Mum steps forward, misty-eyed. “Sebastian, Teddy, it’s about time you joined this family officially.” She waves them over, motioning for them to come inside.
“Wait.” I hold up a hand. “How come he gets to join the family and not wear this hideous thing?”
“Hey!” Isla protests.
“Sorry, but come on!”
Laughter ripples through the group. Isla glares at Xavier, whose grin fades like he knows exactly what’s coming. Where’s a whip when you need one?
“Actually,” Sebastian says, catching my attention. He lifts the hem of his shirt, casually hooking his thumb under the fabric… and underneath?
Thesamehideous Christmas shirt I’m wearing.
My mouth falls open. I look between him, Teddy’s proud little grin, my mother in the doorway biting back a squeal, and then back to him. I put two and two together, and the math screamsthey planned this.
“So this was planned?” I gasp, stepping back an inch, one hand flying to my chest. “You’re kidding. Guys, what the fuck?” My voice cracks. “What is it with people doing thoughtful thingslately? Have you all formed some secret committee behind my back?”
“Oh! Bad word!” Callie shrieks, pointing at me.
“Fuck!” Gracie echoes proudly before running off.
I groan into my hands. “Perfect. Great. Add it to the list of ways I’m emotionally corrupting the children.”
Behind the chaos, Xavier splutters, “C’mon. We were going so well!” even though he is absolutely laughing, and Isla whacks him on the arm. I inhale slowly, trying to stop my soul from leaving my body, then turn back to Sebastian.
He’s smiling at me.
Not his usual cocky, confident grin.
No, this one is warm. Soft. A little nervous. I narrow my eyes because I need to breathe, and because if I don’t say something snarky, I will cry again.
“Are yousureyou want to be a part of this family?” I murmur. “This circus. This chaos. This… whatever this is?” I gesture wildly around us. “Because we come with hideous shirts and zero boundaries, apparently.”
He huffs out a quiet laugh, the sound deep enough that I feel it in my spine. Then he bends, scooping Teddy up with one strong arm as effortlessly as breathing. His other arm slides around my waist, tugging me in so close my heart tumbles giddily in my chest.
“Liv,” he says against my temple, “wherever you are, that’s where I want to be.” He shifts Teddy on his hip and pulls me even closer. “You, this family, the madness, I want all of it. I want in.”
My heart clenches so hard it actually aches. Behind us, Isla mutters something that sounds suspiciously like, “Look at them, all domestic and shit.”
Xavier chokes on a laugh, and my cheeks start burning all over again.
“Alright, yeah, yeah. Let’s eat!” Bradley calls out, voice rough with emotion he’ll never admit to. I step away quickly, pretending to adjust my shirt, pretending his hand on my waist didn’t just send me straight to another dimension. I look at the two of them. Sebastian, Teddy curled into his shoulder, and the dumb matching shirt, and something warm and terrifying settles in my chest.
This feels right.
It feels inevitable.
It feels likehome.
And for the first time in forever, I let myself believe in the kind of love I thought only existed in movies or books. Because somehow, it found me anyway.
The End.
Epilogue
Olivia
Holding You (Yellowstone) - Matt Hansen
