A Different Christmas: Novella (University Park Series)

by CM Doporto

  “Wait here, I shouldn’t be too long.”

  The pain subsided and my stomach relaxed. I took a deep breath and exhaled, releasing the tension that had me coiled like a tight spring. “I think I’ll go home and lay down. By the time you get there, I’ll be relaxed and ready to decorate.”

  He eyed me for a moment. “Are you sure you can drive?”

  “Yes, those Braxton-Hicks don’t last long. And besides, they’re only practice contractions,” I started the car, “not real ones.”

  “If you say so.” He hesitated for a moment before stepping back. “If you have another one, you better pull over and call me.”

  “I will. Don’t worry.” I motioned for him to close the door. “It’s a short drive to the house.”

  “Be careful.”

  “I will.”

  Raven closed the door and I headed home. I didn’t have any more contractions as I drove, but my stomach hardened as soon as I walked inside of the house. Recalling what the doctor had told me, I poured myself a big glass of water and went straight to the recliner. After a few minutes, my body relaxed and I closed my eyes.

  “Lexi? Are you feeling okay?” Raven asked, taking the glass of water from my hand.

  I blinked at him and smiled. “Yes...I guess I fell asleep.”

  “No more contractions?”

  “None so far.” I sat upright and yawned.

  “We can put the tree up later if you want.” He handed me the glass of water when I motioned for him to give it back to me.

  I took a huge drink and lowered the glass. “I’d rather do it now, if that’s okay.”

  “As long as you’re feeling okay.”

  “I promise you, I’m good.”

  It didn’t long for Raven to set up the tree in our living room. We agreed to place it in front of the windows, which happened to be two sets of narrow French doors on each side of the front door. Those doors sold us on the house the minute we saw them. It gave it that French provincial flair, which was classic to New Orleans.

  We decorated the tree, talking and laughing with each ornament we hung. It reminded me of old times, when we would talk for hours about whatever. Learning more about each other and falling deeper in love. But those days were gone and we were on to bigger adventures — like careers, bills, and babies.

  “I like these decorations,” Raven said, holding up an ornament as it sparkled in the sunlight beaming through the transparent sheers.

  “I like them, too. They’re different. Eclectic and probably nothing I would’ve picked, but your mom kept eyeing them and the more I looked at the display, the more I wanted them.”

  “They are unique, but nothing beats our little Star Wars tree we bought last year.”

  “Oh, yeah. I almost forgot about our first tree.” I stopped, recalling the tabletop Christmas tree we bought at the comic book store. It was a week I’d never forget. Raven and I spent nearly seven days together, making love and losing ourselves in each other’s arms. “What happened to it?”

  He pointed to a black trash bag located behind a stack of plastic storage bins. “It’s right there.”

  “You saved it?” I walked to the bag and knelt next to it.

  “I sure did. I paid seventy-five bucks for that thing. I wasn’t about to toss it in the dumpster. Besides, those ornaments are going to be worth something, especially with the next movie coming out soon.”

  “Yeah, I think you’re right.” I stood the tree up and pulled down the plastic cover, dusting my hands. “We should display this somewhere, like our office.”

  “Really?” Raven’s voice elevated with excitement. “You don’t mind?”

  “Of course I don’t mind. Did you forget I’m a Star Wars fan, too?”

  “You’re too awesome, Lexi.” Raven extended his hand and helped me stand. “How did I get so lucky?” he asked, gathering me in his embrace.

  “I think the question is, how did we,” I pointed to him and then myself, “get so lucky.”

  “We’re two incredibly blessed people.” He placed a soft kiss on my lips.

  “We sure are, babe. Thank you for going to the doctor with me today and helping me decorate the tree. It means a lot to me.”

  “I wanted to, so you don’t have to thank me. And I’m going to spend the rest of the day with you. What do you want to do?”

  Happiness bubbled within me. Although I didn’t have anything planned, spending time with Raven would be fine with me. “I thought I’d watch TV and be lazy.”

