Chapter 9 - The Long-Awaited Seat
The dining room of the carriage house had been transformed by the time we returned. The massive oak table was laden with roasted turkey, glazed ham, cranberry chutney, honey-roasted root vegetables, and—centerpiece of it all—a fresh, warm almond tart that filled the air with the rich aroma of toasted almonds and butter.
Maya sat near the fireplace, laughing as Mrs. O’Malley poured her a glass of spiced cider, her eyes wide with shock and delight when Nico had personally sent a car to pick her up from her apartment two hours earlier.
"I still can't believe Brenda and Julian got hauled out in handcuffs," Maya said, shaking her head as I walked into the dining room wearing my favorite emerald-green winter dress—one I had bought two years ago and never worn because Julian told me the color didn't match the social circles he wanted to run in.
"Believe it," Nico said, walking up behind me and resting his hands gently on my waist, his fingers warm against the fabric of my dress. "The legal system in Massachusetts moves slowly, but my legal team tends to accelerate the timeline for tax fraud."
Maya grinned, raising her mug. "To Clara. The new boss. May she never have to bake another croissant for ungrateful relatives again."
"Hear, hear," Mrs. O'Malley echoed warmly, clinking her glass against Maya's.
I looked around the table. The room was warm, filled with the scent of pine and roasting herbs, glowing with the soft light of a dozen beeswax candles. For the first time in my life, there was no empty chair waiting for me at the edge of the room. There was no apologies to make, no space to shrink into, no family member whispering about my weight or my choices.
There was only warmth, laughter, and a man who had listened to a whispered wish in the dark and built an empire around making it come true.
Nico leaned down, his lips brushing my ear as the church bells chimed midnight across Boston, signaling the arrival of Christmas Day.
May you like
"Merry Christmas, Clara," he murmured, his arms tightening around me, pulling me flush against his heart.
"Merry Christmas, Nico," I whispered back, closing my eyes and finally, truly, feeling home.
