Christmas with the Calvins

Chapter Sixty-Six

"Dad? Carol?" Jessica let herself into her father's office. Carol was lounging on the couch, rubbing her very pregnant stomach. The school teacher was softly singing the lyrics to Jingle bells, just above an audible whisper. Jess had to bite her inner lip to keep from dissolving into a complete mess. Santa was pacing in front of the fireplace, mumbling to himself.

"Jessica!" Carol's face lit up when she spotted her step daughter. "C'mon here, quickly!" She waved her over to the couch frantically. "Here, put your hands here and here..." Carol arranged Jess' hands on her stomach carefully before singing again. "Jingle bells, jingle bells..." As soon as the baby heard its mother's voice it began to kick. The second she stopped so did the baby.

"That's adorable, Carol." Jessie offered a genuine smile. Whatever nostalgic feelings she had for the song shouldn't tarnish Carol's moment. "I heard about the false alarm this morning." She mentioned sympathetically. "Don't worry, Baby Claus will be here soon!"

"Oh I can't imagine having to go through this for twelve months like you did! Nine had been long enough for me." Carol smiled. "Do you have time to join us for some Cocoa?"

"Actually I came up here to steal Dad for a few minutes, if you don't mind, that is." She looked over her shoulder at Scott who had finally stopped walking up and down in front of the fireplace. "Curtis says we'll really behind schedule. He insists that we need you."

"Now?" Scott frowned. "But I have so much to do up here! I have to map the sleigh route, check the list..."

"Santa!" Curtis came charging into the office interrupting the family.

"I should just get a revolving door for the place, eh, Honey?" Scott was trying to joke with Carol but she didn't look at all amused. "Curtis I can't come down right now. It's impossible!"

"Have you even checked this list once?" Curtis asked holding up the N&N list that was spilling over on Santa's desk.

"I have...perused it." Scott told him.

"That's not what I came up here for anyway." The temp. Head Elf huffed. "The Council of Legendary Figures have called for an Emergency Meeting."

"I can't leave the North Pole and go to a council meeting!" Scott scoffed.

"They know that, that's why they came here."

"Here?" Jessica and Scott repeated at the same time. This was a major downside to working with the two Calvins. They were so closely connected that everything seemed to happen in stereo. "Where?" That asked together.

"In the kitchen." Curtis explained.

"Okay, Okay." Carol huffed getting up off the couch with Jess's help. "I'm going to go for a walk, Sweetie. It's good for the baby. So you all just...stay here and I'll go for a walk."

"Honey!" Scott called out, following his wife out of the room. This caused Curtis and Jess to trail after him. Now Carol had a parade of footsteps echoing down the stairs behind her. "Honey!" It seemed the Mises was ignoring his frantic beckoning as she wandered out onto the workshop floor. "Carol?"

"Care for some company, Mrs. Claus?" He asked when he finally caught up to her.

"Not from you, Mr. Claus." She sighed before biting into a strand of popcorn garland she had pilfered form an elf on her way by.

"Why not?" Scott rubbed his oversized belly nervously. It had been over fourteen years since his last marital dispute, but he could sense one building up between he and Carol at that moment.

"Because you can't spend time with me and get the toys ready for Christmas, and I understand completely." She explained.

"You do?" Santa wasn't so sure about that. Sure her mouth was saying she was okay with it, but how was she really feeling? He had learned a long time ago that what women say and how they actually feel can be two completely different things.