I laugh, surprised by her candor. “Good thing we have my dad for that. I hear he’s bringing the suit tonight.”
“And you?” she asks, allowing me to help her into the wheelchair the nurse insists upon. “What’s your role in Christmas Eve?”
I push her toward the elevator, considering. “Security. Making sure everything runs smoothly.”
“Ah.” She nods sagely. “And watching over Rayne like she might disappear if you blink.”
My hands tighten momentarily on the wheelchair handles. Elena sees too much.
“She’s not going anywhere,” I say. “I’m not letting her go.”
Elena reaches back to pat my hand. “That’s what I wanted to hear.”
In the car, she’s quiet for a while, watching the snow-covered landscape pass. I’m struck by how much she reminds me of Rayne—not just in appearance, but in spirit. The same quiet strength, the same perceptiveness.
“She doesn’t know I’m visiting tonight, does she?” Elena asks suddenly.
“No.” I merge onto the highway, glancing at her. “Ryan helped me plan it. He’s very excited about having ' New Grandma' for Christmas.”
Elena’s eyes crinkle at the corners. “He called me Grandma?”
“Is that all right?”
She blinks rapidly, looking away. “More than all right. I just never thought ... with Rayne before being uninterested in anyone, I didn’t think I’d live to see grandchildren.”
“Ryan chooses his own family,” I tell her. “He took one look at Rayne and decided she belonged to us. You’re part of that package deal.”
Elena laughs softly. “Quite the businessman, like his father.”
“He drives a harder bargain than I do.”
As we turn into the long driveway leading to my estate, Elena gasps. “It’s beautiful.” The mansion stands against the winter sky, windows glowing with warm light, wreaths on every door, and garlands winding up the columns. It looks nothing like the cold fortress it was before Rayne arrived.
“Wait until you see inside,” I tell her. “Rayne and Ryan have been decorating for hours.”
I helpElena from the car, steadying her as we approach the front door. Before I can open it, the door swings wide, and Ryan bursts out, bundled in his winter coat.
“Dad! You’re back!” He crashes into my legs, then peers around at Elena. “Uhm, hello?”
Elena bends slightly, her eyes warm. “Hello. I’m Rayne’s mom. You can call me Elena, or…”
“Or Grandma,” Ryan supplies helpfully.
Before Elena can respond, Rayne appears in the doorway, wiping her hands on a kitchen towel. “Ryan, honey, you need to wait for your Dad to?—”
She freezes, the towel slipping from her fingers. Her eyes go wide, her lips parting in shock as she sees her mother standing there.
“Mom?” The word comes out as a whisper.
Elena opens her arms. “Merry Christmas, my love.”
Rayne stumbles forward, a sob catching in her throat as she wraps her arms around her mother. They cling to each other, Rayne’s shoulders shaking with emotion. Ryan watches with solemn fascination, then looks up at me.
“She’s crying, Dad. Is she sad?”
I rest my hand on his head. “No, buddy. Those are happy tears.”
Rayne pulls back just enough to look at Elena’s face, her cheeks wet. “How are you here? I don’t understand?—”
