by Nikki Ash
“I don’t give a shit what you think. I’m moving out and you can do whatever you want.” Kayla screams at the top of her lungs. Cooper looks at me to do something. This might be a gym but it’s still a place of business.
Bentley looks pissed as hell. His fists are at his sides, knuckles white like he has to hold himself back.
“OK, I don’t know what is going on here but you guys need to take this to a private area. This is a place of business.” They both look over at me. I place my hand on Kayla to silently calm her down.
Bentley shouts “Fuck this!” and storms out of the room.
When I look at Kayla she has tears in her eyes. I brush her hair back out of her eyes and suggest we get out of here. Cooper hears me and nods his head slightly letting me know he heard me.
We get to one of our favorite coffee shops and order ourselves each a hot peppermint mocha. It’s only a few days until Christmas and then the delicious taste of peppermint will disappear until next year.
Kayla hasn’t said a word since we left and it’s killing me inside. “Kayla, I feel like we have grown apart.” She attempts to argue but I raise my hand for her to let me finish.
“I know this isn’t about us but at the same time it is because it’s about you, and for the last eighteen years we have had each others back. So when you have something going on, so do I.”
She slumps over and puts her hands in hair and shakes her head from side to side. I think she is going to tell me what’s going on but when she raises her head all she says is “I have decided to move back to Florida. I’ve been thinking about it for a little while now but I have decided for sure.”
That takes me for a loop because Kayla knows I can’t move anywhere. Bella’s home and mine are here with Cooper, and if she moves to Florida we will be a long ass plane ride apart.
I choke up and try to hold it in because this isn’t about me. “Are you serious? Like your mind is made up for sure? I mean, your parents and brother are there but you aren’t really close to them. Bella and I will miss you like crazy. We have never been apart since the day we met in Kindergarten.”
She sighs and looks absolutely defeated. “Is it something I did, Kay?” I don’t think it is but I need to make sure.
“No, Liz. It’s nothing you did. I am just going through some shit and I feel like I need a break from it all.”
“So take a vacation, Kayla. But please don’t leave me. I need you, please. You know I’m pregnant. I can’t do this without you.” I know it’s selfish to say this to her but it’s the truth. I need her so much. I can’t imagine going through this pregnancy without her.
“Liz, we aren’t eighteen anymore and you won’t be alone this time around. You have Cooper now.” I don’t even know what to say.
“Can you at least wait until after Christmas? I would like to have one last holiday together.” She nods her head yes and I get up and hug my best friend. I can feel her sobbing and in turn I am crying. I can’t help feel like this is the end of our friendship. She wouldn’t do this unless she really felt like she needed to leave, though. All I can do is respect her decision and be there for her.
“Do me a favor, Liz. Please don’t tell anybody yet including Cooper.” Even though I am not ok with any of this I agree.
“C’mon Chick, lets go pick up Bella and have a girls afternoon,” I say as we walk out the door with our arms around each other.
* * *
Cooper
After Bentley walks out of the gym and Liz takes Kayla out to let shit cool down, I decide to take advantage of the fact that Liz’s computer is free. I have found Bella’s puppy on a local animal rescue shelter website. The mom is a German Shepherd-Lab mix who was found pregnant under a bridge after giving birth to several puppies. The puppies are now eight weeks and can be adopted out. I put in a request to adopt one and I was approved several weeks ago. I am supposed to be getting an email from the shelter today letting me know when I can pick the puppy up. Since it’s only a week until Christmas I am having Kaden keep the pup at his place until Christmas Eve. He’s agreed to bring the little mutt over late at night after Bella and Liz have gone to bed.
I walk around to her desk, sit down, and shake the mouse to wake the computer up. There are several webpages open but the one that catches my eye is the top page. It’s an ad for some sleazy motels in the area. I look on the desk and find Liz’s personal credit card sitting atop it. Why the hell would she be booking at one of these motels? And to top it off she’s using the credit card she keeps for emergencies. It’s the only card that we don’t have a joint account on. The only reason she would do something like this is if she doesn’t want me to know.
My mind starts wandering to the last few weeks. She’s been nervous but nothing that would make me believe she is cheating or wants out. When we got back from Florida she went out that one time and never told me where she was going but she’s been happy since then.
The last time I assumed the worst I made her believe I didn’t trust her. I sure as hell won’t be doing that again. This time I am going to just come out and ask her. Liz doesn’t lie and if something is going on she will tell me.
Quickly exiting out of all the windows, I pull up my email. The shelter says I can pick up the pup today, so I shut down her computer and leave to go pick up our new puppy. Once that is taken care Liz and I will talk.
I get home to Bella watching a movie in the living room and Liz in the kitchen making dinner. She doesn’t make eye contact with me so I walk over to her and turn her around to face me. When I look at her I can tell she’s been crying.
“Baby girl, what’s wrong?”
She just shakes her head. Well, that shit isn’t going to fly.
“I can see the dried up tears. Please tell me what’s wrong. Does it have something to do with you booking a sleazy motel with your card?” Ok, well that wasn’t how I planned to broach the subject but now that it’s out there…
Her eyes go wide for a second but she quickly reins her shock in. “Were you seriously going through my computer, Cooper?” Damn it; leave it to a woman to turn it around on the guy like it’s his damn fault.
