"Looks like your wish just came true, since you apologized." Santa Jonas took a step closer and put a gloved hand on Eric's shoulder. "Santa accepts your apology."
"As much as it pains me to say this, your ultimatum helped me two years ago. You forced me to see my rock bottom had arrived." Eric tossed a few coins in the well. He avoided looking at Jonas, so he watched as the coins made a splash and fell to the bottom.
"To be honest, I didn't think you'd do it. I was ticked off and wanted to make you squirm a little," Jonas said in a much quieter tone.
"Sorry your face got caught up in my rock bottom though." Eric half smiled.
Jonas shrugged. "It's in the past. Good to see you're working on things. Maybe you'll win the girl in the end. Take it from me. If you're persistent enough, and you do it with sincerity, it's worth it in the long run."
Eric nodded. "I'm trying. Speaking of getting the girl, I want to apologize to Robin, too. Tell her to call me, if you would."
"Sure thing. Oh, and Scrooge?" Jonas' eyes had a twinkle to them. "Merry Christmas."
Eric raised a hand in a wave. "Right back atcha, Santa." Then he walked away. He chuckled at Jonas' comment about Scrooge. This year, his changing attitude did resemble that movie. He'd been the Scroogey- was that even a word?- guy, and while he wasn't visited by real ghosts, he sure did have ghosts from the past, present and future stirred up in his life. Did that mean he'd get some sort of happily ever after version?
Maybe. All he had to do was work hard at it.
Chapter Seventeen
"What are you doing here?" Petra exclaimed, surprised to see Eric waiting for her when she arrived home. After a few more hours of decorating with her parents, she'd decided to head on home. The last thing she expected to find on her porch was Eric.
He stood. "Just wanted to come by and say hi, but you weren't home. I kinda got lost in thought sitting out here."
"Daddy!" Kinley squealed, running to hug his legs.
"We were decorating with my parents," Petra explained. Speaking of... "Hey, come on inside. I have a bit of a favor to ask you." No need to elaborate on it yet. She unlocked the door and let everyone in. "Kinley, put your bag in your room please, okay?"
"Kay, Momma!" She scurried off, doing as she was asked.
"So I-" Petra started
"I took your-" Eric said at the same time.
They both stopped, looked at each other, and laughed.
"You first," they said simultaneously, then laughed again.
"Go ahead, Eric." Petra took off her coat and went to hang it up in the small coat closet.
"I apologized to Cheyenne today and told her."
She whirled around in surprise. "About the accident?" That surprised her. Even if he did apologize to Cheyenne about his actions, she didn't think that he'd tell her what happened. Good for him.
"She was understanding and asked me why I didn't tell her that before."
"Feel a little better?" She stepped closer and took Eric's sweaty hands in her's.
"A little. I can't undo the hurts, but I can at least be better now."
"You're doing a great job," Petra reassured him.
"I also apologized to Jonas. I made a list of those I've hurt and want to do right by."
"Yeah?" Her heart did a little flutter at his progress. It took guts, especially for a man who didn't do well with talking. "I'm proud of you, Eric Jensen."
"That means a lot to me." He tugged on her hand, drawing her closer to him. He wrapped her in his arms. He smelled of cologne. He used to smell of cigarettes and alcohol, but now he had a scent that appealed to her.
Petra rested her head against his chest, wishing she knew what the future held for the two of them.
"So, what was your favor?" Eric's hand drifted from her hair down her back.
She groaned. "Well, I kinda said you and I would have dinner with my parents Wednesday night?" She made it out to be a question when it was really a statement, but it was in hopes Eric would agree.
"Your parents?"
"Yeah. Mom's friend saw us at the mall the other night, and I kept telling her you'd changed. I offered her up the chance to see for herself," she squeaked out.
Eric sighed. Uh oh. What did that mean? Was he angry?
"I'm sorry. I-"
"I'll do it."
She raised her head. Did she just hear him right?
He smiled. "Yes Petra, I said I'll come to dinner. Want me to tell you that a little louder? You've got this dumbfounded look on your face."
