by L Chapman
"Baby, I can’t just leave it."
"I don't want him to take my baby girl from me though," I reply.
"He won’t, hun. It’s Lucy, you, and I forever.” He grabs my hand. “She has had a great Christmas,” Mark says to comfort me.
“Right,” I say, regaining my composure. “Let’s go make snowmen.”
I grab my coat and gloves before heading outside to see Kate and Warren busy making large snowmen with lots of small ones all over the grass. Connor follows after them with a bag of carrots.
“I have noses for them,” he says as he runs over the grass to join them.
“You’re silly, Daddy. They are carrots,” Kate exclaims.
“There’s my scarf,” I tell her, pointing at Kate’s neck.
“It’s mine for now,” Kate says, giggling and holding it tightly.
I stand there watching them add the facial details to the last snowmen. They use gravels for the eyes and mouths and carrots for the noses.
“What are their names?” I ask.
“Crystal, Michele, Jennifer, Suzanne, Ella, Elle and Johnathan,” she says, pointing at each one in turn.
“Who’s Johnathan?”
“A boy at school.”
“Oh, do you like him?”
“Yes,” she says, covering her face.
Chapter Twenty-Three
We run inside and throw off our coats as the snow begins to fall again. As I’m checking on everything in the oven, there is a knock on the door. I place my new Christmas oven gloves onto the bar before walking to the door.
"Hi, Luke," I say as I open the door, finding him standing there in black jeans and a black fitted jacket with a black scarf wrapped tightly around his neck. He reminds me of an Army man.
"Hey, babe."
"Come on in," I say, pushing open the door farther.
"What’s with all the bags?"
"It’s Christmas, babe. Did you think I forgot about my sexy babe?"
“I’m not your babe,” I state. That still annoys the crap out of me.
“I know, but you are a babe, Megan. You’re a right little hottie. May I add that you look fantastic today, and I can see why Mark wants to fuck your brains out.”
“Luke!” I shake my head in disbelief that he just said that.
I contacted him a few weeks ago to give me a hand with part of a gift Warren is getting. He was the first person I thought of.
“Hi, everyone,” Luke says. “I have a few things to drop off.”
“Oh, do you?” Jenny says. I can see the worry in her face. I bet she is worried that Rich has something to do with the reason why Luke is here.
“Yes, I do, babe. Megan contacted me.”
“Oh,” Jenny says, leaning her head towards me.
“For you, Warren,” I say, passing him the bag that Luke brought with everything I needed.
“Oh my.” He looks inside the blue bag. “It’s guitar books on how to do everything, even some of those guitar pluckers. Oh wow! They have my name on. Thank you, how did you know?”
“Jenny told me. Look inside the envelope.”
Warren pulls out a black envelope with his name written on it in silver block letters. Opening it, he pulls out the cream paper.
“Oh, thank you so much! It’s for guitar lessons. I have always wanted to learn.”
“You’re welcome. If you’re ever stuck and need extra help, I’m sure Luke will give you a hand,” I state.
“Thank you,” he says, slipping everything back into the bag.
“One last thing. Look behind the sofa,” Jenny says, pointing behind him.
Warren stands up and looks behind it. He pulls out an oversized brown box and quickly opens it. “A guitar,” he says with a smile.
“Yes, for you, baby. Just want you wanted,” Jenny says.
“I have more presents,” Luke says, passing out bags to people. Jenny receives perfume, Mark opens a drawing set, Kate gets another dolly, Lucy receives an activity pad, and Connor gets some aftershave. It’s great seeing them open all the gifts and stand in excitement at what they received.
“Megan, babe, this is for you,” He says, passing me a pink bag.
“There was no need, Luke,” I say as I pull out a box. Opening it, I find a picture of Lucy from when she was about three months old burnt onto wood.
“I love it,” I say, wiping away the tears that have collected under my eyes.
“Glad you do.” He pauses. “Now, I’m going to get on. I have people to see.”