“No, Liz. I wasn’t. I got on to pull up my email and it was on the front screen.”
“Oh, well no, I am not booking a motel. It was just an ad that popped up.”
“So, why was your credit card out? The one you only use for emergencies?” I force the issue because she isn’t giving me much and something isn’t adding up.
She looks at me and then loses it. She starts bawling her eyes out. I am talking full- on crying. I don’t even know what to think. Is she leaving me? What the fuck happened to make her cry like this?
I do the only thing I can do and move closer to hold her. She wraps her arms around me and bawls her eyes out. I can feel the snot dripping off her onto my shirt but I am not about to say anything right now. It’s breaking my heart to see her this emotional and not know what’s going on or how to fix it.
Bella walks in at this moment and I can tell from her soft voice she heard her mom crying. “Mommy, daddy. Are you ok?”
Liz sucks in her snot and picks her head up to wipe her nose trying to get herself together. “Nothing is wrong, angel, I promise. I am just really tired.”
Bella looks from me to her mom and says, “When I am so tired that I cry you always tell me to go to bed. Maybe you should go to bed.” God bless our sweet daughter. May she always stay this innocent.
Liz nods her head in agreement and says to me, “I think I am going to go lay down. Dinner is done. Can you take it out of the oven in fifteen minutes and give some to Bella?”
One, I don’t like how she never acknowledged the issue of the credit card and two, I definitely don’t like that my girl looks like the world has beaten her up and thrown her out in to the cold. However, now is not the time to get to the bottom of this, especially with our four-year old in front of us. So, I simply say ok and let her walk away from me.
When the
food is ready I dish it out, and Bella and I eat together in front of the television finishing up her movie. It’s something her mother barely ever allows so I know it will keep her entertained because she feels like she is getting away with something.
After the movie is over I give her a bath, read her a story, and put her to bed. Liz still hasn’t come out of her room so I tell Bella I am giving her two kisses, one from me and one from her mom. This makes her think. “Wait, if you can give me kisses from mommy can you give me kisses from other people?”
You would think after living with a four-year old the last few months I would see what’s coming but I don’t, and I fall right into her trap. “Ugh, I guess.”
“Great! I want a kiss from grandma. Oh, and a kiss from grandpa. Then I want a kiss from Auntie Kay…”
Twenty minutes and fifty kisses later – From everybody my four-year old knows to some people she doesn’t know like Cinderella, and she is down for the night.
I walk into our dark bedroom to find Liz sound asleep. I want to ask her what’s going on but I don’t have the heart to wake her up. So instead I strip down to my boxers and wrap my girl up in my arms praying whatever is wrong doesn’t involve her leaving me.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Liz
How I have managed to avoid the conversation with Cooper the last four days I have no clue. When he told me he saw the motels webpage and credit card I thought for sure I was screwed. Luckily when he mentioned them it reminded me that I am hiding my pregnancy from him which reminded me that Kayla won’t be there for me because she is moving, and then I remembered I am not allowed to tell Cooper, and so I lost it. Poor guy had no clue what to do. He definitely handled it like a trooper though; accepting my snot all over his shirt like it wasn’t even a big deal.
I can see it in his face that he wants answers but dammit I have made it to Christmas Eve and I am not going to give in now. After he gave me back my credit card I was able to book the flights and hotel, and purchase the Disney theme park tickets. I even had overnighted matching shirts that have our names on them: Mommy, Daddy, and Bella, and for the surprise I had put on mine below my name an arrow pointing down that reads “Plus baby”.
Everybody came over for Christmas Eve dinner and I have to say it was a bit awkward. I don’t know what has happened between Bentley and Kayla, since neither of them are talking, but man their emotions are flying high. It probably doesn’t help that Bentley brought a guest.
After everyone left Bella set out cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer along with a note telling Santa to fly safe. Now the three of us are sitting in Bella’s room while Cooper reads The Grinch That Stole Christmas to her. I had asked Cooper about the swing-set she wants and he said he has it covered. I haven’t seen anything in the backyard but if he says he has it covered, I trust him. When he’s finished reading the book we both give her kisses and tell her we will see her in the morning.
We go downstairs and begin setting out all the presents we have kept hidden in the gym. I am pretty sure there’s double the amount of gifts here than I bought. It’s Cooper’s first Christmas with Bella so I decide to let it go.
I am kind of shocked about one thing so I decide to bring it up. “You know, I thought for sure you would have had that puppy under this tree but I am pretty sure I don’t hear any barking.”
He just chuckles and shakes his head. What is he up to?
* * *
Cooper
Oh boy, if only this woman knew what I have been up to these last few days. She’s not the only one who can keep secrets. When she decided she wasn’t going to talk to me I had two options: Freak the fuck out and assume the worst or go all in. I chose the latter. If she has any intention of leaving me, I am going to make it hard as hell for her. I meant it when I said I am going to fight for this second chance, and if I go down at least I will go down swinging, knowing I have done everything in my power to show her how much I love her. So this is the part where I should tell you everything but… Nah. You will have to wait to find out like the rest of them.
