The Love We Missed novel · Chapter 20 of 24

Chapter 20: Christmas Party

I didn't bring Nellie.

I left her at Tricia's in her pajamas, making a gingerbread house that was mostly frosting.

I brought Ciaran.

He wore a dark suit I'd never seen, and I fixed his tie twice in the truck.

"You don't have to come in," I said.

"Yes, I do."

His mother's house was strung with white lights from the gutters to the hedges.

There was a twelve-foot tree in the front hall and a man in a red vest taking coats.

The whole parish committee was inside in velvet and pearls.

The priest was by the fireplace with a cup of eggnog.

I knew half the faces.

They'd been at my wedding.

The room saw us come in together, and the talk dipped and came back up louder.

His mother came across the hall in green silk.

She looked at my hand on Ciaran's arm.

Then she smiled.

"Aileen. How nice." She didn't look at her son at all. "The caterer's short tonight, I'm afraid. I thought you'd be more comfortable helping in the kitchen. You're so used to it."

She held out a folded white apron.

Two of the parish women nearest us went quiet to listen.

I looked at the apron.

The last time I'd seen an apron in this house, Bria was wearing it with my daughter on her shoulder.

"No, thank you," I said.

"It would be a kindness. We're very busy."

"I'm a guest. You invited me. In writing." I took the cream card out of my coat pocket. "You asked me to be gracious."

"Then be gracious, dear, and help."

Ciaran started to say something.

I squeezed his arm, and he stopped.

Across the room, Bria was standing by the tree in red sequins next to a man with a tan and very white hair.

He looked about sixty.

She had a new ring.

She saw me and lifted her phone, and then she saw her new gentleman watching her and lowered it again.

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