9. Let It Snow #4
By the time she slid the covered dish into her car and began the short drive toward Leon Porter’s house, the neighborhood had already fallen into its evening glow.
Lights hung from every railing and porch, wreaths fastened to doors, children’s laughter drifting faintly through the cold air whenever someone opened a window.
When she turned onto the familiar street, her chest tightened in a way she hadn’t expected.
Papa Earl’s brownstone sat only a few blocks away.
She slowed instinctively as she passed it, her eyes drifting toward the stoop she used to climb every day after school. Tonight the house was lit from top to bottom, the windows glowing with the kind of warmth that meant people were inside laughing, eating, living.
Her smile came easily.
Good .
The house deserved that.
A few doors down, a bay window revealed a family gathered around their Christmas tree, all of them wearing matching pajamas while music spilled into the street.
The parents were dancing badly, their children spinning between them in loose, happy circles while someone tried to clap along with the beat.
Aniyah watched for a second longer than she meant to.
Then she pulled away, warmth settling quietly in her chest.
The Porter house appeared at the end of the block in a soft blaze of light and evergreen garlands; the front porch wrapped in gold ribbon and red bows. Through the windows she could see silhouettes moving inside, hear laughter rising and falling over the music playing somewhere deeper in the house.
A home full of people.
A home full of ease.
She stood outside Leon Porter’s front door with the covered dish in her hands and her heart behaving like it had somewhere urgent to be.
She had spent enough holidays in silence to know the difference between entering a house and entering a family.
Before she could knock twice, the door swung open.
Trevor stood there in a cream cable-knit sweater and dark jeans, and for a second the winter air between them disappeared entirely.
He stilled when he saw her. Just enough that Aniyah noticed the way his shoulders settled, the way his gaze softened like he had been looking forward to this exact moment longer than he intended to admit.
Yearning lived there.
Quiet but unmistakable.
Aniyah suddenly became aware of the soft curl of her hair against her shoulders, the careful sweater she had chosen, the way her fingers tightened slightly around the dish.
Trevor stepped forward and pressed a brief kiss against her cheek before taking the soufflé from her hands, his fingers brushing hers as he did.
“You came,” he said.
The words were simple, but the relief in them loosened something in her chest.
“I said I would.”
His smile deepened, dimples appearing like they had no business being that effective on a grown woman. “I know. I just… I’m glad you did.”
“I’m glad I did too,” Aniyah beamed. “Let’s get inside, it’s freezing out here.”
The warmth from inside wrapped around her the moment she crossed the threshold.
The house smelled like roasted meat, brown sugar, spices, and something savory that reminded her immediately of Sunday dinners from another life.
Music floated through the rooms, laughter bursting from somewhere deeper in the house with the confidence of people who had loved each other a long time.
Trevor leaned closer as he closed the door behind her, his voice dropping just enough to brush against her ear. “You nervous?”
Aniyah glanced up at him. “A little.”
He smiled gently. “Don’t be. They’ve already decided they like you.”
“Already?”
“You should hear the phone calls I’ve been getting.”
Before she could ask what that meant, Zara’s voice rang out from the living room.
“Ms. Henderson!”
The little girl barreled toward her in velvet red tights and gold hair clips, all delight and momentum. Aniyah barely had time to bend before Zara wrapped her arms around her waist.
“You came for real,” Zara said, pulling back just enough to beam up at her. “I told Daddy you would. ”
Aniyah laughed softly and touched one of the gold clips in her curls. “Well, I couldn’t miss Christmas with the star of the play.”
Zara puffed up proudly before darting away again toward the chaos of children somewhere near the tree.
Trevor chuckled beside her.
Then the welcoming truly began.
Mackenzie and Nina approached first, Mackenzie glowing in deep emerald and Nina wrapped in burgundy knit that somehow looked both elegant and comfortable.
“Ms. Henderson, so lovely to see you again.” Nina said with a knowing smile.
Aniyah laughed softly, glancing between them. “Please, call me Aniyah. It’s so nice to see you again… Nina?” She stated her name slowly to ensure accuracy.
Nina pulled her into a hug immediately. “You got it right. I see Trevor has been running that mouth.”
Behind them Trevor groaned. “Nina.”
“What?” she said calmly. “It’s Christmas.”
