Page 69 of Christmas Chaos
16
BAX
Ipull up to the tasting room to see if she’s still there and I’m greeted by David throwing a party. It’s packed and he’s running it like a pro. Run-DMC is blaring, and everyone is rapping along with the lyrics. My father’s here, dancing. He doesn’t usually do that, but he’s pouring while David stands on a stool behind the bar dancing.
I step behind the bar and several people say, “Hello, Mr. Mayor.” I grin and nod. I pour a couple of tastes, then look at David.
“Where’s Tab?”
He cracks his knuckles. His tell. No matter what comes out of his mouth, it’s a lie. “She had to take care of stuff for the baby.”
Sam enters, sees me and turns right around. He’ll crack. I turn to chase him down, and David pulls me back.
David says casually as he rings up a customer, “Can you help us out here?”
“Can you tell me the truth?” I shoot back.
“No. I can’t, but please don’t ask Sam.” He smirks and raises his eyebrows at me.
“Fine. If you can keep her secret, you can keep mine.” I grin and pour some more. David leans down and grabs another bottle and opens it while staring at me.
“Joaquin and Jay are coming home today. I’m heading south of San Jose to get them in a minute. But I want it to be a surprise for Tab. I’m bringing the boys to the hospital to meet their new brother.”
My father hoots, I assume Ingrid told him. He hugs me.
“So fucking pleased at all of this, my boy.” He grins then goes back to shaking his ass for the patrons. I laugh hard at the overexcited grandpa.
David’s eyes are crazy wide, and the bottle he’s holding is slipping from his hand. I don’t catch it in time, and it shatters. Everyone in here, as well as myself, yells, “OPA!” It’s written on a sign behind us. She wanted everyone to know smashing plates, in our case bottles or glasses, signals the end and the beginning, to ward off evil spirits and to express abundance. It’s eerily apt today.
David isn’t moving as I begin to pick up the pieces. It’s like he’s frozen.
“I know, it’s shocking.”
He cocks an eyebrow and smirks at me. “It certainly is. It certainly fucking is.” He lifts me into a giant bear hug.
“Thanks, man.”
“You’re never sleeping again.” He grins. “Wow. That is an abundance of riches you two got going.” I grin as David continues talking while we both clean up and keep pouring. Working side by side quickly to get everyone happy. “That’s some full house you got. Oh, wait. You don’t have a house.” He’s laughing. Hard. “And you have so many, many children all of a sudden.” He’s bent over and can’t speak. It’s not that bad. Is it? I don’t have time to think about it. I have to go.
“I need a favor.”
“Apparently, I’m your family’s go to guy today. By the by, Nat’s going to sob at your feet, you know?”
“I do. And this is partially her fault.” Nat’s the one who encouraged us to foster older kids instead of babies. Second best decision of my life. Taking Tabi’s hand when I was five was the first.
David rolls his wrists towards himself. “Hit me up. What else can we do for the new Schroeder clan today?”
“We?”
“You don’t think I can hold all these secrets, do you? I gotta tell Natalie.”
“I need boy presents for tomorrow. Art and sports. Ingrid is handling music and some other stuff.”
My dad yells to me, “GO! And turn up the volume on this joyous day!” I kiss my dad’s cheek and race out of the tasting room to the car and look down at my pants. I have wine splashed up on them. Whatever. I stare at our house being ripped apart by Matteo and his machines and wonder if he can salvage some pants. I dump a bottle of water on the stain and pat dry with a workout shirt in the back of my car.
I hear David yell from inside, “Ok. Everybody grab two bottles on the house and get the hell out. Merry Christmas from Pro/Ho and the baby Jesus, who is apparently on his way here with a whole troupe of newly minted apostles. Get out!”
I grin and vow to pay for all those bottles to fix our books.
