“Are you sure they won’t mind?”

Rick gave his anxious red-haired friend a look that clearly signaled how ironic it was for her to ask that, especially after she’d spent days reassuring him that his visit wouldn’t bother anyone and that he was overthinking it.

The driver sighed, first casting a look at Rick to warn him to pay attention to the road again, then briefly glancing back at Amelia as well. “No, they won’t. You don’t need to worry.” He then turned his attention fully back to driving. “Neither of you has any reason to be concerned.”

“I have a very real reason to panic,” Amelia ignored Orion’s calming words and instead defended herself against Rick. “They found out about me at the last minute, when they’ve definitely already prepared food for Christmas. I’m disrupting their plans, you’re not.”

Before the brown-haired man could respond, the driver took over the conversation again, making sure he would not have to listen to their whining for the rest of the drive.

“No one is disrupting anything. My mom always goes overboard. She cooks too much, bakes too much, and then we have to go around to the neighbors offering it so it doesn’t go to waste,” he explained. “Trust me, she’ll be happy if there’s another person she can feed.”

He almost added that his mother would be the least of their problems in this situation, but he bit his tongue. His friends already sounded stressed enough, and he didn't want to remind them of his complicated relationship with his brother. He was already worried enough himself about the fact that they had to spend eleven whole days together. He couldn’t even remember the last time they had spent that much time in each other’s company.

“They handled Laura, they can handle you,” he added.

The last serious relationship he had had was in his freshman year of college, and his partner at the time had not made a good impression on his family—something he only found out after they broke up. His entire family had tolerated her for almost a year and a half, and he was surprised they had not thrown a celebration when he announced the breakup.

“Was she really that bad?” Amelia asked with interest. After all, she, Orion, and Rick had only become friends when they started working together. And although they had been colleagues for more than five years, there were still things they didn't know about each other.

“I didn’t think so,” Orion said at first. “But then I learned about all the things I hadn’t noticed. Apparently, she was always giving my mom advice on how to season her food better. With my dad, she constantly made comments about how he was destroying nature. Mostly because he heated with wood, since before he moved back in with my mom, he had lived in a house at the edge of the forest where there was no other way to heat it. Teo was probably the only one who didn't have a problem with her, but he was just a kid back then.”

That was also the last time Orion could say that his brother hadn’t had a problem with something.

“Yikes,” Amelia reacted, followed by an appropriate grimace.

The driver nodded and steered the conversation back to the original topic. “So you really have nothing to worry about.”

The only real reason for concern for anyone heading to Hollybrook was getting stuck in a snowdrift. This small town had a reputation when it came to snow showers, and a shovel was mandatory equipment for every household. However, that only made the Christmas atmosphere stronger.

“I’m kinda excited.”

Rick still didn't share Amelia’s enthusiasm, but instead of saying it out loud, he turned his gaze to the window, watching the changing landscape. He couldn't even remember the last time he had left Brassford, since after his family told him not to contact them anymore, he had no reason to.

“Everything will be fine,” Orion said, as if reading his thoughts.

It took exactly two hours for them to reach their destination.

Although it wasn't a long distance, the difference between a big city like Brassford and Hollybrook was immense. Not only was there snow everywhere, but there were people out everywhere too. Entire families, groups of friends, children…

It seemed that Hollybrook was one of those towns where community was valued above all else. Everyone knew everyone, and surprisingly, it did not feel like a bad thing.

“That’s Mrs. Saroyan.” Orion drove slowly, pointing at things outside the windows and giving his friends enough time to take it all in. “We used to go and take fruit from her garden. Once, she caught me in her apple tree. She poked me with a rake, and I bruised my arm when I fell. Naturally, I didn't admit to it at home.” Then he muttered under his breath, “Old hag.”

“Sure, it wasn't your fault at all that you were stealing from her,” the red-haired woman laughed, not even hiding the fact that she’d heard him.

