Annihilate Me: Holiday Edition (21 page)

“I’d
be happy to.”

“Excellent.
 
Go on now, everyone.
 
Find your seats.
 
Pour the wine.
 
I’ve got a bird to present, and I think
a few of you might be surprised.”

And
she wasn’t kidding.
 
When she came
out with the turkey on an oval-shaped silver platter, it was golden brown, it
smelled delicious, the stuffing looked moist, and the presentation was perfect—she’d
surrounded the turkey with fresh bunches of curly-leaf parsley and sage.
 

With
the hint of a smile on her lips, she put the bird in the middle of the table,
and then she kept returning with more dishes—a silver terrine heaped with
mashed potatoes, roasted carrots cut on the diagonal, a pitcher of gravy, what
appeared to be freshly made cranberry sauce and blanched
haricot verts
complete
with shallots
.
 
After she
brought out the bread, which was thick slices of warmed baguettes, she sat next
to me, and I just looked at her in awe.

“You’ve
outdone yourself,” I said.

“Mom,
it looks fantastic,” Daniella said.

Blackwell
unfolded her napkin, put it in her lap, lifted her glass of wine, and
sipped.
 
“If one can read a recipe, apparently
one can cook.
 
Now, have at it,
Tank.
 
White meat for me.
 
Let’s see if letting it rest did the
job.
 
As Daniella noted, nobody wants
a dry turkey.
 
I certainly don’t.”

And
it wasn’t dry.
 
In fact, it was
succulent, as was the rest of the meal.
 
While we ate, I looked across the table at Alex, and smiled at him.
 
He smiled back, and with a contented
look, he popped a roasted carrot into his mouth.
 
“Perfection,” he said.

“It’s
excellent,” Lisa said.
 
“The
stuffing is beyond.”

“Mom,
your mashed potatoes are killer,” Alexa said.

“Thank
you, Alexa.”

“I
love the gravy.”

“I’m
glad that you do.”

“Everything
is great,” Tank said.
 
“This is on
par with my mother’s cooking, and she’s one hell of a cook.”

“Thank
you for the compliment.
 
There’s
more.
 
Please help yourself.”

Happily,
he did.
 
He carved another piece of
turkey, and when he did, Lisa reached out and rubbed his back.

“Would
anyone else like more?” he asked.

The
definitive answer was a solid yes from everyone, including Blackwell herself.

*
 
*
 
*
 

Later,
when dinner was finished and before Blackwell brought out the desserts, she
asked for everyone to top off their glasses of wine.

“I’m
going to make a little toast,” she said to the room.

“If
I have another glass of wine, I’m totes going to do a face-plant in what’s left
of my potatoes,” Daniella said.

“Just
have a sip, dear.
 
Try that.”

Blackwell
stood and looked at each person around the table before she spoke, and when she
did speak, her tone was dead serious.
 

“Initially,
I didn’t want to come to Maine,” she said.
 
“I gave Jennifer a hard time about that, which I now regret.
 
I was wrong about that, Jennifer.
 
You were right.”

I
moved to speak—I wanted to tell her it wasn’t about who was right or who
was wrong—but she stopped me.
 
“Just let me speak.”

“OK.”

“Look
around this table,” she said.
 
“Look
how fortunate we are. What a fool I would have been if I’d chosen not to come.
 
I have my two daughters with me, which
means the world to me.
 
We were able
to cook together for the first time.
 
I have my adopted children, Alex and Jennifer, with me.
 
One of the best, most faithful and
courageous people I know is here.
 
That would be you, Tank.
 
Better yet, I’ve made a new friend in Lisa, and I’ve witnessed her and
Tank fall in love while we’ve been here.
 
I know how I come off, but I think many of you know that a fair amount
of that is an act.
 
But this is no
act.
 
So, if I may, I’d like to
toast each of you before I serve dessert and we say goodbye to Maine and this
wonderful house tomorrow morning.”

She
turned to Daniella and lifted her glass to her.
 
“To my eldest daughter and my constant
little troublemaker, I love you.
 
You came here angry as hell and with a broken heart.
 
And all because of a boy who will never
see in you what I see in you.
 
A
smart, savvy young woman who has what so many people lack—a
personality.
 
Never lose that.
 