* * *
Liz
“Mommy! Daddy! Santa came!” Cooper and I finished putting the presents out at almost two in the morning. Of course I never learnt of where the swing-set or puppy is, or if there is even one. Sneaky bastard.
“What time is it? I don’t even think the sun is up.” Cooper moans and places a pillow over his face before throwing it to the side and getting up.
“It doesn’t matter what time a child normally wakes up. On Christmas their brain wakes them up before five always.”
We make our way down the stairs and Cooper puts some coffee on and makes Bella a hot chocolate. We sit on the couch while she opens up her stocking first, and she is in heaven! There are new nail polishes, and candy, and tons of Barbie accessories.
Once she is done with her stocking she moves onto her presents. She gets excited about every single one and thanks us for the ones that have our names on them. I don’t think there is a single toy this child didn’t get for Christmas, thanks to Cooper.
When she gets to her last present her smiles falters for a second. I don’t care how good of a kid you have, when they realize they didn’t get the couple items they asked for they are going to be sad. It doesn’t make them spoiled; it makes them human. She opens the present and says thank you to the both of us.
Cooper looks way too happy with himself when he asks if she had a good Christmas. Bella says yes and then he tells her he has one more gift but it’s for all of us and it’s not here. I can see she gets her hopes up but she doesn’t mention it or ask.
“Before we get to your gift for all of us, I have one for all of us as well.” I say.
I pull a box from the back of the tree and hand it to Cooper and Bella to open. He smiles as she tears apart the wrapping paper and shakes the top off. Nestled inside are the three shirts I ordered. I made sure to put mine on the bottom.
Bella pulls them out and attempts to read them. She is not a great reader yet but she is definitely improving.
“Bella” she reads the first one. It has a picture of a Minnie mouse with a crown under her name. She doesn’t understand it yet but I think Cooper does because his smile widens.
Next she reads Cooper’s shirt. “Daddy” which has a mickey mouse on the front as well.
And finally she reads mine. “Mommy. And there’s an arrow pointing down. It says pl..us plus b.a.by. Plus baby?”
Cooper whips his head around back to me and with wide eyes asks, “Are you pregnant?”
* * *
Cooper
It killed me to watch Bella open all her gifts knowing the only three she asked for aren’t under the tree. I was able to take care of two of them but the baby part is unfortunately out of my control.
Liz telling us she has a gift for us definitely peaks my curiosity. This is the happiest I have seen her so it must be good. Bella opens the box and begins reading the name on the shirts. I see Bella’s shirt with her name on it and Minnie Mouse and I know right away we are going to Disney. Not only am I excited to experience this with my two girls but also it now makes sense why she was using her credit card and looking up hotels. Although, hopefully she has better sense than to book one of those nasty motels that were up on her page. She pulls out my shirt next which has daddy written on it with a mickey mouse under it.
Bella gets to her mom’s shirt and she’s struggling to read it but we both let her sound it out. “… Plus baby?”
Putting all the pieces together I go into shock.
“Are you pregnant?”
Excitedly, Liz nods her head, and Bella starts going nuts singing that she is going to have a baby brother or sister.
Grabbing her by her waist I give her a kiss, and then I move down to her belly and lift her shirt. It’s too soon for there to be a bump but I still have to kiss it. I look up with blurry eyes from the unshed tears and say thank you. This woman has just made me the happiest man in the world.<
br />
I stand up and ask how far along she is.
She laughs and says, “I’ll be nine weeks on the thirtieth. I suspected I was pregnant on Thanksgiving and had it confirmed the day we returned. I thought it would be fun to surprise you for Christmas along with a family trip for just the three of us but I didn’t realize keeping a secret from you for a month would be so difficult.”
Damn, now it all makes sense. The secret phone call and outing by herself, the way she has been up and down with her emotions, and going out of her way not to talk to me about her credit card. I am so glad I chose to have trust in us instead of flipping out. Now it’s my turn to give them my present, and with a baby coming it makes the present even better.
“Ok, you two get dressed. We are leaving in fifteen minutes.” They both look at me like I am stupid. Yeah, I know they will never get out the door in fifteen minutes but I still keep saying it in hopes they will one day get ready in under an hour. Please let this baby be a boy.
An hour later we are in my SUV driving towards the surprise and I text everybody to meet me there. This is more like four surprises in one. We pull up to the gated community and I pull my resident card out to swipe so I can be let in. It’s a temporary one until we get our barcode decals. I look over at Liz and she looks utterly confused.
* * *
Liz
When we pull up to a beautiful gated community I think maybe we are going to visit someone but then Cooper pulls out what looks like a resident pass and I am back to square one. We drive down a few roads until we get to a massive house on the left and Cooper turns into the driveway. Parked along the road are our friends’ vehicles. Maybe there’s a Christmas party going on here?
We all get out and Cooper takes a key out of his pocket to unlock the door. When he opens the door the cutest brown and black little puppy comes barreling down the hall and straight into Bella’s arms. She scoops her up and looks at her father with hope in her eyes. “Is she mine?”
“Yes, princess she’s yours. Merry Christmas.” And he kisses her on her forehead.