Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 33081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 165(@200wpm)___ 132(@250wpm)___ 110(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 165(@200wpm)___ 132(@250wpm)___ 110(@300wpm)
Gabriel stayed back and watched as brother and sister embraced. Nigel was a lot taller than Faith.
“I’m sorry,” Nigel said. “I’m so fucking sorry.”
“Enough, don’t worry about it.”
“Dad would have kicked my ass.”
“Shh, stop it.”
“He would be embarrassed by me.”
“Stop it, Nigel. He would have done everything in his power to make sure you were okay. Just like I’m doing.” Faith pulled away and cupped Nigel’s face. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m doing good.” Tears fell down his face. He looked so fucking broken. “I … I will make it up to you.”
“Then get clean. I believe in you, Nigel. I really do. I love you so much.”
Nigel held her tightly. For several moments, neither of them talked. Gabriel watched and waited.
“I hear you’re getting married,” Nigel said.
Faith chuckled. “Yes.” She looked behind her. “You’ll come to the wedding?”
“I’ll give you away to him. He loves you, Faithy. I can tell.”
Her cheeks were bright red.
“Yeah, he’s a good one.”
Gabriel shook his head. “Enough with the compliments.”
He watched as Faith pushed some hair off her face. “Do you know he doesn’t know what it’s like to have a family?”
He frowned and tensed up.
“I think he should be our family,” Faith said. “You and me, Nigel, we can show him what it means to have a family.”
“You can’t be his sister, though,” Nigel said. “That’s a bit fucked up.”
“No, but you can be an amazing brother, Nigel. You can help him to be a big brother.”
Nigel nodded and Gabriel saw what she was doing. She was helping to give Nigel purpose, and also to tell him he had a place in their lives. They were a family. Even though she was marrying Gabriel, they would still be together.
He made sure they were able to have some time together. The two siblings talked and caught up. Nigel made a few jokes, but he saw the kid was struggling with the guilt he felt. Gabriel would make sure he never succumbed to temptation again.
Stepping out of the cabin, Faith wrapped her arms around him. “Thank you.”
“What for?”
“For doing this for Nigel. For being there. For not turning away from him.”
“Kind of hard to take the praise when I did it because of his sister.”
Faith smiled up at him. “I know you also did it because you’re a good person.”
“No, I didn’t, but I’m pleased you think I am.” This made her chuckle. “You’re the good person here, Faith. Not me.”
She cupped his face and shook her head. “One day you’re going to realize that you are a good person. Don’t worry, Nigel and I are going to show you family and what it means to be loved.” She pulled him down and kissed his lips. “I have made it my vow to make your life as happy and fulfilled as it could possibly be.”
Epilogue
Ten Years Later
“Come on, Dad, this is dumb. Like, so dumb,” Mark said.
Gabriel glared at his eldest son. He admitted, it was a massively dumb tradition, but it was one that was set by Faith and Nigel’s parents, and for the last ten years, it was one they had demanded he be part of. Faith had even taken the time to knit him a sweater.
The first one he wore had so many holes in it, but he had worn that thing to death. Over the years, she had gotten better at knitting, so the one he wore today, which had a beautiful Christmas tree on it, was the best yet.
Nigel and his wife, Jillian, had on a knitted sweater, as did his two children, Bethany and Andrew.
As for Gabriel’s crew. Mark, his eldest son, had on a knitted sweater, and it looked way too small for him. Next year that would be handed down to Sophie, his daughter. Then he looked to see Susan and Ryan both had on good-fitting sweaters. His four children, and then of course, was his wife, heavily pregnant with their fifth child. She came to him, kissing his lips.
“Ignore him,” she said. “Mark loves it when he has to take this picture.”
“It’s so lame,” Mark said, but he was already puffing out his chest.
Nigel laughed. “You’re having to think of the ladies.”
“Ew, girls are gross,” Ryan said.
Faith giggled. “Is everything all set?”
“Nearly.”
Gabriel stepped behind the camera, getting everything ready, and then he looked at his family. His family.
Fucking hell.
Ten Christmases.
Ten years full of birthdays he had to remember. Not just his own, but all of his family’s. Faith had insisted they celebrate Easter, Mother and Father’s Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, New Year. If it had a celebration, Faith found some way to include it.
She and Nigel had promised they would show him what having a family really meant. He hadn’t believed them. The truth was, he didn’t care to have a family. All he had wanted was Faith. The only reason he wanted to knock her up so damn badly was to have every single excuse to keep her as his.