Picture credit:
Alin Andersen @unsplash.com
Merry Christmas. As a present to myself, I skipped my time consuming editing process so don't expect commas to be correct.
Samantha
Samantha Hayes put her hand over her mouth to hide her laugh, as Trey looked at her with pleading eyes. It was Christmas Day, she wasn't going to stop Quinn from singing 'Jingle Bells' even if she had been singing it for days and during their entire drive to Weston. Even Trey chuckled when their four-year-old sang "One house soap and say."
As Trey turned Sam's SUV onto the tree lined street five minutes from his parent's house the crying started. The boys had been enjoying the concert. Sam looked back to see tears run down James' face. Jack looked on, pouting. Hopefully, he wouldn't cry for his unhappy brother.
"What's wrong?" Trey asked.
"Who knows? But he's getting snot on his Christmas outfit."
The three children were dressed in the clothes they wore for the family photograph for their Christmas cards.
Trey murmured, "It could be worse."
The year before, Quinn vomited on the way to Trey's parents. Sam shuddered at the memory of carrying her daughter into Vanessa's gorgeous home holding her under her armpits as she dangled away from Sam's dress. Her mother-in-law took it in stride.
Sam never got used to seeing the large home every time they turned into the circular drive. Theirs was the first car to arrive. Trey jumped out to open the passenger door behind him.
"What's wrong? Oh."
As Sam unbuckled Jack, she watched Trey lift James' pacifier from the floor. Both were oral boys but Jack preferred his thumb. Trey joked about conducting an experiment to see which soothing method resulted in more orthodontia.
"Hey Bud, you have to hold on to it." The chubby fingers grabbed it from Trey's hands and put it in his mouth.
With Jack on her hip, Sam said, "Wipe his nose before your mother sees him. Come on Quinny, let's go see Grandma."
Trey would have to go back for the gifts in the trunk as Sam grabbed the diaper bag.
Quinn burst through the door. "Grandma, jingle bells!"
Vanessa appeared with her arms out for a hug from Quinn, before taking Jack from Sam. After a hug, he wiggled and Vanessa let him down to run to the enormous tree.
"What's wrong sweet boy," she cooed to James who still had tears in his thick eyelashes. She eyed Trey accusingly.
"He dropped his paci."
Sam pulled the culprit from his mouth with a pop. "Go play." Trey let the boy down who ran after his brother. The boys chased after each other the way Quinn had chased after Luna.
"Tee tee." He pointed.
The judge appeared and shook Trey's hand. "We missed you last night."
"Will Bea forgive me?"
Vanessa laughed. "Bea understands."
They had to celebrate with Sam's family on Christmas Eve and both Sam and Trey wanted to be home with their children instead of dancing in the ballroom. They danced. Twice. Once as they cleaned up the mess from entertaining her family. The second time was after the kids were sound asleep and Santa had come. It was the horizontal kind.
Trey wrapped his arms around her waist. Did he remember too?
"Was everyone else there?"
Vanessa nodded. "Everyone missed you. Ed and Grace are joining us today."
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A Billion Reasons (Wish 8)
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