  “That sounds great to me.”

  “So, if I turn it to the Hallmark channel and want to watch some girly Christmas flicks, you’re cool with that?”

  His nose scrunched, but he said, “Yeah, as long as I’m with you, I’ll watch whatever you want.”

  I laughed. “Yeah, right.”

  “Seriously, if that’s what you want to do, we’ll do it.”

  “I have a better idea.”

  “Oh, yeah?” His voice lilted.

  “How about we watch Star Wars, episodes one, two, and three?”

  “Oh.” His voice shifted and the disappointment was evident. “Yeah, we can do that.”

  “You sound so disappointed.” I led him to the couch and pushed him down.

  “I was kind of hoping you were going to say let’s go get naked and stay in bed, making love ‘til the sun comes up.”

  A flash of heat hit my checks, recalling his enticing touch and addicting kisses. “Sounds like something we’ve done before, but last year.”

  He pulled me on top of him and I straddled him, my huge belly preventing us from getting close. “That’s why we should do it again.”

  “I’d love to, but I’m not sure I can.” I ran my hands over my stomach. “I’ll be lucky to do it once before falling over tired.”

  He laughed. “If I tell you I have people coming over tomorrow to hang lights outside will that earn me any brownie points?”

  “Nope.” I slid off the couch to the floor. “But it will get you a blowjob.”

  His eyes lit up like I’d said something magical. “Really?”

  “Yes, really.” I ran my hands up his shirt, reveling in the contours of his well-sculpted stomach before hooking my thumbs under the elastic of his athletic pants. I ease them down, while licking my lips.

  “Damn, baby, I love you.” His hand dove into my hair as I slid his pants over his hips and gave Raven what he needed, and what I wanted to do for him.

  ***

  Raven

  “Damn it!” I stomped into the visitor’s locker room and chucked my helmet across the room. I blew it. Lost the game by throwing an interception in the last forty-five seconds. The one chance we had to win the game, and I screwed it up. Coach had already warned me he’d put in Rich O’Riley if I didn’t perform. And if that happened, I knew what else could happen: being cut from the team. I sat on the bench in front of my locker, head hanging low.

  “C’mon on, man. It happens.” Terrance placed a hand on my shoulder as he continued to give me words of encouragement. “We’ve all messed up before.”

  “True, but I don’t have room to screw up.”

  “No one does, but you can’t sit there and dwell on it. You gotta move on.” He removed his hand, clenching his fist. “Rise up, learn from it, and don’t look back.”

  “I know.” I gave a half shrug, not in the mood to hear it. “But that guy was right on top of you and I shouldn’t have thrown the pass. I know better.”

  “And I should’ve tried harder to catch it.”

  Terrance did what he could, but there was no excuse for my mishap. Just plain carelessness and lack of focus. There was nothing else to blame. The entire game, my focus had been off. All I could think about was Lexi. How she was doing and feeling. I hated being away from her and prayed she wouldn’t go in to labor while I was over seven hundred miles away.

  “You played well.” Richon held up his fist, waiting for me to meet it.

  I gave him a lazy bump
. “Not well enough.”

  “It was a close game. You did your best and we did what we could.” Richon might have been right, but deep down, I didn’t do my best.

  “I could’ve done better. My focus was off…” I broke my eye contact and stared at the floor. “I play better than that.”

  “We all do,” Richon added before walking off.

  A few other players tried to lift my spirits, where others mumbled and complained, keeping their heads low. The mood was bleak and I hated that I’d disappointed my teammates. What sucked was the fact that I’d busted ass for four days, studying film, learning the plays, working out with the trainers, and mentally preparing myself against Carolina. But they were number two in the conference and were favored to win. I let that stat mess with my head, instead of giving it my best effort.

  Coach Rush walked into the locker room and silence filled the air. My heart raced, unsure of what he was going to say or what to expect. With a deep breath, I braced myself for the blow. I was a grown man and I could take it. I had to own up to my mistakes and today was no different.

