Page 5 of A Crossroads Christmas

“Daddy?”

I turned around, spotting Jakey in the doorway. “Hey, Bud.”

He rubbed the sleep from his eyes as I joined him in the hall. “Is Jonah okay?”

“Sure. He had a wet diaper. Didn’t like a cold butt.”

Jakey giggled. “I don’t like that either.”

“No one does,” I agreed. “Want some hot chocolate?”

“In the middle of the night?” He stared up at me with wide eyes. “Is that naughty?”

My lips twitched. Ever since he heard that Santa watched kids for Christmas, he’d been on a mission to stay on the nice list. “Nope. Santa knows that’s okay because you’re with a parent.”

He beamed. “Okay. Then yes, I want marshmallows too.”

“Done.”

We walked downstairs, and I placed Jonah in his bouncy seat, buckling him in as he continued to sleep. Jakey stared at his brother, lifting a tiny blanket to drape over him. The care and concern for his brother was sweet. Rowe worried Jakey might get jealous of the new baby, but I didn’t. Jakey wasn’t that type of kid. His heart was huge.

“Daddy?”

“Yeah?” I asked, putting water on to boil. “You got something on your mind?”

He glanced at the floor, toeing at the hardwood floors with the tip of his sock. “I got a question.”

“Go for it,” I encouraged.

“I didn’t want to ask Mama ’cause she might get sad.”

Hmmm. “Well, I promise I won’t.”

“Do Mamas and Daddys ever love one baby more than the other?”

Aww, shit. I stopped what I was doing and approached Jakey, lowering into the empty chair beside him. Looking straight into his eyes, I held his troubled gaze.

“I suppose there might be a parent or two who have felt that way,” I began, deciding always to be honest with Jakey. “But,” I emphasized, “I can tell you with complete certainty that Jonah is tied with you as a favorite. Both me and your mama love you equally as much as we love your new baby brother.”

His chin wobbled, and he squirmed in his seat.

“How about we hug this out?” I suggested, holding out my arms.

Jakey rushed into them, hugging me tight around the neck.

This kid. He proved every single day that I was the luckiest man in the world. Who would have thought I’d find my family so late in life? Approaching fifty, I had contentment I never believed possible before I met Rowe.

Jakey sniffled as he sat back. “Jonah is more love for our family.”

“He is,” I agreed.

“So, it’s okay if my heart feels a little stretched, right?”

My hand clutched my heart, bunching the t-shirt I wore. “Mine’s a little stretched, too. And yeah, that’s a wonderful thing, son.”

He smiled and brushed tears from his cheeks. “Can I have my hot cocoa now?”

“Just one more question first?”

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