"She's almost three" Helen walks over stealing her from Reeds arms "give me the munchkin!" 
I laugh as she steals her stepping away from the kitchen "Mom would do anything to have a baby in her arms again" Margaret adds.
"Yeah even push me into having one" Ellis mumbled rolling her eyes and then she looks to me "I'm not built for motherhood" I nod.
Not everyone is, I never thought I was. But then once I knew about her, I could never get rid of her, especially since she was his.
"I totally get it, not wanting to be a mom is normal and the job is stressful" she smiles at me.
"We are just happy, just the two of us in Vermont you know? I don't want that to ever change" I nod and then my eyes meet his again, Millers.
"Mr.Austen" I offer my hand and he stares at it and then shakes it.
"You must be Hope Taylor, the girl my son never shuts up about? BU Law, graduated early and is almost a partner at her firm just a year in?" I sit on the stool beside him and sigh.
"Well now he's making it sound like I'm some insane over achiever" I roll my eyes which causes him to smile.
"It's incredibly impressive, also while taking care of a child by yourself? Your parents should be proud of you Miss Taylor" They didn't deserve to be proud of me, because they didn't raise me.
"Well not all of us are lucky to have parents like you and Helen. I have chosen ones and my best friends mother was my biggest cheerleader, she helped a lot with Joely after she was born" He nods and Margaret sits beside me.
She was in a fancy dress with her hair curled perfectly "Christmas in Boston is something I love, happy that we are all here. That I also get to meet you Hope" she squeezes my hand but I feel nothing but ice towards the girl.
She basically shamed me for being a single mom and I was not having it "So Helen I hear you own a Jewelry shop back in Oregon is that right?" She stares at me surprised by my question.
"Yes I do! Oh I'll have to bring you and Joely back some pieces next time I come for a visit!" Helen used to be a nurse practitioner but retired a few years ago.
"That would be lovely"
"So Reed says you can't stay for dinner?" Griffin questions taking a swig of his red wine leaning over the table towards me.
"It's Christmas Eve hon, she has a family of her own" Ellis rolls her eyes at his as if he's the most oblivious man in the world and sits beside me as everyone else continues to talk "Wishing this eggnog was spiked right about now" I clink my glass with her as we laugh.
Miller sits with Helen and they both entertain Joely. He's making funny faces at her as she giggles, it made me feel sad. My daughter didn't have a grandfather, I really didn't either. But watching her and Miller felt warm hearted.
"So what are you two scheming?" Reed asks us.
"How to fake a cardiac embolism so I can get away from your parents" Ellis says and takes the wine from my hands "and why the fuck is the eggnog not spiked?" Reed laughs and walks over to me.
"Well welcome to my interesting and a little chaotic family" he nuzzled his face into my neck leaving kisses. I didn't have the heart to tell him this was far from chaos and mostly simple. It was the family I dreamed of having as a child. They all seemed to love each other in a way that I never had growing up.