by K. A. Hobbs
“Wow.”
“Do you like it?”
“It’s red.”
“Yes.”
“And it shows off your figure.”
“It does.”
“And…” he steps forward and runs his hand along the back of my leg, then groans. “You’re wearing what I got you?”
“I might be…”
“And I have to sit at dinner knowing about it,” he steps back and shifts uncomfortably. “Are you trying to kill me?”
I laugh and step closer to him, resting my hands on his hips and leaning up to kiss him .
“Happy Christmas, Carter.” I grin.
“Happy Christmas!” Alexis yells when we walk into Hilary and Nick’s.
“Happy Christmas!” I chuckle as she jumps around in front of me.
“Lex, let us take our coats off.” Carter chuckles.
“Wow, Carter, your girlfriend is a babe in this dress!”
“She’s a babe out of it too.” he grins at her.
“Gross. I don’t need images thank you very much.”
We all laugh as we head into the kitchen, Hilary has her Christmas apron on and has Christmas songs playing while Nick sits at the table with a coffee. We all say hello and take a seat at the table with Nick. Alexis can’t contain herself and tells us all to get drinks then come into the lounge for presents. Carter helps Hilary with the glasses of fizz while I slip my shoes off and head into the lounge to sit down.
“Can I pleeeeeeease go first?” Alexis bounces.
“You’re a spoiled brat,” Carter laughs. “Here. Open this.”
He hands her one of the presents Carter told me she wanted and she takes it excitedly, pulling off the wrapper and squealing.
“You did not!” she bounces more in her seat. “You guys are the best!”
“It’s just a cup, Lex.” he laughs.
“Yes, but it goes in my collection! Thank you!”
“Mom, Dad, this is for you.”
Carter didn’t know what to get his parents, so we got them flights to England for around the time Josie is due. We spoke to Jack and Josie who thought the idea was a great one, so that’s what we went for.
“You’ve spent too much,” Hilary smiles. “Thank you so much, we’ll be able to meet our Grandchild now.”
“You can’t not be there, Mom.” Carter tells her.
“Thank you, both of you.” Nick smiles at us.
“You’re both so welcome.” I smile back.
Nick and Hilary are incredibly generous and I receive a weekend away at a spa for three. Carter receives the papers to a car in his name for when we get back to England. Alexis buys me a gorgeous handbag and a charm for my bracelet. I’ve never felt so loved and cherished in my life, it’s a wonderful feeling. Lunch is delicious and soon, Hilary and Nick are fast asleep on the sofa and Alexis is playing on her new iPad leaving Carter and I to snuggle on the sofa and watch Miracle on 34th Street again.
Later when it’s dark, everyone gets themselves something to eat and Nick puts on some Christmas songs and pulls Hilary in for a dance, Carter follows suit and we spend hours dancing. Alexis taking over and putting her music on when Hilary and Nick retire for the evening after hugs and insisting we stay up as long as we like.
“I’m totally coming over to England and we’re going out again!” she slurs.
“I think you’ve had enough to drink,” Carter laughs. “You can barely talk.”
“And what has it got to do with you?” she grumbles. “You get to go to bed with Carmen tonight, who do I have?”
“Hey, it’s okay.” I wrap my arms around her.
“It’s really not, I’m all alone at Christmas and it sucks, Carm.”
“Let’s get you to bed, I think we’ve all had enough to drink for one day.”
I help her upstairs and into bed and she looks up at me, she looks so small and sad, I wish I could help her.
“I spoke to him, I told him, he couldn’t pick and choose when he wanted me, I told him, I’ve moved on. I haven’t and now I think I’ve messed everything up.” she sobs.
“We’ll talk in the morning, okay? We’ll work it out.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.” I kiss her cheek and stand. When I look back she’s passed out already.
I head into the room Carter showed me earlier and he’s laying on the bed looking at his phone. He looks up when I walk in and frowns.
“Is she okay?”
“She’s sad, Tyler… Do you know him?”
“Yeah, he’s a good guy, or at least he was before he broke her heart and left.”
“She loves him, Carter.”
“I know she does, but I don’t know if he loves her.”
“Let’s not talk about that now, you have one last present to unwrap.”
“If you’re not talking about you, then I’m not interested.”
“I am absolutely talking about me.”
He comes to sit on the edge of the bed and pulls me between his legs. His hands roam over my hips and to the back of my dress where he follows the line of my zip until he reaches the top. Not wasting any time, he tugs the zipper down and pushes the dress off my shoulders, letting it pool at my feet. His eyes darken as he takes in my underwear and pure instinct takes over.
I push him back and crawl over him, straddling his hips.
“I’m going to make love to you, Carter.” I tell him.
“Undress me then.”
I make quick work of removing his clothes. When he’s naked and I can’t take anymore I crawl back over him and join us together, groaning at the delicious full, complete feeling I get every time with him. I worried my body wouldn’t react this way, that it would stop me enjoying this, but once we worked out what we needed to do to make it work, it’s been incredible. Everything in life, every relationship takes a little adapting, our relationship is no different.
“I’ve had the best day with you.” I tell him, linking our hands.
