Colin put the plate on the table and turned around. “I know you are. You’re capable of amazing things, my wife.” He kissed her on the lips. “I’d just much rather you enjoy yourself and your friends instead of being in the kitchen.”
“Okay,” she agreed, “but you come with me. All the food is out and we’re ready to eat.”
Hand in hand, they walked into the great room in what had once been the childhood home of Lily and Colin. When Frankie and Lily had returned from Vegas, Colin had still wanted to give them the house despite everything, but Lily hadn’t wanted it. Just like the wedding, she was happy with the simple apartment and less hassle.
Instead, after they got married, Colin and Natalie took up residence there. She was all too happy to call the old house her home. He sold the supermodern mansion and she sold her townhouse. After a few renovations to update some things to their liking, they moved into the house. It was where she’d had her happiest childhood memories and once she found out she was pregnant, she wanted her child to have those kinds of memories in this home, too.
The rest of the From This Moment business partners and their spouses were loitering around the seating area, warming themselves by the fireplace. Newlyweds Bree and Ian were snuggling on the couch with glasses of wine. They’d finally tied the knot in October—oddly enough, the first of the group to get engaged and the last to wed.
Gretchen was feeding a chocolate petit four to Julian as they stood at the front window admiring the extensive Christmas lights display Colin had put together outside. They had married in the spring in a small chapel in Tuscany, fulfilling Gretchen’s dream of seeing Italy at last.
“The food is ready,” Natalie announced from the entryway.
Amelia was the first to get up from her seat by the fire. “I wish you would’ve let me help you with that. There’s no need for you to manage the whole dinner by yourself. I know what it’s like to cook at seven months pregnant.”
“I’m fine. You’re always doing the cooking. I wanted to do it. Besides, you’ve got baby Hope to worry about.”
Amelia gestured over her shoulder to her husband Tyler. He was standing by the Christmas tree, letting their six-month-old look at the lights and shiny ornaments. “Not really. He’s hardly put her down since the day she was born.”
“Still. I’m fine. I might be out of practice when it comes to Christmas, but I can still manage cooking dinner.”
“Okay, but we’re doing the dishes,” Amelia argued.
“Absolutely,” Gretchen chimed in. “You’re not lifting a single fork.”
“I won’t fight you on that. I hate doing the dishes.”
The crowd all migrated into the dining room in a chaotic rumble of conversation and laughter. They took their places around the table, with Tyler slipping Hope into her high chair.
It was hard for Natalie to believe how much their lives had all changed in the past two years. They had all found amazing men and fallen madly in love. Each of them had married, and soon, there would be two babies playing in the new chapel nursery. It was enough to make her start tearing up at the dinner table.
Damn hormones.
“I’d like to thank everyone for joining us tonight for Christmas Eve dinner. The holidays are times to be spent with friends and family and I know how important all of you are to Natalie, and to me.” Colin raised his glass to the group. “Merry Christmas, everyone.”
The four couples sitting around the table each raised their glasses to toast a festive holiday season. “Merry Christmas,” they all cheered.