by B. A. Wolfe
Aidan blinked as he eyed the watch, his hazel eyes full of pure love as he peered up at me. He pressed his lips together and stared back down at what I imagined was his new most prized watch.
“Daddy, you okay?” Jase put his face so close to Aidan’s that their noses touched. Aidan’s Adam’s apple bobbed before he opened his mouth to speak. Pulling Jase into his chest, he nodded. “Daddy is more than great, buddy. I love my watch, Robin.”
“Yay,” Jase cheered. He pulled away from Aidan’s long arms to return to his toys.
Buckling the strap around his wrist, Aidan gazed down at the shiny black and yellow face of the watch and grinned. “Perfect,” he muttered. His line of vision met mine.
I smiled back at him. It wasn’t the gift I had specially picked out for him, but it was one he loved and that was more than I could ask for. “I love you,” I whispered.
“I love you more, Sweet Tea.”
“Sanna eat all the cookies?” Jase’s disappointed voice grabbed both of our attentions. His bottom lip quivered as he ran toward me.
I tilted my head and pushed an unruly piece of his hair away from his eyes. “Yes, sweetie. He ate all the cookies. And he drank his milk, too!”
Tears welled in his sad gaze. My son was about to burst into tears at the mere thought of Santa eating his cookies and milk.
“But why?” His palms lifted to his sides as he shook his head. “He not share?”
I giggled and pulled him to me, and wrapped my arms around his soft pajama-clad body. Pressing my lips to his hair, I mumbled, “That’s his special treat, Jase. He leaves presents and we leave cookies and milk.”
“Mean Sanna. Not share with Jase.” His small voice muffled into my shoulder.
Aidan scooted beside us. Jase left my embrace and threw his arms around Aidan. “Daddy . . . Sanna need time out.”
Aidan’s low chuckle rumbled around us. “How about we have cookies and milk for breakfast? I think Santa left some in the kitchen.”
Jase gasped and jumped back from Aidan. “He did?”
I shot Aidan a stern look and shook my head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
His brows rose high and he shrugged, mouthing the words ‘it’s Christmas’ to me.
“Pease, Mommy?” Jase spun around and faced me, his eyes pleading with me to give in.
I wasn’t winning this battle, and what the heck did I have to lose. It was a holiday, and if it meant Jase smiled today, so be it.
My stomach growled. “Cookies for breakfast, it is,” I agreed.
Our first Christmas morning was spent around the tree, showered with wrapping paper, and stuffed with cookies and milk. There was still no sign of Aidan’s special gift, which had my pulse racing, but I knew deep down it hadn’t grown legs and walked away. His gift had to be inside the house, I just had to remember where I hid it.
Jase busied himself with a toy tractor, driving it over the torn paper and boxes. He wore his new cowboy hat Aidan had found him a few months back. It was black and reminded us both of a certain special someone.
“Toons?” Jase twisted around and eyed us both, his tractor lost in a mound of tissue.
“Sure, buddy. I’ll put on some cartoons.” Aidan reached for the remote and turned on the TV. A special news report popped on the screen instead of Jase’s normal cartoons.
“The snow we had expected today has turned much heavier than anticipated. If you are just now joining us, we have a blizzard sneaking into the eastern part of the state, hitting Keaton hard today. We expect upward of forty-eight inches of snow by midnight. Please be advised, the roads are dangerous and only getting worse throughout the day. It’s suggested you stay indoors and only travel if necessary. We anticipate up to four feet of snow by tomorrow morning. This blizzard is not bringing folks the jolly day they’d hoped for. This year the term white Christmas is sure one that isn’t wanted.”
Aidan was silent as he pushed up into a standing position. He practically jogged toward the window neither of us had bothered to look out yet this morning. We lived in a small town; snowstorms happened, and when they did, the city simply shut down. But that wasn’t an option today. It was Christmas and we had family coming over, a refrigerator of food to cook, presents to open, hugs to give.
Aidan’s brows pulled together; his hand relentlessly rubbing over his forehead as he grabbed our house phone.
