Page 53 of The Fall

Four weeks later

“It’s light outside!Mom, it’s light outside!”

Tate is jumping on my very firm, extremely comfortable new bed, yelling louder than any alarm clock could blare.

Sam is standing next to the bed, his face six inches from mine. “Mom, you said when it’s light outside, and it is.”

“Okay, I’m getting up.”

It’s Christmas morning. I told my sons we couldn’t wake up and open presents until the sun was up. I get out of bed, extra tired after staying up late with Rowan to finish wrapping the boys’ presents and stuff their stockings, and then receivetwogoodnight kisses from him.

The nights with two leave me feeling wrung out in the best possible way. He’s still not been willing to do anything more. Kisses, hugs and getting mind-blowing oral sex are it for now. Not that I’m complaining.

Since Rowan had a security system with cameras installed, I’m even able to sleep on the nights he travels for hockey. I miss him, though.

“You have to stay in here for fifteen minutes,” Sam says as I walk toward my closet to get dressed. “We’ll tell you when you can come out.”

They’re probably planning to make breakfast with Rowan. That’s sweet, and I don’t want to ruin the surprise by reminding them I prepared a breakfast casserole and cinnamon rolls to bake after we finish opening gifts.

“Okay, I’m going to lie back down then.”

“Don’t fall asleep!” Tate turns to look at me from the doorway. “And don’t come out until we say you can.”

“I promise not to come out.”

I didn’t promise not to fall asleep. I’m lightly dozing when I hear a knock on my bedroom door sometime later.

“You can come out now, Mom!”

“Okay, I’ll be there in five minutes.”

I brush my teeth, run a brush through my hair and put on some sweats and a T-shirt. On my way past, I stop and smile at my reflection in the mirror.

It’s our first Christmas in our new home. A home that I paid for. The boys are both doing really well, and I’ve stopped worrying constantly about Jake coming back. Dom has a private eye doing a once-a-day check-in on him, and so far, he’s been in the state of California since the day after he was released from prison.

I also got a five-figure holiday bonus from the firm, which blew my mind. I cried in my office for fifteen minutes, wishing I could go back and tell the struggling waitress I had been that it would all be worth it. All the late nights studying, Door Dashing to pay for Christmas gifts and clipping coupons for groceries got me here.

And then there’s Rowan. My smile widens because,yeah, life is good.

I only linger a second, knowing I have two very eager little boys downstairs. Rowan offered to get up early and leave this morning so the boys and I could have Christmas morning alone. But having him here felt right.

“I’m hungry!” I jog down the stairs, expecting Rowan and the boys to be waiting for me in the kitchen.

Instead, I find the three of them standing in front of the Christmas tree, all dressed in tuxedos. Duke is lying on the floor by Rowan, even he has a bow tie around his neck. Rowan’s tux fits his athletic body perfectly; he’s breathtaking. And seeing my boys so proud and handsome in the dress clothes makes me tear up.

“What’s this?”

Sam steps forward. “Mom, you’re the best mom ever. I love you.”

All three of them are standing with their hands behind their backs. Sam whips a package out from behind his back and grins at me.

“Merry Christmas!”

“That’s for me?” I beam at him as he hands it to me.

I can tell he wrapped it himself. There’s too much tape and the paper doesn’t fit perfectly. I kiss him on top of the head. “Thank you, honey.”

“Open it!”

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