“Do you wanna take some Christmas cake with you?” I ask.
“Oh, yes, that would be great,” he says before sitting on the sofa next to Warren and teaching him a few cords.
I stand in the doorway with a tin in my hands. “This is for you, Luke.”
“Thanks, babe.”
“I hope you like it,” I say.
“I bet I will. It’s a shame that Brenda passed away last year, or she would have done it.”
Luke told me all about Brenda, his manager’s mum. She always kept an eye on them, making sure they had home cooked meals and anything else they needed. She had become a second mum to him. She had a sudden heart attack and died. She used to make him a Christmas cake every year, so I made him one to enjoy this Christmas. I just hope it’s good enough.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Let’s play Twister,” Mark says, pulling an unopened gift from under the tree and passing it to Connor.
“Let me guess what’s in here.” He unwraps it. “Oh, it’s Twister.”
“Well, I’m going to sort out the rest of the food and then I’ll be back,” I say, standing up.
“I’ll give you a hand,” Warren says, following me.
“Do you wanna take Daisy with you?” Mark bellows.
“Okay,” I say, bending down and picking her up. I pull her close to my chest.
“Shall I show you where the toilet is, Daisy?” I sit on the floor of the kitchen and place her on top of a puppy training pad.
“The Christmas pudding is ready,” I state, looking at Warren.
“Oh, is it? I love the stuff,” Warren says. “Do I have to tell anyone else that it’s ready?”
“Yes, you do, but they don’t have to eat it. Tell Jenny that I have a chocolate one for us if she wants some.”
“Mummy!” Kate screams she runs through the door and throws herself onto my knee. She is crying almost hysterically.
“What’s wrong?”
“My finger,” she says, lifting it up for me to see.
“Aw, do you need a plaster?”
She nods.
“Is she okay?” Warren mouths.
“She is fine. Can you get me a princess plaster out of that drawer next to you?” I ask him, pointing at the drawer.
“Princess Kate, this is for you,” he says, bending down and wrapping it around her finger.
Kate jumps up and runs back into the room.
“What happened there?”
“No idea. I think she cut it on the spinner.” He pauses. “Kate wants a mince pie, Connor. Mark and I will have Christmas pudding. Oh, and Jenny wants a blueberry muffin.”
“What a weird craving. She always hated blueberries,” I say, getting up from the floor. “I have homemade blueberry muffins, and I did some chocolate ones, too. It was my first time to make them, so she can try them and tell me if they’re good.”
I stand there, placing everything onto plates and sending them out with Warren. I quickly finish off the cooking and cover the sandwiches. I walk into the room with a bowl of chocolate pudding and ice cream. I’m so going to regret eating this much food. I just hope I don’t gain any weight. I know Mark says he loves me for me, but as I have gotten smaller, back to the real me, the more he has started to physically touch me.
“Megan, these muffins are amazing. Please tell me you have more,” Jenny says while rubbing her bump.
“I do. They are in a tin next door.”
Mark walks into the room, holding two small canvases
, facing him so no one can see what’s painted on them. “These are for you, baby.”
He spins them around, revealing the first picture he ever drew of me on one of them and the drawing he did of Lucy when she was first born on the other. “They are perfect,” I say, trying to hold back the tears. He is so talented. They look so good that you would think they were black and white pictures of the events.
“I hope you’re good at DIY, Mark,” Warren says.
“Yes, you will be hanging them tomorrow.” I wink.
Chapter Twenty-Five
“Come with me, Lucy,” I say, bending down and swiping her off her feet. I walk into the hallway and run up the stairs to find Warren sitting on the ottoman at the side of the stairs, looking down at his phone.
“What’s wrong?” I question.
“Nothing,” he replies.
“Tell me the truth,” I say, taking a seat next to him.