Orion chuckled. “It was a tradition.”

“I’d rather not hear about your other traditions.”

Rick disagreed. He would have preferred to know exactly what to prepare for. His own family used to have many traditions and took them all very seriously. They wore ugly Christmas sweaters, drove around the neighborhood to look at the decorations, sang carols, and…

No. This was not the time to go down memory lane. He was already not in the best mood, and if he was going to make a good impression, he needed to try harder.

“We’re here.”

Orion pulled the car to a stop in front of the house. It was a smaller home, decorated with a wreath on the door and lights around it. In the yard stood a metal reindeer frame, also wrapped in lights, along with several decorative bushes.

At first glance, it looked welcoming, but Rick knew all too well that first impressions could be deceiving.

After Orion turned off the engine and got out, there was nothing left for his two friends to do but follow suit. They moved to the trunk to grab their belongings, and once they had them in hand, Orion began leading them toward the front door.

“We’re home!” he called the moment he crossed the threshold.

A second later, a woman appeared from somewhere to the side. She looked exactly like Orion, yet far too young for anyone to guess she was his mother. Fortunately, Rick and Amelia had been warned beforehand that Alicia had had her firstborn son as a teenager; so, while she didn't look the part, she truly was his mom.

“My precious baby.” The petite blond woman, whose figure many younger women might envy, immediately pulled her son into a tight embrace.

“Hi, Mom.” Orion sounded just as enthusiastic as she was.

“And you must be Rick and Amelia.” The moment she released him, she shifted her attention to the two guests. “Welcome to our home. I couldn't wait to meet you.” She stepped closer. “Please, feel free to call me Alicia.”

At first, it seemed like she was reaching out her hand, but after she pulled Amelia into a brief hug, Rick knew to expect the same. Thankfully, it lasted only a few seconds, and he offered Orion’s mother what he believed was a polite smile.

“I’ll take them up to unpack,” Orion cut in. “Where are Dad and Teo?”

“Atlas is looking for replacement lights. It turned out that not all the lights we hung in the backyard survived the snowfall. Teo is taking down the ones that broke.”

Orion raised an eyebrow in surprise but didn’t say anything out loud. He certainly hadn’t expected his brother to be helping his stepfather. In fact, he hadn’t expected him to be home at all, but clearly he’d been wrong.

It had been a few years since his mom had gotten back together with his biological father, completing the full circle, and while Orion was happy about it, the same couldn’t be said for Teo. At first, he’d had trouble respecting him, and for a while it seemed like they would never find a way to get along. Especially after Teo had lived with his own father for two years.

“Of course.” Alicia nodded right away. “I’ll make you some tea to warm you up in the meantime.”

“That would be lovely, Alicia. Thank you.” Amelia’s smile was warmer, Rick noticed. But it was too late for regrets.

The three friends moved upstairs, where the bedrooms were tucked away. Since Amelia’s arrival had been announced at the last minute, there was a small logistical issue, but the redhead just waved it off.

“If you’d like to switch and have your own room…” Orion reminded her once again that there was another option, but she still didn’t see a problem.

“We’ll be fine,” she assured him. “Rick promised he doesn’t snore, and that’s enough for me.”

They had a room to themselves, and since everyone knew Rick was gay, no one found it strange that they’d be sharing a bed. Orion had offered to switch rooms with her, but their friend didn’t want to take over his room, since she was a guest and he was practically at home here, despite not having lived there for years.

“Okay. I’ll take my things to my room and go say hi to Dad,” Orion said, one foot already practically out the door. “You’ll be okay?”

“Just go.” Amelia stepped closer and pressed her hands against his chest. The smile on her face showed she didn’t mean it unkindly.

“I’m going, I’m going.” The blonde raised his hands in a defensive gesture before turning and disappearing around the corner. Rick made a mental note to ask him where his room was, so he’d know where to find him if he needed anything or simply didn't want to wander around an unfamiliar house alone.