Chapter 2
"A little to the left. No," Ivy Crane clasped her hands together in front of her face when the position of the star atop the towering Christmas tree still didn't meet her satisfaction, "a little more to the right, Suzanne. The star's still crooked."
Sighing and doing as her mistress instructed, Suzanne squealed in surprise when Mr. Crane descended the stairs behind her, giving her behind a covert pinch.
Descending the stairs behind his father, Fox rolled his eyes and looked around at the festively decorated foyer appraisingly. "You've really outdone yourself this year, Mother. It almost looks like a real, happy family lives here."
Ignoring her son's thinly veiled jab, Ivy asked Ethan as he emerged from the living room with Gwen at his side, "What do you think?"
"It looks perfect, Ivy," Gwen answered her with a smile. "Sheridan's going to love it."
"I'm sure the tree will appeal greatly to my sister's embarrassing sense of sentimentality," Julian remarked en route to his study. "Suzanne, would you fetch me some eggnog from the kitchen? I'll be in my study, basking in the holiday spirit and listening to some carols." He waltzed out of the foyer, humming "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer."
Ivy was still glaring at her husband's back when her teenage daughters burst through the front door after a full day of shopping, a harried-looking Pilar trudging behind them tiredly. "Darlings," Ivy greeted them each with a Cheshire grin and an air kiss to each cheek. "Did you abuse your father's wallet dreadfully?"
Merry Christmas to all!
Thanks so much for reading!