“Mom?” I sighed. My gut already knew he would call them immediately. They’d be just as worried. He huffed loudly and then glanced out the window. “I know, Mom. They said we’d get a light dusting today, not a damn blizzard. I don’t know what to do.” Air blew through his flared nostrils as he paced. “I’ll come get you guys. Mom, it’s fine. I have the truck and I just had new tires put on.”
A spark of hope perked my senses. He could go get them, we would still have Christmas. But was it safe?
Aidan’s loud huff halted my thoughts and I strangled my hands in my lap. “I know you guys live close and dad has a truck too. But what about Grandma Maggie?” He froze, dropped his hand from his forehead and began to pull at his jaw. “Dad’s picking everyone up and bringing them over? You sure that’s a good idea?” He started pacing again. Jase peered up at his dad, completely interested in what was going on. Seconds later, Jase put one little leg in front of the other and followed his dad on his heel, back and forth across the living room. “If it gets bad, just turn around. We can celebrate tomorrow. It’s not worth the risk, Mom. Make sure to tell Dad that, too. I would rather you were safe than risk trying to get here.”
Sadness swept through me as fast as this blizzard was burying the town.
Aidan’s face slackened and his shoulders hunched. “I know, Mom. We want to see you guys, too.” Aidan’s empathetic stare met mine and then his eyes shifted downward toward his feet, where Jase stopped. He held a pretend phone to his ear, his other hand flat on his forehead.
Jase was at that stage where he questioned and mimicked everything.
A slight smirk touched the corners of Aidan’s lips at the sight of him. “Merry Christmas, Mom. We love you, too. I’ll make sure to give Jase a hug from you guys. Love you. Bye.” He lowered his hand to his side, and expelled a deep sigh.
“W-what’s going on?” My voice shook with anxiety. Mindlessly, I rubbed the sides of my belly. A kick from my baby would bring me some sort of comfort.
Aidan slowly shook his head. “Baby, I’m so sorry. I don’t think they’ll make it.” My heart sank at his words. “Dad’s trying to shovel out his truck, but the snow keeps coming in faster and faster. He can’t keep up. They’ll try, but it doesn’t look promising.” His voice tapered off and his head bowed in defeat. “Damn it.”
I waddled toward him, and closed the distance between us. Jase had gone back to his toys, loading trash in his tractor while I palmed Aidan’s face. Sad hazel eyes found mine.
“What do we do?” I asked, my hands warmed from his cheeks.
“I don’t know, Sweet Tea. I honestly don’t know.” He blanketed my hands with his and I smiled at the way that small gesture comforted me. “Some first Christmas, huh?”
I forced a weak smile. “This is what we’re gonna do.” His dark lashes batted a few times. “We’ll still fix our big dinner the way we planned. That way, if by some miracle they arrive, it’ll be ready.”
“And if they don’t?” My stomach churned at the thought.
“If they don’t make it, we’ll celebrate tomorrow with leftovers.” He nodded slowly, as though he knew deep down that’s what would end up happening. “Everyone loves leftovers, right?” I asked, my voice raised a notch.
A small grin spread over his face. “You don’t have to pretend to be happy about this. I’m your husband, remember? I know how you feel inside even when you don’t say it.” His hands left mine, and within seconds I was being pulled into his chest, his arms coiling around me in a way that stole my very soul. Just like the first day we met. He was mine then and he was mine now. “I’m
so sorry this is happening.”
I buried my face in his bare chest, inhaling the scent of cookies still lingering on his skin. “Okay, I’m sad, Aidan. It was our first Christmas with your family. Even nine months pregnant and the size of a house, I was looking forward to this.”
“I know, baby. I know.” He pressed his lips to the side of my head. “What can I do? Tell me what I can do to help?”
“Pray for the special delivery of your family. That they arrive safe and sound.”
***
The kitchen smelled of turkey, and the timer on the oven said there were only two hours left until the red popper on the bird pushed up. The green bean casserole was waiting to be baked, and the veggie tray was out, untouched. The worst was that Jase hadn’t stopped asking about Nana and Papa. Every two seconds, he shuffled into the kitchen with his cowboy hat on and his tractor in hand. His sad eyes would break me soon. Aidan finally intervened and told Jase they had to wait until Santa told them it was time to come over. Jase was now furious with “Sanna”.
