Page 13 of A Stag Family Christmas

13

TIM

I never thought I’d enjoy Thanksgiving dinner. For so many years, it was just my brothers and my grandmother and me trying to figure out some stovetop stuffing and a frozen turkey breast. Hell, most years I barely took off work.

Today, my wife has been in the kitchen since dawn with a spreadsheet, an entire rope of garlic, and a Bing Crosby marathon on the stereo. Petey and I have been vacuuming and setting out extra chairs, since Alice’s whole family is walking over in addition to my brothers and their growing families.

“Is dere juice, Daddy?” Petey looks out at me from under the dining room table.

“We have a whole case of juice boxes, kiddo,” I tell him. “Want to help me get them from the garage?” He nods and we walk to the kitchen door, which is frosted over. It’s been incredibly cold for November, even though Thanksgiving comes late this year. “Better grab a coat before we head out there, Petey,” I tell him, holding out the bright red fleece that apparently used to be mine when I was little. My grandma found a box of kid clothes squirreled away in the attic when we renovated. My mom had bought really nice stuff, intending it to last through 3 kids. I smile thinking how pleased she’d be to know that her grandson is learning to work a zipper in the same coat.

I look over at Alice, sweating in a tank top with her hair tied on top of her head. Her Stag tattoo has healed by now, standing out fierce and black on her shoulder blade against her creamy skin. I still think it looks sexy as hell. She catches me staring and smiles. I cough, adjusting my pants, remembering that our son is waiting for me to grab the juice and any minute now, our house will be filled with very loud, very opinionated relatives.

As if I conjured them, they start pouring in just as Petey and I get back inside with the juice boxes. The Petersons—Alice’s extended family—all live a few blocks away, and they showed up en masse. Amy grabs an apron and starts helping Alice make side dishes while Amy’s kids fight over who gets to baste the turkey first.

I’m about to yell at them when the front door opens and I see that it’s Emma’s friend Nicole. “Hey,” I tell her as she strides inside like she owns the place. “I didn’t know you were coming.”

“I knew,” Alice yells from inside the oven, and Nicole rolls her eyes. She thrusts a bottle of wine into my hands.

“I work all the time and my family is too uptight,” she says. “Emma says I could horn in on some Stag madness without anyone getting judgmental.”

I chuckle at the thought of my family in the position to judge anyone else. “You’ll be trading a lack of judgment for everyone getting up in your business,” I tell her. “This bunch never knows how to butt out.”

Nicole laughs and pulls up a stool at the bar. Within a few minutes, she’s giving Amy suggestions on how to do her nursing charts more efficiently and talking to Amy’s husband Doug about grading his students’ papers. While she solves everyone else’s problems, an epiphany washes over me.

Suddenly the solution to my problems is plain as day, as if the “Star of Wonder” Bing is crooning about is shining down on my kitchen. “Nicole.” I stand up and walk over next to her. “You have to come work at Stag Law.”

Amy and Alice laugh, but Nicole simply cocks her head to the side and contemplates what I’m saying. “You know I have a career already, right Stag?”

I wave this away with a hand. “I’ll pay you more and give you more creative control,” I tell her. “I need a business manager. A process engineer. Someone to steer my firm, make strategic decisions while I handle the clients.” It’s the perfect solution I’ve been looking for. I don’t need another lawyer. I can shake my wallet at the law schools up and down Forbes Avenue and find 50 good lawyers. I need someone with a mind for strategy, a cool decision maker. “I’ve seen you arguing Emma through a decision.”

The words come before I pause to consider that this is a sore subject. Emma and Thatcher aren’t even here yet, though. Fuck it. “Every time I see you, you’re solving people’s problems for them, or guiding them to make a more efficient choice. I need you. Stag Law needs you. Name your price, Nicole. You can start Monday.”

I’m not sure what I expect from her in response to this outburst, but she swigs her wine and looks around the room. My nephews are clinging to my legs trying to avoid one another in a game of tag. I’d usually shake them off and shout, but I’m so sure in my footing today I just let them be. Nicole furrows her brow and says, “You’re insane, Tim Stag. You know that, right?”

“I’m aware. I also know my client list is unbeatable. I’ve got a roster of hot clients a mile long. Plus, Alice makes all the food at work. Haven’t I heard Emma say you sometimes forget to eat or have to send out your assistant while you work the treadmill desk?”

Within a few minutes, Nicole has negotiated an impressive salary and arranged to bring her assistant along with her to Stag Law. What the fuck do I care if she brings her own admin with her? I could never function without Donna. Nicole’s guy will fit in just fine.

I surprise myself by leaning in for a hug, taken aback by my own excitement at this solution, but she places a palm on my chest. “We are not hugging, Timber. I don’t do that.” We are spared any awkwardness when my father arrives with Thatcher and Emma, who looks a bit grey but seems to be in a better mood today.

“All right, it’s ready,” I hear Alice yell from the kitchen. I look over my shoulder to see she’s lined up the feast on the counter, buffet style. For the first time in weeks, I feel starved. My head is clear now, and I can settle down to really enjoy a feast. I hadn’t realized how heavily my career situation was weighing on me on top of everything else.

Ty and Juniper bustle in the door just as everyone is sitting down, and Alice gives me a nod.

“Hi everyone,” I say, tapping my fork against my beer bottle to get their attention over all the chatter. “It’s been a crazy couple of weeks. I wanted to thank Alice for pulling all of this together for us.” I’m interrupted by my family whooping and banging on the table in thanks, which makes me grin despite myself. “Go ahead and roll your eyes all you want, but I want us to take a moment and each share something we are thankful for. You can tackle me later when we walk up to the park to play some football.” I have to yell now above my brothers groaning and making threats about my throwing arm. “So anyway, I’d like to start by saying how much I’m going to miss working with Her Honor, Judge Juniper Jones, but I’m thankful that I managed to poach Nicole Kennedy to join me as Director of Strategy at Stag Law.” I raise my glass to Nicole, who nods. My family applauds and Alice teases that now I can finally pull the peppermint stick out of my behind.

I elbow my brother Thatcher to my left, who looks like he wants to go next.

He coughs and looks at Emma, who nods. Thatcher swallows and fidgets with his napkin before grinning. “Emma and I are going to have a baby. So I’m pretty fucking thankful for that.”

14

THATCHER

Emma and I fall asleep before 8 o’clock on Thanksgiving. We stayed up most of the previous night talking about her pregnancy. We read every word Dr. Khalsa sent us and looked up the high-risk obstetrician that Tim emailed me about. It wasn’t until Emma saw me finishing up making a nightlight for Ty and Juniper that Emma started crying and saying she definitely wanted to have our baby.

I pulled her into my arms and pressed her face against my chest, forgetting the fragile gift I’d worked so hard to get just right. The nightlight fell to the floor beside me as I held tight to this woman who means so much to me. I haven’t been able to think about anything else since we got the news that Emma was pregnant.

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