“Wow! You look gorgeous,” she said as she admired him, and he did the same.
“So do you. You clean up pretty good.” He still couldn’t understand why she didn’t have a boyfriend, except that she didn’t seem to want one. She was a stunning girl, but their relationship had gone in a completely different direction by then, and they both liked being friends.
They were standing talking just outside his room, when they heard the front door slam, followed by screaming and laughing, and it sounded as though an army had arrived.
“My dad’s here,” he said with a grin. “The two little monsters,” he said as they headed for the stairs. Bob and Genevieve were at the foot of the stairs talking to Lea, as the twins ran around them, nearly knocking over furniture and objects until Lea called them to order and told them to slow down. Antonia laughed when she saw them. They were exactly as Jake had described in matching blue corduroy suits with little red bow ties, and standing next to them was a woman who looked like a Barbie doll. She was wearing a white satin suit with silver trim, and high-heeled silver shoes. Her features were perfect and seemed artificial somehow, and when she smiled at Antonia, nothing on her face moved except her mouth, which had huge, puffed-up lips in a permanent pout. She had a perfect figure, and surprisingly large breasts for a woman as slim as she was. Antonia remembered Jake’s description of her. But when Antonia spoke to her, she could understand some of Genevieve’s appeal. She was incredibly nice, and warm and friendly to Antonia, as they chatted and the twins ran wild.
Jake’s father was completely enamored by her, and he and Lea chatted easily, and she gave him a warm hug when he arrived. They seemed to be the best of friends, and there was no animosity between the ex-spouses or the new ones. They were one big happy family as they moved into the dining room a short time later. Lea had set out place cards with the adults at one end of the table, and the children at the other. Bob and Lea’s older children, Eloise’s boyfriend, and Antonia sat between the two couples and the younger children.
There was constant conversation at the table, and laughter, the food was delicious, and they had flaming Christmas pudding, doused with brandy. It was a perfect meal, and as far as Antonia was concerned, they were a perfect family, enjoying the evening together, across generations, with old and new marriages represented and their children. They gathered in the living room to play charades afterward, which was fun too.
Lara called her from Aspen to wish her a Merry Christmas and make sure she was all right. Antonia left the table to talk to her from the kitchen.
“I’m having a wonderful time,” Antonia said, glancing at Jake as he walked past. He was happy she had enjoyed the evening. She got along with everyone, everybody loved her, and she had been the ideal guest, joining in every aspect of the evening. She even played a game with the twins before they fell asleep on the couch during charades.
Jake and Seth helped carry them to the car while Antonia finished talking to Lara. She and Jake walked upstairs together after she thanked Lea and Ian for allowing her to be there and giving her such a happy Christmas in their midst. Jake kissed her on the cheek when he left her in Seth’s room. Having her there had made it a better Christmas for him too.
* * *
—
Jake woke Antonia the next morning on his way downstairs in his pajamas to open gifts with his family in front of the tree. She joined them a little while later, and was surprised to find two gifts for her too. One of them was a sweater Lea had bought for her, and the other was a book Jake had gotten her with famous screenplays in it that he thought might be useful to her. She loved them both. They had breakfast in the kitchen before the caterers arrived to prepare lunch. They were having local crab, which they always had on Christmas Day. The lunch would be more informal than dinner the night before, but it was just as spirited and jovial, and they had gifts for Bob and Genevieve and the twins too when they arrived at noon. They wore jeans and sweaters on Christmas Day. Everyone was in a good mood. Antonia told Jake it was the best Christmas she’d ever had.
She called her father and Lara in Aspen before they sat down to lunch, and Lara was relieved to hear her still in good spirits and having fun with Jake’s family. They were enjoying Aspen too.
* * *
—
By the time Jake and Antonia left San Francisco to fly back to New York, she had met most of his old friends, had some serious talks with Lea and Ian, gotten to know Seth and Jamie, and even thought the twins weren’t as bad as he said. She liked Jake’s dad. It was hard to get to know Genevieve. Her remodeled face was distracting, and her conversation superficial most of the time, but she wasn’t a bad person, and Antonia agreed that Jake’s father seemed very happy with her. They had mentioned wanting to have another baby through the same complicated process she’d used before, and Jake’s only comment was that he hoped it wasn’t twins next time. His whole family was sad to see them leave, and neither of them wanted to go back to New York.