“Tonight, please, tonight?” he asked.
Chuckling, Jemma took his lips and kissed the life out of him. “We have the rest of our lives. I’m not going anywhere.”
Ryan was worried she’d change her mind and they’d be back to friend status. As far as Ryan was concerned, they were now in this for the rest of their lives.
“I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve you, but you’re my Christmas wish.” His thumb stroked along her lips as he said beautiful words of love.
“You’re mine, Ryan. Thank you.”
The rest of the day was spent doing the usual tasks that couples and children do. They watched television and played with toys. Simon’s parents visited for Christmas dinner and to give more presents to the children.
They really were a family.
On the mantel piece a picture of Simon stood, smiling, staring at the room. A true Christmas wish of having the family together. He may not be there with them in the physical sense, but he was present in the love in all of their hearts.
Epilogue
Five years later
“Come on, Jemma, the kids are waiting.” Ryan shouted up the stairs while the kids caused havoc around the house and on the porch.
“I’m coming, I’m coming,” she said. Ryan knew she would be trying on another jumper, trying to conceal the bump, which was now showing.
The past five years had been a whirlwind of activity. Jemma had become pregnant around that Christmas and had given birth to twins nine months later. Simon and Shannon had joined their family and had been welcomed with open arms. With the news of the twins, plus Billy, Megan and Sean, house hunting had been on the cards. Ryan gaining promotions at work and with Jemma working a few hours a week meant they’d been able to afford a mortgage on a small house but with room to extend. Four bedrooms, boys in one room, girls in the other and babies in a nursery, with one bathroom, a large open kitchen—it truly was a house for a large family. It had a full open garden, which had a small patch of garden right at the bottom that Ryan had turned into a small kitchen garden for Jemma. They intended to extend the house, but more money was required before they could get any way into that.
Before the twins were born, Ryan married her, which had been his dream for so long. A year after the twins were born they had a belated honeymoon, and nine months later another baby had come along, Isabella. With every new addition, Ryan had been worried Jemma would withdraw from him, but the complete opposite happened. Before his eyes Jemma thrived. Still, when he’d suggested she get a part time job, she’d been so relieved. Time away from the children was a necessity for her to feel like a woman. Ryan knew and understood how important that time was.
Ryan turned to watch as his beautiful, pregnant wife walked downstairs toward him. Her hand rested on her partially rounded stomach.
“Hello, sexy,” he said. He kissed her, laying a hand on top of her stomach, loving the swell of his child.
“I don’t feel it at the moment.”
Ryan knew she’d had trouble this time with the morning sickness, but the doctor had assured them she’d calm down, and her appetite would return.
Nuzzling her neck Ryan whispered to her. “When I get home and the children are in bed I’ll show you exactly how sexy I think you are.”
“Do you promise?” she asked, leaning into him.
Instead of answering Ryan pressed his thick cock next to her body, his need and desperation clear.
“I want you now,” she said, moaning.
“Mum and Dad are being gross again,” Simon yelled to his brothers and sisters. Ryan caught Billy’s eye, and he saw his best friend clearly in the boy’s face. He loved all of his children, and he loved being around Billy, Megan, and Sean. Each of them contained parts of his friend, whom he still loved and missed.
Silently, he offered a prayer to his best friend.
Thank you, Simon. Thank you for letting me be happy and trusting me with your family.
Simon’s picture still stood on the mantel, loved, cherished.
The End
www.samcrescent.wordpress.com
Other Books by Sam Crescent:
www.evernightpublishing.com/sam-crescent
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A Christmas Wish Page 5