by K. C. Crowne
“I was worried about you, Mommy,” she said.
“No need to worry about me, sweetie. I’m doing just fine.”
“And the babies?”
“Healthy,” I told her.
“Can I see them?”
“Soon, baby. Soon.” My heart ached. Who knew when she would be able to meet her brother and sister? I wasn’t sure when they’d allow children into the NICU. Skyler was so excited for them to get here, and now we were telling her to wait.
Eli was standing back from the rest of them. Both Graham and Sam had children. Sam had a herd of them, in fact, since his fiancé had given birth to quadruplets. Eli was the last brother without any kids, and he seemed lost.
But he was the one who asked, “So, umm, have you picked out any names yet? What should I call my niece and nephew?”
Mason looked at me. We hadn’t really discussed names yet. Part of me was worried something could happen, with them being twins and all, I feared we’d jinx ourselves if we picked out names. When it came to Skyler, I had named her after having her. I picked the name that seemed to suit her best.
“I don’t know yet,” I said. “We haven’t really talked about it.”
“Can I name them?” Skyler asked. “You said I was good at names, remember?”
For things like cats and guinea pigs, yes. But actual children. I feared my little girl would come up with names like Snowflake and Turkey since they were born in a snowstorm a few days after Thanksgiving.
Mason chuckled. “We’d be open to suggestions, wouldn’t we, Danielle?”
“Of course, honey. We can decide as a family, like we talked about, remember?”
“Well, I’d really like to name the boy Mason, and call him MJ,” she said.
I raised an eyebrow at Mason. “That’s actually not a bad idea. What do you think?”
“Naming my son after me? Like I’d say no to that,” he said with a laugh.
“Hmm, well, we might take you up on that suggestion, Skyler. What else do you have in mind?”
“I was thinking since the babies were born in a snowstorm—”
Ahh, here we go, I thought. Here comes the snowflake or winter names.
“It made me think of Frozen. I really like Anna or Elsa.”
“What about Eleanor Anne?” Mason asked.
“Or maybe Elianna?” Skyler said. “And that’s similar to Eli! How cool!”
As soon as I heard the name, it hit me. It was perfect.
“I love the name Elianna,” I said. “What about you, Mason?”
“I think it’s beautiful,” he said. “Good job, Skyler.”
He held out his hand for a high-five, and she giggled as she slapped her tiny hand against his. “You helped, you know.”
“Yeah, but it was your idea.”
“I wouldn’t have thought of it if it wasn’t for you,” she said, grinning wildly.
And at least for a moment, it felt like all our day’s problems had melted away. She was happy again, smiling and no longer afraid.
Mason took my hand in his and gave me a look that said he was thinking the same thing.
Everything was going to be okay.
Ooo000ooo
“The babies are coming home!”
Skyler had been shouting those words for the last week, waking me up with them every single day. And most days, I had to tell her not today. But today was different.
Today was Christmas Eve. And she was going to get a very special surprise that had nothing to do with the presents underneath the tree.
“Yes, they’re coming home today, sweetheart,” I said, feeling like my face hurt from smiling so big.
My little girl bounced from the bed and practically ran circles around the bed, rushing over to Mason’s side. “Wake up! We have to get Elli and MJ today!” She nudged Mason playfully.
He groaned. “I don’t even think the doctors are awake to release them yet. What time is it?”
“It’s just after six,” I said with a laugh. “We can pick them up in a few hours, honey.”
“A few hours? I can’t wait that long,” she whined, though grinning through the whine.
“What if I told you I have another surprise for you?”
“I’m listening.”
“We’re doing something nice for Calvin this morning, so we’re going over to his house. You’ll get to see Oscar again.”
“Yes!” Skyler shouted, throwing her fists into the air. “Best day ever. And it’s Christmas too!”
“We need to get ready, so could you—”
“I’ll get dressed!”
I laughed as I climbed out of the bed. I still needed to shower and fix us breakfast. We weren’t going over to Calvin’s for a few more hours. I looked at Mason and asked, “Are you ready for this?”
“I just got the message from Steve that said his plane landed.”
“Calvin is going to be so surprised, isn’t he?”
“He has no idea,” Mason said, sitting up and stretching. “Though they’ve been talking for a couple weeks, ever since I tracked him down. They’ve really reconnected.”
“You did such a sweet thing by tracking him down.” I walked over to his side of the bed and kissed him, holding his face in my hands.
“It just all worked out. Steve and his wife divorced twenty years ago, and he was also alone, not wanting to admit to anyone he wasn’t into women. Now neither of them have to be alone anymore.”
“I love you,” I said, feeling a rush of warmth.
“And I love you too,” he said, kissing the palm of my hand.
“You have the biggest heart of anyone I’ve ever met,” I said.
“Stop, you’re making me uncomfortable. You know I don’t handle compliments well.”
“I know, but it’s true,” I said, staring into his grey eyes. “I doubted that any man could truly be this good and kind, but you’ve proven me wrong, Mason.”
He stood up and wrapped his arms around me, kissing me on the lips. My body ached for him, but we were still in the six weeks postpartum where sex was off the table. Besides, we also had a busy day ahead of us, and a lot to do.
