State of Grace - Taylor Swift
I closed the trunk of the SUV rental before hopping in the driver seat, the heat already on full blast. "God, I missed snow." I say, looking out the window as I buckle my seat belt.
Evelyn chuckles beside me, looking down at her phone. "It's too cold." She says as I look at her like she's crazy.
"Babe, have you forgotten I spend most of my time on ice, just for fun." I say as she giggles, locking her phone and setting it in the cup holder.
"Have you forgotten that I grew up in Miami?" She says before looking back at Asher who was playing with the toys on the activity bar that was attached to his carseat.
"Yeah, but you grew up in a rink at least." I say, pulling out of the airport parking lot.
"Not quite the same as Michigan weather." She says as I nod my head, "True."
It was crazy to think it was already two days before Christmas. People aren't kidding when they say your kids grow up fast.
These past four months have gone by in a blur, a blissful blur, but a blur nonetheless. He's gotten so big already. It feels like yesterday he was wrapping his tiny hand around my finger for the first time. Now, he can bear his weight on his legs when you hold him upright, he can roll over onto his stomach from his back, he can reach for things, he can recognize Evelyn and I's voices, and so many other things.
It's insane.
He blabbers some gibberish, a little squeal coming from his mouth as he rattles a toy. I slip off my black coat, revealing my light brown, waffle-knit sweater.
Evelyn smiles, glancing back at him as I place my hand on her thigh. "I can't believe how big he's gotten." She says, turning back around.
"It's crazy." I say, my hand moving to the bottom of the steering wheel.
The hour drive goes pretty quickly. Listening to Asher's cute gibberish and coos mixed with Evelyn's terrible singing to Christmas music makes the time go by.
"Baby, I love you, I really do. But, you can't sing for shit." I say laughing as she swats my chest.
"Singing in the car isn't supposed to be good. Also, like you could do better." She says, an eyebrow raised.
I pull into the long narrow driveway, covered by pine trees that are covered in snow. Evelyn leans forward, looking up through the windshield. "Oh my gosh, it's beautiful." Her mouth gapes open.
I chuckle, making my way down the driveway before the house comes into view.
"Holy fuck." She says as her eyes widen, a huge smile on her face.
The house is a pretty big cabin, not quite a mansion, but still big. The outside covered in Christmas lights. Mom always likes to go full Griswold for Christmas.
"I love Christmas!" She says in a giddy tone. I pull up next to Chris's car, switching the ignition off.
Closing the car door, I slipped my puffy black jacket on before opening the back door, grabbing Asher's carseat. I press the button as the automatic trunk door slowly opens. Evelyn comes around, the diaper bag flung over shoulder.
I hear the front door creak open before Liam comes running out in a snow suit. "Uncle Greyson!" He yells as Aiden comes walking out about behind him.
"Here, let me help." Aiden says, grabbing a couple of bags.
I pat Liam's head as he looks up at me, "I missed you."
"I missed you too, buddy." I say as before he goes over to Evelyn and she scoops him up in her arms, resting him on her hip.
"How are you?" I ask Aiden as we make our way inside.
"Tired." He says as I chuckle.
My nose is greeted by the smell of gingerbread and cinnamon when I walk through the door. The familiar sound of laughter meeting my ears.
Setting the carseat on the floor right by the door, Asher started to wake up, stretching his arms above his head before he started to get fussy. I unfastened him before gently pulling him out, rubbing his back as he started to calm down, taking in his surroundings, his big blue eyes lighting up.
Evelyn heads towards where the laughter is coming from, which would be the living room. I walk in, a fire going in the fireplace in the middle of the room with a wreath hanging in the middle of it, the big Christmas tree already decorated and lit up.
Evelyn sets Liam down as we make our way over towards the couch, Gracie looks up from the recliner, a smile growing wide on her face, "Hey!" She stands up as everyone's attentions turns to us.
We greet everyone as Gracie reaches her arms out, "Give me the baby." She says as I chuckle before handing Asher over to her.
"Where's your baby?" Evelyn asks, coming up beside me.
"Napping, with the other two hooligans." She says nodding to the baby monitor screen that was sitting on the coffee table.
Evelyn nods her head up and down before Chris comes over and Asher smiles up at him. Gracie pouts as Chris takes him from her arms, "Sucks doesn't it." I say, smiling cheekily at her as Evelyn rolls her eyes.
"You two..." She says as we both grin. "Will be the death of me." She says before walking over to join everybody else on the couch.
