A Christmas to Love You (8 page)

Andrew chuckles remembering how awkward that dance was. He had no idea where to put his hands, it was like he was afraid to even touch me but after a few songs that night turned into one of the best nights of my life.

“He swept me off my feet that night. It wasn’t baseball season and he didn’t have practices so every day until opening season we were together. If I had something to do, he went with me and same for him. My mom tried to stop it saying we were too young to be this close but it didn’t stop us. It actually pushed us closer together. When our junior year rolled around, I was home doing my homework on a Friday night when I heard someone out front of my house beeping the horn. I got up from my desk and went to see who it was. There was a black Monte Carlo parked out front and Andrew was standing at the driver’s side door. Where the hell did he get that?

I slipped a pair of shoes on and ran downstairs. My dad was already at the door with it held open. “Be home by one and be careful.” He yelled as I ran down the walkway. I still remember hearing him say it.”

I see Andrew bump Jackson’s shoulder getting his attention. “This is my favorite part.”

“Andrew’s parents bought him the Monte Carlo for keeping up his grades and excelling in baseball. That night he took me to New York City. It was my first time up there, well, during Christmas at least. We walked the streets hand in hand taking everything in. We had talked about going when one of us got a car, we wanted to see for ourselves what the big deal was. I wanted to go to Rockefeller Center to see the Christmas tree and to see Times Square and that’s exactly what we did. First we went to Times Square. It was a bit overwhelming with everything going on in the city. Then we made our way to Rockefeller Center. Neither of us had any idea what to expect but seeing that tree up close is nothing like seeing it on TV. It’s huge and absolutely stunning with all the lights.”

“We saw the ice skating rink in front of the tree and Andrew asked if I wanted to go. I’d never been before but he insisted I try it and so I did.” I chuckle. “I couldn’t skate to save my life, thankfully he could. It was packed but he never once let go of me.” I glance towards Andrew who winks. “That’s where we shared our first kiss and our first official real date. We went every year until 1987.” I shift in my seat and cross my legs. I skip over the part where at senior prom I lost my virginity to Andrew. I’ll save them those details. . “That’s the year I got pregnant with you, Jackson, and your father wasn’t comfortable driving us all the way up to the city and have something happen to me. I was upset because it was our thing, our tradition, but later that year he more than made up for it. Andrew asked his parents to watch Jackson for us the weekend after Thanksgiving. He surprised me with a trip to New York. We followed our tradition, walked Time Square and then went ice skating, only that time Andrew dropped to one knee in the middle of the ice skating rink and proposed.”

All the girls sigh and get a dreamy look on their faces. Andrew reaches over and places a hand on my arm giving it a little squeeze. Sadie, who has turned out to be my best friend, is even a little teary eyed.

“We didn’t want to wait to get married. We were already living together in a tiny one bedroom apartment above a little newspaper store and had a baby. A few short weeks after he proposed we were married in a tiny church that we both attended back then. It was our Christmas present to each other. The following year I got pregnant with the twins,” I look towards Mason and then Cooper. “And then three years later I had you.” I say looking at MacKenzie. “And you still make that trip every year?” MacKenzie wipes a tear from her eye.

Andrew and I exchange a smile. “Every year.”

“You don’t get bored with each other?” Chloe’s question catches me a little off guard.

Andrew and I look to each other. “Honestly, I can say no. With having kids so young it was never boring.”

Andrew addresses her next. “Elle and I have a relationship that people say are fairytales. We don’t really ever fight and if we do we never go to bed angry. It was our one rule, no matter what, we always kissed goodnight.”

I see Jackson grin, almost like an ‘I told you’ grin and Chloe nods like she’s beginning to understand. Hailey is wiping her eyes while Mason has a hand on her leg in comfort. I hope with this story that she knows that she has a chance at true love, someone who will love her no matter what, someone who will be with you through thick and thin.

MacKenzie elbows Hunter in the side. “How come you weren’t that romantic?”

He jaw drops open, he can’t believe she just said that, their proposal was pretty special. “Seriously?”

She nods and bites back I smile. She loved every minute of her proposal. It’s their love story and she wouldn’t change it for the world.

“I can’t believe you said that.”

My daughter, in front of her brothers and father, grabs Hunter by the tie and pulls him close to her face. “Just kidding, now kiss me.” And he does and the boys all groan at the same time.

“Let’s put the movie in.” Cooper yells in Hunter’s ear breaking their kiss.
Boys.

I start to laugh, I can’t help it. This is what keeps me going every day.

Hunter shoves Cooper into Jaylinn. “What are we watching?”

“The Grinch.”
Alex yells.

