Page 60 of Coast

“Let me grab a shirt,” I said and walked to the dresser and pulled out a t-shirt. I’d take a shower after everything was opened because I figured if I mentioned it then, there’d be mutiny.

“What is all the racket? An old man can’t get any sleep around here,” Kiyaya said as he walked out of the extra bedroom.

“Santa came!” Paxton informed him as if everyone in the house hadn’t heard him earlier.

“Eh, you don’t say.” Kiyaya smiled down at Paxton, then glanced over at me. “Are we going to stand here or go downstairs and let the boy inspect his bounty?”

“We’re going. Not like the man in red left your old ass anything.” Mac smacked my arm, and I chuckled.

“Can you even remember the last time you got something from Santa, Kiyaya?” Tracker said, then looked at me and smiled. I winked at him and grinned. It was good to see that Tracker was starting to become comfortable enough to joke. I couldn’t wait for the day he and Paxton would lose the unsure looks I catch sometimes in their eyes.

“Stop ganging up on Kiyaya, you two. And are you going to call your dad and let him know we are up? He mentioned doing that yesterday after the club dinner.”

“Yeah, I already did while you were showering. Didn’t think Paxton and Tracker would want to wait to open presents. Or you for that matter.”

“Whatever. I’m just excited for the boys. So, let’s get moving,” she said and walked out of the bedroom with Paxton and Tracker on her heels.

Kiyaya snickered. “Eh, you might have bitten off more than you can chew with that girl. She’s not going to let you boys get by with much.”

“Kinda like how she handles you, Kiyaya. How was that cupcake?” I asked as we started down the stairs. Then laughed when Kiyaya began mumbling.

“Look, Emery, I got books, cars, games, and a PlayStation! Santa even brought an Xbox for Tracker!” Paxton said as Kiyaya and I walked into the living room. Pax sat on the floor in front of the tree looking at everything piled up in front of him.

I looked over at Tracker with his head down as he looked at the gaming system box and the games we’d gotten for it. Or Santa had.

“Hey, bud, after pops gets here and we open gifts. I’ll help you get that set up.”

“Okay,” he said, his voice a little rough, and I frowned. When Mac touched my arm, I looked down at her, and she shook her head slightly. I mouthed what, and she nodded toward the kitchen.

“Kiyaya, you want some coffee? It should be done I hit the switch when I got here. Or would you rather have tea?” she asked over her shoulder as I walked with her to the kitchen.

“Coffee sounds good, Mackenzie,” Kiyaya answered.

Once we were out of earshot, I asked again, “What happened?”

Mac turned, and I was shocked to see moisture in her eyes. “He needed a minute. Oh, Emery. Tracker’s face when Paxton told him the Xbox had his name on it... We know he doesn’t believe in Santa and goes along with it because of Paxton. Hell, I wanted to cry when he bent and picked up that box, then looked over his shoulder at me and mouthed thank you. I mean, he’s twelve, Emery, and it breaks my heart he’s had to spend his own childhood looking after Paxton when he should have been enjoying his own.” I watched Mac’s transformation from being on the brink of tears to a pissed off woman. “If that woman...and I use the word only because I’m trying to be polite...were alive, I’d shake the shit out of her.” Mac turned away and began pouring coffee into cups.

“Cariño.”

“I know, I know. I can’t let the stuff get to me. We can only make going forward better for them. Good God, Emery, he barely was able to answer you for being choked up. That’s why I brought you in here. He needed a moment to compose himself.”

“And maybe you did, too,” I said and ran my hand from the top of her head down until I reached her back and stopped to rub it.

“Yes, and now, I’m good. The rest of the morning and day will be spent enjoying and being thankful for what we do have,” Mac said while she placed the coffee cups on a tray to carry.

When she was finished, I picked the tray up, and we walked into the living room. Tracker was better and now sitting on the floor by the coffee table with Paxton at his side. Kiyaya was on the other side of the coffee table on the couch. I smiled when I saw what sat on the table between them. A checkerboard.

I went to set the tray down when someone knocked on the door.

“Why is your dad knocking? He knows we’re expecting him,” Mac said, and I shrugged.

“I have no idea. Let him in, and then you can ask him,” I answered and set the tray down as she started toward the front door.

Mac opened the door, and I barely heard her whispered, “Oh my God.”

As I headed toward her, the boys and Kiyaya turned toward the door to see what was going on.

“Merry Christmas, sis.” Mac’s brother, Dirk, said as he stood on crutches at the door. He’d barely gotten the words out before she lunged and wrapped her arms around him. Luckily, my dad had been behind Dirk to give him support from the onslaught, or it would have ended with Dirk being taken to the ground.

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