I push him away and stand. “There is no reason to be a jerk. I was about to get up.”
I don’t bother listening to him. Turning, I head into the bathroom.
It doesn’t take me long to get ready. I tighten my ponytail and look into the mirror. My face is bare.
“Shit, I have to put on makeup. I can’t take pics with a bare face.” I grab my makeup bag and phone.
It doesn’t take me long to find music, and I begin to put on my makeup.
A little contour here, some lashes there, Fenty lip gloss here. When I take a final look, I look gorgeous.
I blink when I see the time. 6:10.
Damn it. Pictures started at 6:00 sharp. I dash out of the room and hurry down the stairs.
As I expect, the whole family is already gathered downstairs near the Christmas tree. What I didn’t expect was the production around it. Lights, soft boxes, someone holding a reflector.
Elizabeth smiles and extends her hand to me. I take it. “I am so sorry for being late.”
She taps my hand and places it under her arm. “Roman told his father you weren’t feeling too well. How are you feeling now?”
I smile. “Better, thank you.”
“I love this cashmere sweater and the white shirt. I love a woman with style,” she says.
“Thank you.” I look down at my dark green cable crew neck sweater. I tug at the cuff of the shirt.
Elizabeth lets me go and claps. “Now that everyone is here, let’s begin.”
“I don’t need to be in the pictures,” I comment. Not forgetting why I am here in the first place. There was no reason really for me to be in the pictures.
Elizabeth throws her head back as she laughs. “You’re the first girl in years that Roman has brought here since his breakup. You are getting in these pictures, honey.”
“The breakup” squints as she watches me from across the room.
Roman comes to my side and holds my hand. “I am sorry about earlier. I didn’t know; I wasn’t thinking. I was wrong.”
“I am claustrophobic, so I freaked out.”
“Honestly, I was trying to pull the sheet off you. My aim wasn’t to make you stumble.” His eyes search my face.
“Apology accepted.”
“Are you both done being in love?” Elizabeth asks.
Roman doesn’t reply to her; he just tugs me gently in the direction of the tree.
As directed, I walk to the front of the Christmas tree. Two chairs were placed in front of us.
Roman stands at my side, Tessa stands next to me, and Liam is at her side. Elizabeth and Cliff sit in front of us.
Another forty-five-minutes pass, and finally, family portraits are finished.
“How about a picture with immediate family?” The photographer says. I move behind the photographer.
I watch as the boys stand around Cliff. Roman is the spitting image of Cliff; he just has salt and pepper in his hair and his goatee.
“They’re practically twins, right?” Tessa stands beside me. I look around to make sure it’s me she is talking to.