✳︎
"Evy, come here. Hurry!" I yell from the living room as she walks in from the kitchen with what looks like flour on her hands. Her dark brows furrowed as a worried look covers her face.
"What's wrong?"
"Listen." I say before blowing raspberry on Asher's stomach and he lets out a big belly laugh. "He laughed for the first time."
A sweet smile covers her face as she kneels down beside Chris and I on the floor. "Do it again." She says as I do so and another laugh escapes his mouth.
"What's going on?" Ellie asks, peeking her head through the doorway, followed by Gracie's head, worried looks on their faces.
"He laughed for the first time." Evelyn says, tears threatening to leave her eyes.
"Did you say he laughed?" Mom yells from the kitchen as her and Kendra join the conversation, the four of the girls stepping into the living room.
"Yeah, watch." I say before blowing raspberry on his stomach again and he lets out a laugh even bigger than the last one.
"The first of many." Kendra says, looking over at us with a warm smile on her face.
Evelyn chuckles, wiping a tear from her cheek, causing the tear to be replaced with flour. "Don't stop." She says before getting up and they all walked back into the kitchen.
"Why are baby and little kid laughs better than adults laughs?" Jake asks from the couch.
"No idea." Evan answers, shoving a cookie in his mouth.
"Oh, Greyson." Evelyn's voice catches my attention as I turn my head to see her head in the doorway. "Forgot to tell you, your mom said that there are matching pajamas in her room for you to go grab." She says as I nod before returning my attention back to Asher.
I hear little footsteps coming down the wooden stairs before Amelia steps onto the landing. Her hair all over the place, one hand rubbing her eye, the other holding an elephant stuffed animal she's had since she was a baby. Her red and black buffalo plaid pajama pants slightly falling down from just waking up. Her face lights up when she sees me, "Hi Uncle Greyson." She says, her voice groggy.
"Hi Mia." I say as she comes and sits criss-cross-applesauce next the Asher's head. Leaning down she kisses him on the forehead as he smiles up at her. "Hi Asher." She says, smiling down at him.
His hand reaches and grabs ahold of the stuffed animal, "You want to hold Momo?" She asks before letting go. "You can watch him for me while I play." She says gently resting her hand against his cheek.
"That's sweet." I say as she leans forward, wrapping her little arms around my neck.
"I missed you Uncle Greyson." She whispers as I hug her back.
"I missed you too Sweets." I say as she kisses me on the cheek. I nod my head toward the kitchen, "Aunt Evy is in there." I say as her face lights up and she quickly gets up and runs into the kitchen.
"Aunt Evy!" I hear her squeal before I hear Evelyn's voice.
"Sweets, I've missed you!" She says.
Evelyn started calling her "Sweets" shortly after she met her. She said "Something that sweet should be called that". I quickly caught onto it without even realizing and now that's what we call her.
"I love that they don't even know you exist when Evelyn is around." Aiden says, taking a sip of his beer.
"Your children have already put a knife in my back, no need to twist it for them." I say and he laughs.
"So dramatic." Chris rolls his eyes, holding Asher upright in his arms. "Isn't that right?" He says in his baby voice.
I've been talking so much in my baby voice these past four months I'm worried that one day it's gonna stick and I won't ever talk normal again.
"Oh yeah, we invited Sailor, by the way." Ellie says, walking in from the kitchen with a plate full of cookies in it.
Chris's head snaps up, eyes widened "What?"
Then there's that situation. Turns out Coach's assistant: Stella Marshall, isn't really Stella Marshall she is actually Sailor Maddison, and undercover cop doing a drug bust on one of our players. And is apparently, not a bitch.
Which brings us to: Gavin Wilson, plays Centre. Apparently he'd been embezzling money and supplying cocaine. That's not even the worse part, I guess he was involved with Sailor's brother who died in a car crash.
"You heard me." Ellie says, sitting next to Evan on the couch.
"Why?" He asks, standing up with Asher in his arms.
"She was going to be alone on Christmas, that's why." Evelyn says walking in, shoving a sugar cookie in her mouth.
"Great. So I can't even be mad she's here, because I have to feel sorry for her." He groans as Evelyn reaches her hands out for Asher, who happily complies, blubbers and gibberish leaving his mouth as he sucks on his fingers, laying his head on her shoulder.
"Don't pity her. That'll just make her sad." She says lightly slapping his arm when the doorbell rings.
Ellie stands up, "I'll get it."
