Page 94 of Just Say Christmas
“Exactly,” Rhys said. He wiped his face on the inside of his T-shirt, and then he wiped Casey’s on the outside. Not very sanitary, but oh, well. He was the dad, not the mum. Imperfect as hell, but still the dad.
“How’re you going?” he asked Zora. “You think I’ve forgotten that you’re feeling crook. That’s where you’re wrong. I can multitask. Want me to make breakfast?”
“Yes,” she said. “And then we’ll do our decorating, and be happy that we’re spending our first Christmas together. But . . . could I talk to you a minute first?”
There went his heart again.Boom. Boom. Boom.He’d told Casey that nothing was perfect, that you didn’t always get what you wanted. He didn’t care. He wanted this anyway, and he’d do whatever it took to keep it. Starting with taking Zora to the doctor, if she wouldn’t go without him.
He said, “Be sure you put the bunnies away, kids. I don’t need them running off and finding girl bunnies.”
Isaiah sighed. “They’ve been neutered. They don’t care about girl bunnies.”
“Oh,” Rhys said. “I must’ve forgotten. Must’ve been why they cost so much.”
“We can put the stones back, too,” Casey said. “I don’t need them anymore, because they’re all mixed together. One hundred percent.”
He had to put his hand on her head for one more minute. “That’s right. Put them back, and then go take showers, please. Everybody smells like fish, and your mum doesn’t want to decorate with fishy people.”
“You smell the worst,” Casey said. “Because you’re the one who cut their heads off.”
“You’re right,” he said. “I’ll take a shower, too. And then eggs.”
“Pancakes are more Christmasy,” Casey said. “If you put chocolate chips in, they’d beextraChristmasy.”
“What do you think, mate?” Rhys asked Isaiah. “Pancakes sound good?”
“Yes, please,” Isaiah said. “I like them with chocolate chips, too. And whipped cream.”
“And maple syrup,” Casey said. “And bananas.”
“I’m becoming a diabetic just listening,” Rhys said, “but I reckon it’s Christmas Eve. Once a year, eh. I think I’ve got it. Showers.”
“And can you do my hair, please?” Casey asked. “Like for the ballet? In mouse ears? I want to wear my red dress for decorating.”
“I can do that,” Rhys said. “In a little while. Right now, I’m talking to Auntie Zora.”
In their bedroom once more, and hewasstill fishy. Also, this day had been more like an Emotion Marathon than Christmas Eve, and it wasn’t even ten o’clock.
He expected Zora to sit on the bed. She didn’t. She stood in the middle of the room and said, “There’s something. There’s . . . I need your help.”
No. Not this.That was all that would come. He had to swallow first, and then he said, “You’ve got my help.”
“I think . . .” She looked away, then back at him, and he couldn’t breathe. “I think it might have happened. That I might be . . . pregnant.” Her voice was shaking, and so were her hands. “And I’m scared to check. That’s the truth. I’m scared. I bought this box of tests, you know. You can tell early now. And then I checked the first month. Twice. And it said no. And every month since, there my period has been. As you know. I haven’t wanted to check again and see that ‘No.’ But it was meant to be here two days ago, and nothing. Also, I’m tired. And a bit sick. And my breasts are sore, but they’re sore before my period anyway, so who knows? And I want it too much, you know?” She had some tears now. “I want it too much. And see? I’mcrying.I don’t cry like this. I’m so . . .odd.It’s been too long since Isaiah, maybe, because I’m not sure if it’s the same or not.”
By now, he had his arms around her. He thought about it, though. He wanted to get this right the first time. Finally, he said, “In a minute, I’m going to ask you what I can do, and then I’m going to do it. First, though, I’m going to say this. One thing I found out today for sure. Before today, but today especially. I have a family.Wehave a family. You want another baby, and so do I. But if we don’t get one? We’ve got enough. We’ve got each other, and Casey, and Isaiah. That’s not bad, for a life. I’ll take that.”
“Right, then.” She got herself together, like she always would. A core of steel, Zora. “Can you just . . . sit here? For one minute?” She stepped back and tried to smile at him. “While I pee on a stick?”
* * *
ZORA
Casey was right. Rhysdidsmell like fish. Which was making her feel sick, but she was sick already. And lightheaded. And impossibly hopeful, or hoping for the impossible.
She peed on the stick. After that, she laid it carefully down on a tissue while she washed her hands, then took it out to Rhys. Who was, once again, sitting on the side of the bed. Rugby shorts, bare feet, and muscles, with his Maori tattoo showing below the sleeve of his T-shirt. Dark hair, hazel eyes, and that dimple in his chin.
Pretty much everything a woman could want.
She sat down beside him and said, “Now we wait to see what shows up in the window. Three minutes. It’ll say Yes or No. The clock’s flashing, which means it’s working.” She tried to calm her racing heart, and couldn’t. “I want to ask you whether you want a boy or a girl, but it feels like tempting fate. Which is silly. Isaiah would say that it’s already been done, if ithasbeen done, and the gender’s already decided, too, so what we say now doesn’t matter.”
