Page 23 of All I Want For Christmas

He realized he’d stopped just before the door with the tray of waffles and bacon. He took a deep breath. “Yep. Absolutely.”

Waffles. His family. Christmas. That was all he was thinking about it for the next few hours.

Jay pushed the door open and preceded Matt into the dining room.

“Okay, so I told you we have a new cook and he’s really trying to get the waffles right. We need some taste testers,” Jay said. “I know you only eat waffles with your dad, but maybe you can make an exception in this case?” He stepped to the side, revealing Matt and the tray of waffles.

Liam looked at the tray first. “I don’t really want to.”

Matt caught Lindsey’s eye and she gave him a smile that was so full of love and excitement for what was to come that he felt the tension banding his chest loosen.It will all be okay. That was what she did for him. She made him believe that.

“Hey, Aidan, what do you think?” Lindsey asked.

Aidan looked up from coloring the photo on the back of the placemat. His eyes went to the tray first too.

Matt grinned. His boys were all about the food.

“I guess,” Aidan said. “I’ll take one bite.”

“Just one?” Matt asked. “What if these are the best waffles you’ve ever had?”

Both boys looked up at him at the same moment.

And everything just froze for a few seconds.

They stared at him and Matt just stood, letting it all sink in.

Then Liam said, “Dad?” and Aidan started crying.

Matt handed the tray off to Jay and knelt beside the booth as both boys slid out and threw themselves into his arms.

And everything was right in his world.

Matt squeezed his eyes shut as he hugged the boys to his chest. “I missed you guys so much.”

They clutched at his shirt and Liam just kept saying, “Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!”

“I like wafflesso much,” Aidan said against his shirt.

“Me too,” Liam assured him. “Just yours. I only want them with you.”

Matt felt bad that his boys would go months at a time without waffles, but truthfully, he loved that they were so adamant about only eating them with him. It was a small thing, but damn, he didn’t get many exclusive parts of their lives. He’d take waffles if that was all he could have.

He dragged his eyes open and focused on Lindsey.

She, of course, had tears streaming down her face, but her smile was bright and the love and pride shining in her eyes told him everything he needed to know about what was in her heart and mind. She was fully in this moment. So were the boys. And so would he be. He’d make sure of it.

Finally he said gruffly, “Okay, let’s eat. I’ve got a ton of stuff for us to do today.”

The boys pulled back. Both had red faces and wet cheeks, but they were smiling.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” Liam said.

“This is ahugesurprise,” Aidan agreed.

Matt laughed, even as he silently prayed that they wouldn’t ask him how long he was going to be home. He was going to pack the day with all of the things he’d thought they’d have two weeks to do and hopefully keep them so busy and get them so tired that they wouldn’t think about when the end might be.

The boys climbed back into the booth, but when Matt went to slide in next to Lindsey, the boys insisted he sit with them, right in the middle. He agreed and happily sat and watched two of the three greatest loves in his life shovel waffles and strawberriesand whipped cream into their mouths as they chattered about how surprised they were and what they were going to do for the rest of the day.

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