—seemed genuinely surprised by his proposal. They were in awe, certainly, but surprise? Absolutely not.
Luke stood up, wrapping me in his arms and kissing me once more. I was overwhelmed with so much emotion that drawing in a steady breath felt almost impossible.
“I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life by your side,” he whispered against my lips. “This is my final present of your Advent calendar this year.”
With teary eyes, I smiled through my joy. I never thought happy endings were possible, yet on this Christmas Eve, I got proof that mine was undeniably happening.