"I‘ll come and get him-"

"No. You don‘t have to do that. We‘re going to be driving up from my parents place. We stay with them for a few days and celebrate on Christmas Eve with them. I can drop him off at your place on Christmas morning."

"Stella…I don‘t know what to say. It means a great deal to me. I‘ll drive him back home, though, okay?"

"Okay," she agreed.

"Thanks." He said and for the first time in a long time neither sounded ...