Chapter 22: Chapter 21

NOAH

Noah was torn about heading home for Christmas. He’d made a promise to his dad, and he knew he’d never hear the end of it if he backed out now. But honestly, if Lillian hadn’t been planning to visit her own family, he might have been tempted to break his promise.

He felt a pang of regret at the thought of leaving their Christmas tree alone. It was the first one he’d put up as an adult. It seemed silly to feel sentimental about a tree, but he did.

His mom used to sing while they decorated, and they’d all join in. Lillian didn’t sing, but she’d put on Christmas music to set the mood. Then, with only the tree lights on, they’d made love on her couch.

He was looking forward to more of that, but it would have to wait until after the holidays.

Being home wasn’t all bad, though. His dad was genuinely happy to see him, even if there was no Christmas tree in sight.

“Ever thought about putting up a Christmas tree again?” Noah asked, only to be met with a surprised look from his father.

“Mom wouldn’t mind,” he added.

“Of course she wouldn’t,” his father agreed. “But you and Asher are grown and gone. Even when you were home for Christmas, you didn’t care about the tree. All I wanted was a peaceful dinner without you two bickering.”

“I can’t blame you for that.”

“Why the sudden interest in Christmas trees?”

“They’re everywhere, and I realized we don’t do that anymore,” Noah replied, trying to keep his answer vague.

“Speak for yourself. I’ve been decorating for the past three years.”

“What?”

“Your brother and Maggie decorate every year. They invite me and all their friends, and we fill the house with Christmas decorations.”

“You never mentioned that.”

“I didn’t think you were interested. But if you are, I have photos and videos from this year. It was my granddaughter’s first Christmas, and I wanted to document it. She had a blast.”

Noah chuckled and shook his head.

The baby, a girl, was born just days after Asher’s exhibition. Asher had called to share the news, and Noah was touched to be included. His brother was over the moon about becoming a father, and their dad was just as thrilled.

Noah knew his dad had always wanted grandkids. He’d hinted at it often when Noah was married to Dorothy. But Noah had been too focused on his career to consider having kids.

“You know she won’t remember this,” Noah pointed out.

“Your brother and Maggie said the same thing. Like I wouldn’t know. That’s why I made sure to document everything.”

“Document? Dad, it’s not a crime scene.”

“Evidence that she’s been loved from the day she was born.”

“You’ve gone soft, haven’t you?” Noah teased.

“It’s what your mother would have done. She did it with both of you. I used to call her sentimental, but like always, she was right. So, I did what I could. I even have a photo of the baby touching a star ornament.”

“So, you did have a Christmas tree,” Noah said.

The mention of his mom made him feel strange and guilty. He hadn’t visited her grave in a long time. He knew his dad went often, probably showing her the photo of the baby touching the star. Asher probably visited too, but not as often as their dad.

Noah just couldn’t bring himself to go.

“Yes, I did. And you’ll see what a great job we did soon,” his father replied.

Noah laughed. His dad was happy. He’d never seen him this happy when he was around. Not that he blamed himself. His dad seemed to agree; otherwise, he wouldn’t be so insistent on seeing him.

Asher had extended an invitation to everyone to gather at his place for the celebration.

Noah still felt it was a bit unusual that his dad had apparently agreed to this for the past few years, given that their own house was much larger. But the allure of his granddaughter and the festive Christmas tree seemed to be enough to sway him.

He wasn’t particularly concerned about where they spent the day. He had always been fond of his brother’s house. Well, at least the version he remembered before the baby arrived. He was pretty sure it had changed since then.

He figured it probably looked a lot like Dora’s place now. Her kid was older, but kids—even newborns—had a knack for creating chaos. Despite his dad’s excitement, he wasn’t exactly thrilled about meeting his first niece.

But he was in for a surprise.

He wasn’t a big fan of kids, but this little girl was almost endearing. Maybe it was because she was friendly, quiet, and always smiling. She was tiny but chubby, with a surprisingly strong grip. And she seemed to like him, not crying when Asher insisted he hold her.

He couldn’t tell who she resembled. He was terrible at that sort of thing. But he was relieved to find she wasn’t a nuisance, and he wasn’t as uncomfortable or repulsed as he thought he’d be holding her.

That didn’t mean he suddenly felt a surge of paternal instinct. He was pretty sure he didn’t have any of that. But he wouldn’t mind seeing the baby again, as long as she stayed as pleasant as she was today.

“Did you have an easy labor?” he asked Maggie gently, passing the baby back to her.

“Relatively,” she replied, cradling the baby. “Other women have it worse, and Asher says I handled it well.”

“He was in the delivery room?” he blurted out, shuddering at the thought of witnessing such a thing.

“Well, the doctors tried to kick him out, but they didn’t succeed,” she joked.

“I heard that,” Asher called from the kitchen.

He and their dad had gone to get drinks since Asher didn’t have servants at their disposal. They did have a housekeeper and a cook, but they were off for Christmas.

“That’s why I said it loud,” she shot back.

Noah chuckled.

“He wanted to be the first to hold the baby,” she told him, a fond look on her face.