“We can’t keep lying to him.”
“Eh, let him take it out on the fat man in a red suit.” Aidan’s mouth curved into a grin as he padded his way to the kitchen island where I hovered over a bowl of raw potatoes. His chest melted against my back, his lips doing the same against my cheek. “Let me finish, Sweet Tea,” he mumbled in my ear.
A tingle ran the course of my spine and I smiled, but only for a second as a pain shot across my abdomen. I flinched and grabbed my belly. Of all days to get Braxton Hicks contractions, today had to be it.
I muffled the sound of my groan, but it was no use. Aidan caught on and placed his hand over mine to soothe out the pain with me. “Cassie, are you okay?” Panic swam through his deep voice.
I nodded. “Braxton Hicks. It’s nothing.” I twisted my neck and peered over my shoulder at his concerned gaze. “Promise.” I wasn’t sure he believed my assurance, though.
“Baby, you have to tell me if they get worse.” He rubbed my stomach once more. “Promise me, Sweet Tea.”
“I-I promise.”
He placed a gentle kiss on my forehead before stepping to my side. “Can you let me finish these?”
I shook my head, and a lock of my hair came out from behind my ear. “It’s keeping me distracted. Just let me do my thing, okay?” I shoved the strand of hair back. I hoped he would just let me peel the damn potatoes that I really didn’t want to peel, but, God, if it didn’t help keep my mind off things.
His eyebrows lowered in a disapproving scowl. “You’re not going to let me win, are you?”
“Not at all.”
“You know,” he paused, and a sexy expression crossed his features, “I could make you stop if I wanted to, right?”
I giggled for the first time this morning. The cheerful noise filled the kitchen. “Mm. I love that sound.”
I flashed him a quick wink and went back to my mind-numbing potatoes.
“All right, I’ll start on the apple pie.” Aidan set a large bag of Granny Smith apples in front of him. It was a daunting task, but he refused to buy a pie this year.
I wrapped my hand around a large potato and started in. The doorbell rang. My heart jumped into my throat and then sprinted. I jerked my head up from the half peeled potato in my trembling hand; Aidan’s wide eyes immediately met my curious gaze. He set down his apple, his quizzical gaze ping-ponging between me and the entrance of the kitchen.
Another bell chimed throughout the house and I gulped past the lump of emotion in my throat. “It can’t be. Could it?” I let the peeler and the potato both slip through my fingers into the bowl.
“It has to be them.”
With an encouraging hand on my back, Aidan followed me out of the kitchen and toward the large front door. Jase was already there and standing on his tiptoes as if he could get to the peep hole. “Who dere? Nana? Papa?”
I stopped a few feet behind him and palmed my racing heart. ”Hurry,” I said, my word a mere whisper. Everything inside me screamed that it was Trish and Bart, but I also knew what the weather had brought in, and that them being at the door was probably impossible.
Aidan’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he gripped the handle and yanked the door open. Freezing air stung my cheeks, but what froze my body even more was the sight in front of me. A bundled up Bradley family wearing smiles and red noses crowded our porch.
“Yay!” Jase’s excited high-pitched voice mimicked what I felt inside. “Nana! Papa!” He jumped up and down, dropping his tractor to the floor beside him to clap.
My lungs held tight and tears flooded my vision as Aidan let go of the door handle. The chill from the blizzard air still swirled around us, but it didn’t matter because I felt anything but cold.
I blinked to collect myself and glanced at Aidan. His arms hung at his sides, the hair on them standing at attention. I knew he wasn’t cold either, but in a state of pure shock, as I was. Looking back at our family, I couldn’t help but smile through the band clenching around my heart.
Our family is here.
Wearing a knitted cap, Bart towered behind Trish and Grandma Maggie, presents piled high in his arms.
Fresh snow accumulated on their jackets as we all exchanged glances full of love and hope.
“Oh, sweetie.” Trish rushed toward me with outstretched arms. Her body snuggled mine in close for a tight hug and I lost it. Happy tears of joy unleashed onto her shoulder.
