“My feet are killing me.”

He gave her a cute little smirk before his mother started talking.

“So Elli, you take pictures for a living, right?”

“Yes ma’am. I’ve been doing it for almost seven years now.”

“I’ve seen some of your work. You’re very good, I must say.”

“Thank you,” Elli gushed with a grin. Jenna smiled sweetly before reaching for her fork. Elli then looked over at Grace, and she was giving her a sweet smile.

“I meant to tell you Elli, I love your shoes.”

Elli smiled back.

“Thank you, they are Christian Louboutin, and let me tell you, they hurt like the dickens.”

Grace started laughing as the rest of the table joined in, and that’s when Elli felt comfortable.

The rest of the dinner went off without a hitch. Elli adored Mark and Jenna. They were amazing; she had never seen two people love their children, or even their son-in-law, the way Mark and Jenna loved Shea, Grace, and James. Jenna teased Grace and Shea lovingly, not hatefully the way Elli’s family teased her. Mark would always make it a point to talk to James; he would smack him on the arm, or ask him about work. Elli’s mom never talked to Adina or Lauren. The only time she ever acknowledged them was when she needed to know something about the kids. But not Mark and Jenna; they loved James like he was one of theirs.

They even treated Elli like that, and she had just met them. Jenna fired questions all night, even Mark did. They wanted to know everything, and it wasn’t to have information on Elli, like her mother tried to have on Shea, it was to get to know her. Elli actually felt like Mark and Jenna liked her for her, not because of her profession or because of who her uncle was, but because they genuinely liked her.

And it was such a refreshing feeling.

After dinner, everyone went into the living room for coffee and cake. James was in the middle of a story about one of his co-workers when Elli leaned over to Grace, asking, “Hey, where are Amelia and Ryan?”

Grace smiled, “They are staying with a friend of mine. They attack my parents, and Mom wanted to get to know you, so I had my friend take them.”

“Oh, that’s nice. I was looking forward to seeing them, though. I haven’t seen them since before Shea left.”

“Yeah. Well maybe you can visit while Shea’s gone these next two weeks. I don’t mind. I would love it, actually,” she said with a grin, and Elli smiled.

“I would, too.”

When Shea moved his hand into hers, she smiled up at him and he returned it just as his mom said, “So Elli, you and Shea would make beautiful babies. Do you want children?”

Elli head whipped over to Jenna, as Shea used his other hand to cover his face.

“Mom!” Grace complained, “You just met her a couple hours ago, can you not get her barefoot and pregnant in your mind yet?”

Everyone laughed as Jenna turned deep red.

“I was just asking.”

“We know, baby, we know.” Mark said, wrapping his arms around her, kissing her temple.

Shea had done it so many times to Elli that it brought a smile to her face. Elli had always thought Shea was a good man, and now meeting Mark and seeing that his relationship with Jenna has lasted this long, it made Elli’s heart swell. She noticed all through the night how Mark would touch Jenna lovingly, or how they would share a private joke, causing Grace and Shea to make a face while it made Elli smile. Elli wasn’t even sure her father really loved her mother; she was convinced her daddy only stayed with her mother because he didn’t get her to sign a pre-nup. But with Mark and Jenna, it was obvious that they were crazy in love.

Elli watched as Mark moved his hand into Jenna’s as she glared at him, then she smiled, as if holding Mark’s hand had made the embarrassment of her question for Elli go away. If Shea and Elli’s relationship could be anything like Mark and Jenna’s, they were golden.

“Elli, the last game we came to, Shea showed me your seats, they must be nice. I’ve never been that close,” Mark said with a grin, “Even when Shea played in the AHL, we were always up in a box. I think the last time I was on the ice was when he was in high school, maybe some college.”

A small smile crossed Elli’s lips.

“They are amazin’, and I’ve sat there since the Assassins started. I love them.”

“Your uncle owns the team, is that right?” Mark said, looking over at Shea.

Shea nodded as Elli said, “Yes, he has loved hockey his whole life; him and my daddy also played some. My brothers never did play, but I did a little. I wasn’t very good though.”

Everyone laughed as Shea smiled down at her.

“I didn’t know you played before.”

She smiled back.

“Just a little, no big deal,” she said. He shook his head, a smirk pulling at his lips.

“You guys are just too cute!” Jenna exclaimed, clapping her hands. Elli watched as Grace shook her head and Shea looked everywhere but at her.

“Jenna, we are talking hockey, quiet now!” Mark joked as he looked back over at Elli.

“It's really great having a female in the family who knows hockey,” he said with a laugh.

In the family? They already considered her family?

Shea squeezed her hand, and she smiled up at him, showing him that she was okay.

“You should sit with us tomorrow, sweetie.” Jenna said, taking a sip of her coffee.

“Oh, thank you so much Jenna, but I don’t sit anywhere but in my seats,” Elli said with a grin, hoping that wouldn’t get her kicked out of the family she had just been added too. Mark just smiled, shaking his head.