“Me too. Every year will just get better.” he tells me, rolling us both so I’m underneath him.
“I love you, so much, Carter.”
“I love you too.”
We lose ourselves to each other, moving together perfectly like we’re made for each other. Being with him brings me so much happiness, so much love I can’t think of a time with Carter that I wasn’t happy, that I didn’t feel safe and protected. It has nothing to do with his tall, broad size, and everything to do with how he looks after me. After we find our release together, Carter pulls me into his arms and we fall asleep, watching the fresh snow falling outside the window.
It’s the most perfect Christmas ever.
The remainder of our time in Chicago flies by, I get to meet Carter’s Aunt and Uncle, we even go out on New Years Eve with Alexis, her friends and a couple of Carter’s. After talking everything through with her about Tyler again, she has decided to talk to him, give him a chance to explain, I hope for her sake, they can find some kind of level playing field and move forward.
It’s an emotional goodbye when it comes to leaving for the airport the day after New Years Day and everyone is feeling it.
“Promise to keep in touch, and I promise to come and see you really soon. Jack and Josie got me a ticket to come over so I’ll sort it with work.” Alexis tells me wiping away tears.
“I promise, you keep in touch too, I want to know how it goes with Tyler.”
“Thank you for everything, I really do love you.” she sobs into my chest.
“We’ll see you soon, okay?” Carter tells her kissing her head.
“Promise?”
“Pinky promise.” he grins holding out his hand.
The drive to the airport in a sad one, as happy as I know Carter is in England, leaving his family is always going to be difficult. He’s quiet on the flight home and spends most of it holding my hand, repeatedly bringing our joined hands to his lips and placing a kiss on my fingers.
“I hate you being sad,
Carter.” I whisper as we make our descent into Heathrow.
“I’m just sad the holidays are over, my place is with you.”
“But not if it makes you sad.”
“It doesn’t make me sad,” he sighs then smiles. “They say home is where the heart is right?” he asks me, pulling me to his chest and wrapping his arms around me.
“Yes they do.” I agree.
“Well, my heart lives here,” he rests his hand above my heart. “So you’re my home, right?”
“I guess so.” I grin goofily at him.
“It’s always going to be hard to leave them, I love my family and I love Chicago…. But I love you more. There isn’t anything that will keep me away from you.”
“I know, I love you,” I kiss him. “And smile because we get to do it all again with your brother.”
“Yes we do,” he grins. “Silver lining.”
“Merry Christmas!” Josie yells when she opens the door.
“Woah! Did you eat the whole turkey?” I tease her pointing to her stomach.
“Actually, no, this thing just appeared from nowhere!”
“It’s all the peanut butter on toast she eats, carbs make you fat.” Harry calls from behind her.
“And hormones make me have rage, do you value your balls, Harry?” she turns and slaps him on the chest.
“Yes, you all know I’ve got—”
“Don’t say it again!” Megan growls.
“Carmen! Give me a hug,” Josie calls over me. “I’ve missed you.”
“So have I!” Megan calls. “I want a hug too!”
“I’ve not missed you, bro.” Jack smirks.
“I have, come here.” Harry holds out his arms and Josie cackles.
“Where’s the boy?” Carmen asks. “I’ve missed cuddles.”
“He’s asleep, you can have cuddles as soon as he wakes.” Megan tells her smiling.
“So, the turkey is in the oven, the presents are under the tree and I’m ready for some serious eating, are we going to get present exchange going?” Josie asks, flopping onto the sofa.
“Yes!” Megan jumps up and down in her seat.
“I’ll go first because, well, I want to.” Josie smiles.
“This is why she gets on so well with Lex.” I tell Carmen, pulling her onto my lap.
“He’s right.” she laughs, taking the present Jack hands her.
“So we all kept some presents back for giving each other, this way, everyone gets something.” Megan tells us.
“Jack…” Josie croaks.
I look over and she has tears rolling down her cheeks as she looks at the photo frame she’s holding in her hands. She turns it around and Carmen and Megan sigh.
“Let me see?” I ask holding my hand out while Jack crawls over to her and kisses her, wiping away her tears.
It’s a photo frame that says; In these moments, time stood still. The time is set to 10.07, 1.30 and 2.45. Along with those times are three photographs. One of Jack and Josie dancing in a club clearly taken on a phone, another of them when they got married and the final one is a scan photo.
“That is the most beautiful present in the world.” Megan gushes.
“It’s so beautiful.” Carmen agrees grinning.
“Thanks Jack, not like we can compete with that, you smug fucker.” Harry rolls his eyes.
“Don’t you even dare,” Megan scowls at him. “This is gorgeous.”
“Like I said.” he smirks.
“Okay, someone else now.”
“I’ll go.” I announce.
“Carter, you’re sneaky.” Carmen laughs.
“I know, here you go.” I hand her the box and kiss her.
I watch as she opens it, her head snaps to mine and tears fill her eyes. For a fraction of a second I think I’ve done the wrong thing, but then she leans over and tugs me to her and kisses me and I know, she loves it.
“What is it?” Josie whispers.
Carmen hands her the box and Josie cries too.
Then they hand it to Megan… Who also cries.
“Too many hormones in this room right now.” Jack laughs.