“You guys really made it,” I said, my voice tremulous from nerves of excitement.
She released me and held my cheeks in her gloved hands. “There was no way we would miss it.”
Swallowing hard, she rubbed a gentle hand over my overgrown belly and then swooped Jase into her arms.
Bart stepped into the house and stacked the presents next to the coat rack. “It’s not lookin’ pretty out there, son. We might need to make up a couple of beds.” Bart gave him a bear hug and then clipped him on the shoulder before he engulfed me in a hug within his cold woolen jacket.
“We have plenty of room. I’m so happy you’re all here,” I told him. I smiled over at Aidan, whose cheeks were split into a wide smile.
Grandma Maggie came over and stole me from Bart. “We couldn’t sit at home knowing you guys were here. It’s Christmas, honey. Have you started on my apple pie yet?”
“Grandma Maggie, I was just getting to it,” Aidan remarked.
She let me go, her wide brown eyes settling on him.
“You’re making it?”
He gasped as if he were offended. Too bad the grin on his face told a different story. “I’ve got this, Grandma. Trust me.”
Her frail hand landed on my arm and her gaze met mine. “Oh sweetie, we need to get him out of the kitchen.” She flashed me a wink and I giggled.
“He’s been a big help today.” I glanced down at my stomach and then back up to her with a twisted expression. “Needless to say, I’ve been a little slow.”
She pulled off her light pink cap and handed Aidan her snow covered coat before leaning in toward me. “Soon,” she whispered, her lips pulling upward. “I feel it. It’s going to be very soon, my dear.”
“Oh boy. Let’s hope not too soon.” Rubbing the sides of my belly, I followed Grandma Maggie into the family room where everyone was already gathered. As each swollen foot stepped in front of the other, I said a silent prayer that she wasn’t right. I had so much to do still before the baby arrived. The band around my heart was back, not from excitement this time, but from nerves.
Stay in there a little longer, sweet pea. Please.
Chapter 3
EVERYTHING WAS JUST HOW it should have been, turning this day into one I’d never forget. The family had made it, cheerful Christmas music played around us, the smell of turkey and pumpkin pie filled the house, presents had been opened, and Jase was enjoying his family time while the women helped finish preparations for the big dinner. Everything was great, but the sharp pains shooting across my stomach hadn’t
stopped. I had stressed myself out by worrying about the family getting here and making sure dinner was perfect, but in the back of my mind the uncomfortable pains were more than just nothing. Which was why I shoved them to the back of my mind in the first place.
I pulled in a deep breath as I eyed the dirty mixing bowls and pans by the sink. Maggie was standing at the island whipping up fresh whipped cream for the pumpkin pie she decided to make on top of the apple pie Aidan insisted on finishing. Glancing to the left, I noticed the empty veggie tray Trish had just set down. “Everyone must have been hungry,” I mentioned. I hated that I was more tired than hungry.
Trish placed a gentle hand in the middle of my back. “You okay, sweetie?”
I turned my neck and eyed her with a questioning glance. “Yeah, of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“You keep touching your stomach and rubbing it, and you’re breathing is labored. Are you doing all right?”
I sighed, the pressure against my ribs becoming heavy. “Yeah,” I told her. I curled my fingers around the edge of the counter. “It’s really nothing.” I dragged my teeth across my bottom lip as a pain tightened my stomach more than I was prepared for.
Trish’s eyebrows lifted and she gave me that motherly look I’d grown to love. She knew it wasn’t nothing. Before she could say anything further, the timer to the oven grabbed both our attentions. Aidan strolled into the kitchen with a proud smile across his face. “Turkey’s done.”
“Check the pop up timer on the bird before you pull it out, Aidan,” I reminded him.
He smirked. “Have some faith, Sweet Tea. It’s gonna be perfect.” He playfully brushed off his shoulder. “I’ve got this.” Flashing us an adorable wink, he grabbed two navy blue oven mitts and pulled open the oven door. As he carefully pulled the oversized pan from the oven to showcase a golden brown turkey, a whoosh of liquid dripped down my legs; my face pulled tight.