Chapter 28 Nyah
NYAH
“Ican’t believe we’re going to a new place for Christmas and New Year’s this year, Mama!” Lucas said excitedly from the back seat.
His reaction couldn’t have been more different from mine.
My stomach was knotted tight, while his probably fluttered with anticipation.
I had been more anxious about spending the holidays with Caleb’s family than I wanted to admit.
It felt like I was overstepping the boundaries of his kindness and our friendship, until Randall came to the hotel and invited Lucas and me himself.
I had nodded, even as uncertainty had fluttered inside me.
Caleb had picked us up and driven us to his parents’ house in Point Grey. Black wrought-iron gates opened as we approached, revealing a winding cobblestone driveway.
The front door swung open before we even reached it, and a beautiful woman with short blond hair and curious blue eyes bounced down the stairs.
After greeting Caleb, she stopped in front of me. “And this must be her?”
“Sophia, this is Nyah—” Caleb began.
Before he could finish, she pulled me into a long, tight hug.
“Oh, my God! I have been waiting to meet you! Dad talks about you all the time—about how you’re this wonder woman who turned the hotel around.
It’s so wonderful to finally meet you. And let me guess,” she said, glancing down at Lucas, “this is your son, right?”
“Lucas… nice to meet you!” he squeaked, stepping forward.
Sophia shook his hand and kissed him on the cheek.
A Beagle named Dodger and two Golden Retrievers—Baxter and Cooper—came charging toward us.
I crouched beside Lucas and told him to hold out his hands so they could sniff him.
His lips trembled as he followed my instructions, but soon the dogs were wagging their tails and licking his fingers. He burst into giggles.
We walked inside the house, and Christmas decorations were everywhere. Passing a couple of doors, we entered an informal dining area filled with the smell of coffee and pastries. The rest of the family was already there as Sophia announced us.
Randall stood immediately and strode toward us while his wife remained where she was, elegant in a peach pantsuit. After hugging Caleb, Randall hugged me as well and whispered, “So glad you made it.”
His mother extended her hand, smiling faintly.
I shook it, and in that instant—when our eyes met—I knew she didn’t like me. The flash of anger and suspicion in her gaze was unmissable.
“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Evans,” I said evenly. “Thank you so much for having Lucas and me over this Christmas.”
“It’s Eleanor,” she replied, her lips curling into something resembling a smile. She glanced at Lucas and then back at me. “My husband and son speak highly of you. Join us at the table. Fresh coffee has just been brewed.”
Lucas blended easily with the other children, laughing and playing. Children weren’t born with prejudice—that was something adults taught them.
Once everyone sat down, questions came at me from every direction.
Eleanor looked at Caleb and asked, “What are you smiling about?”
“Well,” he said, laughing, “I just find it amusing that everyone’s asking about her while I’m sitting right here, and I haven’t seen you all since last weekend.”
“You jealous, huh?” Cat teased.
Simon grinned. “We already know everything about you. And the bits we don’t, we can find online—often more than we want to know.”
Laughter erupted around the table as Caleb turned beetroot red.
After breakfast, I settled into the guest room and unpacked my bag. I had barely folded my second sweater when the door opened.
Eleanor stepped inside.
“The help can do that for you,” she said coldly, her eyes sweeping over me with a condescending stare.
I straightened slowly, forcing my shoulders back. “It’s okay. I’m used to doing things myself,” I replied. “I enjoy it, actually.” I smiled, but suddenly every nerve in my body felt alert. The hair on the back of my neck stood up, instinctively warning me.
“Hmmm,” Eleanor murmured. “I hope that doesn’t change.” Her smile was icy as she turned and walked away.
That single interaction confirmed what my gut had already known. I could almost hear the assumptions forming in her mind—that I was after Caleb for his wealth, his influence, his name.
The irony was bitter.
We weren’t even dating. We were friends. Very good friends. And yet… I sighed quietly, because I knew I had wanted more than just that.
At Harper’s wedding, the connection between Caleb and me had been so obvious, even Cupid himself could have face-palmed. Maybe it had just been the moment. The wedding. The dance. Or maybe Caleb was simply a very good actor.
Regret curled low in my chest, heavy and persistent, especially since I had insisted that I didn’t have time for a relationship. I wondered if I should be the one to say something now, to acknowledge what had clearly shifted between us.
