They entered the room with hesitant steps, hand in hand.
Erin stepped away from the stove and greeted the new arrivals. “I'm glad you two could make it. I'm Erin Murphy. This is my husband Sean, and all these kiddos you see are ours. The welcoming committee was Jordan, and this is Kayleigh. Over there is William and the baby is Josh.” She extended her hand and Alyssa took it.
“Sorry I'm so cold,” she said. “I'm Alyssa Miller and this is my son Ethan. And this is Drew.”
“I'm Michael's brother, as you may be aware,” Drew added, still standing by the door.
“Pleased to meet you guys. Don't worry about the hand. I'm the same way. One foot outside the door and I'm a block of ice for hours.” She addressed the child. “Ethan, would you like to sit down at the table? The cocoa is almost ready.”
