Farraway Mist ?A Wattpad featured story?

Chapter 27: A Happy Christmas

"Oh, they're here, they're here!" Brenda exclaimed. The dogs barked in excitement, and Scout smiled. Family reunions were the same everywhere, it seemed. It was Christmas Eve, and, glitches notwithstanding, George's family was finally assembling at his parents' home.

His lovely sister, Joanie, her barrister husband, Alan, and their beautiful daughters, Chloe and Trina, had arrived the day before with their gigantic Great Dane, hilariously named Buttercup. And his brother Steven, along with Steven's wife, Marcie, and their sons Kenton and Tim, had just pulled up.

Scout piled outside, along with everyone else, to greet the newcomers. It had just begun to snow, giving everything a fairytale look. She hung back a little, to give the family a little room to greet each other, but Dennis saw her and pulled her in, saying, "None of that, none of that, you're a Wilder now, if not in name, in spirit for sure, young lady," and introducing her to Steven, who looked uncannily like George. Scout bet he got a lot of tips when he was behind the bar selling drinks to tipsy young ladies.

His wife, Marcie, was a sassy redhead whom Scout liked immediately. She, apparently was an English teacher at one of the worst, most impoverished schools in London, a Cambridge trained and desperately sought after educator who could've had her pick of positions but chose to go where she was needed.

And someone had definitely found a way to tell everyone about George and Scout's impending arrival, because there was only joy on everyone's faces when they were introduced to Scout and her bump, which was actually very nice, Scout realized.

"Oh, Scout, what a pleasure to meet you at last," Marcie announced, giving her a hearty smack on the cheek. "Aren't you just blooming and gorgeous," she added. "Sounds like you've finally taken our George in hand, so good for you," she said with a beautiful smile, leading Scout up the steps, putting an arm around her waist.

She turned and called over her shoulder, "Timothy, no computer until after dinner, and please help your father with the bags? Kenton, you too."

"Yes, mum," the boys responded, and she turned back to Scout, calling Joanie over her shoulder to join them for a glass of wine before dinner. Scout could tell that Joanie and Marcie were dying to have a nice long chat with her, but responsibilities called, and they'd no sooner sat down to talk when they were interrupted, by the myriad things that mothers were interrupted with since the beginning of time. Of course, she'd spent a little time talking to Joan that afternoon, but she knew the pert brunette still had more questions for her.

The children were all young enough that the idea of Father Christmas coming was enough of a pull to get them into bed at a reasonable hour, so Christmas Eve was a bit of a scramble, getting everyone unpacked, fed, catching up, and asleep. Jess, Bandit, and Buttercup were constantly underfoot, as well, adding to the beautiful confusion, and Scout realized that she missed her family and the noisiness of lots of people.

Finally, around eleven o'clock, everyone was asleep, the fire was banked, the stockings were hung and the beautiful tree was glowing in the quiet main room of the house. Scout finished drying the last of the cups and put them away when she felt George slip his arms around her waist.

"You didn't have to do that," he murmured, kissing the back of her neck.

She shrugged. "It was no trouble. I'm the least tired person here, you know? The only person without anything to do." She leaned back into his firm warmth, smiling with pleasure at the feel of him, the smell, the everything.

"Coming to bed?" he asked, running the tip of his nose along her hairline, kissing her soft skin, eyes closed.

"In a bit. I want to go sit on the porch for a few minutes, I think, with some tea."