Spencer had long ago mastered the art of surviving your family Christmas—no small feat when your family included three loud siblings, an army of nieces and nephews, and aunts who were somehow always shouting across the house. It was chaos, pure and simple.

But Spencer? He’d adjusted so well you were convinced he might actually thrive in it.

“Okay, Spencer,” your cousin Josh announced, waving his fork for dramatic effect. “You may be a genius, but are you smart enough to avoid the mashed potatoes Aunt Linda burns every year?”

Without missing a beat, Spencer adjusted his glasses and replied, “Statistically, a burnt potato still has nutritional value. And at least she tries, Josh.”

Your family erupted into laughter, and you couldn’t help but grin as Spencer took a victorious bite of his non-burnt potatoes, his hand brushing against yours under the table. He’d been part of this beautiful mess for years now, and somehow, despite his quiet, bookish demeanor, he’d found his place perfectly among your big, loud family.

The evening wore on, the house warm and bursting with noise, wrapping paper, and the smell of cinnamon. Spencer sat comfortably with your dad discussing football stats (which he couldn’t care less about, but could recite like an encyclopedia), while your youngest niece braided tiny flowers into his hair. He looked ridiculous, but he let her.

Meanwhile, you were talking to your mom by the counter, your eyes drifting off to Spencer as she chopped chocolate to make hot cocoa, half paying attention to her yapping about someone from your high school she saw last week. Your heart swelled as you noticed how he fit like a hand in a glove in your family—a place you thought he’d never be.

“You really love him, don’t you?” Her voice stole you from your thoughts as she noticed you weren’t listening to her, a smile playing on her lips when she realized what was keeping your attention.

You nodded shyly, pink coloring your cheeks for getting caught staring.

“Just marry him already,” She casually added.