“Alright, I’m going to pick up Steve from the airport while you get ready,” Mason said softly. He checked his phone briefly, staring down at it with a weird look on his face.
“What?” I asked.
“A text from Teddy. He said that the man who started the fire, the one who stabbed me, made a plea deal for a lighter sentence. He spilled everything about how your ex and King were involved. Greg is going down for even more serious charges.”
My heart skipped a beat. “Can I see that?”
Mason handed me the phone, and the message went into greater detail. Greg had also asked Jim to make sure I was in the house before the fire was set. He was trying to kill me, which is why he had kidnapped Skyler - so she wouldn’t be home when it happened. I felt uneasy and like I might throw up.
“He tried to kill me,” I said softly.
Mason wrapped his arms around me again. “Yeah, but he didn’t. And he can never hurt you again.”
The message said Greg was facing a sentence of at least fifty years. Attempted murder, kidnapping, arson… the list of crimes was a mile long. If convicted, and it was likely he would be with a key witness testifying against him, he wouldn’t get out of prison for a very long time. If ever, considering he was in his forties.
I hugged Mason close, relaxing into him. I truly felt safe when I was in his arms.
“We can start the adoption process soon,” Mason said. “We’ll look into getting a judge to rescind his rights.”
Even if things didn’t work out legally, I knew Mason would always love Skyler like a daughter. There was no denying that.
“Thank you, Mason. For everything.”
We separated and I took a quick shower. Skyler was knocking at my door the entire time. I hurried and dressed, and we both ate one a few bites of the eggs I made for breakfast. She was too excited to eat.
Today was a big day for her, in many ways.
The last few weeks had been exhausting, but things were starting to return to normal. We were still staying in the rental, which we could stay in as long as we wanted. Mason was preparing to build a house on some land his brothers’ bought - a house bigger than the one we were staying in. And I got a lot of say in what the house would have. There’d be plenty of bedrooms for all of us, a lot of space for our menagerie of critters, and everything we could possibly need for a family.
With the insurance money, I was able to begin re-building the shelter, so my business was likely to be up and running again soon. We weren’t going to bother with the house, it was too far gone to salvage and we were building a better one anyway. The rental was big enough for all of us for now, with Elli and MJ sharing the room connected to Skyler’s. Or they might just end up in the master bedroom since it was large enough for two cribs in addition to the king-sized bed. We had both options set up, so a total of four cribs. All because I couldn’t make up my mind, and Mason would buy us the moon if I wanted it.
“Alright, Mason’s back. You know what that means!”
“We’re going to Calvin’s!” Skyler said, hopping out of her seat.
“Yes, get your coat on, silly bug.”
She grabbed her coat from the living room and threw it on in a flash.
“Best day ever,” she said, speaking to herself.
Ooo000ooo
“Oh hello there, Skyler,” Calvin said when he opened the door. “And Danielle and Mason too.”
He beamed at us. He seemed to enjoy our visits, said it was nice to have a child around. Said it made him feel like a grandpa, which we had told him we would love him to be an adopted grandfather to our children if he wished. He liked that a lot.
“Not just us,” Mason said, stepping aside so he could see the man he’d been hiding.
“Is that—” Calvin’s eyes filled with tears, though he tried fervently to wipe them away. “Steve?”
“Hi Calvin,” Steve said, flashing him a Hollywood smile.
I’d always thought Calvin was classically handsome, even for a man in his seventies. And Steve was no different. His hair was a dark grey and still very thick for a man his age. He had a beard that was the same dark grey as his hair. His eyes were friendly and kind, and I could see why Calvin had fallen for him. I imagined he had to have been quite a looker as a young soldier in the war.
The two men embraced, hugging for several seconds. I had to wipe the tears away from the emotions. Seeing the way they looked at each, I was so grateful Mason could bring them back together again.
“It’s been so long,” Calvin said. “But I knew it was you.”
“Well, I sent you a picture last week.”
“Yeah, from your sixtieth birthday. That hardly counts,” Calvin teased, unable to take his eyes off Steve.
“I thought you couldn’t afford to come out here until summer?” Calvin asked.
“Well, I had a little help.” Steve shot Mason sheepish look.
Calvin shook his head. “Should have known. He sure likes to part with his money, but in this case, I’m very thankful for that.”
“Can I see Oscar?” Skyler whispered to me.
“Yeah, I think we should give these two a moment alone. What do you think, Mason?”
Mason nodded, and the two men seemed oblivious to us slipping into the house.
As soon as Oscar saw Skyler, his tail began wagging. She wrapped her arms around his neck. He licked the side of her face gently.
I knew from talking with Calvin that Oscar was doing very well. Calvin too. It had been a match made in heaven, and the dog helped Calvin in more ways than I could have imagined. He said not only was it physically easier to get out of bed in the morning, with Oscar there for support, but mentally as well. He hadn’t been happier in years.
Of course, putting him in touch with his old love likely helped too. He told Mason that they messaged each other daily, ever since Mason and Eli helped set him up with a laptop and showed him how to use it. Steve’s granddaughter had helped him, as she was his caregiver. He had come out to his family recently and found that his children were not only accepting, but they said they’d always kind of known.