  “Tough game, guys. Tough game.” He shook his head and shoved his hands in his pockets. “But I’m proud of you. Each and every one of you.” His eyes scanned the room and then stopped on me. “Especially you, Raven.”

  Me?

  I shot him a ‘WTF’ look and waited to see what he had to say.

  “You went in there and executed the plan. Proved you knew the plays and did what you had to do to move the ball down the field. But in the end, Carolina was the better team today.” His shoulders rose and fell with each word. “But what I saw out there today was a true team effort. Gusto, motivation, and a pure desire to win.” He made a tight fist. “That’s what I want to see every week!”

  “Yeah!” A few of the players in the back agreed.

  I looked around, stunned at the words coming from Coach Rush’s mouth. Normally, after losing a game, he’d let us have it. What the hell had changed? Why was he giving us a pep talk instead? It didn’t make sense.

  “Defense, you held them and kept them from running up the scoreboard. Offense, you did well, scoring us three touchdowns and an onside kick. Special teams, your efforts were right on track, too. This loss could’ve been a huge, but we gave them a run for their money and proved we’re not going to stay in the number ten spot for long.” He circled the room. “Oh, no, we’re moving up, guys.”

  “Hell yeah!” the players agreed, raising their helmets to the ceiling.

  “Next week’s a bye week, but we don’t have time to slow down. We’re playing Chicago the week of Christmas. Best thing is we’ve got home field advantage and I know we can win.” He turned to me, pointing a finger. “Isn’t that right?”

  I squared my shoulders and sat upright. “Hell yeah, we’re going to win!”

  “Yeah! Let’s do it.” The locker room erupted into a fierce chant of roars and yells.

  “We can do it! We will win!” I agreed with them, pumping a fist in the air.

  Coach Rush clapped. “What do you say, guys?”

  We gathered around him, holding one arm up as our hands met his. “In New Orleans, we cook ‘em up just right and send them home, Cajun fried!”

  “Alright, guys. Shower, and we’ll see you on the bus in an hour.” Coach turned toward me. “Raven, let’s talk.”

  “Yes, sir.” I quickly removed my jersey and gear and placed them in my locker for the staff to collect. On the way to his office, I grabbed a towel, soaking it with the sweat dripping from my face. With each step I took, my legs shook and the ground shifted, threatening to swallow me whole. My gut told me not to worry. He wasn’t delivering bad news, but the demons, the ones I’d been learning how to ignore, were doing a number on me.

  “Come on in and shut the door,” Coach said, rounding the desk.

  Coach Randy was sitting on a chair, scrolling through his tablet and writing down something on a notepad. His brows knitted together and beads of sweat tinged his temples. His failure to acknowledge me caused my heart to beat faster, but I did my best to keep calm.

  “We wanted to let you know we’re proud of how you played today. Despite throwing an interception, you played well.”

  My heart flipped and I took a step back, nearly colliding with wall. “Thank you?” I said, but it came out more like a question than a statement. Leaning against the chair in front of me, I held on for support. “I’m not happy with the fact that we lost.” I pounded the top of the wooden chair. “I can play better than that.”

  “Show us,” Coach Rush said, reclining in his chair. “Talk’s cheap. We want to see results.”

  I shook my head, agreeing. “I will.”

  “Lift your chin up.” Coach Randy set his tablet on the desk. “You’re dragging it on the floor, Raven.”

  A slight laugh released from my mouth. “Trying, Coach. I’m trying.”

  Coach Rush stared me, straight in the eye. “You screwed up and we lost. Time to get over it.” He leaned forward and slapped the table, causing it to shake. “I need you to show me you can be resilient and get your head back in the game. Can you do that?”

  “Yes, sir. I can.” The words were hesitant to leave my mouth, but I forced them out with a believable tone. I was expecting Coach to tell me he was sorry, but O’Riley would be starting against Chicago. But from the way the conversation was going, that wasn’t the plan.

