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JACKSON

Thank God I told Rosie to stay home I think as my family barrels off the platform and all try to topple into my arms at once.

“Hello, hello,” I try to say to them all at the same time as I get hugs and pats from four different women.

“Jackie,” Mum wails as she clings to me longer. “You’ve grown.”

“I haven’t grown,” I laugh as I free myself from her clutches. “It’s good to see you too, Mum.”

I head over to Cody, who’s staring up at me under his lashes. He’s definitely grown a few inches. He’s already up to my elbow. “Come here, bub.” I pull him to me and ruffle his hair as his arms come around me. “How was the train?”

“It was good,” he says quietly. “It rained the whole time.”

I throw my head back with a laugh. “Welcome to Britain. Come on, I’m parked this way.”

I fling an arm around Cody as Nina piles the suitcases onto the trolley I brought, and Mum slots in next to me, clinging on to my elbow .

We head to the exit like a large conjoined hydra head.

“How’s Rosie?” Mum asks and I grin.

“She’s good. She’s been cooking all morning. She says she’s not nervous.”

Mum waves her hand. “What is she nervous for? We’re lovely.”

Ella laughs. “We’ve already been prepped, Jackie,” she tells me. “We’re all going to be on our best behavior.”

“That’s what I’m worried about.”

Later, when we pull up outside the house, I turn off the engine and turn to the people in the car. “I mean it, go slowly. Do not overwhelm her.”

All five passengers blink at me before Mum opens the door and darts out, barely leaving enough time for it to swing closed behind her.

Ella, Nina and Tara rush out after her, leaving only Cody sitting in his middle seat. “I don’t think all those warnings have done much,” he says solemnly.

I sigh and rub my hand over my beard. “You better help me with these bags, because I don’t think anyone else is going to.”

By the time I’ve breached the threshold with all the suitcases, Rosie is standing in the center of a Harper sandwich, all of them talking a mile a minute. I glance at Rosie’s face expecting to see a look of panic, but she’s beaming.

I take a minute to absorb it. Her cheeks are rosy red, and her smile is wide as she nods enthusiastically, allowing my mother to curl her arm around her.

“You’re drooling,” Cody snickers.

“Wait till you meet someone, bub. Then see if you can keep your mouth shut.” I mess up his mop of hair.

“Alright, alright. What did I say in the car people? Slowly.” I breach the fold and tug on Rosie’s arm until she’s free from their clutches and firmly in mine.

I press a kiss to her head as I wrap my arms around her.

“Honestly,” Mum huffs exasperatedly. “You’d think we were wild animals the way he talks about us.”

Rosie giggles. “How about a tour?”

An hour later, we’re all haphazardly spread around the kitchen, leaning against counters and curled around Mum’s iPad as she shows us every picture from their Europe trip.

“This is Edinburgh castle,” Tara says, leaning over Mum to swipe through the pictures.

“Whose thumb is that?” I laugh.

My sisters groan playfully as Mum says, “I can’t tell where my thumb is! It’s not my fault.”

“It’s an iPad, mother. How is your hand anywhere near the lens?”

“Because I hold it with my right hand, Ella. How else am I supposed to hold it?”

“Like this.” Ella holds up the iPad and I pose with my arm curled around Rosie as she snaps a picture.

“That’s what I do!” Mum protests.

Rosie giggles into my side as they start to bicker. “You good, pretty girl?” I whisper in her ear.

She nods, her glasses sliding down her nose. “I’m great.”

“Where’s Cody?” Nina asks, glancing around the room.

“He’s uh—in my office. He liked the look of my setup, so I said he’s welcome to play a game.” Rosie bites her lip. “Is that okay?”

“That’s really kind of you, thank you.” Ella smiles.

“Of course. Is anyone hungry?”

“Are you going to finally tell us what that amazing smell is?” Mum asks.

Rosie flushes as she steps around the island, reaching into the oven with her mitts and pulling out her giant pot. “It’s a Mushroom, Leek and Stilton pie.”

She lifts the lid off, and Mum and Nina lean forward.

“Oh, that smells incredible,” Nina says.

“I’ve put it on the slow cooker, so I’ll just need to cook some vegetables and it’ll be done.”

“I’ll do that,” Nina says, jumping out of her seat.

“I’m going to go check on Cody,” I tell the room.

“Oh nice, just when we need the help,” Tara chastises.

“I’d just get in the way.” I hold my hands up innocently.

I slip out of the kitchen, the sounds of laughter chasing me down the small hallway.

I knock politely on Rosie’s office door and poke my head in.

Cody is hunched over on Rosie’s brand new, custom chair, with headphones perched over his ears.

He doesn’t even look up until I nudge the headphones away from his ear, and I laugh when he jumps a mile.

“Oh, hey,” he says, cheeks pinkening.

“You like the setup here?” I ask, taking a seat on the armchair.

“Yeah, it’s cool.” Cody says, turning back to the screen. “Rosie’s got so many games. I saw how many levels she hit on Sixth Temple, it’s insane.”

“She’s got a lot of skills, that one,” I smile. “You should play a game together whilst you’re here. I know she’d love it.”

Cody shrugs awkwardly. “Maybe.”

“Come on, I came in to get you. We’re having dinner soon.”

“Uh, okay. Let me just finish this one game.”

I chuckle. “I’ve spent enough time watching Rosie to know that you’ve just finished one, so don’t try and pull a fast one on me. ”

He shoots me a guilty look, and I tug the chair away from the desk. “Come on, bub.”

He gently places the headphones back on the rest and follows me. “That chair’s hella comfortable. Can you get me one?”

I laugh. “We’ll see what Santa can do.”