Chapter 12 #2
I laugh through my tears, pulling back to include her in the hug. "Very, very happy, Lucy-goose."
"Group hug!" she declares, and suddenly all three girls are piling onto the couch with us.
Hudson's deep laughter rumbles through his chest as he somehow manages to wrap his long arms around all four of us. In that moment, I feel something settle inside me, a piece I didn't know was still missing clicking firmly into place.
This is my family. This is where I belong.
Christmas dinner is a feast to behold. Hudson and I spent days planning the menu, incorporating traditions to blend our families. His mother's special glazed ham sits next to my mom's famous mashed potatoes. The table is set with the good dishes, candles flickering in the center.
The girls helped with everything, from setting the table to stirring pots under careful supervision. Even Silvie let herself be fully involved, her usual reserve melting away in the warmth of the day.
As we take our seats, Hudson raises his glass. "Before we eat, I'd like to continue a tradition my parents started. If everyone could share one thing they're thankful for this year."
Lucy's hand shoots up. "Me first! I'm thankful for Vi Vi making our house pretty with Christmas stuff and teaching me how to make cookies that don't burn."
I laugh, touched by her simple joy. "Thank you, Lucy."
Angie goes next, her quiet voice thoughtful. "I'm thankful we all live together now, and that Vi helps me with my reading."
Silvie looks down at her plate, then up at me directly. "I'm thankful that Vi doesn't try to replace Mom, but still loves us like we're hers."
My heart swells as I struggle to maintain composure. Hudson reaches under the table to squeeze my hand.
"I'm thankful," he says, his deep voice steady, "for second chances. For finding a woman who sees the best in me, who loves my girls as her own, who makes this house a home."
All eyes turn to me, and I take a shaky breath. "I'm thankful for all of you. For welcoming me into your hearts and lives. For showing me what family really means." I look at Hudson, love overflowing. "For teaching me that sometimes the most unexpected paths lead exactly where you're meant to be."
Hudson's eyes shine with emotion as he raises his glass higher. "To family. To love. To Christmas."
"To Christmas!" the girls echo, clinking their glasses with childish enthusiasm.
As we eat, laughter and conversation flow easily around the table. I watch each of them, memorizing the moment. Hudson carving more ham for Angie. Silvie helping Lucy with her napkin. The casual touches and inside jokes that weave us together.
Four weeks ago, I was desperate and alone, willing to marry a stranger to save my mother's house. Now that house is secure, but it's no longer the center of my world. These people are. This life we're building together.
After dinner, while the girls play with their new toys in the living room, Hudson and I clean up the kitchen together. He washes, I dry, our movements synchronized.
"Penny for your thoughts, Goldie," he says, handing me a dripping plate.
"I was just thinking about how different this Christmas is from what I expected," I admit, setting the dried plate in the stack. "A year ago, I never would have imagined any of this."
"Regrets?" he asks, his tone light but his eyes watchful.
I shake my head firmly. "Not a single one. You?"
His smile is slow and sure. "Only that I didn't find you sooner."
I nudge him with my hip. "Smooth talker."
"It's the truth." He pulls the plug, letting the water drain. "I've been thinking about our wedding ceremony."
The real wedding we promised each other. The one where we'll exchange vows not out of necessity or arrangement, but pure love and choice.
"What about it?" I ask, hanging up the dish towel.
"How do you feel about Valentine's Day?"
I raise my eyebrows. "Isn't that a bit cliché for you, Mr. Gruff Mountain Man?"
He laughs, pulling me close, his hands still damp on my waist. "Maybe I'm going soft in my old age."
"Not too soft, I hope," I tease, pressing against him suggestively.
His eyes darken. "Careful, Goldie. There are children present."
"For now," I whisper against his lips. "But they'll be asleep eventually."
"Is that a promise?" he murmurs.
"Absolutely."
He kisses me then, deep and thorough, his hands sliding down to cup my hips. I melt against him, still amazed at how perfectly we fit together.
"Valentine's Day sounds perfect," I say when we finally break apart. "I can't wait to marry you again, Hudson Wilder."
"We first did the Court house, now Valentine's Day, and who knows, I’m sure we’ll end up renewing our vows on some significant anniversary."
"How many times are you planning to marry me, Mr. Wilder?" I smile.
His expression turns serious. "I’d marry you every day till we’re old and gray, if you'll let me."
"Done,” I lean in and press a light kiss on the corner of his lips. “There's nothing I want more."
From the living room, Lucy calls out, "Dad! Vi! Come see what I built!"
Hudson presses his forehead to mine. "Duty calls."
"Our life calls," I correct him gently.
Hand in hand, we walk back to the living room, to the bright tree and eager children, to the family we've created from the most unexpected beginnings.
As I watch Hudson drop to his knees to admire Lucy's creation, Silvie leaning comfortably against my side, a sense of absolute rightness washes over me.
I came to Hudson seeking security for my mother’s house. Instead, I found my home. In his arms, in his children's hearts, in the life we're building together.
And as the Christmas lights twinkle around us, I silently thank whatever fate, chance, or Christmas miracle brought us together. Because sometimes, the best gifts are the ones you never knew to ask for.