Holiday Homecoming (16 page)

Christmas Day, two years later

“K
ristin!” Gramma called from the kitchen door. “We're waiting for you, honey. The girls have the game board all set up and ready to play in the dining room. Come and bring the cookies with you.”

“Sure.” The last snap fastened, she smiled down at her freshly diapered son. Matthew, two weeks old, scrunched up his face, the same way his daddy did before he yawned hugely. “Nap time for you, little one.”

“I'll take him in with me.” Ryan's hand settled on her shoulder.

Together they gazed down at their baby. His dark hair was Ryan's. He had eyes so blue, Kristin knew they would deepen into her family's trademark violet-blue.

“I don't think it's ever too early to expose him to foot ball.”

“Football? That's not nearly as important as starting him out young playing Monopoly. Maybe I'd better take him in with me.”

She loved that she made her husband chuckle, low in his throat. He rewarded her with a tender kiss. Her soul moved, as it always did. As it always would.

“No way, babe. The third quarter is about to start, and I don't want him to miss the kickoff.” With care, he scooped his son into his big protective arms. Love for Matthew shone deep in his eyes, as did his love for her.

The love she valued more than anything, for it had changed her life. Changed her.

“Kristin!” Michelle stood in the doorway this time, her new baby, Brittany, in her arms. “We're waiting!”

“Okay.” She brushed a kiss on her son's forehead, so sweet and soft and perfect. Pure love lifted her up as she watched her husband and son head off for the exciting second half of the game.

“Excuse me, Aunt Kristin.” Allie, in grade school now, held up one end of a blanket. “Are you done? Cuz I gotta finish makin' our tent.”

“Sure.” She hefted the diaper bag out of the way as the slim little girl who looked so very much like their dear sister Allison, studiously secured the end of the blanket, successfully finishing the huge tent beneath the wide round oak table.

“Okay, everyone, it's all done!” Allie flipped the edge up that was to serve as the door, and children came running. Michael, a tall sturdy preschooler, aban
doned his racecar track. Hauling their baby dolls, Emily and Anna were the first to crawl into the tent.

Kristin stepped around Kirby's twins, both little girls struggling to push the same toy vacuum cleaner around the kitchen. Too cute. She snatched the cookie tray from the counter, sidestepped Gabriel, who was happy throwing his Play-Doh on the floor and at the twins, who stopped vacuuming to throw it right back.

The football game blared in the living room as the men gathered around the big screen, shouting encouragement and advice and reprimanding the refs. Mom sat next to Dad, contentedly crocheting on her latest afghan. Their love renewed.

Ryan must have felt her presence because he turned from the game, their new baby drowsing against his wide chest. Their gazes met and the link between them, soul to soul, brightened. “I love you,” he whispered.

“I love you back.”

“Kristin.” It was Karen this time come to steal the cookies away. The pictures on the wall caught her attention. She nodded toward them. “Look. Mom has your little Matthew's picture framed and up already. There are a lot of us now.”

“Yeah.” Kristin noticed the pictures that were missing, but the past couldn't be changed. Only laid to rest. And her love for Allison didn't have to stop. “She's watching over us, don't you think? At least checking in to see how we're doing.”

“I'm sure. We'll see her again one day, you know. That's why it's called heaven.”

Kristin swallowed hard to hold back the tears. The sounds of family, of laughter and playing children and the groan of the men at an unfortunate interception rose and fell. The tides of life, of homecoming, of all that was important in this world rushed through her.

The room shifted, and it was memory she saw. Grade-school girls crowding around the dining-room table, baby Michelle toddling after them, cookie crumbs everywhere as they hurried to start the Monopoly game Santa had brought them for Christmas. In the next moment teenage girls, laughing and disagreeing just to disagree as properties were traded and money lost.

The past dissolved, leaving the present. Kirby and Michelle setting up the game. Kendra, expecting her second daughter next month, sorted through the tokens and lined up all of their usual ones on the Go square. Karen joined them, trying to distract Kirby by offering her a cookie, so she could try to grab the bank's money.

“Hey!” Kirby protested good-naturedly. “No fair. I get to be banker this time. Mom!”

“Girls, girls!” Mom scolded from the couch. “Don't make me come over there.”

“
I'll
be good.” With a wink, Karen successfully stole the box with the money in it. “Just tell Kirby it's
my
turn.”

The old disagreement had them all laughing. Some
traditions were more treasured for all the ways they stayed the same.

There was nothing like coming home. Kristin swiped the tears from her eyes, took her place at the table and rolled the dice.