a Beautiful Christmas

by Ember-Raine Winters

  April was sulking as she stirred the stuffing. “Why do we have to do this?” she asked in her typical teenager attitude.

  “Because. We are having a typical Thanksgiving dinner. Stop pouting.” She scowled at me and I laughed it off.

  “April, stop being a brat,” Peyton said exasperated. “Mom loved the holidays; she would have wanted us to have a normal Thanksgiving.”

  April deflated at the mention of Beth but nodded and continued helping Kate with dinner, thankfully keeping her caustic comments to herself. I could hear the audible sigh that escaped every now and then, but she didn’t let them fly. I smiled over at Peyton. She was the strongest twelve-year-old I’d ever seen. While all the other kids were freaking out, she was trying desperately to hold her siblings together. I was so grateful for her, but I was sad at the same time. It shouldn’t be a twelve-year-olds responsibility to feel she needed to keep her family stable. She should be able to be a kid.

  When dinner was done cooking, the boys helped me set the table and we sat down. Beth and Will had never been religious, but Beth’s rule was for everyone to think of something that we were thankful for before eating.

  “Pey, what are you thankful for?” Kate asked when we were all seated.

  “I’m thankful for you and Uncle Adam,” she said and I smiled so big, thrilled she felt that way. April scoffed loudly.

  “Do we have to do this? I’m finding it hard to be thankful.”

  “Are you serious, April? If it weren’t for them,” Peyton scolded, “do you know where we would be right now?”

  “It’s okay, Pey,” I said but she cut me off.

  “No, Uncle Adam. We would be in foster care. They would have split us all up and we would never see each other!” Peyton fumed and gave her sister a glacial glare. “We would have lost everything if it weren’t for them.”

  “Oh yeah? Well maybe I don’t care. Maybe I just want my parents back.” The anger in April’s voice was almost believable if I hadn’t seen the tears beginning to well in her eyes and her lip starting to quiver.

  “That’s not gonna happen so you need to get over yourself. I miss them every day, but you don’t see me cutting my hair and dying it all kinds of weird colors. You’re the oldest, you’re supposed to be the strong one, but no, you’re being a sulky baby and making me do it for everyone!” Peyton yelled across the table, tears streaming down her face. The look of shock on April’s face would have been comical if it hadn’t been such a supercharged argument.

  I started to say something, but Kate shook her head. She was right, we needed to let them work out their disagreements on their own.

  “Whatever, Peyton.” April sneered, pulling back the emotion that had been there not moments before. I deflated—that was not how I saw that ending. April was more stubborn than I realized.

  The rest of dinner was uncomfortably quiet no matter what Kate and I did to try and lighten the somber mood. Kate looked like she wanted to cry and I hated it. I hated seeing her upset like that. I also hated the wide-eyed looks on the boys’ faces when Peyton mentioned foster care. That wasn’t something they ever had to worry about. I would make damn sure of it.

  “Can I be excused?” April asked me. She’d hardly touched her food.

  “No, you’re on dish duty.” She opened her mouth to argue, but after looking at me she thought better of the argument she was about to start. Good. She was learning not to mess with me.

  “Fine.” She got up with her plate and stomped into the kitchen.

  Peyton got up and followed her to the kitchen with her plate as well and started to help her clear everything from the table. She was such a good kid, I was glad her parents bought her a phone for Christmas.

  Later that night, I was putting the boys to bed and Jace looked up at me with tears in his eyes. “You’re not gonna leave us, are you Uncle Adam?”

  “What? Of course not.” I sat down on the side of his bed and ruffled his hair. “You guys are stuck with me.”

  “But, Mommy and Daddy said they would never leave us too.” He climbed up into my lap and Jax hopped on the bed and sat next to me.

  “That was an accident. They would have never left you.”

  “But what if an accident happens to you or Auntie Kate? Will we have to go to foster care?”

  “Hey, nothing will happen to us and you’re never going to foster care. You see this?” I said pulling up my pant leg to show him my prosthetic leg. “Do you know where I got this?”

  “You went to war,” Jax said quietly.

  “Yup.” I put my arm around Jax and pulled him a little closer to me. “I did and you know what? If I could survive that, I can survive anything. None of you have to worry. I’m here to stay.” I hugged each boy goodnight and tucked them into bed.

  “I love you, Uncle Adam,” the boys said at the same time.

  “I love you guys too.”

  I walked out the door totally blown away, not only by their ability to confess their fear, but also by the knowledge that I would never leave, never want to, ever.

  Passing by the girls’ room, I heard Peyton hiss, “What if they decide they don’t want us anymore because of you?”

  “Uncle Adam and Aunt Kate wouldn’t do that,” April said, but she didn’t sound convinced.

  “If you don’t stop being a jerk they might. I wouldn’t want to put up with you if I didn’t have to. I know you don’t care if we all get split up but maybe for once you should think about someone other than yourself.”

  “Peyton…”

  “No, April. What about the boys? What do you think will happen to them if they get separated? For someone who tries so hard to prove she’s grown, you’re acting more like a child than our six-year-old brothers!”

