Chapter 20
It had been a perfect Christmas Day so far. Alex had woken up this morning wrapped in Quinn’s arms and couldn’t be happier that she got to do this every day for the rest of her life.
Snow had fallen thick and fast again overnight and they’d woken up to a thick sparkly layer of it covering the grass, trees and roads. It looked magical.
They had opened presents together and then she’d broken the news to Zara and Immy that she and Quinn were engaged and they were both over the moon for them, especially Zara.
They were heading to Violet’s house for the big Christmas Day lunch and planned to discreetly take Violet aside, maybe once lunch was out the way, and let her know they were engaged.
Alex knocked on Violet’s door and listened to all the noise inside.
Quinn’s aunts, uncles, all his cousins, including Xander, Max and their brothers and various other relatives, would all be in attendance for Violet’s Big Christmas Day Lunch.
They always borrowed chairs and tables or brought their own and the dining area seemed to stretch through several rooms and round corners and even went up and down stairs.
It was quite easy to spend the whole day there and still not speak to everyone, especially with the way that all the tables were laid out.
Violet would spend most of the day in the kitchen dishing up food for everyone and she clearly loved every single moment of it.
It was always noisy, chaotic and for Alex it was her favourite part of the day.
Although this time she couldn’t help worrying what some of Quinn’s relatives would make of them being together.
Quinn squeezed her hand to quell her nerves and she looked up at him and smiled.
Immy shifted nervously next to Alex and she knew her sister was anxious about seeing Xander again.
She was wearing a beautiful red velvet dress that shimmered with small sparkly snowflakes.
She looked gorgeous and Alex wondered if it had been chosen specifically to show Xander what he was missing.
Max answered the door and, after giving them all hugs, he ushered them inside and down to the kitchen where the Big Christmas Day Lunch was getting underway.
He rejoined his brothers. Quinn’s six cousins when they stood together looked like something out of a Hollywood movie.
The Wild brothers, all looked impossibly handsome in tight, white shirts and black trousers as they dished out drinks to guests and surreptitiously stole pigs in blankets and other snacks.
Archer - Max and Xander’s youngest brother - came over to give them all a hug.
She knew him from the arts and crafts market, where she used to work before she moved to the Wonky Tree Studios.
Jared, Logan and Ryker, the other three brothers, she only knew from the annual Christmas lunch celebrations.
Alex saw Xander look over at their arrival and his mouth dropped as he took in what Immy was wearing.
After a moment he moved over to give Immy a kiss on the cheek and wish her Merry Christmas.
Alex was also pretty sure she heard him whisper in her ear that she looked beautiful.
Alex rolled her eyes. Silly man, he was clearly besotted with her sister and rightly so, she was rather fabulous.
‘Ah, you’re here,’ Violet said, grabbing Zara into a big hug. ‘Merry Christmas.’
She hugged Alex, Immy and Quinn too.
‘What lovely presents did you get?’ Violet asked Zara as she started slicing one of four giant turkeys.
There was an older man already slicing one of the other turkeys next to Violet and, while Alex didn’t know all the relatives, she wondered if this was Michael, Violet’s new boyfriend and Henry’s best friend.
It certainly looked like the man she’d seen Violet with the other day.
‘I got my Christmas wish,’ Zara said, excitedly.
Alex stared in horror. They had specifically told Zara not to tell Violet and that they would tell her later on in the day when they got her alone.
Alex didn’t want to monopolise the Christmas lunch nor was she ready for the whole extended family to know.
She tried to intervene but it was like watching a car crash and being powerless to stop it.
‘What’s that, dear?’ Violet said, dishing up roast potatoes into a bowl.
‘Mum and Quinn are engaged,’ Zara said in a voice so loud it practically drowned out everyone else.
Suddenly you could hear a pin drop, it seemed like every single person there was frozen, listening to what was happening.
Violet turned round to look at Zara, the turkeys forgotten. ‘Say again, I didn’t quite hear you.’
‘Mum and Quinn are getting married, next year, and I’m going to be bridesmaid.’
Violet looked over to her and Quinn to confirm it and Alex nodded. ‘Sorry, we were going to tell you this afternoon, discreetly. But yes, we’ve been in love with each other for four years, we didn’t want to wait any longer.’
‘Oh that’s wonderful news, congratulations,’ Violet said, coming over to give them both a big hug.
And suddenly Alex was surrounded by lots of other people offering their congratulations too, mostly Quinn’s cousins.
Although she could see that a few people, aunts and uncles mainly who Alex had barely even spoken to, weren’t impressed by it, some of them whispering or muttering between themselves about how inappropriate it was, Alex didn’t care.
Quinn made her ridiculously happy. He loved her and Zara and that was all that mattered.
But Violet had seen them whispering as she looked around the room.
‘I have an announcement of my own,’ she said, reaching out for Michael’s hand who now looked terrified as he gingerly approached her.
‘This is Michael and we’ve been secretly dating each other for the last six months.
He makes me smile again and it’s been a long time since I had something to smile about. ’
The whispering and muttering took off at a frenzy but many people came over to meet Michael properly and tell Violet they were happy for her.
Alex looked at Quinn who was smiling.
‘Did you know about this?’ Quinn said as people gathered round his mum and a very bemused-looking Michael.
‘Yes, she came to ask my advice a few days ago about how to tell you. I didn’t suggest this big announcement though. Are you OK about it?’
He nodded. ‘Yeah, I’ve always worried about her being alone, I’m glad she’s got someone who makes her happy. Dad would have wanted that too.’
Finally as people moved away, and conversation resumed, Quinn went over to his mum. ‘I’m happy for you, really I am. And Michael, Dad loved you, I think he would have been happy you two have found each other.’
‘Sorry to land it on you this way, but I thought my news might take the heat off you two a little bit,’ Violet said.
‘It’s fine and thank you.’
They moved away to let Violet carry on dishing up the food. Zara ran off to play with Etta, Xander’s daughter, and Immy was talking to Xander, so when Quinn suggested they stepped outside into the back garden Alex readily agreed.
Snow was dancing in the air as Quinn opened the back door and they went outside. The garden was quiet and cool, in contrast to the noise and heat of the kitchen. Quinn led her down to the end where there was a fountain, the water frozen in beautiful icicles as it cascaded over the edge.
He turned to face her and kissed her on the forehead. ‘My family is loud, chaotic, dysfunctional, rude, judgemental and sometimes just complete pains in the ass. Fortunately, I only have to see most of them once a year, but are you sure you want to marry into this?’
Alex smiled. ‘I love you, I love all of you and that means loving your family too.’
‘Are you sure? We can always elope?’
‘As tempting as that is, Violet would never speak to us again and I’m rather partial to your mum. She makes the best Christmas jumpers and I never want to miss out on that.’
‘Oh no, if we elope we’ll have to take her with us, and Immy of course, and probably all of my cousins.’
‘Not so much an elopement then.’ Alex ran her hands up his shoulders.
‘Well no, but we can keep it small.’
Inside there was a scream and the sound of a glass breaking.
‘And avoid all this drama? I wouldn’t miss it for the world.’