Noah grimaced. The idea of witnessing a birth and then holding the newborn was almost nauseating. He couldn’t understand why his brother was so eager for that. It must be that paternal instinct he was missing.

“And obviously, you wouldn’t do that,” she laughed.

“Absolutely not,” he replied flatly. “But then again, I’ve never had the desire to be a father.”

“Neither did I until I met Maggie,” Asher said, walking into the room with a tray of hot cocoa.

Their dad followed him, carrying another tray loaded with cookies, cake, and chocolate. They had already eaten, and Noah was stuffed. Luckily, he didn’t have a sweet tooth, so he wasn’t tempted by the treats.

“You had a dog, right?” he asked, suddenly remembering the furry creature that didn’t like him much.

“Bitch, yes. She’s still around, but she avoids you,” Asher replied.

“All the better,” he muttered.

“She’s a good dog,” their dad chimed in. “But her name is a bit inappropriate.”

“It’s memorable and fitting,” Asher winked.

“I can’t imagine calling her that in public,” their dad said.

“She doesn’t seem to mind, Dad.”

“And what about the baby? Will she learn curse words as soon as she can talk?”

“Words aren’t offensive. It’s how we use them,” Asher said.

“I agree. And Bitch loves the baby,” Maggie added, smiling. “It’s too early to let her near the baby, but she stands guard outside the nursery every night.”

“She’s the smartest dog I’ve ever known,” Asher said proudly, glancing at Noah.

“Because she doesn’t like me?” Noah raised an eyebrow.

“That’s not what I meant, but I guess you’re right.” Asher winked.

The baby began to squirm in Maggie’s arms.

“Is she hungry?” their dad asked.

“No, I think she needs a diaper change,” she responded, rising from her chair. “I’ll handle it.”

Everyone turned to look at Tyler Ryder, their faces a picture of surprise.

“Do you even know how to do that?” Noah asked, a laugh in his voice.

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“Because you were hardly around when we were kids,” Asher said, his tone flat. “Mom did most of the parenting.”

“That doesn’t mean she didn’t make me change a fair share of diapers as punishment for getting her into this—meaning you two.”

“But Mom loved us,” Asher argued.

“She did,” their dad agreed. “But she despised changing diapers. She couldn’t stand the smell.” He gently picked up the baby.

“And you could handle it?” Noah asked.

“No. It was terrible. But I had to help out somehow.”

“You don’t need to now,” Maggie said softly.

“But I want to. You both look exhausted with a newborn in the house, and I don’t mind doing it.”

“Maybe it won’t smell as bad now that it’s your granddaughter,” Noah joked.

“Probably. She’s not as much of a handful as you two were.”

With that, Tyler Ryder left the room. Noah thought he heard him singing to the baby.

“Do you remember him singing to us?” Asher asked, his brow furrowed.

“Wow, he really is singing,” Noah laughed. “No, I don’t remember that. Mom was always the one who sang and told stories.”

“Speaking of Mom…” Asher began, hesitating slightly. “We named the baby after her.”

“Molly?” Noah asked, his forehead creasing. He should have anticipated this, but he hadn’t. He remembered that Maggie grew up in an orphanage and never met her biological parents. She was raised by an elderly woman there. Maybe she wanted to name the baby after her, or maybe she didn’t care. But his brother…

It made sense to name their daughter after their mother, but it bothered him a little. It was irrational, but it did.

“Yes. Do you mind?”

“No, not at all,” he lied. “Does Dad know?”

“We told him. He said we didn’t have to, but I wanted to use Mom’s name as soon as we found out the baby was a girl. Maggie agreed.”

He glanced at Maggie. She didn’t seem upset. She was smiling.

“It’s just a name,” she shrugged. “If it makes Asher and your dad happy, I’m fine with it. Besides, I’ll get to choose the name of our next baby.”

“Are you already thinking about having another one?”

“No,” they both said at the same time, and Noah laughed.

“One is enough for now,” Maggie said. “She hasn’t even started walking yet. I was talking about the distant future.”

“It’s too soon to think about that,” Asher agreed. “But if Maggie wants more kids, I’m ready whenever she is. She can name them all. By the way, Brad is going to be Molly’s godfather.”

“Did you run out of other options?” Noah asked, a smirk on his face.

“You know, he still likes you as much as you like him,” Asher retorted.

“Yeah,” Maggie chimed in. “Maybe he even likes you a little more than you like him.”

“That’s disturbing,” Noah said, his tone dry.

“Oh, I don’t mean in a romantic way. He’s completely in love with Leo. Anyway, I’m going to check on the baby. Your dad is taking a while with the diaper change.”

“Well, he hasn’t changed a diaper in over thirty years,” Noah pointed out. “I’d be worried about the state of the nursery if I were you.”

“Thanks for the reassurance,” she said sarcastically.

She left the room, and Noah wasn’t bothered by her sarcasm. Reassuring people was never his strong suit. He was also not good at pretending to like people he couldn’t stand, and Brad Rutherford was one of them. Contrary to what many people, including his brother, believed, it wasn’t because of Brad’s sexual orientation. Not entirely. In Noah’s opinion, everyone had their quirks, and there were far worse things than being gay—if it could even be considered a quirk.