What this meant for him and Calvin, I didn’t know. Maybe they’d be able to continue where they left off many years before, or maybe they’d just be friends. But it seemed to help Calvin’s mood to be able to talk to Steve again, and Steve had been equally as grateful - telling us in the car that he’d never stopped thinking about Calvin, but assumed he would never forgive him.
Based on the hug they had shared, I had a feeling Calvin forgave him.
“You look happy,” Mason said, sitting beside me on the couch.
“I am,” I said. “Like Skyler keeps saying, today is the best day ever.”
“Because we’re bringing our babies home?”
“Yes, but also -- everything. Things are just better now. I can feel it. You’ve done good here, Mason. You really have.”
He took my hand in his, and my eyes fell on the diamond ring on my finger. As soon as things calmed down, I had a wedding to plan. Even more things to be excited for.
“Well I couldn’t have done it all without you, Danielle. You’ve changed my life, showed me what I’m truly capable of. And you’ve given me three beautiful kids and a herd of animals. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
Ooo000ooo
“Aww look at her! She’s smiling at me,” Skyler said.
I didn’t have the heart to tell her that her baby sister was just pooping. Skyler was already smitten with both of her siblings, doting on them and checking on them every five minutes. She even made sure they had equal numbers of gifts under the tree.
“Elli bear loves her big sister, doesn’t she?” Skyler said, grinning down at the infant.
The babies were still very small, but they had grown quickly in the NICU. MJ was still bigger, coming in at just under seven pounds. Elianna was just over six pounds. As far as the doctors could tell, there were no problems and could be released just in time for Christmas. Neither had any infections, and they took to eating within a few days of being in the NICU.
Skyler had picked out their outfits for Christmas Eve, and she wore a matching one herself. They were all dressed as little elves. She even tried to put the hats on the twins, but they were having none of it - fussing until we took them off. But she wore an adorable little elf hat and the pointed shoes and everything.
Elli was in a little red outfit to match hers, while MJ was in green. Skyler kept saying, “Aren’t they the cutest little elves you ever saw?” I’d say, “All three of you are.” Because it was true. I had the three cutest kids, and my heart was so full.
The Harvey brothers and their families stopped by to drop off gifts for us and to meet the babies. At one point, there were eight babies all under the age of one under the roof, Sam and Penelope’s quadruplets and Graham and Emmy’s little one too.
I’d always wanted a big family and having such a full home was nice. They eventually went their way, however, and it was nice to be surrounded by my own little family.
Grizzly sat on the floor at my feet, while Zeus continued following Skyler around wherever she went. Griz was curious about the babies, while Zeus wanted nothing to do with them. Even when Skyler walked up to one of them, he stayed back. He didn’t bark, however, because he was finally trained not to. I knew to keep an eye on them around the little ones, however, and because of this, they were not allowed in the nursery or the master bedroom, just to be safe. Same with the cats, who seemed mostly indifferent toward them. Only the youngest one, Cinder, seemed slightly curious, but as soon as one of the babies cried, Cinder was gone. She would take off and hide, afraid of the loud noises they made.
Mason had helped Skyler bake some cookies for Santa, which were sitting out near the fireplace. Our stockings were hung, one for each of us. Even the pets had stockings, so they were hung all over t
he room, wherever Skyler had felt them appropriate. Some were up high, others down low. She was a little interior designer with strong opinions, and we let her decorate the way she liked - even if it was a bit Avant Garde.
The tree was sparkling and mostly traditional with blue lights that flickered on and off to Christmas music. Presents were piled under the tree. I hadn’t had much time to shop, what with dealing with the twins and everything, but Mason and his brothers had really stepped up. The space beneath our tree was filled with presents.
“Can I open a present tonight, pretty please?” Skyler begged as we settled in for the evening.
I glanced at Mason since he bought most of the gifts. “Okay, just one,” he said. “And I know which one it’ll be too.”
He went over to the tree and sat on the floor. Skyler sat down beside him, wiggling in place from the excitement. “Which one?”
“Here you go,” he said.
Skyler ripped through the paper, her eyes wild and hungry. She pulled open the box and squealed. “I love it! I love it! Look at this, Mommy!” She pulled out a pair of Frozen pajamas with Elsa on the front. “Can I sleep in them tonight? Pretty please?”
“Of course honey,” I said. “They’re yours. You can wear them whenever you’d like.”
“Yay! But now I feel bad because Elianna doesn’t have Elsa pajamas.”
Mason pulled two packages from under the tree. “Oh, they have pajamas of their own. They get presents for Christmas Eve too, just like your mom.”
“I’m getting something too?”
“Of course. It was always a tradition in our family,” Mason said, standing up with the three packages. “Everyone gets new pajamas for Christmas Eve that they’d wear that night.”
“I didn’t know that. I didn’t get you any pajamas,” I said.
Mason winked. “I know you didn’t know about it. I wanted to surprise you. I bought my own.” He plopped down on the couch next to me with a grin.
“I never really had any family traditions growing up,” I said softly.
“Well you have one now,” Mason said. “And we’ll have many, many years together to create our own.”