Chapter 3: Evening.

Thanks so much for your adorables reviews When A Sprite Meets Unicorn, Ms S and VeraRose19. I wish you a mery christmas, and an happy holidays time.

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"That's 3 dozen oysters, not 4. That's why they couldn't find the ordered." "..." "Yes, I'm sure of this Luschek." ... " Yeah, go back there. "

Gloria sighed, glaring at a too noisy Nicky.

"The customers," she hissed, urging the girl to end her call further.

"Since when do you care about people who eat what you cook?" Aleida asked, wrapping her scarf around her neck.

"Since they are paying," Gloria replied.

"Okay, I'm going. Cesar is taking me to eat oysters tonight."

Gloria refrained from commenting. Aleida knew what she was thinking about it, after all.

"Merry Christmas," she said gently.

"You too, Gloria." "Be wise," she added mischievously.

Gloria smiled. There was no risk that the evening would get out of hand. Nicky was now an honest married woman, Benny and Julio would stay sober at least until she left, and Elena was coming with Isla. There was Luschek, but he would rather sit there doing nothing than throw a party that could destroy the Flaritza coffee.

Wondering what serving dish would be suitable for the salmon, Gloria looked at Red who was yelling at Nicky to be more energetic by mashing some potatoes.

In a way Red was still Red. She wasn't the same all the time, and Gloria never knew if she would call her by her first name, or by a Russian name that must have belonged to one of her friends, but she was always there. They hardly saw each other, maybe once a month, and things were going pretty well. But, she knew there were really difficult moments. Nicky's exhausted face, a time she had found her, her head resting on the steering wheel of her car in front of the Flaritza coffee, briefly flashed through her mind. It was the first Christmas she was hosting for loved ones at the cooffee shop, and she hoped there would be more with Red.

"No!", Nicky exclaimed. "For the fake fireplace, it's straight ahead and left. The building with the brown door ..." "Where are you, now ?"

She winked at Shani.

"Go ahead," she told her with a soft smile.

"Come back to the coffee shop Luschek," Nicky said firmly. "Pick me up, and we'll go to look for the oysters together since you can't count to three.

"And to pick up my aunt," Gloria recalled in a loud voice.

"And to pick up Gloria's aunt," Nicky repeated to Luschek. She grumbled and mumbled as she reached for her gloves, but seemed to be having a lot of fun. She was happy with this little improvised stroll on Christmas Eve. Gloria could tell.

Nicky grabbed her coat. Shani handed her a ridiculous hat adorned with a Santa Claus, letting out a Christlike laugh that Gloria discovered.

XXX

"Mom."

Gloria turned to face Elena who was standing in front of her looking tired, her cheeks reddened by the cold. Isla was pulling on her sleeve to show her the pretty decorations, all over the coffee shop. And beside her stood Cecilia.

The sound of the door, which Nicky slammed as she left the room reminded Gloria that she had to say something.

"I thought you were invited to a dinner in one of your colleagues place." She immediately thought those words weren't the right ones, that they weren't the right thing to say to someone she hadn't seen for a long time, to her daughter she had been trying to reconnect with for years

"This dinner looked boring actually, and I want to spend some time with Isla," Cecilia replied. Her voice was a little cold, but not hostile.

"I'd like a hot chocolate 'for the road'," Luschek said, suddenly entering the coffee shop. Without knowing it, he was offering a welcome transition.

"Me too." It was Nicky, already back to the starting point.

"Town center is ten minutes away," Red observed sarcastically. "Do you think we can eat before tomorrow, Nicky?"

"Mom's going to make hot chocolate for everyone," Gloria announced. "Even if we eat in less than an hour," she added to herself.

The steam of the steaming liquid rose in her face as she was filling the cups. Nicky and Luschek's loud chatter had scared the last customers away. Isla was perched on Shani's shoulders to see the blue garland hanging from the ceiling. Gloria looked at her daughters, both sitting at a small table. She was exactly where she wanted to be.