Second Time Around

Chapter Sixty-Four

Deirdre shook her head as she eased onto the bed near Tony's feet. "I got Shane a PopTart because he couldn't reach, but all I've had is coffee."

Tony gestured to a pancake. "Help yourself, honey."

"Alyssa texted us Merry Christmas," Shane said, snaking a bacon strip from Kelly's plate. "Are she and Amy coming home today?"

"I certainly hope so," Tony said, lifting his coffee cup. "Dr. Gregory said they should. I'll finish this and give Amy a call to see what's going on and whether or not we're doing Christmas in their hospital room or here later on."

Shane's face fell. "We have to wait to open presents?"

Kelly ruffled his hair. "I guess we can let you open one for now. But the rest wait until we're all together." She glanced over at Tony. "And I think your dad and Rebecca are coming over as well."

"Really?" Shane's forehead furrowed. "Why?"

"Because he's your dad and he wants to spend part of Christmas with you and your sister?"

"And you aren't mad about that?" Shane directed this at Tony.

Kelly held her breath for a moment, exhaling softly when Tony shook his head. "No. I'm not mad about it at all. Your dad and I had an interesting conversation last night.

"Wow, it's a Christmas miracle," Kelly chuckled. "So you both let the testosterone levels remain steady?"

"What's testosterone?" Shane asked.

Tony ruffled his hair. "It's the hormone that will make your voice deeper and hair grow on you in weird places."

"Weird places? Like on my butt?"

Tony grinned. "Close, but not quite."

"Oh," Shane's eyes lit up, "you mean like I'll grow a mustache!"

"Not for a while," Kelly told him, spearing a piece of pancake on her fork and holding out to him, "but eventually."

"Tony, can you grow a mustache?"

Deirdre snorted. "He's Italian, Shay. He can grow one just by thinking about it." She smiled at Tony. "Right, Daddy?"

"Not exactly, but it doesn't take much, no."

Kelly gazed up at him. Sure enough, the telltale scruff that would soon be a beard shadowed his jaw. It wasn't entirely dark, but had a liberal sprinkling of white poking through, and she wondered how he'd look with facial hair. It was something she couldn't quite picture, as she'd only ever seen him clean-shaven. "Have you ever grown one?"

He nodded. "When I was about eighteen, I did. And again, when I was about twenty-five because I was tired of being carded. But not since then."

"I can't picture it."

"Well, now I'll just look old."

"Like Gandalf?" Shane asked.

Tony chuckled. "Not that old, Shane."

"Santa?"

Deirdre snickered at that. "Probably."

"Quiet, you."

Kelly leaned against Tony, tucking her head against his shoulder. "I bet you looked all kinds of dreamy."

Deirdre nudged Shane. "Your mom's weird, Shay."

"I know. Lyssa says its pregnancy hormones." Shane handed Kelly back her fork. "Is that like testosterone?"

"Kind of, only in girls it's something different."