There was something about him. His infectious happiness, his quick-witted retorts, the way he had a nickname for everyone and his effortless charm. The fact that he was universally liked—that was the part that irked him the most. If he’d had his way, he would have booted him from the company when he took over, but the guy was just too damn good at his job and his role was crucial. He couldn’t risk replacing him with someone less capable.

“Tamara’s becoming a problem,” Asher confided when they were alone.

“I know, but she’s been behaving recently, hasn’t she?”

“Yes, but I can’t spend all my time worrying about whether Tamara can do her job and work with her assistant without being petty and mean. I’m seriously considering letting her go.”

He couldn’t fault Asher for that, and he certainly wouldn’t try to dissuade him. It wasn’t his place to interfere.

“Have you started looking for a replacement?” he asked.

“Not yet, but I will.”

“You know, not many people will be eager to work with someone who looks like Lillian,” he pointed out.

“Lillian?”

“Yes.”

It took Asher a moment to connect the dots.

“You used to call her Miss Astaire.”

“I did.”

“Is there something I should know?”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, brother. But all I’m willing to share right now is that I’m staying in Europe.”

“Where in Europe?”

Noah just smiled. Asher shook his head.

“I won’t pry any further,” he promised.

“Smart move, brother. I need to talk to Dad about something.”

“About Dorothy?” Asher guessed. “Dad mentioned you were interested in her.”

“Not exactly. But I do find what her parents are doing to her husband appalling.”

“Dad’s been trying to help, but your ex-wife’s husband is stubbornly proud, and her parents are jerks. We’re lucky to have the parents we do.”

“And Mom,” Noah added.

“Yes, but Dad was the real surprise, don’t you think?”

“He’s definitely more laid-back than I remember,” Noah agreed. “But if Mom was here…”

“Things would be different, I know. For one, she wouldn’t have let our rivalry go on for so long.”

“There was nothing she could’ve done about that.”

“Mom could do anything. And something tells me she wouldn’t have let you marry Dorothy or make her unhappy.”

“Mom wasn’t a superhero, Ash,” he said with a sad smile.

“No, but we both loved her very much.”

“We did.”

***

He wasn’t sure he wanted to spend the entire holiday at home, but his father insisted. On a whim, Noah suggested inviting Dorothy and her new family to the New Year’s Eve party.

His father agreed, and they were invited. Predictably, they declined. He was certain it was her husband who didn’t want to come.

On another whim, he decided to invite one more person to the celebration—Lillian.

“I want to invite you to a party,” he told her. “On New Year’s Eve.”

“I’ll be with my family. You know that.”

“Are you sure I can’t persuade you?”

“Are you really that desperate?” she laughed.

“To be honest, I don’t want to show up alone,” he confessed.

“Invite someone else.”

“All the other women annoy me, you know that.”

“You’re very selective,” she chided.

“I don’t see that as a flaw,” he said with a smirk. “You can come here and spend the first of the month with your parents.”

“I have to leave on the first, Noah. Tamara won’t give me another day. She wants me back on the second.”

“And since when has that stopped you?” he challenged.

“I don’t like to argue with people during the holidays, and the trip is long. Otherwise, I wouldn’t let her get away with it.”

“That’s a shame.”

“I’ll probably regret suggesting this, but why don’t you skip your party and come here?”

“Meet your parents already?” he joked.

“I’ll tell them you’re just a stray I took pity on. It’s not far from the truth,” she shot back.

“You’re getting feisty during the holidays.”

“Take it or leave it.”

“I’ll take your feisty side any day, but I’m going to decline the invitation. The party is an annual charity event my father hosts, and he’s requested my presence.”

“And you decided to comply?” she teased.

“Since I’m already here and it’s for a good cause,” he began.

“You’ve never cared about charity events,” she pointed out.

“I still don’t, but it would look bad if I bailed. Plus, my dad wants to have a family day on the first, now that his first grandkid is here,” he explained.

“You’ve never cared about family days either,” she retorted, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

“Actually, I always have,” he confessed.

“You did a good job hiding it,” she shot back.

“Well, after my mom passed, things were never the same. She was the glue that held us together. But I always admired my dad and tried to be the perfect son,” he admitted.

“That doesn’t sound like someone who enjoys family gatherings,” she pointed out.

“In my own messed-up way, I did. But this year, I genuinely want to be there,” he confessed.

“Really?” she asked, her voice laced with skepticism. “Because from what I remember, you were always eager to leave.”

“I was. And for the first few days I was here, I thought about running. But I got over it. It was actually nice,” he admitted.

“You’re acting strange. I’d be freaking out if I were the type to do that,” she said.

He laughed. “I’ve spent the last few holidays alone. The idea of being surrounded by family doesn’t sound so bad. What’s so strange about that?”

“You’re going soft,” she teased.

“Never around you,” he retorted.

“You jerk!” she exclaimed.

They both burst into laughter.

“So, no chance of seeing you during the holidays?” he asked.

“Nope,” she replied.

“Have a good time and a safe trip back home,” he said.

“I’ll do my best,” she promised.

“Me too,” he sighed. He was going to that damn party alone.