“What is it?” Harry asks.
They hand it to Harry who smiles. The photo frame contains photos from the shoot Carmen asked me to help her with, three of my favourite photos, all black and while and all beautiful. Running along the length of the photos, top and bottom are the words; That person who enters your life out of nowhere, and suddenly means the world to you in script.
“Thank you.” Carmen smiles, wiping away her tears.
“Love you.” I whisper to her.
“Harry, dude, your present better be good.” Jack laughs.
“Shut it, fucker!” he scowls.
He picks up a box and passes it over, Megan takes it and smiles unwrapping it, she gasps and runs her hand over whatever it is inside the box. Josie leans over and gasps too.
“Oh my God, they are so perfect.”
Carmen leans over too and looks, reacting much the same way. Megan proudly turns it over to show us what it is. It’s a photo of the two of them in what I imagine is a birthing pool, Harry is behind Megan and they both have their eyes closed and underneath that, is a silver cast of Henry’s hand and foot along with his name and birth date.
I have to admit, it’s pretty cool.
“It’s perfect, I really love you, Harry.” Megan tells him.
“I really love you too.” he smiles.
The girls give us our presents next. Josie gives Jack a baby grow that says; I love my Daddy. Megan gives Harry a frame with photos from a shoot she had done with Henry which makes him cough and wipe his eyes a lot and Carmen gives me a wooden box made from a map of Cornwall with the centre cut out in the shape of a heart, it’s the location of Jack and Josie’s wedding and where we first met. The card that goes with it says; Where it all began.
“Now we’ve all opened our presents, can we eat? I’m not sure I can cope with any more emotions!” Josie laughs.
“Too right! I’m starving.” I tell her.
“You’re always hungry.” Carmen laughs.
“This is true.” I laugh.
We all sit around the table, everyone wearing a stupid paper hat from the crackers, grinning and laughing like idiots and I can’t help but feel so lucky to be surrounded by so many people I love. The day seems to pass quickly, we play ridiculous games and by the end of the night, my stomach hurts from so much laughing. We say goodbye to everyone and drive back to our apartment where Carmen insists on ending the day with a dance. She scrolls through her iPod and picks a song, a piano begins and then a guys voice. Carmen comes over and wraps her arms around me and moves us both to the music.
“Thank you, for everything, Carter.” she whispers, before she leads us down the hall and into our bedroom.
I say goodbye to Carmen and head to Doug and Sophie’s to go over the last few things before I start work on their extension in a couple of days. I’m in the middle of talking something through when my phone rings.
Lex calling
I let it go to voicemail and continue talking with Doug. Two seconds later it rings again. I let that call go to voicemail too. Then it rings again straight away and a sudden feeling of dread fills my stomach.
“Sorry, do you mind if I get that? It’s my sister.”
“Go ahead, I’ll just go and get that plan I talked about.” he smiles.
“Lex?” I answer.
“Carter!” she cries down the phone. “It’s Dad.”
“Hey, calm down, what’s going on?”
“He’s in the hospital Carter, he had a heart attack. Please, you’ve got to come home, I’m so scared, Mom is… Please Carter I know you were only here a few weeks ago, but please, come home.”
“Is he okay?”
“I don’t know, I haven’t been able to get hold of Mom since they left for the hospital. I just, I need you and Jack, Carter, I can’t do this alone. Please, please come home.”
“It
’s okay, it’s all okay, I’ll speak to Jack, we’ll be on the first flight we can be on. I’ll phone you when it’s sorted. Try and stay calm Titch, okay? He’ll be okay.”
“Be quick, Carter. I’m so scared.”
I hang up and phone Jack, everything is chaos for the next ten minutes while I try to get him to calm down enough to work out what we’re going to do. We agree to fly back to Chicago right now, price be damned, we have to see Dad. Jack tells me to book Josie in too, he’s not going without her. I hang up and phone Carmen, she answers in her beautiful sing song voice and everything inside me wants to break.
“Carmen, I’ve got to go home. Dad’s… Dad’s had a heart attack. I need to go home… Lex is hysterical… I’m sorry.”
“What?” she asks, clearly shocked.
“He’s had a heart attack, Jack and I are going home, Josie is coming with us. Can you come, please?”
“Carter, come home, please, we can work this all out, okay?”
“Okay, I’ll be there in half an hour.”
“Okay, I love you. Drive carefully, please.”
“I will, I love you too.”
I hang up just as Doug comes back into the room.
“Everthing okay?”
“No, my Dad… He’s had a heart attack… I need.. Fuck! I need to fly back to Chicago.”
“I’m so sorry, Carter. Is there anything I can do?”
“I don’t think so… I mean, it’s going to mean your extension—”
“The extension can wait, family comes first. Are you sure I can’t do anything?”
“I really don’t know right now. I… Need to…”
“Go home Carter, work this all out with Carmen and Jack. And please, let me know if we can do anything at all.”
I leave the house and drive back to the apartment, a thousand things running through my head; is my Dad going to be okay? What if he’s not? What about Mom? I don’t remember the drive back but before I’m even aware of it, I’m unlocking the door and stepping into Carmen’s arms.