By noon, most of their guests had departed for other engagements, leaving only Sam’s sisters and their families, who’d been invited to spend the day. Sam’s stepmother, Celia, who lived with them at the White House, had left with her sisters to visit an elderly aunt and would return later.

“This has been an incredible Christmas,” Sam’s eldest sister, Tracy, said. “And I wouldn’t have thought that would be possible without Dad.”

“I know,” Sam said. “I agree. It worked out well, all things considered.”

“The White House gave us something new and different in a year when we really needed it,” Angela said. “So thanks for that, Nick.”

“I do what I can for the people,” Nick said from his post on the floor where he and Alden were playing with Alden’s new train set.

“That line is trademarked and copyrighted,” Sam said as the others laughed.

“Skip would want his best girls to be happy,” Nick said.

“Yes, he would,” Sam said, sighing. “Even if we were much happier when he was here, bossing us all around.”

Angela pointed to Sam. “What she said.”

“Sometimes I still can’t believe he actually died,” Tracy said. “After everything he’d survived, how is he just gone?”

“I know,” Sam said. “The defendants are due in court in January. I’ll need to know if you guys want to be there.”

“I do,” Tracy said. “I want to be there for everything.”

Angela hesitated. “Normally, I’d want to be there, but right now… I’m not sure I can handle it.” She was pregnant with her third child, due in June.

Spencer, Angela’s husband, crawled past them as he chased their son, Jack, who was still wearing his Spider-Man costume. Their baby daughter, Ella, was asleep in her mother’s arms after an exciting morning. Angela laughed at the face Spencer made at her as he went by. “He’s so good with Jack. They make up a new game every day.”

When she’d first met Spencer, Sam had thought he was full of himself. Sometimes he could still be that way, but she couldn’t deny his devotion to Angela and their children.

Nick came to sit next to her on the sofa.

Sam leaned into him, suddenly exhausted after the busy weeks that had led up to the holiday. She’d give just about anything for a nap.

“We need to get going to Mike’s parents’ house.” Tracy stood to give her kids Brooke, Abby and Ethan the signal that it was time to go. They left a short time later with hugs and thanks to Sam and Nick for a fun Christmas. “We’ll see you at Camp David next weekend. And I can’t believe we’re going to Camp David for New Year’s.”

“Believe it,” Sam said as she hugged her sisters and walked them downstairs, carrying bags of gifts and overnight bags.