Chapter Two
"My news comes first," Kristina insisted. She looked at Sam and Molly pleadingly. "Please let me go first."
Molly shook her head and smiled. "Okay. Who needs to know that I got into Yale?"
"Cheater!" Kristina said but she was laughing. She hugged her younger sister good-naturedly.
"Congrats, Molly," Sam said, getting in on the hug as best as she could with her pregnant belly. "I knew you could do it."
"I am so excited," Molly enthused. Sam was thinking Cameron wouldn't be half so excited that the object of his affection was leaving town in the fall but she didn't say anything about it, of course.
"I get to study romantic literature my first semester!"
"You'll be in heaven," Sam said.
"Speaking of romance …" Kristina said and lifted a chain from inside her blouse. Hanging on it was a small, sparkling pink diamond ring.
"Is that what I think it is?" Sam asked, eyes practically bugging out.
Kristina nodded happily. "Yep, Taylor popped the question!" she said. "And I am really happy. I know this marriage will be so good."
"So much better than the disaster with Trey I hope," Molly put in.
"Of course!" Kristina said. "Trey was a fluke, a moment of insanity. But Taylor is … Taylor."
"It's so romantic that he waited all that time just for you to realize that you belong together," Molly said with a wide, dreamy smile. Though she was turning eighteen this year and was very sophisticated and mature in her carriage and demeanor, Sam could often see little glimpses of the little girl she used to be. The girl who had always had her head buried in a romance novel; spouting stories about true love and acts of chivalry and valor.
"Sam, you really haven't said much," Kristina said, turning to face her eldest sister. "Please tell me you're happy for me."
"Oh I am," Sam said. "I just wonder how Mom is going to react."
"She's going to say I'm too young, too impressionable, too vulnerable," Kristina said. "But it's not true and for once, I know exactly what I want."
Sam smirked. "Good luck explaining that to her."
Kristina latched her arm through Sam's. "Well see, that's where you come in, Sam, big sister of mine …"
Sam held up a hand. "Oh no. I am not dropping the bombshell or doing your dirty work for you. Not this time."
"Sam, please," Kristina pleaded.
"Not even if you offer me something with cherries on top," Sam said. "Speaking of cherries, I am having a serious craving…"
"I know where the jar of Maraschinos is hidden," Kristina said coyly.
Sam shook her head and sighed. "Alright you twisted my arm. Lead me to the Maraschinos first though. The marriage revelation will have to come out later."
XoXoXo
Back inside the house, Alexis was still overseeing the catering staff. She clearly wanted everything to go perfectly for her grandson's fourth birthday. Sometimes Sam thought of the months she had been cheated out of raising Danny all thanks to Heather Webber and Todd Manning and she got mad all over again but she refused to let the memories of the past haunt her today. Today was a day of celebration and that's the spirit she intended to embrace.
The caterers set out the heaping plates of food and Sam moved over to her Mom, slowly sliding an arm around Alexis's trim waist. "It smells great," Sam said. This was the first pregnancy she had really gotten to enjoy so she was eating probably more than she should. She speared an olive and popped it in her mouth as Alexis shook her head.
"The party hasn't officially begun yet," she said but Sam knew she wasn't upset. She rubbed Sam's tummy lightly. "But since you are eating for two, I'll make an exception."
"In that case, let me have another one," Sam said and popped another black olive in her mouth. Chewing thoughtfully, she hugged her Mom. "I am going to get so fat. Hell, I already am."
"It's a pregnant woman's prerogative to eat whatever her doctor says she can," Alexis said.
Sam smiled as she looked over the feast. "You really went all out for Danny."
"He's four. It's a grandmother's prerogative to spoil her grandchildren rotten." Alexis rubbed Sam's belly again. "This one will be spoiled too."
"I don't doubt it." Sam shifted on her feet. "So who's all coming?"
"Patrick, Robin, Emma –"
"What about Noah?" Sam asked with a twinkle in her eyes.
Alexis suddenly busied herself retossing the already tossed salad. "He might come …"
"Did you invite him?" Sam pressed.
"I may have mentioned it, possibly …"
"Mom –"
"Sam, I thought you had given up on trying to set me up with random men."
"Noah Drake is not a 'random' man though, Mom. He's handsome and kind and thoughtful and he looks at you like you hung the moon."
Alexis flushed. "Oh come on. He does not."
"He does so," Sam insisted. "You and Noah would be a wonderful couple."
"That's what you said about Mac."
"Okay I was wrong about him considering he –"
"Wed his ex-wife again?"
"Yeah …" Sam shifted on her feet. "But I really believe Noah is different. You should take a chance on him. Take a chance on love."
"Have you been sneaking glances at some of Molly's romance novels?" Alexis asked. "Love has passed me by, Sam. And believe it or not, I'm perfectly fine with it that way."
Suddenly the doorbell rang and Sam raced as fast as her pregnant body would carry her to answer it. She smiled when she opened the door and saw who was standing there bearing gifts. "Mom," she smiled. "Dr. Drake Senior is here!"
XoXoXo
Danny was sitting in Lucky's lap as Aiden enthusiastically shook each of Danny's presents while Danny smiled. Lucky looked at Aiden and shook his head at him. "You might break something in one of those."
"I won't," Aiden promised and kept feeling and shaking everything. There was a mountain of presents gathering on the table and more and more were heaped onto the pile as more guests arrived. Lucky had lost count at just how many people were there. There had been thirty at his last count.
Just then the doorbell rang again and Aiden asked, "More people? More presents?"
Lucky laughed. "Probably."
He turned to see who was at the door and was surprised to see none other than his own brother and nephew walk into the Lakehouse. "Nikolas?" He asked in a low voice full of the surprise he felt. It had been over a year since he had last seen his eldest brother and his nephew Spencer. The last time they had all gotten together was for Sam and Lucky's wedding.
Nikolas smiled a little unsurely as people surrounded him and Spencer. Spencer, who looked every bit like his father. The little boy Lucky remembered was not so little anymore though.
Lucky set Danny down on his two little feet and moved over to Nikolas, offering him a quick hug. He hugged Spencer as well. "I had no idea you two were in town."
"We weren't sure we would be until yesterday," Nikolas said. "So we didn't tell anyone but Alexis that there was a possibility we would be here."
Lucky nodded. "I'm glad you're here." And he meant it. Their problems from the past seemed suddenly a whole lifetime and a half ago. Their formerly strong sibling bond was mending slowly but surely.
Spencer was soon led away by Aiden and some of the other kids at the party. Lucky and Nikolas started to catch up but were soon interrupted by Sam and Alexis who wanted to give Nikolas hugs and in Alexis's case, a kiss on the cheek. Nikolas smiled and Lucky noticed for the first time that the smile touched his eyes. That hadn't happened since before Emily's untimely death years before.
Sam moved to Lucky's side and took his hand. She smiled at him. "Your brother looks happy."
"I know, it is a surprise… Do you think he's found someone or –"
"We'll have to ask," Sam said with a smile. "But for the record, I hope so. If I know anything at all it's that love really does have a healing power." She kissed Lucky then and he enveloped her into his strong arms, embracing her as tightly as he dared.