Never let any man crush you or change
you.
 
The right man is out there for
you, Daniella.
 
Either you will find
him, or he will find you.
 
Here’s to
that day.
 
And here’s to you, my
love.”

Daniella
blew her mother a kiss, and sipped her wine.

“Alexa,”
Blackwell said.
 
“My little tree
hugger.
 
I’m proud of you for many
reasons, but especially for one specific reason—at a very young age, you
have concrete, established beliefs, and you believe in them.
 
They define who you are.
 
Not many possess that when they’re so
young, and I don’t think the fact that your socially and environmentally
conscious now is just a phase.
 
I
think this is who you are, and I have a feeling that you will do something
important with your life because of those beliefs.
 
I can’t wait to see what that is.
 
So, here’s to you.”

“Thank
you, Mom.
 
Not many people get me.”

“Well,
I do.
 
And so does your sister.”

“Don’t
throw me under the bus,” Daniella said.
 
But before Blackwell could react, Daniella turned to her sister and
said, “Just kidding.
 
You know I’m
proud of you, even if you are a flake.”

“To
Alex and Jennifer,” Blackwell said.
 
“What a year you’ve had, and look how you’ve come through it—two
survivors deeply in love.
 
And
engaged to be married.
 
I fully
expect to be involved in all of the wedding proceedings because I refuse to
have an unmitigated disaster on our hands when you do get married.
 
So be prepared for that.
 
And also be prepared for a wonderful
life together.
 
As with any
marriage, it will have its challenges.
 
But what I know about both of you is this—you can meet any
challenge and weather it.
 
I’ve seen
it.
 
We all have.
 
What you have is what I want for my own
girls—true love.
 
A lasting
love.
 
So, please, lift your glasses
along with mine and allow me to say how grateful I am to be part of your
lives.”

“You’re
going to make me cry,” I said.

She
arched her eyebrow at me.
 
“Maybe I
mean to.”

Daniella
laughed at that, but of course she would.
 
To her core, she was her mother’s daughter.
 
And as silly as that girl could be, and
as crass, I kind of loved her for it.

Finally,
Blackwell turned to Lisa and Tank.
 
“And now I get to address each of you.
 
What a pleasure it’s going to be to see
you grow together.
 
Love began here
for you—in Lisa’s home state, no less—and I hope that it carries
you forward into a long, lasting relationship filled with the love you feel for
each other right now.
 
Of course,
that remains to be seen,” Blackwell said.
 
“I should know.
 
Relationship
can be tough.
 
But I also know that
all of us here hope nothing but the best for you, and that in the coming
months, the story you build together won’t just be written between you.
 
The next many chapters of your life are
something all of us want to bear witness to and watch unfold.”

#
 
#
 
#

The next series from international
best-selling

author Christina Ross begins with….

With this book, the
Annihilate Me
series
ends, but only in a sense.
 
It
’
s now time for new stories and characters to
emerge from the series.
 
There is,
in fact, a whole world of stories to tell because of this series.
 
When I asked you on my
Facebook
page
to enter the
world of Christina Ross, I meant it.
 
In that world, we
’
ll meet
new friends, and also keep in close contact with old friends, such as Jennifer
and Alex.

Coming early in 2014 is the
Unleash Me
series.
 
That series will follow
Jennifer
’
s best friend, Lisa Ward,
as she explores her writing career, enters into a tumultuous relationship with
Tank, and possibility with another man if she and Tank can
’
t resolve their issues.
 
If you
’
d like more of Jennifer and Alex—and
if you want to see them get married!—look for them (along with Blackwell)
to be a major part of the
Unleash Me
series.

Also in 2014, expect several stand-alone
novels steaming with new characters and fresh romance.

Please join my mailing list here so you won
’
t miss the release dates for all upcoming
books:
 
http://on.fb.me/16T4y1u

I love hearing from my fans!
 
Please write to me at
[email protected]
or write to me on my Facebook fan page
here:
 
http://on.fb.me/ZSr29Z
 
I love to chat with my readers on Facebook.
 
I also do giveaways there.
 
I hope to see you there soon!

If you would leave a review of this or any
of my books, I
’
d
greatly appreciate it.
 
Reviews are
critical to every writer.
 
Thank
you!

XO!

—Christina