Mackenzie stepped in next, her smile warm and curious. “We’re really glad you came. Trevor has been smiling suspiciously hard these past few weeks.”
“Mac,” Trevor muttered again.
Aniyah laughed before she could stop herself, the nervousness already easing.
The house folded her in quickly after that.
Leon Porter greeted her with both hands wrapped warmly around hers, welcoming her like she had always belonged there before introducing her to Ms. Teri, a graceful woman whose presence seemed to soften the room around Leon in a way that didn’t go unnoticed.
Trevor leaned toward her shoulder as they moved toward the kitchen.
“My brothers haven’t figured it out yet,” he whispered.
Aniyah tilted her head slightly, “Figured what out?”
“That my dad is sweet on Ms. Teri.”
Aniyah glanced across the room just in time to see Leon smile at the woman in question.
“Oh,” she murmured amused.
Trevor grinned, buzzing at the secret that the two of them now shared.
The introductions continued.
Jackson appeared carrying glasses, locs pulled back neatly, while Angelou followed behind him looking every bit as devastating as Stephanie had once described. Nina and Mackenzie’s parents were introduced soon after, both greeting her warmly like Trevor had mentioned her more than once before.
Somehow none of it felt overwhelming.
Aniyah barely had time to finish greeting Leon before the house seemed to sweep her along with it.
Someone took her coat, someone else guided her toward the kitchen where the counter had already become a crowded landscape of casseroles, pies, and serving dishes, and before she could catch her bearings she was being introduced again.
“This is Aniyah,” Trevor said for what had to be the fourth time, though his voice carried a quiet pride that made the repetition feel intentional.
Cousins appeared, babies balanced on hips, family friends who greeted her with warm familiarity of someone they’ve known for a long time.
Someone pressed a glass of cider into her hand while another asked if she needed somewhere to put the sweet potato soufflé she brought.
The movement from room to room should have been overwhelming, but somehow it wasn’t.
She found herself ushered from the kitchen into the living room, then into the den where a group of older relatives were deep in conversation about something that sounded like church politics, every greeting layered with warmth .
At one point Mackenzie reappeared at her side, gently steering her toward two older couples seated near the fireplace.
“Mom, Dad, Ms. Juanita and Mr. Richard, I’d like to introduce you to Trevor’s special guest Aniyah.”
“My daughter Nina has told me about you. Trevor speaks highly of you,” Juanita said with a knowing look that made Aniyah glance instinctively toward where Trevor stood across the room.
He caught her eye at that exact moment. The small smile he gave her held something softer than pride. If she didn’t know any better she’d think it was a look of love.
Aniyah should have felt nervous about it, but she didn’t. Somehow, it all felt natural.
As everyone finally gathered around the dining table, the room glowed with candlelight and warmth.
Candles burned low at the center of the table, their reflections dancing across polished glass and serving dishes crowded with food.
Plates moved from hand to hand while conversations overlapped in easy waves.
“Angelou, stop stealing rolls before the children get their share,” Nina said without even looking up from her plate.
“I’m tasting for quality control,” he replied calmly.
Jackson quietly slid a slice of ham onto Mackenzie’s plate without her asking while she continued talking, and Nina wiped one of the twins’ mouths with a napkin mid-sentence like it required no effort at all.
Aniyah found herself laughing more than she had in weeks.
At one point Mackenzie leaned toward her, curiosity dancing in her eyes. “Tell me something. Was my brother-in-law as ridiculous in high school as I imagined?”
Aniyah nearly choked on her drink.
Trevor looked up sharply from two seats down. “You don’t have to answer that.”
“Oh, she absolutely does,” Nina said immediately .
Aniyah wiped her mouth, laughter already threatening again as she looked between them before surrendering. “I only really knew Trevor like that because we were in the same grade,” She stopped pointing her fork at Trevor and his brothers, “but you and your brothers definitely had reputations.”
Angelou leaned back in his chair with dramatic offense, placing a hand over his chest, “Reputations for what?”
Aniyah lifted a brow slowly, “You really want me to describe the Porter brothers as young bulls? Please don’t make me say that at Christmas dinner.”
Angelou turned a shade of red that made Jackson laugh instantly.
Mackenzie dropped her head against Jackson’s shoulder, already losing it while Nina grinned wickedly across the table.
“Say it anyway.”
Angelou pointed at Aniyah like she had personally betrayed him. “You really don’t have to.”