“My ex lost a baby on Christmas Eve last year, so today has been very hard on me. I really don’t know if she was pregnant or not. She told me she was and then the next minute she left me. She just said the baby was dead, and it was all my fault. But, she was sleeping with an ex-college mate of mine named Branden. He’s everything a girl wants—money, brains, and a six pack. He’s a total show-off. I have the so-called scan picture of the baby, but I’m not sure that it’s real. Someone told me she had done it before to another guy. She is supposed to be on the pill, but I just don’t know.” He looks up at me. “It’s a blessing though because I have Jenny now. She’s a woman that I have such amazing feelings for, but I still wonder. I wanna know the truth. I do want to know if the baby was mine, and I also want to know if Jenny’s is mine.”
“Have you ever asked your ex?”
“Yes, loads of times. She will not give me a straight answer; she just says, ‘if I did, it’s your fault anyway.’”
“Honestly, I would think of happy times because you may never know the truth,” I say, wrapping my arm around him.
“Thank you, Megan.”
“You’re welcome. Now, I’m going to change this little miss.”
“Can you show me how to change her?” Warren asks.
I stand up, making Lucy take steps along the floor and holding her hands while walking behind her. “Of course, sorry about the view.”
Warren laughs. “I hadn’t really noticed it, but now I have. Have you got on underwear?”
“Oi! Cheeky twat, yes, I do.”
“Sorry, I had to ask.” He pauses. “What do I need?”
“Nappy from over there and the wipes are below the changing table. Do you want to pick out a Christmas baby grow from that drawer? We’re going to get her changed, and then she can just get messy again,” I state, lifting Lucy into the air and making her giggle.
I stand there watching Warren, telling him every little bit. He soon gets the hang of what he is meant to be doing. I leave him to change her clothes with no worries; he knows what he is doing. I can trust him. I still don’t know what to do about John. I can’t have him after my daughter, and I definitely can’t have him saying nasty things to her in the future. Yes, she is our child, but why can’t he be an adult? He did the damage himself. I feel a tear begin to roll down my cheek.
“Will you be okay here?” I ask.
“Yes, then we can go and get those stockings opened,” he says, tickling her tummy.
“Thank you, Warren. I’m going to take a five-minute walk. I need some time to myself,” I inform him.
I creep downstairs and grab my coat. I walk straight out of the back door. I slip my phone into my pocket and just walk. There are so many lights on; some people have decorated their entire house, while others just adorned the simple tree. Snowmen of all different shapes and sizes are dressed up in varied designs. They line the streets like soldiers, protecting the houses. I can’t help but smile.
I reach into my pocket and pull out my phone.
“Hi, Mark.”
“I’m okay. I needed five minutes to myself.”
“What? It’s been an hour already?”
“I’m on my way.”
I can’t believe I have been gone an hour. I don’t even remember how I got here. I look up to see miles and miles of fields with animals in them. I turn around and start walking. It takes a while before I notice anything familiar. I hear my phone chirp, alerting me of an incoming text.
Baby, I’m getting worried. X
Mark, I’ll be home soon. I had walked farther than I thought. Can you get the food out on the table for me? Then, everyone can start eating. X
I turn onto the path that goes down to my house and see Mark standing there. He’s been waiting for me. Running to me, he grabs me firmly around the waist. “I thought you were gone,” he says, pulling me closer.
“No, I needed time to think. I just don’t know what to do with the John thing.”
“Forget him. He can’t touch you or Lucy. We will cross the rest of the bridges when we get there as a family.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
It’s so nice to be back inside the house. I didn’t realise how cold it was outside. I finish helping Mark place the food onto the table, re-arranging everything to make space. I set out the plates and send Mark to get everyone. The best thing about Christmas Day tea is you just have what you want, where you want it. I just want onions. Yes, I’m weird, but onions and cheeses on a cocktail stick are the best, or as I always call them, things on sticks. Some have pineapple on a stick as well, but I don’t like them. I place the tins of mince pies and muffins on the side. I even open the Christmas cake and cut a couple of slices.