She squealed, throwing her arms around him and kissing his cheek. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
Eric chuckled again, then returned the kiss.
"Eww, cooties!" Kinley screeched.
Eric and Petra pulled apart and burst into laughter. "Get her!" They chased after their daughter, blowing kisses until they caught her.
"Who taught you about cooties, anyway?" Petra gasped. She was out of breath after they'd peppered Kinley's face with kisses.
"Ben did. He said we had cooties!"
Well, he was at that age. More than likely, Ben just wanted Kinley and Desiree to stop following him. Petra held back a laugh. "I'll get him and show him cooties next time," she promised.
For the next few hours, the three of them spent time together as a family. Then it was Kinley's bath and bedtime. Once she was down and lights out after a story, Eric followed Petra out of her room.
"Thanks for coming by today. That was fun." She pushed away loose strands of hair from his forehead.
"Glad you let me. I get tired of spending time alone," he replied quietly.
"One of my favorite Christmas movies is on tonight. How about I make some popcorn and a hot drink and you watch it with me?"
"You're slowly converting me. Shopping, Christmas movies ... What next?" he teased.
"I'll make a list, but I won't tell you." She called it a win. Petra loved the fact that he was going to stay.
Was she falling in love with the new version of Eric?
"I think I am."
"You think you are what?" Eric's brows rose in a V of puzzlement.
Oh shit! She'd said that thought out loud. "Umm ... making a list. I think I'm making that list. But first, popcorn." Petra bolted toward the kitchen, the heat creeping up in her cheeks. What a lame lie, but hopefully Eric wouldn't press her on it.
*****
So it wasn't a bad movie, but Petra hadn't mentioned it was a Hallmark sappy movie. At least there weren't many naked sex scenes in it, but it was definitely in the classification of sappy.
Still, cuddled up under a blanket with Petra, reaching a hand in the popcorn bowl at the same time, and her resting her head on his shoulder were more than worth it. Eric slid an arm around her shoulders and let her get more comfortable. The empty popcorn bowl was pushed out of the way, and she rested her hand against his chest. Just the feel of her hand there made him tingle.
"I love this next part." Petra's voice was just above a whisper.
Eric watched the movie, looking for what she was talking about.
Petra cupped his face and guided him to look at her. "No, I mean this part." She leaned in to kiss him.
He returned the kiss, his mind in a tailspin. When the kiss ended, he chuckled. "Thought this movie was your favorite."
"It is, but I've seen it three dozen times. Are you complaining?" She tilted her head to the side, studying him.
"Hell no," he growled, covering her mouth with his again. Their kiss was interrupted by the sound of Kinley crying. Eric and Petra pulled apart, and they both shot to their feet as they ran toward her room.
"Oh, baby," Petra said soothingly. A foul stench hit Eric's senses as soon as he walked in the room. Kinley had thrown up everywhere. "Okay, let's get you in the bath!"
Kinley was not a happy camper. She cried throughout the bath, throughout cleaning her up, and the poor kiddo was running a fever.
"Here, lay in Mommy's bed for a while so I can clean up yours." Pet
ra brushed Kinley's wet locks off her face.
"I'll clean it. Why don't you stay with her and let me take care of the mess," Eric offered.
Petra nodded and whispered a thank you, then crawled into bed next to Kinley.
Ten minutes later, he had her room clean, sheets and blankets in the wash, and everything scrubbed down with disinfectant. He put the cleaning supplies back under the sink in the kitchen where he'd found them and headed back to Petra's room. Kinley was pale, and she was crying softly. Petra wasn't in bed with her, but Eric heard her messing with something in the master bathroom. She rushed out, shaking a bottle of medicine.
"Let's see if this helps bring the fever down, or we will be spending the night in the ER." She opened the bottle, poured the medicine in the cap, and helped Kinley sit up to swallow the liquid. "This came on quick," she said to Eric while washing out the cup.
"Yeah, she seemed perfectly fine the whole time I was here." He glanced back at the bed with Kinley curled up in it.
