Lacey’s P.O.V.
“Grace, please let me help you”
I plead with Grace as I swing back and forth on one of the bar stools in the kitchen like a child.
“Nope, sorry darling, you’ve been banished to only eating the food today not making it”
Urgh!!
Damn you Logan Black.
I don’t know for sure if Logan is the one who has banished me but it’s got his name written all over it, if you ask me. “Can I at least wash or chop something? I feel bad just sitting here while you’re cooking for all of us”
“That falls under helping, so no you can’t”
Grace said with a chuckle and I groaned.
“Also, don’t feel bad that I’m doing all of this on my own, honey because I don’t mind it, besides, didn’t your husband say earlier that age is just a number?”
Grace asks me with a smile.
“I wasn’t offering my help because I think you’re too old, Grace”
I say while rolling my eyes.
“I know that sweetheart and you should be lucky that you weren’t because if you were then I’d chase you all around this huge mansion with my spatula for being so cheeky”
She says and we both chuckle.
This morning, after we were all done opening our gifts, we all went to the theatre room and watched some old holiday movies together.
We watched some classics like A Christmas Carol and The Polar Express but then my children decided they wanted to watch Home Alone which is a movie that I honestly can’t stand and I don’t get the hype around it but my kids love it, so while they were watching it, I took a little nap.
Later on, the kids played with some of their new toys and games while Logan and Michael put together some of the bigger toys which was honestly comical to watch because I don’t think Logan has ever used a drill or a screwdriver before in his life and he seemed to struggle with using them at first.
I know I shouldn’t laugh at him but I couldn’t help myself.
Anyway, while they were all busy, I had a quick shower and got ready for the day and got the kids ready before coming downstairs to make a start on dinner but when I got to the kitchen, I found Grace was already in here working her ass off. “Mmm”
I moaned when the smell of turkey hit my nose.
I looked over at the cooker and I saw Grace checking on it to see how it was doing.
“That looks so delicious”
“That’s because it is…mmm, I love turkey around Christmas” Grace said with a sad smile.
“Are you ok, Grace?”
“I’m fine, honey”
She said while nodding her head as she closed the oven door.
“Are you sure? you look like you’re sad”
Grace lets out a sigh as she comes and stands in front of the kitchen island.
“I was just thinking about my daughter”
She says shocking me.
“You were thinking about GiGi?”
I ask her and she nods her head.
“Yeah…Michael and I really tried with her, you know? we always wanted her to live a good life and be successful even when she fell pregnant with Chloe, we always encouraged her to go to school and make something of herself but she always wanted the glitz and the glamour and she never wanted to work hard like her dad and I always did, in fact, she used to mock us for it”
“There’s nothing wrong with working hard, Grace”
“I know that and you know that but Giana didn’t”
Grace said as she let out a sigh and what she said next confused and intrigued me.
Does she know about GiGi’s demise?.
“I just hope wherever she is now, she’s at peace, that’s all that I wish for as her mom…that she’s at peace”
“I’m sure she is at peace, Grace”
I say with a smile as I give her hand a comforting squeeze.
The doorbell suddenly started ringing and I was once again confused as to who it could be.
My brothers are spending Christmas with both our parents and their partner’s parents and my grandparents are spending the day together, so, who could be knocking on my door?.
I stood up from the stool I was sitting on and headed towards the front door feeling intrigued to see who it is.
When I opened the door, I was shocked to see my parent’s butler Martin standing there dressed in his usual suit and overcoat and he had his signature cheeky smile plastered on his face.
“Martin”
“Hello there Lacey, long time no see”
He said as he held his arms out for me and I happily stepped into them embracing him in a hug.
Martin is such a sweetheart, he’s a sweet elder man who has been with my family long before I was even born and he was always like a surrogate uncle to me and my brothers.
“It’s good to see you again, Lacey”
“You too”
I say barely above a whisper.
“Erm…don’t take this the wrong way Martin but what are you doing here?”
I ask him as we both pull away from our hug.
Martin let out a breath as he briefly looked down at his feet before looking back at me.
“I come bearing gifts from your parents, Lace”
“My parents?”
I ask him and he nods his head as he moves to the side.
Several of my parent’s workers then walked into my home with gifts upon gifts for us which left me in a state of shock.
Oh my god.
Even after everything, my parents have still gone out of their way to spoil not just my kids who they’ve never met but also myself and Logan as well.
“Mrs Black, these are for you”
One of the ladies says to me as she hands me a beautiful bouquet of red and white roses which had a note attached to them.
