I doze off somewhere in the middle of the conversation about the Cubs. The topic has become boring to me, although Pop is still as excited as the night it happened.
“Daddy.” Lily yanks on my pant leg.
“Yeah?” I don’t open my eyes.
“Can I snuggle with you, or are you still mad at me?”
I glance down at her and smile. She’s chewing on her index finger and staring at me while she turns her body from side to side. I pat the cushion next to me, careful not to wake Stone. “Come here, sweetheart. I always want your snuggles. I love you.”
A giant smile spreads across her face. She looks so much like her mother that she takes my breath away sometimes. She climbs on the couch, settling in the crook of my arm and resting her tiny hand on my stomach. “Do you have a baby in there?” she asks into the fabric of my shirt.
“No, Lily. No baby. It’s only food. Only girls can have babies. Remember Mommy and I told you that when she was pregnant with Stone.”
“That’s not fair. I don’t want to ever have a baby. Men should be able to have them too.”
Joe chuckles next to me after hearing Lily’s statement, and I pull her closer to my side.
“Just stay away from gross boys, and you won’t have to worry about getting pregnant.”
She sticks out her tongue and makes a gagging noise. “Boys are gross, Daddy.”
“That’s my girl.” I pray she’ll always feel this way.
“I’ll never love a boy the way I love you,” she says, melting my heart into a pile of goo.
I lock this memory away because I know soon she’ll be dating and will forget the words she just spoke. Someday, I’ll have to have a man-to-man with her new beau, and it isn’t going to be pretty. Soon, probably sooner than I want, I’ll be threatening the life of some asswad horny teenager about putting his filthy hands on my daughter, and Lily will hate me for it.
If she’s ever going to get married, it’ll take a hell of a man to survive my hazing. I don’t know of many fools who will willingly subject themselves to me for a piece of ass. The way I figure it, if he sticks around after dealing with me, then he’d have to be doing it for love.
When the ladies return, gift opening starts. Only the kids get gifts anymore. The main event, as I call it, takes hours. There are so many gifts in the room we’d need twenty Christmas trees to set them under. It’s obscenely beautiful. The kids are glowing as they take turns opening their presents.
“We have a great life,” Mia says, curling into the spot where my little girl had been an hour earlier.
“I wish we could freeze time, Doc. I don’t want them to ever grow up.”
“I know.” She kisses my cheek, nuzzling into my neck with her face. “I love you, Michael.”
“Love you too, Mia.” I pull her closer, careful not to smash Stone. Somehow, he’s sleeping through all the noise and shrieks as each present is opened.
“We gotta wake him up.” She strokes his cheek. “Stone, baby, wake up, sweetheart,” she whispers. “He’ll keep us up all night, otherwise.”
“We’re going to be up all night setting up Lily’s presents anyway. Might be nice to have him with us.”
“I thought we could make love by the fire.” She smiles up at me and bites her lip.
She doesn’t have to say another word. I pull Stone from my shoulder and cradle him in my arms. “Stone,” I whisper repeatedly until his tiny eyes flutter open. He smiles up at me in a sleepy haze before Mia takes him from my arms.
I glance around the room, taking in the moment. My parents are on the floor with the kids, happier than I’ve seen them in years. Ma’s beaming with pride, and Pop’s already trying to make sense of the chaos of wrapping paper, boxes, and presents.
Joe and Suzy are snuggled on the floor beside the tree with Rosie, Gigi, and Luna. I don’t envy the man. There’s so much estrogen in that house, I’m surprised he hasn’t gone mad.
Max and Anthony are whispering to each other with Asher and Tamara in front of them, ripping open their presents and throwing the wrapping paper backward onto them, but they don’t seem to care.
Thomas and Angel are next to us on the couch. She’s sitting in his lap with her legs hanging over the side closest to us. Nick’s by Pop, showing him the new baseball glove as they talk about how someday he’ll play for the Cubs.
Izzy’s leaning against James as she sits between his legs with the kids near her feet. Trace, Mello, and Rocco are like three hellions, throwing things and tossing presents to their cousins like wild animals.
When I look to Fran and Bear, they’re oblivious to the chaos in the room. They’re into each other. It’s nice to see them both finally happy. I never would’ve imagined that they would be a perfect match, but they are. He balances her nutty with his crazy, and somehow, they work perfectly.
Even my cousin Morgan showed up with his beautiful wife Race. They were late, which is normal for them. Their excuse this time is Race’s ovulation schedule. Instead of being here with us, they’ve been at home fucking like animals, trying to get pregnant. It’s a reason I can get behind.
I take it all in and try to memorize this moment. The room is filled with so much love and happiness, it’s almost too much to comprehend.
I wish I could hit pause and keep us here, in this moment, forever.
How I’ve become this lucky is beyond me. I know the moment is fleeting. Time moves on. We’re getting older. The kids are growing up and will soon take our place.
Thank you for reading! Haven’t read the Men of Inked series? CLICK HERE and download book 1 for FREE
Also by Chelle Bliss
~MEN OF INKED SERIES~
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WITHOUT ME - Book 5
HONOR ME - Book 6
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About the Author
In my other life, I used to mold the minds of America’s youth as a high school history teacher. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in History and a Master’s in Instructional Education. I’m now a full-time writer, time-waster extraordinaire, social media addict, and coffee fiend.
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Men of Inked Christmas Page 3