"What's your problem with her anyways?" Evelyn asks, crossing her leg underneath her as she sits on the couch.
"Nothing.. Except for the fact that she's extremely irritating." He says, rubbing his hand through his hair. "She makes me extremely frustrated."
"Or... Here's a thought." I say standing up and making my way over to sit next the Evelyn. "You have this not so wonderful thing called: Sexual Frustration." I say as he scoffs.
"Hell no. If I wanted to hit that, I would, and trust me, I don't." He whispers bitterly before Ellie comes walking back in, Sailor right behind her. She sends Evelyn a soft smile as Ev waves.
Mia jumps up on the couch, curling up beside me and resting her head on my leg. I reach my hand down scratching behind her ear as she sighs.
"I don't know man. You should've seen your face when she almost got shot by Gavin." Jake says as Chris launches a pillow at him.
"Hey. Children, there is a baby right here." Evelyn scowls at them.
"Sorry..." Jake apologizes, putting his hands out towards Asher. Evelyn passes him over before she leans into me.
Amelia comes walking into the room, shoving her finger, that has icing on it, into her mouth. Climbing onto Ev's lap she looks up at her, puppy dog eyes in full force. "Aunt Evy, will you braid my hair?" She asks, a big grin on her face.
"Yeah Sweets." Evelyn says as Amelia cheers and jumps off of her lap.
"I have to go get some things," She says, pointing her finger at the Evelyn, "Stay here." She says as Evelyn and I chuckle.
A couple of minutes later she comes walking in the room with a hair brush and a bag full of colorful rubber bands. "Here." She sets the items on the couch next to Ev before climbing back on her lap, "Now. Braid my hair lady." She says sassily.
"Talk to me like that again and I'm not doing your hair." Evelyn says, attitude in her tone, an eyebrow raised.
"Sorry." Amelia whispers but looks at me before giggling and Evelyn pinches her sides.
✳︎
Everyone is in the kitchen making bonbons and buckeyes. A family tradition that apparently both of our families have done for years.
"No, it's 1 cup of ground pecans, 3 cups of chocolate chips, not the other way around." Evelyn argued with Ellie.
"No it's not." Ellie argued back.
"I'm sorry, do you bake for a living?" Evelyn snapped, attitude laced her voice.
"No, but I've made these enough times."
"Just pull out the recipe." Chris says.
"Wouldn't be Christmas without an argument in the kitchen." Kendra says as Ellie and Evelyn laugh sarcastically.
"Ha! I was right." Evelyn says, shoving the recipe book towards Ellie.
Ellie's eyes scan over the page, "Shit. I could've sworn."
"Again, do you bake for a living?" Ev asks as Ellie rolls her eyes.
"Well, shut up and bake then." She snaps as Evan wraps his arm around her.
"Shut up and help then." Ev says, smiling cheekily at Ellie.
"You're lucky you have a baby on you right now." Ellie says as Ev looks down at Asher in the wrap carrier.
"Do we need to take this to the ice?" Chris asks, "Get the family hockey game going early this year?"
"No." Ellie says, trying to dip her finger in the melted chocolate as Evelyn smacks her hand away.
"It's hot, you dumbass." Evelyn says rolling her eyes.
"Can I eat one yet?" Jake whines, leaning forward on the big island counter in the middle of the kitchen.
"No!" The girls all say at once as I chuckle.
Christmas.
My favorite time of the year.
Especially this year.
Having a full house warmed my heart in one of the best ways possible. I couldn't have asked for anything better.
Zipping up Asher's little snow suit, I pick him up, holding him against to my chest, my hand on the back of his neck and head. "Alright, you ready bud?" I ask, kissing his cheek a couple of times as he giggles.
Walking down the stairs, I see Evelyn dressed in her black puffy jacket and a pair of jeans, baby Paisley cradled in her arms.
Her eyes meet mine from across the room as a smile covers her face. She hands Paisley over to Aiden as I walk up, her arms reaching out for Asher. "Are you ready to go ice skating?" She asks looking down at him in her arms.
Zipping up my jacket I grab our skates before we make our way outside to see Jake, Evan, Chris and Ellie already on the frozen pond.
Sitting on the bench next to the pond, I set Asher on my leg as I slip on my skates. Somehow Evelyn manages to get her skates on faster than me.. I blame the baby. "You got him?" She asks as I nod and she hops on the ice, skating with ease.
"Ready, little Rhodes?" I ask as he coos, "I'll take that as yes."
Word Count: 2,663