3 ½ weeks Later
Evan and I have been home for the last three and a half weeks. We have been busy with filming our movie and spending time together that we haven't had time to spend with our family and friends.
I promised Xanthe and Yasmin that I will meet up with them for New Years and that we'd go somewhere for a night out with our partners, but I don't know where we're going just yet.
I hope that someone will come up with somewhere to go. Otherwise, I'm going to plan a party at my place. It won't be as good as going out though. I just really need a night away from the house I share with Evan.
There's a knock on the door and I don't feel like getting out bed. "Evan," I kick my foot to the side of the bed where Evan should be and I don't make contact with him.
Where is he?
I open my eyes and see a note on his pillow. I pick up the piece of paper and read it.
Ariana,
I am in the kitchen preparing dinner for tonight's family gathering. I just hope that I don't burn anything.
Love
Evan
Xxxx
The knocking continues and I climb out of bed. I make my way towards the stairs. I hold onto the banister as I walk down the stairs.
At times when I walk down the stairs I start to freak out as I remember falling down the stairs when I was pregnant when I was in college.
I let out a breath as I continue to walk down the stairs and then the doorbell starts to ring. Followed by a familiar voice. "Ariana, would you hurry up. It's freezing out here. Are you really going to let you're nephew freeze to death."
Opening the door I look at Jasper and Charlie. "Hey, Charlie." I pull her into a hug. "What are you doing here so early?"
Jasper looks at me. "Lauren's not feeling well and she told us it would be better if we didn't come over as she doesn't want us to get sick. She's looking out for our son." He walks over to Charlie and takes Mariano from her.
I open the door wider. "Come in." Looking at the closed kitchen door I say. "Evan's in the kitchen."
The smoke alarm starts beeping and I look my sister and Jasper. "I better check on my husband. He's probably burnt something."
Jasper laughs. "You shouldn't have let him in the kitchen."
Crossing my arms I look at him. "I didn't let him in the kitchen. I was fast asleep when he went in there. He didn't even hear the door when you were knocking."
I wobble to the door and push it open. I see even pull out a tin that has charcoaled muffins on it. "Do you need help?"
His face turns red as he places the tin on the counter. "I wanted to make breakfast for you." He runs his hand through his hair. "What are you doing down here?"
"Charlie and Jasper are here. They were pounding on the door and it woke me up. I would rather be in bed instead of having to entertain them, but it looks like sleep isn't an option now." I sit at the table and pick up a banana.
Evan turns the oven off. "Why don't you go back to bed and I'll get them to help me set up the place while you sleep a little longer. I don't want you on you're feet for too long anyway." He walks over to me and pulls my chair close to his. He leans forward and claims my lips.
My arms wrap around him and I deepen the kiss.
Mariano starts crying and I pull away from Evan. "Someone needs to show Charlie where she can put her son down for his nap."
He stands up. "I'll do it." Evan walks out the door.
I stand up and walk over to the fridge. I pull out the bottle of orange and fill up a glass.
After eating the banana and drinking the orange juice I head back up stairs. I climb into bed and pull the covers over my head.
***
I walk into the kitchen to find Evan and Charlie sitting at the counter peeling shrimp. There's guts all over the table and some of it is sitting on Evan's face.
A smile spreads across his face. "You're finally awake."
"Yeah," I yawn and then stretch my arms above my head showing off my baby bump. "Where's Jasper?"
"He's in the baby's room with Mariano." Charlie replies. "He'll be down shortly if you need him for anything."
Looking at Evan and Charlie I say. "It looks like you two have everything under control." I pull a seat up next to Evan and I help them with peeling the shrimp.
I brought 4kg of shrimp when I went shopping the other day. I wanted to have extra food in case we have unexpected guests show up unannounced.
It's happened to us a number of times that people have showed up without an invite and we had to cut back on the amount of food that was served to the guests.
After the shrimp is peeled Evan and I head to his office.
Evan closes the door behind him. "What are we doing in here?"
I point to the presents on the floor. "I need your help with wrapping these. I can't do them all on my own." I place the wrapping paper and sticky tape on the ground between us.
Evan and I start wrapping the presents.
I quickly write down the names of the people that the presents are going to and I put them on the presents that Evan has wrapped.
Halfway through with wrapping the Christmas presents my phone goes off. I stand up from the seat I was sitting on and walk over to my phone that I put on the table close to the door.
Looking down at the caller ID I see 'Chloe' flash across the screen.
A smile spreads across my face.
It's been a while since I've spoken to her.
Evan looks up from his spot on the floor. "Why are you smiling?"
"Chloe, she's the one calling. I hope she has plans for New Years. I really don't want to spend the night here with our friends." I swipe my finger across the screen.
Me: Merry Christmas, Chloe.
Chloe: Merry Christmas, Ariana. I hope I haven't caught you at a bad time?
Me: No, I was just finishing up wrapping presents for my family. So, what do you need?
She laughs.
Chloe: I don't need anything. I'm calling to see if you have plans for New Years?"
Me: I don't have plans. What do you have mind that we do?
