Jai walks into the living room and he looks over at me. He has tears in his eyes. "I should have kept a better eye on you."
I wrap my arms around him. "You can't keep an eye on me all the time, Jai. You need to do things for yourself too. I'm pregnant not an invalid.
Nate and Teresa walk into the living room holding hands. She has a smile on her face and so does Nate.
So much for him telling me that he wasn't going to fall in love. It turns out he was in love with his best friend from the start.
They sit on the lounge.
Veronica walks into the living room and she looks at everyone as she announces. "Lunch is ready."
We walk to the kitchen table and there's assigned seating. Jai and I are sitting close to his parents. Nate and Teresa are next to me followed by the rest of the family. The kids are at a separate table.
In the middle of the table is all the food. Crabs, lobsters, fish, prawns, bread rolls, salad, turkey.
At the end of the table are two pitchers of water and a bottle of red wine.
Ricky starts pouring glasses of wine. He picks up the pitcher and pours me a glass of water.
Everyone at the table starts piling food on their plates.
Once, everyone, has there plates full of food I start choosing what I want. I put some turkey, salad and bread rolls on my plate.
Jai looks at the plate. "Is that all you're going to eat? You need to eat more than that, firecracker."
I look at him. "I don't feel like putting heaps of food on my plate. If I don't eat it all I will feel guilty throwing half the food away. So, I'm going to eat what's on this plate before I have seconds." I start eating lunch.
There's small talk around the table as we eat.
***
After lunch, Maggie walks over to the table. "Nan, can we open the presents now?"
Veronica looks around the table. "Not, yet. I need help cleaning the kitchen." Mostly everyone rises from there seat and walk away. She looks at me while I stay seated. "I'm not going to ask for your help. You're a guest."
Nate and Teresa are still seated.
Teresa walks over to her. "I will help you, Mrs Marshall." She turns towards my brother. "So, will Nate."
Jai walks back into the dining room and he takes a seat next to me.
Veronica turns towards Jai. She points at him. "I want you to take the trash out. When you come back I would like a garbage bag in the living room. This year we're going to put all the rubbish in the bag instead of leaving it on the floor. I didn't like picking up after use last year. Everyone in this house is old enough to throw their wrappings in the bin."
Sitting at the table I watch Veronica, Teresa and Nate do the dishes.
Jai returns and he puts a garbage bag in the trash can. He walks over to me with the second garbage bag. He places it on the table between us. "I got you something." He pulls out a small gift that's wrapped in Christmas wrapping. He places the gift in my hand. I want you to open this now."
I open the box and inside is a small tag and it has two diamonds on it. In the middle it's blank. "What's this for?"
A smile spreads across his face. "That's for our child. When we decide on a name for her we will get it engraved together with her name on it."
I kiss his cheek. "It's beautiful. She's going to wear it." I move around the tissue paper and come across something else in the box. There's the same pin in there with Mom' written on it."
"I got one for myself. It's sitting in our daughter's room with a few things that I brought her."
"She's not here yet and you want to spoil her already?"
Veronica looks at us. "It's time to go to the living room. The kids are waiting for the presents."
When we walk into the living room. I hear Maggie yell. "What do you mean Santa's not real?"
The parents in the living room stiffen when they hear Maggie say that.
Charlotte curses.
What's new for her.
I look over at the boy as he tells Maggie all about Santa not being real. She deserved a few more years of believing that Santa was real instead of a stranger in a red suit.
I don't want my daughter to find out like that when she's four years old.
"If our daughter is told in the same manner I'm going to kill him."
Maggie starts crying. She walks over to me and wraps her arms around me.
Charlotte's eyes land on mine and she whispers. "Help,"
I rub her back in a soothing manner. "Don't listen to him." I kiss her forehead. "Santa put him on the naughty list and his presents have been taken away from him." I watch as Jai and Charlotte hide the boys present behind the couch.
Veronica walks over to the Christmas tree and she gives out the presents. She gives me one and it has my name on it. Underneath it says that it's from Veronica and Ricky.
It's a small box and I open it. Inside are a gold bracelet and a necklace. My name is inscribed on it.
It's beautiful.
Jai takes the necklace from me and he fastens it around my neck. He puts the bracelet on me as well. "Thank you, Veronica. They are beautiful."
A smile spreads across her face. "It's a tradition for new family members, that they each get something gold from us. The boys get a watch with there names inscribed and the girls get the bracelet and necklace." She holds out another box for me and it's from her too.
Opening the second box I am surprised to see a pair of gold earrings.
They spent too much money on me.
"I want you to wear those when you get married."
There are three and a half months before I get married and four until my daughter will be here. I'm looking forward to starting the next chapter of my life with Jai Marshall.
Nate pulls out a small box and he kneels in front of Teresa.
What's my brother doing?
Nate opens the box and he looks at Teresa. "I'm not going to ask you to marry me as that's to cliche, but what I want to do today is make you a promise." He pulls the ring out and places it on her ring finger. "I Nate Knight promise you my whole heart and that I will be faithful to you. From the first moment I met you I knew you were the one for me. In high school, I wanted to concentrate on playing ball and now I'm playing it at the college level, it's not enough without you by my side. When I go pro, I will give the wedding you deserve."
Teresa kisses Nate. "I love you."
Everyone starts clapping and a few pat him in the back.
Nate looks at me.
A smile spreads across my face. "You got the right girl."
***