Tugging at the snug collar of the very formal tuxedo
he wore, Dominic gazed from the altar at the tightly
packed small church, a smile tugging at his lips.
Yeah, Letty would insist on a church wedding. Leave
to her to her … years since she stepped one freakin’
foot into a church, but because of her Catholic
upbringing she would have it no other way when she
became a bride. And it was a good thing, an occasion
to reunite the entire gang that had begun to slowly go
their separate ways.

Now, suddenly, there she was. Tight fitting off-white
satin and the hint of a blusher veil … she was a
vision. On anyone else, the sleeveless gown and the
low-cut bodice would look nothing but cheap, but on
Letty, it complimented the darkness of her skin to
create a dazzling beautiful bride. As the strains of
Here Comes the Bride floated to the rafters of the
tiny building, he subtly moved his hand to trail
across the back of his velvety head and allowed his
mind to travel back to the last time they were all
together. Christmas Eve … just three months ago.

* * * *
* * *
* *

The Toretto Team stood in the front yard, arms around
each other, as they listened to the sweet sounds of
the Christmas carolers who had stopped in front of the
house for an early evening serenade. As the
procession ended the familiar and lively We Wish You A
Merry Christmas, a young woman stepped forward to
begin her solo.

“I’ll be home for Christmas … you can plan on me …”

The group huddled together even more as the heady,
melancholy sound filled the air and settled in each of
their hearts. Silence wafted, each absorbed in their
own thoughts, until Vince broke the warm tension with
a laughing voice. “HEY! What the hell are we? A
fucking Hallmark card? MORE EGGNOG! NOW!” He was
answered by a chorus of whoops and high fives.

Piling back into the house, Dom returned to his place
beside the tree. He had just finished wrapping the
lights around the huge, nine foot evergreen and was
just beginning to work with the metallic red tinsel
when he felt soft, feminine arms wrap around his
waist. Recognizing the feel at once, he never even
looked back. “How’s it going, Mia?” he asked, nodding
subtly toward Brian who was laughing in the corner as
he played cards with the guys. Mia followed her
brother’s eyes and sighed contentedly. “Perfectly,
Dom. Perfectly.” Her arms tightened around the
strong waist. “I love him, bro.” She paused for
effect. “And he’s going to make a wonderful father.”
Dom snorted slightly. He still had a hard time
reconciling himself to the fact that he was going to
be an uncle. Him … a fuckin’ role model! “He damn
sure better be or I’ll fuckin’ rip him apart.” Mia
chuckled. She couldn’t see her brother’s face, but
she knew he was smiling. “Yeah, yeah, yeah, tough
guy!” she teased as she released him. “More eggnog?”
Dom nodded. “Easy on the nog, heavy on the rum.” He
began to place the tinsel on the tree as she kissed
him on the cheek and moved toward the kitchen.
 

Turning his eyes toward the television, he noticed
Letty engrossed in the holiday classic, It’s a
Wonderful Life. A low chuckle escaped his throat as
he put the tinsel aside. Taking the glass of rum that
Mia offered before moving to cuddle with Brian, Dom
made his way to Letty. Sitting behind her on the
floor, he slid his legs around her and pulled her back
to his chest. "Look at the snow, Dom,” she whispered.
“Now that’s Christmas.”

“Bullshit,” he countered with cynicism in his deep,
serious voice. “Elves in tights, reindeer, Santa
fuckin’ Claus. That’s Christmas, babe.”

She burrowed further into the warmth of his chest.
“You don’t really mean that, Toretto.” She sighed.
“Come on. Tell me … what does Christmas mean to you?”

He thought long and hard as he looked around the room.
Mia and Brian … Vince … Leon … a house full of loved
ones in the same room. He rested his chin on the top
of her head. “This, babe. What we got going on right
here.”

She nodded her confirmation. His hands trailed up and
down her arms. “You sure about the wedding, Letty?”

She turned and looked into his eyes with a seriousness
he never knew she possessed. “Dom, I’ve never been
more sure of anything before in my life.” She
grinned. “Three more months. Hell, I don’t know if I
can hold out!”

He chuckled and embraced her in a hug. Standing, he
moved to the doorway leading to the kitchen and
reached up, grabbing the sprig of mistletoe from its
home. Returning to her, he held the greenery level
over her head. “Merry Christmas, Letty.”

Tears welled in her eyes as she smiled. “Merry
Christmas, Dom.” The kiss was light, gentle, and
filled with unquestionable love.

* * * *
* * *

Dom was brought back to the present as the vision that
was Letty neared. As she approached the altar,
everyone took their traditional places as the priest
began the ceremony. There was an awed silence as the
bride and groom listened to the clergy ask for the
vows.

“Do you, Vince, take this woman, Letty, to be your
lawfully wedded wife?”

“I do.”

“Do you, Letty, take this man, to be your lawfully
wedded husband?”

“I do.”

The kiss, the pronouncement, the recession, and it was
over. At the reception, Dom sat at the head table
watching the husband and wife dance, thinking how
right they looked together. How hopeful they looked.
And for the first time, he felt hopeful, as well.
Draining his scotch on the rocks, he stood go to the
bar and refresh his drink. Raising his glass to Mia
and Brian at the next table, he accidentally bumped
into a soft body standing near, spilling the champagne
from her glass onto the gift table, a carefully
constructed red velvet bow becoming ruined due to his
clumsiness. For some reason, it captivated his
attention momentarily and he spoke without looking up.
“Damn, I’m sorry,” he breathed.

“It’s okay, Domininc. I’m sure that Letty and Vince
won’t even notice.”

The voice sounded so intensely familiar that his eyes
snapped up in surprised. Long, reddish hair, deep,
green eyes and smooth, white skin … but it was the
voice he remembered. “The caroler? The soloist!”

“Excuse me?” She smiled sweetly, patting the spilt
champagne with the napkin she held.

“I’ll be Home for Christmas. You sang that with the
carolers who came by the house Christmas Eve.”

It was her turn to be surprised. “Oh, my god! You
remember that?”

Slowly, he nodded. “Amazing, huh?”

She grinned. “Completely.”

He took the glass from her hand and placed it on the
gift table as he took her hand. “Wanna dance with
me?” His voice was husky and filled with hope.

“For as long as you’d like,” she said almost shyly as
she followed him to the dance floor.

Slowly, reverently, he took her into his arms and
began to gently sway to the music. As they danced,
his eyes caught Letty’s and she smiled sweetly,
blowing him a kiss. He smiled back and pulled the
beauty in his arms tighter. What was it Letty had
asked … what did Christmas mean to him? He now knew.
Hope. Christmas meant love and hope. And with that
thought, he began his own new life.