"She was fine at Mom and Dad's, too. Maybe she just had too much sugar, but that doesn't explain the fever. My boss is going to kill me if I call out of work, but if I have no other choice..." She sighed. "I've missed a few days too many already and while he's understanding, there's only so much being lenient they can do."
"I'll stay with her then. If you're going to get in trouble, then I'll call off and stay here." Eric reached out for a shaken Petra.
"Are you sure?"
What kind of question was that? "Why wouldn't I be?"
"I don't know. I'm just in overload. Don't mind me," she muttered against his chest, holding on tight.
"Why don't you get some rest? I'll keep an eye on her fever."
"But-" Petra's eyes were full of worry. "What if she-"
Eric's shoulders sagged. "You don't think I can do this?" Granted, it scared the hell out of him, because Kinley was so tiny and fragile and so sick. But he could and would do this! He had to get past that traumatic fear.
"That's not what I meant, I swear it!" Petra stumbled backwards out of his arms. "I get super panicky when she's sick. I'm sorry. I'm not trying to doubt you."
"Then lay down and get a little rest. I'll keep her in here, and I'll lay down with you both. I just won't go to sleep," Eric promised. "You have a TV in here, and you have books. I'll occupy myself until her fever comes down."
Petra laughed. "They're romance books."
"As long as they're not weird ones like what I saw in the store, I think I can manage to read a romance."
"Thank you, Eric. I'm really glad you're here tonight." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
So was he.
Half an hour later, he was curled up under the blanket with Petra finally asleep to his left, and Kinley mostly asleep on his right. He placed a hand over her forehead, then her cheeks. She was burning up, though it seemed it had come down a little from what it was initially. He would take the thermometer and check in about fifteen minutes. If he kept up every hour at the same time, it would be easier.
Petra let out a long, deep sigh as she snuggled closer to him. Her long, ink black eyelashes stood out against her creamy skin. Eric had grabbed a book earlier, so he picked it up from the nightstand, careful not to wake either one of them up.
It was going to be a long night, but he'd do whatever he could to keep his family content.
Chapter Eighteen
Petra woke up startled the next morning when she realized she'd slept through the entire night. Never did she do that when Kinley was so sick! She shot out of bed, realizing that neither Eric or Kinley were next to her any more.
Something also smelled good!
She ran out of her room. Kinley was sitting on the couch half awake, but she looked a lot better. There were cartoons on, and she waved at Petra when she noticed her.
Eric was in the kitchen, and the sound of something sizzling on the stove alerted her that he was cooking something.
Petra checked Kinley's forehead first. Only slightly warm. So her fever had come down. Then she went to talk to Eric. "I can't believe I slept through everything. How was she?"
"Her fever was up and down all night, but it finally broke a few hours ago. She woke up in a sweat, so we cleaned up and moved out here to let you sleep, since Kinley couldn't fall back to sleep. I called my work and let them know I was staying home with our daughter today." He pointed at the stove. "I've got breakfast covered for you before you go."
He looked tired. His eyes were bloodshot, and he sounded out of it.
"I feel terrible about not getting up at all!"
He folded his arms over his chest. "Why? How many times did I leave all the hard nights up to you? It's only fair I start helping around here. Don't feel bad, Petra. You needed the rest."
"I really wish I didn't have to go in." She would love to just stay home and cuddle with Kinley, like they always did when she was sick.
"We'll be right here when you get back." Eric served breakfast on a plate and handed it to her. Petra smiled at all of his thoughtfulness this morning. She grabbed the orange juice from the fridge, poured herself a tall glass, then went to sit at the table.
"Kinley ate a little bit earlier, but she wasn't too hungry. I didn't press it much, because at least she ate. She's been drinking water," Eric informed her. He grabbed his own plate and sat across from her.
Petra was just about to take a bite, but stopped short. "Thank you. Thank you so much."
He held up a hand, a dark shadow crossing his face. "Don't thank me. I should have done this the right way the first time."
