Giada's Holiday Handbook Novels & Stories

Gabby shifted closer to Maya and frowned. "Are you sad?" "No, not at all, my baby. I have something in my eye." Maya lied. Giovanni got all the ingredients for dinner and began preparing the food. "Do you want to take a bath?" Maya asked Gabby. "Santa brought you a pair of Christmas pajamas earlier." Gabby nodded excitedly. "Is it okay?" Maya turned to Giovanni. He nodded while chopping the vegetables. "We're not done talking, though." He reminded her Maya chuckled and took Gabby off the counter.

“Work with whores? Is that even safe?” Aunt Giulia kissed my hair. “Don’t worry about it, Isabella. Just be prepared if the topic comes up.” She tilted her head. “Now, let’s eat, watch Ariadna Gia—or Catalina—open presents, and get out of here before a fight breaks out.” “Sounds good.”

Gianna shrugged, "Don't know much about them besides being one of the founder families of Cold Spring. Heard they got three kids my age or so." "Hmm. Why do I suddenly feel so insecure?" She giggled, "Fear not. I am yours and yours alone." "I'm relieved. Geez, I can't wait to see you again. I'll clearly kiss the hell out of you. Miss you like crazy." At this point, Gianna's cheeks began to hurt from smiling and probably blushing. "Did you like my gift?" She extended her left wrist that wore an elegant silver Pandora charm bracelet since Sunday and watched the variety of charms dangling from it. She had meticulously mastered every charm in a single night, what caught her heart more was the he

Sondra laughed at how unlikely that seemed. The next morning came too early, Gia had barely slept, but she forced herself to get up early. Sondra helped her get ready, lending her a black uniform and teaching her the basics of service. "Remember," she said as they boarded the Athena yacht, "keep the tray steady, smile, and don't take anything the smug rich people say personally." The yacht was stunning. Gia had never seen anything like it, every corner screamed luxury and exclusivity. The other catering girls looked at her curiously as Sondra introduced her, but there was no time for more chatter, the guests began to arrive.

“You know she always takes the scenic route, even if it adds forty minutes.” As if summoned by the mention of her name, a loud, slightly panicked voice echoed from the driveway. “EVERYONE DUCK! I’M COMING IN HOT!” Gianna, a whirlwind of brightly colored scarves and mismatched jewelry, burst through the door. She wasn't just holding the birthday cake, she was treating it like a fragile, highly volatile explosive. She held a massive, three-tiered confection covered in bright blue frosting at arm’s length, weaving erratically.

The table was laden with dishes—roasted turkey, glazed ham, fresh pasta, seasonal vegetables, and what looked like several different types of desserts already waiting on the sideboard. "We go a bit overboard at Christmas," Bianca admitted, noticing Arabelle's expression. "But it's tradition. Giovanni's mother started it, and I've kept it going." "It's wonderful," Arabelle said honestly. Giovanni stood, raising his wine glass. "Before we eat, I'd like to make a toast. To family—those we're born with and those we choose. To new beginnings. And to Arabelle, this is your first christmas with us" He looked at her warmly.

She had travelled on a business trip for the past month. " The food would get cold, and I'm starving. Can we eat now?" Giada asked after a while as they all headed to the dining table. The food was at the centre of the table. Giada got up to serve as soon as they were all seated. She carefully dished out the food while her siblings made small talk with Ida. " Bon appetite," she said, drawing their attention to the food she had served. “ Thanks, Giada." “ Can I talk to you for a second? " Elon asked Ida after breakfast.

“You have no idea how fabulous that sounds.” He’d opened the champagne and they’d nestled together on the couch as he regaled her with outrageous tales of his holiday—expurgated version, he had to admit—that brought tears of laughter to their eyes. She’d brushed off his questions about her Christmas, saying she didn’t want to spoil their reunion with boring talk, she had other things in mind. Consequently, dinner had been a box of handmade Swiss chocolates, courtesy of Gary’s dad, a couple of joints for him, and the second bottle of champagne, which they finished in the bath. Claire had lit some candles. The water had been warm and perfumed with fragrant oils.

I've been without food but it didn't care due to my desperation to bypass the security protecting my father's last gift to me. "Crespelle alla Fiorentina," Giada told me with a slight bow of her head, "If Her Highness is happy of the taste. I'll be okay to help Your Highness make another" I was supposed to join Giada in the kitchen today but the drive had become a priority. "Thank you, Giada," I told her in Italian and she left. As soon as I closed the door, I pounced on the meal, tearing and shoving it into my mouth as someone who has been starved for years and--

"Do you need help to make it?" Again, Gabriella shook her head. “I can make it by myself. Thank you." Enthusiastically, the young woman prepared her little surprise. Never once did she frown. Something burning in the chest had pumped the spirit to make the husband smile. "I hope my decision is not wrong," she thought every time worry came. *** When night fell, Gabriella waited in the living room with a glass jar decorated with a red ribbon. The gingerbread neatly arranged inside looked warm even though it had been taken out of the oven for hours, just like a smile that never left the woman's face.