I took the note from the flowers and I opened it, my eyes inadvertently filled with tears as I read my parent’s words. ‘Hope is being able to see the light despite all of the darkness.
Even if it takes us days, months or years, we’re always going to hold onto the hope of one day having our baby girl and our grandbabies back in our lives.
We love you, Lacey and we hope you have a wonderful Christmas.
Love mom and dad X’
“What’s going on here?… Martin, what are you doing here?”
A confused Logan asks as he approaches us and wraps his arm around my waist.
“Good afternoon, Mr Black, I’ve come to run an errand for Mr and Mrs Carpenter”
Martin tells Logan.
“Lacey’s parents sent you here?”
“With good intentions, I promise you, sir”
“Yeah, I bet it is”
I was still looking at the note as the two men conversed but I could feel Logan’s eyes on me.
“Lacey dear, your parents want you to know that they’re deeply regretful for everything and they’re so sorry for what they put you through and they hope that one day in the future you can find it in your heart to forgive them”
“I don’t know if I can”
I said barely above a whisper as I looked up at Martin who smiled at me.
“Forgiving those who have wronged us doesn’t make us weak, nor does it make us forget the past, Lacey, if anything it makes us stronger and it helps us to grow and build a brighter future for ourselves and our loved ones”
He says and I let out a sigh at Martin’s words because I knew he was right, it was just gonna take some time for me to be able to forgive them, that’s all.
Martin then hugged me and shook Logan’s hand as he wished us a Merry Christmas before leaving with my parent’s staff. When they were gone, I placed the roses on the side and looked up at my husband.
“What do you think?”
Logan came over to me and wrapped his arms around me, he then kissed my lips before resting his forehead against mine.
“You know the saying happy wife, happy life, right?”
“Yeah”
I drag out confused.
“That’s all I want, Lace, I just want a happy wife who doesn’t have to worry or stress about her messy and dysfunctional family any more than she already has”
Urgh!!!
“What do I do, Logan?”
I ask him and he lets out a sigh.
“I don’t know, love but you’ll figure it out”
He says while kissing my forehead before lowering his head and passionately kissing me but it doesn’t last long before we were cut off by Dayton.
“Hey mom, dad, can we go and play out in the snow?”
Logan and I narrowed our eyes at the five kids behind us who were all dressed from head to toe in clothes that will keep them warm in the bitter cold and they were also holding those damn snow sledges that Logan had insisted on buying for them.
“Can we really say no when you’re already dressed and ready to go?”
“No, not really”
Dayton says with a cheeky smile and we chuckle.
“Go and play”
The kids cheer with excitement as they run outside to our huge back garden.
“Fancy joining them, babe?”
Logan asks me and I smile.
“We may as well, you only live once, right?”
“That’s my girl”
Logan and I along with Michael and Grace put on our coats and everything else to keep us warm before heading outside to have some fun in the snow with the kids which included a huge snowball fight and us pulling the kids around on their sledges.
It was so much fun to just let loose and be free with the kids who were super excited about running around the huge garden which is something we couldn’t do in London because we only had a small garden but as much fun as it was, it was also tiring and I had to stop to relax my tired legs and take a breather.
“Are you alright, love?”
Logan asked me as he ran over to where I was standing and watching the kids having a snowball fight with Michael and Grace.
“I’m fine, I’m just a little tired that’s all”
“Do you wanna go inside and rest?”
“And miss out on all of this fun? no way”
I said with a smile.
Logan smiled back at me as he wrapped his arms around me and held me close to him as I rested my head on his chest and sighed in contentment.
“This has been our best Christmas yet”
“Really?”
“Mmm-hmm”
I look up at Logan as I wrap my arms around his neck.
“It’s been perfect…thank you for everything, love”
“You’re welcome, Lace”
Logan says with a proud smile before pecking my lips.
“And this Christmas isn’t perfect just yet baby, there’s still one thing we’ve gotta do for it to be completely perfect” “And what’s that?”
I narrowed my eyes at Logan who was smirking at me as he bit down on his lower lip, he then looked up and I followed his line of sight, chuckling as I did when I saw a piece of mistletoe hanging above us.
“You have to kiss your husband underneath the mistletoe, love”
“Well, if you insist”
I say with a slight chuckle as I cup my husband’s face and kiss him.
It was a very heated and passionate kiss and one that could and would take your breath away, that’s how breathtaking it
was.
If someone had told me last Christmas that a year later I’d be standing underneath the mistletoe not only as Logan Black’s wife but I would also be pregnant and feeling blissfully happy and loved unconditionally as well, then I probably wouldn’t have believed it but here I am and I couldn’t be any happier.