Page 24 of Texas Christmas

Bart paced back and forth underneath the table, waiting for someone to drop some food.

Despite my nervousness, everyone at the table was welcoming, being careful to include myself and Clara, the other newcomer, into all the conversations. The guys joked around with each other, trading casual insults, while the women tried to steer them back to the conversation. They were a large, loud, and obviously loving family who somehow already considered Clara and me to be one of them.

After dinner Mary insisted that ‘the boys’ clean up while ‘the girls’ enjoyed a spiked Mexican hot chocolate in the living room. At my questioning look, Mary reassured me that she’d made a ‘virgin’ chocolate for little Sofia.

Mary, Sofia, Clara, Josie, Cassie, and I moved to the living room, hot chocolates in hand. We talked and laughed as we heard the sounds of plates clattering in the kitchen. Mary told me even though the ‘menfolk’ helped more with the cooking than they had when she was a kid, she liked the tradition of making the men clean up after Christmas dinner.

“Did I hear that you’re a doctor, Abby?” Josie asked.

I looked up from subtly checking my phone to make sure I hadn’t gotten an emergency call. I was limiting myself to one drink just in case I had to go out to help an animal. With it being Christmas, it wasn’t uncommon for someone to hit a deer or accidentally injure an animal.

“I’m a veterinarian, yes.”

She gave me a friendly smile. “I feel like the loser in the family next to two doctors,” she joked.

“You’re not a loser, Mommy,” Sofia said firmly. “You’re beautiful.”

Josie hugged her little girl. “Thank you, Sofia, that’s very sweet of you.”

Watching mother and daughter together made my heart twinge. I didn’t really remember my mother. The state had taken me away from her when I was a toddler. When I aged out of the system, I requested my records and learned that she’d disappeared after relinquishing custody of me to the state. There was nothing in my file about who my father was, if my mother had even known. I had no idea why my mother hadn’t wanted me.

It was nice to see an example of a tight-knit and loving family. I needed to remember that these kinds of families also existed.

Clara leaned towards me.

“It was weird for me when I first started seeing Allen,” she whispered.

I turned to face her. “What was?”

“Seeing a big, rowdy family like this. I was raised by a single mom who worked a lot, then died young. I had some cousins that I saw when I was younger, but mostly I didn’t have a family for a long time. Until the Jeffers adopted me.”

For some reason I felt like crying, which was really weird since I hadn’t cried since I was a tiny girl.

“Yeah, they’re great,” I agreed.

“You’re part of the family now, and when you marry Peter and I marry Allen, we’ll officially be sisters.”

“You and Allen are getting married?” I asked softly, looking around in case it was confidential. Peter hadn’t mentioned that his brother was engaged.

Mary, Cassie, and Josie were deep in conversation and not paying any attention to us. Sofia was playing a game on her tablet.

“We will get married at some point. He’s been hinting around, trying to see if I’ll freak out.”

“Why would you freak out?” I asked curiously.

“I was a little...jaded when we first got back together. Afraid to trust anyone. You know how we met years ago, then ran into each other again a few months ago?”

I nodded.

“Well, in the ensuing years I spent a lot of time going to disaster zones and seeing the worst in humanity and, well, it hardened me. Right before I came back to Houston I had a very bad experience in Ukraine and almost died. I lost part of myself and had given up on ever having a normal life or a normal relationship. Then, as corny as it sounds, Allen helped me find the joy in life again, and I learned it was okay to open myself up to love.”

“I’m glad,” I said sincerely.

Clara seemed awesome, exactly the type of woman I’d love to be friends with.

“I’m learning that all the boys in this family love hard. Just be open to taking a chance with Peter. You’re both worthy of love. Don’t let your past determine your future.”

It was exactly what I needed to hear.