Page 42 of Stay with Me
Chapter Thirty
The Christmas tree was the only light in the living room. Brody was in front of it, rearranging the ornaments again. He didn’t have any from his childhood, but Drew’s family had surprised him with a box of ornaments that reminded them of him. Mike had found a bookstore ornament; they’d found a mutual love of books over the past few months. Julia had gotten him one that was a scrub top. Nova had given him and Drew matching ones from Nicole announcing that they were the best uncles ever. Each ornament showed him how much they accepted him as Drew’s partner and their family.
“You need to stop moving them around,” Drew said as he wrapped his arms around Brody from behind, dropping his chin on Brody’s shoulder. “The tree looks perfect.”
Brody turned in Drew’s arms and kissed him to distract himself. For absolutely no logical reason, Brody was feeling nervous about going to Mike and Trish’s house for Christmas Eve dinner. He’d spent hours with both Mike and Trish. Drew must have figured out that Brody needed extra loving as he lingered.
When Drew pulled back, he asked, “You ready?” Brody took a deep breath and nodded. He reached for the bag of presents sitting next to the tree and held out his hand. Drew wagged his finger at Brody, stepping away to grab their coats.
“It’s a bit cold for Texas,” Drew held out Brody’s jacket for him to slide his arms in, then donned his own. He grabbed another bag that Brody hadn’t noticed sitting on the coffee table. “Let’s go.”
§ § § §
“B, D, B, D, B, D,” Nicole screamed as she rushed them at the door. Drew dropped to a knee and caught her as she jumped. Nothing like an 18-month old at Christmas. He was sure she didn’t completely understand the holiday but she did understand presents and cookies.
“Are you ready for Santa?” he asked, and then listened to her babble. Drew understood every fourth or fifth word but nodded as she ‘talked’. Brody stepped around him, tickling the little girl as he went.
“She’s been looking out the window since we got here,” Nova told Drew as he carried Nicole into the living room. “Go find Mimi. She’s got your sippy.” Drew had barely put her down before Nicole shot out of the room.
“Merry Christmas.” Nova kissed his cheek and whispered as she was close, “Are you ready?” She and Rick were the only ones who knew what he had planned.
“Shhh, you’ll ruin the surprise,” Drew teased. “But yes.”
Uncle Mike walked up to them with his eyes narrowed. “What are you two scheming about? It’s never good when any of the kids are whispering.”
Nova mimed zipping her lips while Drew held up the bag he was holding. “I’ve got a surprise for everyone. Something from one of the Christmases when we were all together. Can you call everyone?”
“Nice save but what are you talking about?” Nova muttered.
“Plop your ass down and you’ll find out.” Drew took off his coat and threw it on the back of the couch. Aunt Trish came into the room carrying Nicole. She detoured to give him a kiss on his cheek before she settled in the rocking chair near the tree. Nicole had her sippy cup in her hands and leaned back into Trish’s shoulder, twirling her hair as she drank. Darien, Noah, Rem,and Uncle Mike sat down and looked at him expectantly. Brody hitched his hip on the arm of the couch next to Nova.
“When Brody and I were visiting Mom and Dad for Thanksgiving, Tris, Julia, and I were reminiscing about different holidays as we pulled out the ornaments for their tree. Ones with Dad there, ones with him gone, ones with uncles visiting, and ones where we were all together. We remembered the one that Aunt Holly arranged on the beach in Savannah. And I thought it was time to resurrect the tradition that we started that year,” Drew finished before pulling presents out of the bag he held. They were all different sized rectangles. He checked the tags and handed one to each of them.
“Ummm, we started a tradition? Mike? Did we drop the ball on something?” Aunt Trish asked as she juggled Nicole as well as the presents for them both.
Uncle Mike felt his present then put it down to help his wife. He grabbed the flatter of the two gifts and smiled at Drew. “I think I know what he’s talking about. Remember the Christmas we were in Savannah and we were trying to figure out how to distract the kids? Kevin was a jack—” Uncle Mike stopped abruptly before continuing, “amoe, and told them all that if they slept in the living room they’d meet Santa.”
Drew watched his aunt and Nova try and remember what Uncle Mike was talking about. Aunt Trish tilted her head and looked to the ceiling as she wracked her memory. Nova shook her head and shrugged. “Not ringing any bells.”
Uncle Mike held the gift out to Nicole and said, “Help Grandpa open?” The little girl sat up so fast she almost brained her Mimi.
“Rip?” she asked as she tore open the package. Drew had found a copy ofThe Soldiers’ Night Before Christmasfor Nicole.She squealed when she saw the brightly colored book. Grabbing the book from her grandpa she dove at him. “eed?”
Drew watched as his uncle kissed the top of the toddler’s head and smile. “Grandpa will always ‘eed with you.”
“I remembered we all got books that night. Cam and Cal had done some research for school on traditions around the world and found the one from Iceland about giving books on Christmas Eve,” Drew reminded his cousin while filling Brody, Darien, and Rem in. The rest of the group opened their books, with a lot of oohs and ahhhs. He’d found the new thriller that they’d been talking about in the group chat for Rem; a romance for Noah, the romantic at heart;The Rise and Fall of Pete Rosefor Darien; historical fiction for Nova and Aunt Trish; a military history for Uncle Mike; and he’d found a new horror author for Brody to try out.
Just as Uncle Mike turned to the first page, the doorbell rang. Drew looked over his shoulder, and then at his aunt and uncle. “Do you want me to get that? Did you find a soldier or two who didn’t have a place to go for the holiday?” he teased as he stood up.
Aunt Trish waved him off. “No, we didn’t find a soldier in need this year,” she told him, as she looked at her watch. “It’s a surprise for Brody. We found him something special that we hope will make him happy.”
Drew looked at Brody, then his uncle. Uncle Mike looked a bit nervous.Okay, what’s up with that?“Uncle Mike?” he said just as Brody said, “Mike?”
“I’m hoping you don’t kill Trish and me,” he said, as he stood and handed Nicole to her daddy. Uncle Mike walked to the hallway and met Aunt Trish there. Drew could hear twoother voices that he didn’t recognize. Brody gasped and grabbed Drew’s hand in a tight grip.
Drew noticed all the color had gone from Brody’s face. “Brody, are you okay?”
Brody didn’t answer but stood up and pulled Drew with him toward the hall.
