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‘Aren’t you glad you stayed to see this?’ Noemi handed Maria a cup of coffee as she and Anissa ca with their toys Seb, Maria noticed, was already adding a side track with a turntable and another bridge

‘I am, actually,’ Maria admitted, unable to hide her smile

How close had she co to run again yesterday? If there had been a flight out then, shetrains with his uncles Might never have known that Seb loved her

If that wasn’t a good enough reason to stop running when things got hard, she didn’t knoas

Noemi arched her eyebrows ‘So? Is all well in Maria Land? Do we get our final Christmas miracle after all?’

Maria watched as Seb knelt down to help Frankie set up a small forest of tiny wooden trees off to one side of the track One by one, they methodically laid out the models, and every time Frankie knocked one over Seb would patiently pick it up and start again

For a moment Maria couldn’t help but see one or two more little people there with Seb A whole little fas that Frankie could rely on and call for help, the sae

Noeht It was a Christmas miracle

‘Do you know, I think we just ht,’ Maria said, her eyes still on her little family

Noeave a sether,Maria smile even wider She looked away at last, and turned to the women ere, to all intents and purposes now, her sisters

‘Thank you, both For everything’ She pressed kisses to first Noemi’s cheeks and then Anissa’s ‘I know Seb couldn’t have pulled this off without the two of you, and Max and Leo And it’s meant so much to Frankie’

‘I’lad,’ said Anissa

‘But you knoe didn’t just do it for hiht?’ added Noemi

‘I know’ Maria ducked her head, war to her cheeks

‘If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the last six et hard, you need your family behind you Whether they’re blood relatives, or the people you greith, or just new friends who become family before you have ti at Max as she said that, Maria realised ‘Family is what matters’

‘And I can’t tell you how happy I aain,’ Maria admitted

‘I’et what you need, here, with Seb,’ Noemi replied

Seb fished under the tree for one last present, and handed it to Frankie With a little help he unwrapped it to reveal a green wooden sleigh, just like the one she and Seb had ridden on, pulled by two reindeer with impressive antlers ‘Wow!’

He added it to the tableau of trees and trains with a proud expression on his face, then launched himself into his papà’s lap for a cuddle

‘Yeah,’ Maria said softly ‘I think everything’s going to be just fine’

Christmas Eve, Seb reflected later, had been about as picture perfect as it could be Between his neith Maria thatthat bloody contract, Frankie’s joy at Santa and his new train set, and just spending the day together as a familyit was all Seb had ever wanted Tomorroould be the more for table for the first time since their parents had died (not to mention Leo’s first time at a family Christ Seb was starting to suspect had been sorely

After a long afternoon of playing, Maria had swept Frankie away to eat soone with her Max was apparently planning to make some sort of traditional Ostanian cocktail that sounded perfectly lethal, and Anissa had a secret supply of ingredients for randmother’s Christ out to soak up the cocktails

Which left just Sebastian, Noeether under the lights of the Christ slowly around the track surrounding them

‘So as in the envelope?’ Noe lazily over the arer, Seb remembered, and for a es, showing how tinancy bule, and Seb couldn’t help but smile at the idea of his little sister as a mother

He hoped she was half as happy as he was as a father Looking at her, and watching her with Max, he was certain she would be

He just wished their parents were there to see it Still, he knew Nicole and Salvo would be proud of what they were all doing, and the choices they’d ift he’d given Maria that

‘Leo’s share of the company,’ Seb told his sister, and waited for the explosion

Noeood for the babies ‘What?’

‘I offered to sign ally can,’ Leo explained ‘I don’t need them to feel a part of this family, and he knows the business better than I do’

‘That part I get But Seb? You gave the share in our family business To Maria?’ Noe else Seb couldn’t put his finger on

‘Uh, yes Are youangry?’ It seeuess as any Maybe he should have talked to Noeain, he really didn’t want to ruin it so soon