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I nodded and headed toward the front, pulling on my peacoat before opening the door. I met mom halfway up the sidewalk and grabbed the mountain of gifts she carried.

“Some of these are for me, right?”

Mom, of course, blushed. But because she was honest to a fault, shook her head. “These are for Phoenix.”

“If we bribe him with thoughtful gifts and direct all our love to him, he’ll decide to stay with you and my son for the rest of your lives,” Mi added.

I huffed, “You don’t think Luka and I can hold on to our man?”

As she walked by, mom’s hands were free and she patted my cheek, “No, but don’t let that discourage you from doing your utmost to woo your man.”

“She’s kidding, son,” Dad said.

“Is she? Because her expression implies I’m a moron who wouldn’t know how to love someone without flashcards.”

Dad laughed and said, “Well, look at you and Luka. All these years later, you can admit it took you a while, son.”

“I’m ignoring both of you for the rest of the day. And when I tell Luka, he will, too. Hi, Gio, Fergus, you two are looking well.”

Fergus, with his face buried against his Italian boyfriend’s chest, lifted a hand as he continued to shake with laughter.

“Ah,buongiorno amico, it’s good to see you. And your relationship with Phoenix and Luka is good, no?”

A snort from Fergus had me glaring at the big man before I turned and sighed.

“Yes, everything is great. Let’s head inside.”

Tired of being ganged up on, I followed the parents into the house and dropped the pile of presents in my arms near the tree.

Still feeling tetchy, I walked into the kitchen, right up to Luka, and whipped him around for a dirty kiss. It calmed me, which had been my goal, but Luka’s eyebrow raised in question. I told him about the conversation outside, and he smiled and cupped the back of my neck.

“Oh, B, they don’t mean it like we’re going to lose him. It’s a sign of their love for us, a little push from them because they want to see a sign of commitment.

It’s because of all the emotional upheaval Aalto has put Phoenix through. Along with confessing our feelings later than we wanted, you’re obsessive about not losing either of us and resentful of anyone who dares to hurt us. But we’re not going anywhere and with every moment spent together, he lets go of his past because he knows he is safe with us.”

Arms wrapped around my waist from the side, and I glanced down to see worry etched on Petal’s face before he asked, “What’s wrong?”

Unable to stay away, I pulled him closer and brushed a light kiss to his mouth, before I said, “You know I love you with all my heart, right, Petal?”

A bright smile lit up his face, and all the uncertainty and anger at the earlier conversation vanished when he said, “I love you, too, Burton.”

Luka, always a protector, surrounded us and pulled us close.

Phoenix continued. “Both of you are the best part of my life, and I treasure you two every day. And I’ve been thinking about my anxiety and realized my doubts stem from past hurts. So from now on, I’m determined not to take anything for granted. I acknowledge all the good things and people in my life, and disregard all the negative in order to protect my sanity.”

Taking me by surprise, Luka said, “We should look into a commitment ceremony.”

Before either Phoenix or I could agree to it or consider what it might mean, a kitchen timer beeped.

Luka basted the turkey while Phoenix greeted our guests. I glanced at the time before I placed the prepared scalloped potatoes and broccoli au gratin in the second oven.

The game was about to start, but before I turned toward the living room, Luka snagged me around the waist and nuzzled the back of my neck. Phoenix’s eyes sparkled as he watched the two of us, giving me a smile before turning back to answer Fergus.

“Love you,” I whispered.

He smiled against my skin and for only me, he said, “I love you, B.”

We spent the day with excellent food, great company, and conversation.