“That cake looks amazing,” Mark says.
“Thank you.”
“You’re amazing, baby.” He pauses. “Warren, she handmade it with no machines at all.”
“That’s how you get the love into it,” I say, lifting my shoulder.
Sitting on the sofa in the lounge, I look around at everyone as they eat and chat. They are laughing and looking relaxed. Kate is feeding her dolly in her high chair. Lucy is trying to throw food from her high chair; she is turning into a right monkey. I’m very impressed that she hasn’t needed a nap today. I can feel the love in the room. I don’t need anyone else.
I lean over to Mark. “Kate called me mummy earlier,” I whisper.
“Aw, bless her.”
“Have you managed to sort the custody stuff for Connor?” I ask.
“The paperwork should be here in the next few days.”
“Thank you,” I say.
“Don’t thank me.” He kisses me on the forehead.
“Read to me,” Kate says, running to me with one of her new books. I shuffle back in the chair and start to read, getting Kate to help me by pointing at the pictures to fill in the blanks. Mark sneaks out to take Daisy outside for a wee. Bless her. It’s too cold to be out there. Warren stands up, taking Lucy from her chair and places her onto the floor. She uses her new toy from Luke to stand up and starts walking towards me with nothing in front of her.
I sit there watching her, not saying a word because I’m totally speechless. My baby did it. My baby is finally walking.
“Hello, Lucy,” I say as she grasps hold of my knees. “You did it.”
I turn her around and she walks again, but loses her balance and falls to her knees. She crawls to the toy, stands up and does it again. Mark stands in the doorway, pulling out his phone to record her.
“Call Annabella,” he says.
“Okay, I don’t want to ruin her day.”
“She will want to know.” I do as he says and ring her.
“Hi, Annabella, Merry Christmas. Lucy just walked all on her own.” I place her on the loud speaker so everyone can hear.
“Oh wow! That’s amazing.”
“Isn’t it just?”
“Congratulations, Lucy.”
Mark sits and tells her all about the amazing day he has had and all the presents and games everyone has received.
I place the phone on loudspeaker. "Annabelle, you’re on loudspeaker."
"Oh, great! Hi, everyone."
"Hi, Annabelle," Jenny says.
"How are you all doing?" Annabelle asks in an ecstatic tone.
"We are great. Bump is getting bigger," Jenny says. They met a few weeks ago and clicked right away. I knew they would, no question about it.
"That's wonderful. How is that sexy bar man of yours doing?"
"I'm doing well," Warren speaks up.
"Oh, crap! I didn't know you were there," she says, giggling.
"It's okay," he replies, amused.
"Did Kate like her present?"
"What present?" Kate says, jumping up and down.
"The one behind the door," I answer, pointing at the door. "I thought it would be more special for you to hear her reaction."
Kate grabs it and unwraps it very quickly. "A princess!" she shouts.
"Yes, open it," I say.
"Her face is a picture," Connor chimes in.
Inside the princess carrying case are loads of all different coloured paper, crayons, and everything else she needs to do drawings.
"What do you say?"
"Thank you!" she yells in a high-pitched voice.
"Have you had a good day?" Mark asks.
Annabelle tells us about her day. Even though she says it has been mostly uneventful and quiet, she has enjoyed lots of food.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
"Oh, you will so have to come to my place on New Year’s Day. I plan to cook my favourite," Mark says.
"You what?" I ask surprised because this is the first I have heard of this.
"Mac and cheese with a twist," he says.
"Baby, any other day, yes, but not for a special day," I say.
"Ha-ha, mate, she has you wrapped around her finger," Warren says.
"Well, I'm not doing anything. Warren will be working, and I'm not partying," Jenny says.
"Join me. We can have a onesie party," I respond.
"That's pregnant friendly," she says, rubbing her bump.
"And kid friendly, too. Connor and Mark can go out," I add.