“Aww,” Kathy said before leaning in to kiss Mia on the cheek. “You’re a perfect addition to our family.”
She walked back into the dining room and joined the other ladies and children around the project of making a gingerbread house, which had turned into more of a gingerbread city.
The sound of Christmas carols, laughter, and the whistle of the football referee mixed together in a cacophony of festive happiness that filled Mia's heart with an overwhelming sense of warmth. She couldn't remember the last time she felt this way. And maybe she never had.
Her dad had left a long time ago, and she hadn't seen him since. When her mom got sick Mia’s senior year of college, she’d had to drop out to help take care of her. With the medical bills piling up, they had gone through years of heartache and tragedy. That was until her mom had finally passed away and left Mia alone to fend for herself.
She missed her mom terribly, but now that she had the Miltons she felt she finally had a safe harbor. She walked over to Connor, who was busily peeling potatoes at the sink and reached up on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek.
“I love you so much,” she whispered in his ear.
He turned to her, his hands wet as he gripped her hand. He looked into her eyes and smiled.
“I love you too, babe. More and more every day. I bless the day you crashed into my life,” he said with a small chuckle before kissing her cheek.
“I'll be right back. I'm going to go freshen up.”
Mia stepped back and turned down the hall to the downstairs bathroom where she locked herself inside and looked in the mirror. She wiped away the tear that had run down her cheek and wondered why she was feeling so emotional.
It was as if all the emotions, all the experiences, and all of the memories that she'd ever had in her life were culminating right now and collecting in her belly. She couldn't quite calm down and she felt a mixture of joy and sorrow with pain and pleasure all mixed into one.
She wasn't quite sure what to do with herself. That's when she remembered what she had bought at the drugstore yesterday when they had been in town shopping for the holiday. She slid open the bathroom drawer, pulled out the pregnancy test, and held it up to read the instructions. Her heart started to race. She hoped she was right about this hunch, but there was only one way to know for sure.
Gathering her courage, Mia followed the instructions on the box and set the test on the counter to wait. Her heart fluttered and her mind raced, thinking of being able to give everyone the good news on a day like today. More than anything though, she wanted to give Connor a child. She wanted to feel his cub growing inside her womb. She wanted to share the experience of becoming parents together with him and starting their new life and their family with the love and warmth of Christmas wrapped all around them.
She squeezed her eyes closed and kept them closed for at least a minute, almost too afraid to look. She didn't want to be disappointed. When she finally convinced herself that it would be okay if it was negative, she opened her eyes again and looked at the results window. There was a little pink plus sign waiting there to tell her that all her dreams had come true today.
She squealed out loud and then covered her mouth with her hand. She couldn't believe that it was really true. She was pregnant! She was going to have Connor's baby. Mia couldn't hold it in a second longer. She took the test and ran out of the bathroom, into the living room, past the men sitting on the couch watching football, past the ladies at the dining room table making gingerbread houses with the children. She ran into the kitchen with the test gripped tightly in her hand. She touched Connor on the shoulder. He looked at her and smiled.
“Is everything all right, babe?”
She could barely speak and only nodded emphatically with a goofy grin on her face.
“What is it? What are you holding?”
She lifted the test and showed him, still unable to think or speak. He examined the test and then looked back at her.
“Really?”
She nodded again and jumped up to throw her arms around him and kiss him hard on the mouth.
He crushed her to his chest, raining kisses over her head, face, and lips.
“What's going on in there?” Kathy called over. “Don't you two have enough time for that in private?”
“Mother,” Connor started, his voice full of mirth. “We have some news that I think you will want hear.”
“Well, out with it,” Kathy said.
“I'm pregnant,” Mia burst out.
Kathy stood from her chair and strode into the kitchen to throw her arms around Mia and kiss her on the cheeks.
“I knew you had a glow about you today. It wasn’t just the holiday either,” Kathy said, her joy overflowing in her voice.
Suddenly everyone was there standing around them, congratulating them on their coming child. Even the men had left the football game to slap Connor on the back. Mia's heart nearly burst with joy.
Soon, Christmas dinner was ready and everyone sat down at Connor's big dining room table.
Connor's brother Charles said grace while everyone held hands. When it was done, they passed their plates around. The moms and dads helped dish up for the little ones. The adults had a glass of wine or a bottle of beer to celebrate.
Everyone except Mia. She had something more special to celebrate. The dinner was fantastic, a combination of Connor, Kathy, his sister Stephanie and his brother Charles. Everyone had chipped in to help add to the feast.
While they ate Mia’s pecan pie they went into the living room to sit around the Christmas tree to open the giant stack of presents under the tree. It glowed with twinkling lights that reflected off the multi-colored glass orbs. Ornaments hung from the green bows of the tree she and Connor had cut down together.
The children opened a new train set in a fury of paper. Charles got a new fishing pole. Stephanie gave her mother Kathy a brand new shotgun and Stephanie's husband gave her a beautiful new necklace. Everyone was overjoyed with their gifts but there was still one last tiny box under the tree. Connor picked it up and brought it over to Mia and handed it to her. She looked at the tiny box and back at Connor questioningly. What could it be?
Her curiosity was overwhelming as she ripped open the Santa covered wrapping paper to find a little velvet box inside. Her heart skipped a beat as she opened the box to reveal what was within. It was a glistening diamond engagement ring.
She couldn't have picked out a more beautiful ring. Yellow gold with a princess cut diamond; it looked like it was at least half a carat. Mia had never had anything so extravagant or beautiful in her life. While everyone else was laughing and talking and playing with their gifts, Connor slipped the ring on Mia’s finger.
“Mia Royce? Will you be my wife?”
“Oh yes, Connor. I'll be your wife. I'll be your mate. I'll be the mother of your child. As long as I'm with you, nothing can hurt me. I have everything I need.”
He leaned in and kissed her softly on the mouth. Joy to the World played on the stereo and the children danced around as their fathers played with the new train set on the floor. In that moment, Mia knew that fate had been on her side when it brought her home to Fate Mountain.
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