“The gingerbread houses. I’ve texted the girls—they should be in soon. Peter is stuck in the office, but the five of us will have fun.”
I help her carry everything to the kitchen and arrange the containers on the island where Liam and my laptops are still open.
“Were you headed somewhere?” she asks as we start to gather the icing and bags of candy we picked up from the store. “Your shirt is inside out.” She reaches over and plucks the label sticking out behind my neck.
I flush. “Oh. I didn’t notice. I guess I was just in a rush to get out this morning.”
She gives me a knowing smile, but spares me an ounce of dignity by not saying she knows exactly why I’m so disheveled. “Could you hold this open for me?” She grabs a piping bag from a drawer and hands it over. I grab it as she scoops icing inside and continues to talk. “You know, I didn’t know what to think at first when he said he was bringing someone home. He’s very private about his life in New York. But seeing you both these last few days has been the biggest relief.”
An uncomfortable pressure presses against the inside of my ribs as she talks, but I manage a smile. “It’s not easy trusting someone with a person you love, but he’ll be here with you soon.”
“Mom, don’t bother her about this stuff.” Liam walks into the room and his gaze flicks to me for the briefest moment before he reaches for a bag of candy.
Ally swats his hand away. “Wait until after we’re finished and you can have the leftovers.”
It’s another fifteen minutes before Penelope and Juniper arrive. We all gather around the dining room table set with the pieces of the houses in front of us—a base, four walls, and two slabs for the roof. Each of us has our own technique. Juniper is meticulously decorating the sides with icicle-like designs. Overeager Penelope constructed the house first so all of her icing adornments droop as she places them, though that doesn’t seem to deter her. I do my best not to look at what Liam is doing, but I catch the small snowflake details he adds to his.
Do I want gumdrops lining the top of the roof? The color could be fun.
“Here.” Liam pushes the bowl of gumdrops toward me.
“Thanks, but I’m going for these.” I grab the peppermints next to me instead.
“Sorry, you looked like you wanted these.” I hate that he can read me, that I let him behind my walls and I can’t just get him to unknow me.
“You could have asked instead of assuming you know what’s best for me.” I nudge the peppermint into place and grimace.
“Well, they’re here if you change your mind,” he says, voice gruff.
“Don’t worry. I won’t.” When I press the next candy into place I use too much pressure and the cookie structure cracks, a jagged split through the roof. “Shit.” When I go for my icing bag, it’s out.
“Take mine.”
“I’m good. I think I’ll leave it like this. It adds character.”
“Well that’s stupid,” Penelope says, which earns her a look from everyone at the table. “What? She should take the icing. The crack is ugly.”
June cocks a brow. “Pen, I don’t think you have any room to talk, your house looks like a toddler made it.”
“It’s maximalist and fun. At least mine doesn’t look like it was designed by someone who’s favorite color is millennial beige,” Penelope shoots back before looking between Liam and I. “Henri, just take mine so whatever you’re fighting about doesn’t ruin this for us.”
“We’re not fighting,” Liam and I say in near-perfect unison.
“Sure,” Pen says as she picks up a sifter of powdered sugar to dust her monstrosity of a house to give it the appearance of snow. “Because normal people are passive aggressive over candy. Yup, makes perfect sense.”
I take Liam’s icing. “We’re fine.”
The rest of the house building goes without incident, but everyone gives us distance once we’re done. Upstairs, I pack for our trip to the cabin.
“I can go alone,” Liam says, closing the door behind him.
“Because that would read as a united front,” I say, sarcasm dripping from my voice as I shove a sweater into my bag. “And this way we won’t have another incident around your family.”
“All right, if you think that’s what’s best.” His lips press into a firm line. “I’ll pack up the groceries and get them secured on the snowmobiles.”
25
Liam
