This set off more laughter and amused head shaking. Even Malcolm grinned this time.
After greeting Sterling and the boys with hugs and kisses, Samara made her way over to the armchair where her mother sat holding Milan.
"Hello, darling," Asha greeted her warmly.
"Hey, Mom." Samara kissed Asha's cheek and then squatted beside the chair to kiss her daughter's forehead, smiling tenderly at her sweetly angelic face. "She's out like a light."
"Umm-hmm," Asha murmured, gazing down at the sleeping toddler. "After lunch we all went outside and had a big leaf fight. Milan wore herself out."
"I bet she did. She and the boys love playing in the leaves." Samara smiled at her mother. "Thank you for keeping them overnight."
Asha waved off her gratitude. "You know Sterling and I love keeping our grandbabies. We were both sad when Michael and Reese picked up Savannah and MJ last night after the party. We were hoping you and Marcus would let the kids stay another night. I'm taking the day off tomorrow, but my driver can drop the boys off at school in the morning."
"Sounds like a plan to me," Marcus drawled, joining them. He bent to kiss Asha's cheek and then grinned at her. "They're all yours, Mama."
Asha and Samara laughed.
As Marcus gently rubbed Milan's back, Malcolm called across the room, "Hey, Dad, do you wanna play Monopoly with us? We can start the game over."
"No way!" Matthew protested. "I'm winning!"
"Only because Grandpa is letting you," Malcolm shot back. "If Dad was playing-"
"Actually," Marcus intervened, "I'd rather shoot some hoops. That is, if your grandpa's up for it," he added teasingly.
"Boy, please," Sterling guffawed. "I'm always up for hoops."
No one doubted the assertion. In his early seventies, Sterling Wolf was the picture of robust health and vigor. Tall, dark and ruggedly handsome, he had a head full of salt-and-pepper hair, broad shoulders and an imposing physique.
Samara often found herself marveling at how much Marcus and his brother resembled their father. It was uncanny. But then again, all of the Wolf males, from the oldest to the youngest, looked like clones of one another.
The fellas headed outside to the backyard, Shadow bounding after them.
Sighing, Samara made herself comfortable on the floor at her mother's feet, leaning against the chair with her legs curled beneath her.
"How are you feeling?" Asha asked, gently stroking her hair.
Samara smiled. "I feel good. A little tired, but nothing to complain about."
"No morning sickness?"
"Nope. None whatsoever." Samara rested her head on her mother's knee. "Remember how sick I was with the boys and Milan?"
"I remember, poor baby. Hopefully this pregnancy will be different."
"So far so good." Samara sighed contentedly, warmed by the sedate fire and her mother's soothing touch.
Observing the mountain of gifts under the huge tree, she asked humorously, "Did the boys try to sweet-talk you and Sterling into letting them open one present?"
Asha laughed. "They didn't, actually. Sterling and I were surprised. We figured you and Marcus must have said something to them."
Samara smiled. "Marcus gave them a little talk yesterday."
"About what?"
"Not taking their blessings for granted."
"Ah, I see." Asha sounded amused. "Believe me, darling, you needn't worry about your children becoming spoiled and entitled monsters. Not with parents like you and Marcus. You two are the most grounded, conscientious people I know. Marcus has never forgotten where he came from. Why, he's such a crusader for social justice that he insisted on naming one of his sons after Malcolm X, and he's personally given the boys a thorough education in black history."
"That's true." Samara grinned. "He enjoys randomly quizzing them. We can be having breakfast or just driving down the street, and Marcus will be like, 'Which female African-American NASA data analyst invented the illusion transmitter?'" She chuckled. "He really keeps them on their toes. He's even started quizzing Milan now."
Asha laughed. "He's turned your children into walking encyclopedias."
"He really has."
Asha smiled. "And what can I say about you, chére? You've always been generous, charitable and compassionate. And you don't have a materialistic bone in your body. As we both know," she said wryly, "your frugality has driven me absolutely mad at times. Remember our power struggles over your salary and your corner office and your clothing allowance? Mon Dieu. You opposed me at every turn."