Chloe: Jai's throwing a New Years Party at Lusive and he told me to invite my friends and I thought about you and the girls that have been coming here for lunch a couple of times. Do you think they would like to come as well?
Me: Yes, they'll be down for anything. Do you mind if I bring a few people like my bosses and a couple of girls and guys from the movie that I'm filming.
Chloe: That should be fine. You'll have to send us a list of names and we'll make sure that they get into the club.
Me: Great, thanks.
Chloe: Are you going to tell me who you're working with on the movie?
Me: No, it's a surprise.
Chloe: I hate surprises.
So do I. But, she's going to fan girl when she finds out who's coming.
Me: I'll email you the list.
Chloe: Okay,
On Chloe's end I hear voices and she tells me that she needs to go. She hangs up the phone.
Evan looks at me. "What did Chloe want?"
"She invited us to Lusive for New Years. Her husband is throwing a party that night. It looks like all his regular customers will be out on the street that night as he'll probably have some of his football buddies there and then he's going to have actors there as well. Jai respects the privacy of all his friends and his wife's."
Evan picks up a few presents. "I'm taking these down before the family comes. I don't want them to see how slack we've been with wrapping the presents for them."
"Our families know that we're busy and it's not easy for us to do everything we normally would when we're on set most of the day."
Evan walks out the door and that's when someone decides to ring the doorbell.
It's our families.
When it comes to Evan and my family. They're always early. They used to tell me that it sends a good message to be early. Even if it's to something you don't want to be part of.
I open the door and see my parents. "Daddy," I hug him.
He wraps his arms around me. "How are you, sweetie?"
"I'm good. What about Mom and you?"
"We're good. Just wondering when our kids will have dinner with us again? Evan and toy have been busy lately and we hardly have time to eat with each other."
I pull away from him. "When we've finished filming the movie I promise that Evan and I will be over for a dinner every week. Before you know it you'll probably get sick of us having dinner with you."
Dad shakes his head. "I'll never get sick of that, kiddo. I want to see my grandchild every week too."
A smile spreads across Mom's face at the mention of her second grandchild. "I can't wait to see you're daughter. She's going to be as beautiful as you."
I hug her. "Thanks, Mom."
Shawn and Bradley step out from behind Mom. "Hey, sis." They say at the same time and engulf me in a hug.
Evan walks into the room and he sees me squashed against my brothers. He approaches them. "Be careful of my wife and child."
Shawn laughs. "You're still overly protective of my sister and I'm glad that's still the case."
Where are my brothers girlfriends?
Looking out the door I ask my brothers. "Where's Whitney and Jen?"
Brad shakes his head. "Whitney's not with Shawn anymore. They broke up when she told him that she's never going to settle down and that it's best for him to move on." He looks at our brother. "He's been heartbroken she left."
Jen walks up the stairs and heads in my direction. "Merry Christmas, Ariana."
"Merry Christmas, Jen. Do you want something to drink?"
She shakes her head. "I'm good." She places her manicured hand on my brothers shoulder and I see a ring on her finger.
"Are you Engaged, big brother?"
Brad looks at the ground. "While you were on your honeymoon Jen and I went to Vegas and got married."
"And you didn't invite me." I yell.
My family turn towards me. "Why didn't any of you think to tell me that my brother was married to an old friend of mine. Instead you all make me wait until now to find out about. I'm the last one to find out everything all the time.
Evan looks at everyone. "Dinner is ready." He places his hand on the small of my back. "Are you angry that they didn't tell you?"
I sigh. "No, I'm just hurt that my brothers keep doing stuff without thinking. I was just blindsided by my brother getting married."
He laughs. "We could have gone to Vegas. It would have been less hassle than what we went through."
I hug him. "Our Wedding wasn't that bad."
Evan's parents walk through the door and he tells them that dinner is about to be served and they walk into the kitchen.
Ethan and Lisa walk into the room.
I hug them. "Merry Christmas. I'm glad that you could join us."
"Thanks for the invite." She steps out of the hug. "Is dinner about to be served?"
"Yes, it is." Evan and I walk with them to the dining room.
Drinks have been poured into glasses around the table.
I sit next to Evan, who's sitting at the head of the table. I put a bread roll on my plate with pork, and salad.
Everyone else start to dig into the seafood that I peeled earlier with Charlie.
***
After dinner we walk into the living room and start to go through the Christmas presents that are sitting under the tree.
Evan stands up and he hands out all the gifts to our family. He sits behind me and I lean against him. "I got you this." He gives me the small box.
I unwrap and inside I see a gold bracelet that has the letter A in a heart and a letter E in a heart as well and there's a spare spot on the bracelet for our daughter.
A smile spreads across my face.
We both had the same idea.
I got him as well but with his and my initial on it too. There's a spare spot for our daughter as well.
Going through the box I find a pair of drop gold earrings as well. "It's beautiful. Thanks, Evan."
I pull Evan's one out and I give it to him. "This is for you."
He opens it and sees a thick bracelet with our initials on it and a smile spreads across his face. "We had the same idea for presents and we didn't go shopping with each other."
I laugh. "Maybe, next year we should go with each other and see what happens."
***