  “Good.” He relaxed back in his chair again. “You’re going to be working extra hard these next two weeks. Coach Randy is already preparing for the game.”

  “I’ve got some great ideas for plays and I want to review them with you when we get back.” The offensive coordinator tapped his stylus repeatedly on the cover of his tablet.

  “Of course.” I released the death grip from the chair, feeling the tension release. “I love talking strategy.”

  “I know you do, and you’re good at it.”

  I smiled. “Thank you.”

  Coach Rush glanced at the watch on his wrist. “Go shower and meet me in the press room in fifteen minutes. We’ve got an interview to do before we head to the airport.”

  “Will do.” I turned to the door and stopped. “Thanks, Coach Rush and Randy, for the vote of confidence. I promise I won’t let you or the team down again.”

  Coach Rush winked, and said, “Just show me on the field, Raven. Action is what I want to see.”

  “The winning kind,” Coach Randy added.

  I held up a fist, gave them a victory shake, and exited the office.

  The press conference wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. The reporters actually went easy on me, which was nice. As I sat on the plane, I thought about how far I’d come. The struggles and the ups and downs I’d face throughout my life. Half of them I could’ve avoided, but since I was dealt a shitty hand, I handled them as best as I could. I was working hard to get a new hand, and so far, the cards were looking great.

  Despite how things were going and support from my team and the coaches, the demons reappeared. The voices told me what a loser I was and how Coach was done with me, despite his pep talk. My days of starting quarterback were over just as quickly as they had begun.

  I would’ve believed the lies, but thanks to the sessions with Dr. Galen, I was handling them differently now. I had to. I’d worked too hard to get here. I wasn’t about to cower and let them win. Lexi needed me. The twins needed me. I was going to be the man Lexi needed and more. Most importantly, I’d be there for my children. Unlike me, they’d know their father.

  Chapter 8

  Lexi

  My due date was nearing and the holiday season was in full effect. Cassie came over a few times a week and we went to our favorite French bakery, binging on java and pastries. I had done well managing a healthy diet, but lost all control at the end.

  New Orleans had a unique, but eclectic hometown feel I quickly acclimated to. Local entertainment hung out on the corners playing Christmas music, which made it even mor
e festive. Cassie and I shopped at some of the boutiques and I looked for that perfect gift for Raven. I had an idea of what I wanted to buy him, but hadn’t found it yet.

  Despite her efforts to keep me preoccupied, it was hard to enjoy it. Maybe because Raven was gone most of the time, working long days as he prepared for games or watching video at night, studying his opponents. I did my best not to complain because this was his career and it came with the territory. I reminded myself constantly that during the offseason, Raven would be spending more time with the babies and me. That gave me something to look forward to.

  Tuesday’s doctor appointment went better than expected. Our baby girl, who was closest to my cervix, had turned, head down. Giving birth to them naturally was a viable option. The doctor said once she was delivered, she could do a special massaging technique to turn our son. She also warned me if complications arose, she would have to perform a C-section.

  Raven was supportive about me having a natural childbirth, but asked if they could induce me next Monday or Tuesday since it was his bye week. This would guarantee he’d be there with me. At first, I felt like he was being selfish, but I knew he didn’t have much flexibility. The doctor agreed and scheduled me for induction the following Monday. In six days, our babies would be here. It was a little nerve wracking, but exciting at the same time.

  The next day, I called my mom to let her know. The phone rang several times before she finally answered.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, Mom.”

  “Oh, hey, Lexi,” she huffed. “How are you doing? I’ve been meaning to call, but this week has been crazy. We had our annual Christmas Bizarre this past weekend and now I’m running like a mad women helping the church with their toy drive.”

  My mother was a stay-at-home wife who busied herself with every elite social club in North Dallas. If it allowed her to rub elbows with the well-knowns in the community, she did it.

  “Oh yeah, I guess it’s that time of year. I went to the doctor yesterday—”

  “And?” She quickly cut me off.