Samara laughed. "I'm already earning way more than my executive counterparts at other major companies. The clothing allowance seemed like overkill, an unnecessary extravagance."
"Nonsense," Asha scoffed mildly. "You're my daughter and my vice president of marketing. As the face of House of Dubois, you represent my brand and my legacy everywhere you go. I can't have you parading around in bargain-basement clothes."
Samara gave a mock shudder. "The horror."
"Mock all you want, but you know I'm right. Appearance is everything in our business, and I wouldn't have it any other way." Asha chuckled softly. "Anyway, darling, the point I was trying to make is that you and Marcus are instilling character in your children and raising them to be responsible, productive adults who will understand the value of hard work and discipline. So let them be kids. Let them enjoy all the Christmas presents provided by their tremendously accomplished parents. Greed may be a sin, but success is a virtue. Never apologize for being able to give your children the very best in life."
Samara let out a deep sigh and nodded. "I hear you."
"I hope you do." Asha smiled down at her. "So how was the holiday party?"
"It was great. Everyone had a wonderful time."
"That's good."
Samara smiled warmly. "Derek and Hayden are engaged."
"Really?"
"Yup. He proposed to her yesterday before the party."
"How lovely," Asha said, sounding pleased. "It's about time."
"What do you mean? They've only been dating for three years."
"And I guarantee you those three years felt like an eternity to Hayden," Asha asserted. "Marcus proposed just two weeks after he met you. It was three weeks for Michael and Reese."
Samara grinned. "Those were exceptions, not the norm."
"Perhaps," Asha conceded humorously. "But Michael's college friends aren't getting any younger. Goodness, they'll be old and gray before they're all married off."
Samara laughed. "A few of them have already gone gray. As for them eventually settling down, better late than never, right?"
"I suppose." Asha was smiling as she stroked Samara's hair. "I predict that Liam will come back with a Kenyan bride, Jagger's going to marry one of those exotic Chinese models he's been over there dating. And Percy's coming back with some Silicon Valley blonde."
Samara chuckled. "Your predictions always come true-"
"I know. It's a gift."
"-but he'd better not marry some blonde."
"Who? Percy?"
"Yes. He'll break Lexi's heart if he marries anyone other than her sister."
"But isn't Summer the one who accepted a promotion at Sotheby's and moved to London?" Asha challenged, sounding amused. "She wasn't willing to leave New York and return home to Atlanta to be with Percy, but she jumped at the chance to go to London. I certainly don't blame her, of course. She's young and beautiful and ambitious, and it was an opportunity of a lifetime. There's no law stating that women always have to uproot their lives for marriage the way you, Reese and Taylor did. Summer obviously weighed her options and decided that her career was more important than exploring a relationship with Percy, and that's perfectly okay."
"I totally agree," Samara said, "but I think it was more complicated than that. Lexi thinks something happened between them during the weekend they spent together. She tried to pry it out of Summer, but all she would say was that Percy was a great guy who simply wasn't built for monogamy."
"Hmm," Asha murmured thoughtfully. "Interesting."
Samara sighed. "And now Summer's dating that gorgeous Egyptian tycoon who showed up at an auction one day and bid, like, a gazillion dollars on a rare blue diamond that belonged to some Egyptian queen."
"Ah, yes," Asha mused, smiling. "The dark, dashing billionaire with royal blood. How's that relationship going? Has he bought her an island yet?"
"Not yet," Samara said with a chuckle, "but Lexi says Summer seems really happy with the guy. Not only does he wine and dine her and whisk her off for romantic getaways around the world. He also makes her laugh, gives her the emotional support she needs and apparently rocks her world in the bedroom." Samara grinned. "She says he's passionate and intense and overprotective to the point of being chauvinistic. And she loves that about him, thinks it's sexy and exciting. Lexi expects to answer her phone any day now and hear Summer squealing that she just got engaged."