arms out to her daughter. “Sweetie, thank heavens.” She hugged Kennedy tightly.
Sebastian entered the hall, a perplexed expression on his face. “Katya?”
“Sebby.” Reaching out, Katya put her hand on her ex-husband’s chest. “I apologize for arriving like this, but I just
had
to be here with my family. Alonzo and I had a terrible fight.” Katya’s head drooped elegantly, like a tulip. “We’re finished.”
Kennedy’s face lit up like a beacon. “You and Alonzo broke up?” Her eyes fluttered back and forth between her father and mother.
Nicole allowed herself to tilt backward slightly, in order to be supported by the wall. She forced herself to breathe.
Sebastian stepped away from his ex-wife’s touch. “Why did you come here?” he asked. His voice was cool, and for that Nicole was grateful.
Katya simpered. “I’ve spent practically every Christmas of my life in this house. Kennedy’s here. My grandson is here. Where else could I turn for comfort?”
“You did the absolutely right thing, Mommy,” Kennedy assured her mother.
Sebastian’s face darkened. “Don’t you think you’re being rather insensitive?” he demanded.
Katya gazed innocently, widening her crystal-blue eyes. “What do you mean?”
Nicole’s heart fluttered so rapidly she was afraid she was going to hyperventilate, pass out, and slide down the wall to the floor.
In three strides, Sebastian was next to Nicole. He put his arms around her shoulders. “This is Nicole’s house now, not yours.”
“Daddy!” Kennedy cried.
“Oh, surely—” Katya began to object.
“Grandmama!” Maddox ran into the hall and stared up at Katya, mouth open in wonder.
“Katya,” James said, following his son. “What are you doing here?”
“James, darling. And precious Maddox, my own grandson.” Katya knelt to embrace the boy. “Grandmama’s here to spend Christmas with you, Maddox. Isn’t that wonderful?”
19
Her mother was here! Kennedy was breathless with amazement, and her heart seemed to be expanding alarmingly as emotions jostled within her.
Rapture
at seeing her mother, actually here in this house.
Dismay
at having her mother see her, Kennedy, who had allowed herself to relax. She hadn’t put on her makeup yet, and it was already after lunch. She’d been lying down in front of the fire and hadn’t brushed her hair since—well, she couldn’t remember. Compared to Katya in her camel-hair trousers and cashmere sweater, her heavy gold necklace and earrings, Kennedy was absolutely frumpy in her red maternity tent.
Hope
at the possibility of her parents getting back together, because here they both were in the same house, and Alonzo was in the past!
Despair
at seeing her father move away from Katya to put his arm around Nicole.
“I need to sit down,” she murmured.
“Of course you do, sweetheart.” Katya handed her mink to James. Over her shoulder, she said to Sebastian, “My suitcase is on the front stoop. Could you bring it in, please?” With an arm around her daughter, she cooed, “Let’s go into the living room and get you comfy.”
They settled on the sofa. Kennedy angled her bulk to allow herself to study her mother’s face. Katya’s eyes were slightly pink and swollen. Obviously she had been crying, something she seldom allowed herself to do, and Kennedy’s heart broke for her mother.
“Are you okay, Mommy?”
Katya bristled. “Don’t I look okay?”
“Of course. You’re as beautiful as always. But you must be sad without Alonzo.”
Katya stared down at her hands. “Devastated.” A shadow passed over her face.
In that moment, Kennedy saw the slight sag of flesh around her mother’s lovely jawline and the pouch beneath her eyes that had not been quite disguised by concealer.
“Oh, Mommy.”
Katya stiffened at the compassion in Kennedy’s voice. “It happened only last night. I haven’t slept. I know I look dreadful, but I’m extremely tired. Shattered, really, with the
Sebastian entered the hall, a perplexed expression on his face. “Katya?”
“Sebby.” Reaching out, Katya put her hand on her ex-husband’s chest. “I apologize for arriving like this, but I just
had
to be here with my family. Alonzo and I had a terrible fight.” Katya’s head drooped elegantly, like a tulip. “We’re finished.”
Kennedy’s face lit up like a beacon. “You and Alonzo broke up?” Her eyes fluttered back and forth between her father and mother.
Nicole allowed herself to tilt backward slightly, in order to be supported by the wall. She forced herself to breathe.
Sebastian stepped away from his ex-wife’s touch. “Why did you come here?” he asked. His voice was cool, and for that Nicole was grateful.
Katya simpered. “I’ve spent practically every Christmas of my life in this house. Kennedy’s here. My grandson is here. Where else could I turn for comfort?”
“You did the absolutely right thing, Mommy,” Kennedy assured her mother.
Sebastian’s face darkened. “Don’t you think you’re being rather insensitive?” he demanded.
Katya gazed innocently, widening her crystal-blue eyes. “What do you mean?”
Nicole’s heart fluttered so rapidly she was afraid she was going to hyperventilate, pass out, and slide down the wall to the floor.
In three strides, Sebastian was next to Nicole. He put his arms around her shoulders. “This is Nicole’s house now, not yours.”
“Daddy!” Kennedy cried.
“Oh, surely—” Katya began to object.
“Grandmama!” Maddox ran into the hall and stared up at Katya, mouth open in wonder.
“Katya,” James said, following his son. “What are you doing here?”
“James, darling. And precious Maddox, my own grandson.” Katya knelt to embrace the boy. “Grandmama’s here to spend Christmas with you, Maddox. Isn’t that wonderful?”
19
Her mother was here! Kennedy was breathless with amazement, and her heart seemed to be expanding alarmingly as emotions jostled within her.
Rapture
at seeing her mother, actually here in this house.
Dismay
at having her mother see her, Kennedy, who had allowed herself to relax. She hadn’t put on her makeup yet, and it was already after lunch. She’d been lying down in front of the fire and hadn’t brushed her hair since—well, she couldn’t remember. Compared to Katya in her camel-hair trousers and cashmere sweater, her heavy gold necklace and earrings, Kennedy was absolutely frumpy in her red maternity tent.
Hope
at the possibility of her parents getting back together, because here they both were in the same house, and Alonzo was in the past!
Despair
at seeing her father move away from Katya to put his arm around Nicole.
“I need to sit down,” she murmured.
“Of course you do, sweetheart.” Katya handed her mink to James. Over her shoulder, she said to Sebastian, “My suitcase is on the front stoop. Could you bring it in, please?” With an arm around her daughter, she cooed, “Let’s go into the living room and get you comfy.”
They settled on the sofa. Kennedy angled her bulk to allow herself to study her mother’s face. Katya’s eyes were slightly pink and swollen. Obviously she had been crying, something she seldom allowed herself to do, and Kennedy’s heart broke for her mother.
“Are you okay, Mommy?”
Katya bristled. “Don’t I look okay?”
“Of course. You’re as beautiful as always. But you must be sad without Alonzo.”
Katya stared down at her hands. “Devastated.” A shadow passed over her face.
In that moment, Kennedy saw the slight sag of flesh around her mother’s lovely jawline and the pouch beneath her eyes that had not been quite disguised by concealer.
“Oh, Mommy.”
Katya stiffened at the compassion in Kennedy’s voice. “It happened only last night. I haven’t slept. I know I look dreadful, but I’m extremely tired. Shattered, really, with the
Similar Books