She couldn't agree more, but didn't say it. Eric had enough on his plate. He'd been trying and had succeeded. Maybe this time around, he really was making permanent changes. Maybe she could give in to what her heart was telling her and actually make a real go of a relationship this time.
*****
Eric pulled the thermometer out of Kinley's mouth with a sigh. After much resistance, she'd let him take her temperature. She was almost back to normal.
"Can I have candy now?" she whined.
He shook his head. "No, I think we'll skip the candy today."
She pouted. Her lower lip quivered, and Eric expected a wail. But this time, she surprised him. She just stomped off and went to play with a doll.
Most of the day went by pretty quick. Kinley's fever stayed down, though she was very cranky at times and didn't feel like doing a lot. There were times she had a full on meltdown where she cried until she almost couldn't breathe. Eric wanted to rip his hair out and cover his ears. Holy hell, he had to give credit to Petra for keeping her shit together when Kinley decided to throw a fit. This was the first major one he'd ever had to deal with on his own.
But he got through it.
His phone went off a few hours before Petra was due to be home. Eric didn't recognize the number. "Hello?"
"Hi, Eric. It's Robin."
"Did Petra get you to check in on me?" He held off his annoyance. He couldn't blame Petra for worrying, but she could just call him on her own.
"Umm, no. Not sure why she would. Jonas told me you wanted to talk to me. I got your number from Petra, but she never said anything about checking in on you, whatever that's supposed to mean."
"Kinley was sick last night, still is, and Petra couldn't miss work or she'd get written up. I'm here with Kinley. I thought- Well, never mind."
"Aww, poor kiddo. Hope she feels better soon. I guess that means we won't see her tonight for skating. So what is it you wanted?" Curiosity filled her tone.
"To apologize. I skipped this part earlier on, and I feel the need to do it now. So, I'm sorry for all the hell I caused you, too."
Silence came over the line. Robin exhaled. "Thank you for that, Eric. Good to see you're making progress."
"I'm trying."
"Yeah, for the first time, I can honesty see you are."
If only his parents, and Petra's, would see that.
"I'll ask Petra about the skating. P
robably not a good idea, but she'll know better than me."
"Okay. Take care, Eric."
He hung up the phone with Robin a few minutes later, peering back at Kinley. She'd fallen asleep on the couch again. Eric carefully picked her up and laid down, settling her to lay sprawled across his stomach. He closed his eyes for a little while and enjoyed he peace, also knowing that his daughter was content and resting.
*****
Petra finally made it home with aching feet, a pounding headache, and a need to see how Kinley and Eric were doing. He responded to her endless texts when she had a free moment, but seeing for herself would be the best cure.
Her heart skipped a beat at the beautiful sight walking in. Eric was on the couch, and she wasn't sure if he was actually sleeping or not. His eyes were closed, and on his chest lay Kinley. She had her thumb in her mouth, a little bit of drool running down her chin which spilled over to Eric's dark blue sweater, and he had his arms around her, hands resting on her back.
Before either one could move, she whipped out her phone and snapped a handful of pictures. Priceless. She'd have to get one printed out and framed. The last picture for some reason set the flash off, and Petra cringed as the area brightened. Eric opened his eyes and mumbled, then his gaze landed on her.
"Sorry," she said, sheepishly. "I don't know why the flash went off this last time."
Eric stroked Kinley's hair. "I didn't mean to fall asleep."
"It's easy to do sometimes after nights like that. I can take over if you want to nap or if you need to do anything else. How's her fever?"
"Getting lower. I think the worst is over," Eric whispered.
"No more throwing up?"
He shook his head. "She's been extra moody, though. I applaud you for not falling apart when she does. I was ready to accept baldness from pulling my hair out."
Petra laughed, crouching down to pick up her daughter. "She skipped the terrible twos, and it shows in the threes." Kinley's eyelids fluttered open, but she stayed quiet and rested her head on Petra's shoulder. "Hey, Little Miss, I think it's time to wake up so you sleep tonight." This was going to probably make her mad. Keeping her on a decent schedule was better, though.
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