“Well that settles that.” Andrew says laughing.

Chloe grins. “He’s obsessed.”

“Jim Carrey made that movie.” Cooper ruffles Mason’s perfectly styled hair.

“Asshole.”

“Mason, mouth.” I warn.

“Sorry.”

“Oh wait.” I jump up. “I can’t believe I almost forgot.”

I run into the kitchen and grab the three new ornaments from the top of the fridge. I hand one perfectly wrapped box to Hailey and the other to MacKenzie. “Open these.”

They open the gifts, take the ornaments out of the boxes and examine them. Hailey’s has two bears, one in blue and the other in pink, holding a heart. Caleb and Alexis are written on the Santa hats that they are wearing and the heart has the year. MacKenzie’s is a princess crown with Olivia’s name and the year she was born on it. They each got two, one for here and the other for their houses.

Both girls smile at each other, go right to the Christmas tree to hang them side by side and then turn and wrap their arms around me. “Thanks, Mom.” MacKenzie and Hailey say at the same time.

Hugging them, “You’re welcome. Now let’s watch that movie.”

And that’s how our night ends, we are all cuddled in watching
The Grinch
on Christmas Eve, another tradition that we’ve had for a few years now.

My time is running out.

I have to talk to them, tell them what’s going on before it’s too late.

I’m scared.

I’m alone.

But today is Christmas and that’s all I’m going to focus on. One more day isn’t going to hurt anything.

Right?

Jaylinn woke me up this morning at the ass crack of dawn. She told me if I got up that there would be a special present that she would give me later. Who the hell am I to argue with that? So we got up, opened the few presents we got each other and then made love in front of the Christmas tree on Christmas morning.

We are both lying under the Christmas tree and looking up. “Hunter and I used to do this every year when we were kids.”

I reach over and take her hand in mine. “When are you guys going to talk about this shit? Hasn’t it been long enough?”

She cuts me a look. “I’ve tried and I’m tired of trying. If he wants to act the way he is that’s on him.”

“It’s not right.”

“It’s not but I can’t fix it.”

I know she’s been trying to patch things up but with it being Christmas and all I’m really hoping they try working things out. It’s putting a strain on Hunter and me and also MacKenzie and Jaylinn. We all want to get back to the way things used to be but it’s been trying.

Later that afternoon Jaylinn leaves to pick up Layla and her mom. It makes no sense to me because Layla lives with Eli now, they’re roommates. Apparently a bunch of shit went down when I wasn’t around earlier this year and Eli offered her a room. Jaylinn said that Layla asked her to pick her up; she didn’t want to bother Eli.
Whatever.

I arrive at mom’s alone and with hands full of gifts for the kids. We may have gone a little overboard but they’re our nieces and nephews and who doesn’t love buying toys at Christmas?

“Merry Christmas, Sweetheart.” Mom greets me and helps take some of the gifts.

“Merry Christmas,”

“Uncle Coop,” Alex and Ryder come charging at me.

“Hey guys,” they each grab onto one of my legs. “Did you catch Santa coming down the chimney?”

“No,” they both whine.

“Maybe next year.”

“Merry Christmas, Coop.” MacKenzie sighs guiding the boys back into the living room. “Let him get in the door, boys.”

After making my way around to everyone wishing them a Merry Christmas I steal some food from mom’s fridge.

“Doesn’t Jaylinn ever feed you?” Mom smacks my hand away from the potato salad.

“He never stops eating. Ever.” Jaylinn answers walking into the kitchen with Layla and Sadie in tow.

“Merry Christmas, Jay, Sadie,” Mom kisses Jaylinn and then Sadie on the cheek. “Merry Christmas, Layla.”

Sadie kisses me on the cheek. “Merry Christmas sweet boy.” Sadie loves me, always has and after Jaylinn told her what happened to her she feels like she owes me the world. She doesn’t but she seems to think so.

“Merry Christmas, thank you for having me.” Layla says to my mom.

Mom waves her hand dismissively. “The more the merrier.”

“Well, that’s good because you just got another visitor.” Eli calls from the doorway and Sadie excuses herself to go see her grandchildren in the other room but not before wishing Eli a Merry Christmas.

“Merry Christmas, Eli.”

“Merry Christmas, Mrs. Cahill.”

I stand there, hands on my hips shaking my head. “Why the hell didn’t you two just drive together?”

Both look away from each other. Jaylinn glares at me. Sighing, I nod my head in the direction of the dining room and Eli follows me.

“Okay, what’s really going on between you two?” I grill him.

Eli shakes his head. “I’ve told you nothing. She’s just a roommate.”

“It’s weird.”