  Peyton stormed off to her room and slammed the door. “She’s a tough kid.”

  April jumped and turned to look at me. Just after Peyton stormed out, I slinked into the room, standing by the edge of the door. “Did you hear all that?”

  “Most of it. Are you okay, April?”

  “What do you care? Are you gonna leave? Get tired of me and take off?”

  “April, we are doing everything we can to help you all get through this. We aren’t going to bail on you.” I didn’t know what to say to reassure her. She still didn’t look convinced. “Fight and yell, argue and throw fits all you want, you won’t push us away.”

  “Whatever.”

  “If that’s what it takes for you to heal, then do it. If that’s what it’s going to take for us to prove it to you,” I said looking her directly in the eye, “then do your best.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  KATE

  It was the next morning and I was lying in bed thinking about the events of the day before when I got a frantic call from Casey about the materials for Alexis’s new line.

  “There’s a problem with the factory that’s making the materials, and they say it will be an extra week to get all the banners changed to the new colors.”

  Jumping out of bed, cellphone in hand, I grabbed a robe and started pacing. “There’s no way to get them to speed it up?”

  “No. Something about union workers going on strike. The only people who are working are the managers who aren’t striking, and they’re backed up over a week.”

  “Tell them I’ll pay them double if they can get it done in three days.”

  “I tried that. They said there’s no way.”

  “Shit.” Alexis was going to kill me if I didn’t get her new designs done in time for fashion week. “Did you call around to see if there is another place that can do it?”

  “For the amount of product we need and how fast we need it? You’re kidding right? I got laughed at a couple times. The rest were kinder, but I think they were more shocked than anything that I had the gall to even ask.”

  “Shit. A week puts it right at the start of the expo,” I groaned. “I guess I’ll be calling Alexis.”

 
“Good luck,” she whispered into the phone.

  “Thanks, I’m gonna need it.”

  I needed caffeine before I dealt with Alexis; it was not going to be a pleasant conversation. When I got to the kitchen, Adam was standing in front of the stove with a skillet in one hand and a spatula in the other flipping pancakes.

  “Those smell good,” I said startling him. He turned and smiled.

  “Have a seat. They’re almost ready.”

  “Thanks, but I have a crisis on my hands.” I walked to the fridge and pulled a diet soda out. It was my only vice. Coffee was bitter and gross even with cream and sugar in it.

  Adam walked up behind me and wrapped his big hands around my hips. “Do you need a little stress relief?” he asked kissing the column of my throat.

  “That sounds great, but you’re gonna burn the pancakes.” I turned in his arms and kissed him softly.

  “Shit you’re right.” He pecked me on the lips and went back to his pancakes.

  “What do you have planned for today?” I asked, popping the top off the soda and taking an energizing sip.

  “Hang out around here. I still need to find those letters, and I need to look for some things to do with the kids.”

  “I heard Big Bear is getting some snow. We could take the kids up there for the first weekend in December.” Getting the kids out of the routine of the house and school sounded like a good idea, in my head at least. “What do you think?”

  “Yeah, that sounds great. I’ll check it out when I’m looking stuff up later,” he said flipping a pancake high in the air.

  Two hours later, I clomped in the office filled with dread. The phone call to Alexis was plaguing me, so I called the factory owner first hoping I could negotiate a better timeframe. Hanging up the phone, having to pay his employee time and a half, was a necessary evil in order to keep the owner of a multi-million-dollar company happy.

  “Good morning, Alexis,” I said after she picked up the phone.

  “Ms. Nichols. I hope we don’t have a problem.”

  Strengthening my resolve I continued, “Well there has been a tiny issue with the banners. They won’t be done for three days.”

  Silence.

  This is not going to bode well.

  “And, how long does it take to ship to Milan?”

  “Five days.”

  “This is unacceptable.” She pounced. “You must bring the materials here. I will see you here in four days.”

  “But…” I started to argue before I realized the line had gone dead. “Shit. I can’t fly off to Milan.”

  “Milan?” Casey said as she walked into my office.

  Tapping the pen against my desk, I groaned. “She wants me to take everything for the displays to her personally in Milan.”

  “You love Milan,” she said, clearly not getting the problem.

  Looking up at my assistant, I tried to explain. “I can’t just leave Adam with the kids and jet off to Milan, Case. The kids already think we’ll leave them in foster care. It’s a really bad time at the house right now. Adam has been doing most everything, while I’ve been stuck with the Italian biatch.”

  “Oh.” Realization finally dawning. I didn’t blame her. She was twenty-three, looking at life through rose-colored glasses I wish I still owned. “What are you gonna do?”

  “She didn’t give me much choice. I have to go,” I said getting out of my chair and grabbing my purse.

  “Where are you going?”

  “I need to go shopping. If I don’t do it now, I’ll run out of time before the first when we start our twenty-five days of Christmas thing,” I said absently, thinking of things I could pick up and mentally preparing the list of where to go, on Black Friday of all days.

  “Your what?”

  “Adam came up with a great idea. We decided to do twenty-five days of presents leading up to Christmas Day, and then on Christmas we’re going to take them on a scavenger hunt to find a special present from their parents. We’re hoping the whole thing will lift their spirits and maybe can move us all forward out of this persistent gloom.”

