His brother Brigs, his wife Natasha, and their one-year old daughter Ramona.
His cousin Linden, his wife Stephanie (my best friend), and their two-year old daughter True.
His cousin Bram, his fiancé Nicola (my other best friend), and her daughter Ava (from a previous relationship).
His cousin Mal, as well as his cousin Maisie and her boyfriend Adair (thank god no babies for them, there’s going to be so many kids up in this place).
Plus a whole bunch of people from the city, like his teammate Thierry, our friends Amara and Rennie and others.
It’s going to be fucking lit.
And he doesn’t have a single clue about it.
But I do need him to get going to practice because then it’s my cue to leave and head to the George hotel where I’m meeting his family. Everyone came in this morning.
I’m excited as hell, but I just have to play it cool, in case Lachlan picks up on my weird vibes. I mean, he’s my husband, he’s used to me vibrating all over the place and in every direction.
Luckily when he comes out of the bathroom, all clean shaven, which makes him look a lot younger, he doesn’t seem to notice. He gets changed into his tracksuit and then comes over to me, giving me a long, sweet kiss.
“I’ll see you later, love,” he says to me, then strides out of the apartment, stopping by the couch where Emily and Lionel, our dogs, are napping. He gives them both a kiss on the nose, making butterflies explode in my stomach like I’m falling in love with my gentle giant for the first time.
And then he’s gone.
I sit on the couch for a few minutes with the dogs, making sure he’s had enough time to get in Land Rover and drive off, then with a giddy smile, I get on my rubber boots and a parka and head on outside.
It’s a short walk from our flat to the hotel, so I decide to hoof it, taking in the sights of Edinburgh as it gets buried under snow. It’s so utterly pretty, sometimes it feels like I’m living in a fairy tale, especially now with all the stone buildings covered in a layer of frosting.
Of course a lot of the people I pass on the street are grumbling. Snow in February isn’t uncommon, but it’s the time of year where people have their sights set on Spring, so to have a cold dump of the white stuff at this point in the year can make people crabby.
Not me though! Growing up in San Francisco, we never had snow, so every time it happens here I take advantage of it. One Christmas we went up North to see Lachlan’s grandfather, and it was like I was living in a damn Christmas movie. Okay, it ended up being more like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation than, say, It’s a Wonderful Life, but still. Magical.
So I’m hurrying along, trying not to slip on the slushy roads, a smile plastered on my face as I pass people by. I’m not just excited for Lachlan to see everyone, but this is like a present for me too. I haven’t seen Steph, Nicola, Bram or Linden since our wedding. That was a crazy fucking time, but they were there for me throughout it all. I’ve been wanting to head back to San Francisco to see my brothers, since that was the last time I saw them too, but honestly now that my mom is gone, it’s hard to feel the pull back to that city. This is my city now.
And what a pretty city it is. I turn the corner onto Princes Street and I immediately take out my phone, snapping pictures of the castle on the hill, surrounded by snow.
Then I keep walking until I’m right in The George.
This is a fancy as fuck place but I’m glad everyone found a good deal. Oh who am I kidding, they all have money, especially Linden now that his helicopter business is really booming.
Steph had texted me earlier when they got off the plane, then again when they checked in, so I know their room number. I told them I was going to come by and try to keep them all awake, because I know the first thing they’re going to want to do after that hella long flight from SF to Edinburgh is sleep. But that will only fuck up their system for the rest of the trip.
I head up the elevator and go down the darkened hallways, searching for them. This place is actually kind of spooky in a way, like it’s haunted, though there’s nothing less scary than a Scottish ghost. The accent would have me laughing. You know, aye, boo, you numpty!
Finally I come to their door and I can hear a child wailing behind it.
Oh great.
See, I’m not good with kids. Okay, I’m fine with them, and I like them, but I don’t want any of my own (neither does Lachlan, thank god, and who can blame him), and they often view me as an alien species and vice versa. It’s probably one reason why we get along with Keir and Jessica so well, since they’re in the kidless department as well, though who knows that might change. Sell outs.
I decide to knock anyway.
The door immediately flings open and a very sleepy, red-faced Steph is there. Her eyes go wide when she sees me, her mouth dropping open.
“Eeeeeeeee!!!” she squeals, jumping up and down.
I start jumping up and down too, flapping my hands around like I’m a bird.
She brings me into a huge hug and I know somewhere down the hall someone is opening their door and seeing what all the fuss is about. Either that or it’s a ghost.
“I can’t believe I’m here,” Steph says to me, pulling away.
“I can’t believe you’re here either,” I tell her, then reach up and pull a Ramen noodle from her hair. “This yours?” I ask, holding it
