Page 125 of Touch of Class

“Even me?” Hugh asked in a perfect impression of their daughter.

“Even you,” Gillian confirmed.

Hugh and Izzy high-fived.

“That evening we’ll have an early dinner at a phenomenal farm-to-table restaurant followed by the coup de grace of the Cornell basketball game Robin and Sawyer promised me all those months ago on my birthday.”

“I’m excited for you to show us around the site of your triumph,” Sawyer said, “and I’d like to point out that we suggested back then that you might want to bring a date by now, so Robin and I get mad points for predicting the future.”

“Right, but also Ms. Overachiever will then claim extra credit for bringing an entire family.” Robin lifted her glass in Hugh and Izzy’s direction.

“As the token male, I’m honored to be nominated, I mean ‘included.’” Hugh bowed grandiosely. “I promise not to take any notes back to the brutes of my sex who’ve never been granted access to such an esteemed group as this glorious coven.”

Daphne rolled her eyes. Something about being around lesbians made him even gayer than usual, but everyone seemed to accept him anyway.

“I know it’ll be a lot of women and sports for your tolerance, so I also planned a side quest with you in mind,” Gillian said kindly. “On our way back from the spa, we’re stopping at a local gin distillery for a tasting, but don’t worry, Izzy, you won’t be left out either. They’re also hosting a glassblowing demonstration I thought you might like.”

“I would!” Izzy rocked side to side happily. “You’re like a professional trip planner.”

“See.” Robin bumped Daphne’s shoulder with her own. “Didn’t I tell you she plans the best trips?”

“When did you tell her that?” Gillian asked.

“Back at Halloween when we were trying to convince her you could be fun.”

Gillian turned to Daphne. “You didn’t believe I could be fun?”

She shook her head. “I honestly didn’t, but since then you’ve managed to change my mind a few times, and in a few ways, so I wasn’t betting against you on this trip.”

“You could have,” Gillian’s tone dropped into a slightly lower register. “You know how much I enjoy blowing your expectations out of the water.”

“You’ve done that here,” Daphne admitted. “When you said you rented a ‘cabin,’ this was not what I pictured.”

Everyone glanced around as if remembering to be in awe once more. The three-story home had a chef’s kitchen, multiple living spaces, bedrooms for everyone, and even a theater room. Gillian had gone all out for all her people, and Daphne loved her all the more for including everyone. Neither one of them would have to start the New Year by choosing between the family they’d built and the one they were joining.

“Have you seen the deck yet?” Gillian asked softly.

“Not really. It was already dark when we arrived.”

Gillian took her hand and gently pulled her through the sliding glass door.

As they stepped outside, she flipped a switch, and twinkling lights sparkled to life above them, illuminating the huge back porch fully stocked with comfy couches and a large grill.

“Wow,” Daphne said, her breath causing a cloud to form in the air and float away.

“Down there …” Gillian pointed into the darkness and gave their eyes a second to adjust. “That’s Cayuga Lake reflecting the moonlight. We’ve got a dock on the water, and I know it’s too cold to spend much time outside, but there’s a firepit in the yard to help keep us warm, and I brought stuff to make s’mores tomorrow.”

“Izzy is not wrong about your pro-level status. You did think of everything.”

“I thought of you.” Gillian leaned in to kiss her cheek. “And Izzy, and all the other people I love, too, but mostly, I wanted this trip to be amazing for you.”

“You are amazing for me.” Daphne wrapped an arm around her waist. “Every minute with you has been amazing, and I know that it hasn’t been easy. I feel like things have been hectic for us from the moment we got together, what with the holidays and the families and being there for our clients through their own stressful season.”

Gillian shrugged. “Even all of that was better than the months of angst and confusion and the uncertainty of bickering and butting up against each other. Not to mention the years of upheaval before your rearrival in my life, but I want this weekend to be a chance for me to give you a hint of the peace you’ve offered me amid the chaos.”

“I thought I was the chaos.”

“You definitely are,” Gillian smiled at her. “You’re all the things all the time, and you’ve touched my life in ways I didn’t even know I craved.”