Page 84 of Christmas Chaos
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BAX
I’m not sure what I expected—that she’d magically become someone else. But no, she’s exactly as I would expect and want. We’ll just have to teach our children not to use the language their mother does. Goldie runs back toward us, away from the crowd. I haven’t moved from the spot where we became a family.
“Mister Baxter, the big poppa. Here is your little dreamy one. I’ll try not to hold him too much. Adrian, look at our grandbaby.” My father nods to Goldie and kisses the top of his dear friend’s head.
I kiss my mother-in-law on the cheek and reach for Nick. There’s a hand on my shoulder, firm and always at my back. My father takes the baby from Goldie. He’s a patient man, steady and true. I’ve always tried to emulate him at least in spirit. He looks at the baby and I see Tabi running around with the other boys.
“Dad.”
He nods at me and says, “Dad.”
I grin. “Meet Nicholas”
“I heard. Nick. I like it.”
“Nicholas Harris Schroeder.” My father looks up from Nick’s little sleeping face.
“Well, son, that’s a good name. She’d like that.” My father misses my mom every day. Someday I hope he’ll date again, but for now I have a hunch he’ll be busy with Nick as often as possible. My sisters and their significant others crowd around my dad and more pictures are taken. I kiss my new son’s head and wave to everyone and go to find the rest of my family. That is still knocking the wind out of me when I say or think it.
I see David, Josh and Sam huddled in the corner of our new quasi residence. I walk over and they stare at me with their eyes wide.
Josh says, “Dude. That’s a lot.”
Sam chimes in, “Says the man with a fourth child on the way.”
David sips and says ribbing Josh about the unexpected twins he already has, “You hope it’s just a fourth.”
We all laugh, and David throws his arms around me. “I’m so fucking happy for you, man.” Then Sam and Josh take their turns.
Sam says, “I can’t believe I kept all the secrets. Kind of. I kept them from Tabi.”
“They’re all out now. Thanks, man, for holding it together.”
Sam says, “Seriously, I was ok keeping the foster kid thing, but fucking Tabi, man. It’s why I didn’t speak to you today.”
“What are you talking about?” I ask, worried now something’s wrong.
David and Josh reach over to tackle Sam to the ground, and I block them.
“Tell me now.” I look around and Tabi’s missing.
“About the baby.”
“I know about the baby.”
Sam, oblivious to David and Josh struggling to stop him from talking, says, “No, the other one.” Fuck. My breath is gone, and Josh puts his hands on my shoulders before I kill Sam for being an idiot.
I spin around quickly to find her face. She’s standing with a Santa suit clad Will Whittier who’s dancing with his oldest granddaughter. I catch her attention, my eyes wide, and my body is humming with, well, to be honest, panic. How the fuck do we do this? This can’t be true. David slams into Sam, and he realizes what he did. How does everyone know but me?
Tabi stomps over. She yells, “Fuckface asshole!” She stabs Sam in the chest.
He shakes her off. “Such fucking drama. Whatever. Stop telling me shit.” David puts his hand on his arm, and he shakes him off. “Fuck off. Merry Christmas. I’m out.” He stomps off, and I could care less.
I grab the woman of all my dreams and pull her to me. “Is this true?”
She grins and places her hand on her stomach. I kiss the hell out of her. We’re never going to have time together after today.
