Page 29 of Home for Christmas

“What’s going on, Peach? What’s wrong?”

I’ll fix it whatever it is. But before I can get it out of her the moms are knocking at the door. She closes her eyes and shakes her head. I’m not getting anything out of her now but I will before we lay back down for the night. I’ll find out and I’ll fix it…or I’ll handcuff her to the fucking bed so I can figure it out.

We take our turn in the bath and come down the stairs together to find our moms smiling and excited with the tree lit behind them. “Merry Christmas!”

My mom comes over to pull me away while Marley goes over to her mom and sits down heavily on the couch. She’s sad -more than sad- she’s heartbroken and I need to figure out why. Eventhough my mom is talking, all my attention is on Marley so I hear when her mom asks her what is wrong.

“Are you alright, sweetie? You don’t look yourself.”

For just a moment she looks like she’s about to burst into tears but takes a deep breath before…lying her ass off to her mom.

“I’m fine, mom. Just feeling a little run down and sick. I think I might have caught something or whatever. I just don’t feel well.”

Now that last part was the truth.

Ruby leans over to put her hand on Marley’s, “Is it morning sickness?”

“Is what morning sickness?”

Oh, now my mom is all ears and totally present for the conversation.

“Marley says she isn’t feeling well, Kate?”

“Why didn’t you say something when we woke up, Peach.”

“IS it morning sickness?” My mom asks with hope in her eyes…I think her fingers might even be crossed.

“It’s not morning sickness, guys. There hasn’t been enough time….” I say it as an aside not really paying attention to anyone but Marely.

“Tannen!” Marely is off the couch in the blink of an eye, looking like she might faint at any second.

Our moms squeal and run to hug one another.

“What have you done?”

“You better show her what Santa brought for her last night, son!”

“That can wait, mom. If Marley doesn’t feel good she needs to see a doctor first thing.”

“How…why would you...? How could you say anything to them about what we did? And…” She loses focus and starts looking around wildly while both her hands go to her belly. I can almost hear what is going through her head. “We didn’t…what am I supposed to do? What if…?”

She’s about to run. I reach for her wrist and ask, “Is your tummy hurting?”

“What? No.”

“Alright then.” I bend and scoop her up over my shoulder before she can say another word. “Mom, Ruby, we’ll be back. We have some things we need to talk about first.”

I head back upstairs as Marley sputters and cusses behind me. Once I have her back in the room, I toss her on our bed and go back over to shut the door.

“Spill it, Peach! What’s going through that beautiful brain of yours?”

She’s mad one minute then sad then back to mad. Her emotions are right out there for me to see written on her face. She’s settled on mad for now which is fine by me. I would rather her be mad any day than as sad as I saw her when she first woke up.

“Why did you tell the moms we slept together?”

“I figured they would find out soon enough.”

“What?”

---