Chapter 288: Home
{TYLER}
Tonight, everyone except me, Lucia, and the kids will go to Midnight celebrations, and I’ll have a chance to be alone with my newfound fullness of spirit. Maybe I’ll light a candle of my own, remember the people I’ve lost.
And then after mass, all of my favorite people will come back here to open the first presents of Christmas Day. Arlo and Miles will be here, and I’ll get to see Arlo’s face all lit up with the joy of the Christmas miracle, and tease him about it.
Tomorrow, Gloria and Marco will arrive from Boston for Christmas Day, and they’ll stay all week. Gloria said she’s persuaded Conor to come with her as well. I plan to show him a great time, get him drunk and maybe laid while he’s here. Poor bastard deserves it.
And the biggest news story of the holiday season has been about the dismantling of an Irish-based, internationally active terrorist group, believed to be responsible for an attack on a hospital a few months back. A recent intelligence breakthrough has led to a seizure of assets and various law enforcement agencies have promised the beginning of an avalanche of arrests.
All in all, life really couldn’t be more perfect than it is now.
"Sure, you don’t want to come?" Sasha asks as they prepare to leave. He’s pulling on his winter coat, and I make him take a scarf, too, because snow is forecast.
"I’m sure," I tell him, smiling up at his frowny brows. "It’ll give me a chance to chill. Literally, if it snows."
"Okay. Well, the guards will be outside, front and back, like always, and you have your personal alarm—"
"Sasha," I say firmly. "Go and enjoy your boring stuff, and then come back fast so we can open presents. Love you." I press my mouth to his, but have to back off halfway into an intense tongue kiss, because Mother is coming downstairs with a sleepy Nico in her arms.
Once they’ve gone, I go out to offer the house guards some eggnog and the presents I got for each of them. They’re way too excited about them, but it makes me happy. I make sure each of them has a hand-warmer heat pack, and then I go back inside and wander around the mansion on my own.