  “That’s an awesome idea! If you need any help getting presents, I’m the best shopper.”

  “Thanks. Actually, that would be great. I have no idea what to get these kids.” Casey ran out of my office to get her bag, while I shut down my computer and sent a quick text to Adam to let him know what I’d planned. I’d leave the Milan thing until he and I had a chance to speak later that night.

  “Well you probably want to do small things like lip gloss and costume jewelry for the girls and army men and rubber spiders for the boys,” Casey chatted away as we made our way to my car.

  “No rubber spiders.” I shuddered remembering the last incident with the spider.

  The afternoon was successful, and I'd felt good about the progress I’d made. We found all kinds of things for the kids, and I kept my mind off the fact that in four days I would be flying around the world and leaving the kids with Adam. I only planned to stay over there for a day. Two days max, but I really didn’t have a choice. If I lost Alexis as a client, the senior partners, who were typically lax with me, would still skewer me. Losing a job was not an option, considering there were four kids depending on me now.

  I had gotten ten small things for each of the kids, and I planned to stay up that night wrapping them after the kids went to bed. I realized as I drove home that I was freaking out over nothing. Adam could handle the kids for a day or two alone. He was the one who’d taken on the majority of the childcare, while I was working to help us financially. Besides, he was a better cook than I was and seemed to have a gift for handling parental crisis. This wasn’t going to be nearly as bad as I thought.

  “Hey, where’re the kids?” I asked Adam as I walked into the kitchen.

  “They’re in their rooms.” He turned from the stove. Whatever he was cooking smelled amazing. “How was your day?”

  “I got some bad news,” I said and he stopped stirring whatever it was that he was making and walked over to wrap me in his arms.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “That very difficult client, the one that’s been calling me non-stop. Well, she told me today that I have to deliver all her display materials personally to her.”

  “That’s not a problem, right? I mean, how far is she?”

  “Milan. I leave in three days.”

  He looked at me warily for a beat. “How long will it take?”

  “Two days at the most. I’d love nothing more than to go, drop the stuff off and get on the next plane back, but you know that won’t happen. She’ll demand I come to her office there. Sit down while she complains about how I do my job. How things aren’t going as well, blah, blah…”

  He leaned his head down to touch my forehead with his. “Kate, I can hold down the fort for a couple days. Just make sure dragon lady has you back for the big weekend trip.” He smiled at me reassuringly and I could see the excitement in his eyes as he continued, “I booked a cabin up in Lake Arrowhead and I figure we can go up next Friday after the kids get out of school.”

  “That’s great, I’m sure they will love it.” I pecked him on the lips. “Wait until you see what I picked up today amongst the hordes of people at the mall. You wanna help me wrap some presents after the kids go to bed tonight?”

  “I can think of something I’d rather unwrap,” he whispered seductively. He pulled me closer and I could feel his hardness up against my stomach as he kissed me forcefully. I always loved kissing Adam. I loved him. The realization that I had never stopped loving him all these years hit me like a ton of bricks and I threaded my fingers through his hair as he deepened the kiss.

  “Ewww.” I heard two little voices say in unison and we broke apart chuckling.

  “That can be arranged too,” I murmured back and his eyes flashed with desire.

  “Auntie Kate, why were you kissing Uncle Adam?” Jace asked in horror.

&nb
sp; “It’s something adults do sometimes when they really like each other,” I replied and saw Adam smile. “You’re mommy and daddy kissed, right?”

  “Yeah, but not like that,” he replied making a disgusted face.

  “You’ll get it someday kid.” Adam laughed and placed his hand on my hip. Both boys’ eyes followed the movement and I giggled when they said “gross” and ran away.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  ADAM

  I put on a good front for Kate, but I was kind of worried about being on my own with the kids. They still weren’t comfortable and they were worried we would up and leave them. Kate, flying halfway around the world just after all this happened, might scar them even more. The counselor did say that we needed to live our lives as normally as possible, but I had a feeling this could do more harm than good.

  I was quiet most of the night. Pretty much just in my own head while I tried to think of ways to soften the blow to the kids.

  “I have something to tell you guys,” Kate began. “In a couple days, I have to go on a short trip.”

  The table was too quiet after that. The kids all looked at each other warily. “It will be okay, guys,” I added. “Kate will be back in a couple days. We can manage for a couple days, right?”

  “Where are you going?” Jax asked softly.

  “I have to go to Italy for work, and I promise I’ll be back before you know it.” She smiled reassuringly, but none of them looked convinced. They all nodded and got up to clear their plates looking despondent. “I don’t want to go.”

  “Can’t you send someone else?”

  “I can’t. She expects me to bring it personally and if I don’t, I could lose a major client. We’re talking a multi-million-dollar contract.”

  “It’ll be all right. The kids will get over it as soon as they see you come back. Maybe then they will realize that we aren’t going anywhere.”

  “I hope you’re right,” she sighed, putting her hand over mine. I squeezed it lightly in support, hoping she knew how much I would stand behind her.