And then there was Lucas, who absolutely adored him. I had to be certain that my choices wouldn’t hurt my son. I needed to be careful. I needed to be sure. But most of all, I needed to tread cautiously—especially when it came to Eleanor.
My chest began to ache, reminding me of my medication.
Dr. Sloan’s displeasure echoed in my mind immediately. I had called him the day Lucas and I were putting up the Christmas tree, telling him about the new symptoms.
“I told you that you needed the surgery urgently. Why are you delaying it?” he had asked.
“You didn’t even know about your congenital heart disease until you collapsed last year.
Now that you’re having tightness and shortness of breath, you can’t postpone it much longer.
Let me schedule the surgery for January.
I’ll give you medication to get you through until then. ”
I had agreed.
Now, sitting on the bed in the guest room, I swallowed the pills with a glass of water and closed my eyes for a moment.
January. I would schedule the surgery in January.
I had to.
As tradition dictated in the Evans family, we attended midnight Mass. When we returned home, mugs of hot chocolate and plates of cookies were passed around, along with glasses of milk, as everyone thawed out from the winter night.
After gathering in the family room, we settled around the enormous Christmas tree where the gifts had been arranged beneath its glowing branches.
The children opened their presents first, followed by the adults.
Christmas carols played softly in the background, wrapping the room in warmth and nostalgia.
Then Randall looked at me and smiled. “Why don’t you go and open your gifts?”
Surprised, I walked toward the tree.
My name was written on several tags.
Everyone watched as I knelt and opened them. One by one, beautiful clothing, expensive jewellery, and elegant shoes emerged. Each gift made my chest clench.
My own gifts to them suddenly felt small, inadequate—almost embarrassing in comparison.
“I’m sorry,” I fumbled, looking around at the expectant faces.
“I mean—thank you. Thank you so much, but I just can’t accept this.
” My voice trembled despite my effort to steady it.
“This is way too much. I truly appreciate everything you bought Lucas, but I honestly can’t keep these. It’s too much.”
My eyes pleaded with them to understand.
Sophia stepped forward and leaned close, her voice gentle. “This is nothing,” she whispered before wrapping me in a hug. “What you’ve done for Dad and Caleb is worth far more than all of this.”
My nose prickled as emotion surged. I smiled and thanked her sincerely.
Unfortunately, I didn’t miss Eleanor’s reaction. Her eyes burned into me, radiating distrust. My stomach knotted painfully.
After everyone had time to enjoy their presents, I decided it was best to call it a night. I thanked everyone sincerely before Lucas and I headed toward our room. Caleb walked with us.
When we entered, a large red box tied with a gold ribbon sat waiting.
Lucas clapped his hands excitedly. “Mama, is this my surprise?”
Caleb chuckled. “Lucas, this one is actually for your mom.”
I turned toward him, my eyebrows lifting in question.
“She doesn’t get to open it today,” he added. “Only on New Year’s, when you come back here. It’s a surprise.” He winked. “Merry Christmas.”
After he left, I tucked the gift into the closet, just in case curiosity tempted me too much.
Once Lucas was snug in bed, I kissed his forehead and backed out of the room, only to find Caleb waiting in the hallway. He held the gifts I had left out before church, one in each hand: a monogrammed Montblanc wallet and a framed black-and-white photo of him with Lucas.
“Thank you,” he said, emotion thick in his voice. “These are the best gifts I’ve ever received.”
“You’re welc—”
He surprised me into silence, stepping forward and wrapping his arms around me—something more than a friendly hug, yet less than a lover’s embrace.
I froze for half a heartbeat.
Then I melted.
I slid my arms around him, my cheek resting against his chest. The solid warmth of him evoked long forgotten memories—the blissfully reassuring safety of holding and being held by a man. Of being chosen, even if only in this moment.
My blood heated, rushing to my fingertips, my toes. I had been in his arms before, on the dance floor, but this felt different.
“You must really like Montblanc,” I murmured, trying to sound light.
When he finally pulled back, he didn’t let go completely. His hands remained at my sides, and his gaze intensified more intimately than the embrace.
“This,” he said, gently taking my hand. He placed the framed photo between our joined palms, our fingers threading together naturally. “I don’t think I have the words to explain what this makes me feel.”
I swallowed.
Maybe he didn’t need words.