“He’s really cute,” Beth inserts when the girl stops long enough to take a breath.
Rachel gets even closer to the phone screen, bumping her nose on the camera before whispering, “I know. Don’t tell Sara Beth, but he’s cuter than Whiskers.”
“I heard that!” Her sister calls from the background. Soren and Diana can also be heard chuckling somewhere behind Rachel.
“Well, I can’t wait to meet her, kid. Are you bringing her to Christmas dinner tomorrow?” I ask.
She peers back at her parents, and their matching thumbs-up of approval has her pumping her fist in victory. “Yes!” Duckingher head, she starts talking to Pipsqueak. “You’re gonna meet Gramps and Grams, Uncle Ezra, Aunt Lauren, Nash, and…”
The list of family members is long now that my siblings are all married with children. Our numbers have grown to football team proportions these days.
“Alright, time to say good-bye to your aunt and uncle.” Soren grabs the phone where Rachel has been ignoring it for the past few minutes. Addressing us, he says, “You were last on her list to call with the good news, so maybe now she’ll finally start getting ready for bed.”
There’s a rebellious little grumble that sounds awfully similar to Soren’s growls before we promise to see each other tomorrow and end the call.
“I love that girl.” Beth sighs, lounging on the sofa with her head propped up on her hand.
“She definitely gives my brother a run for his money. Sara Beth was a handful, but I think Rachel has her beat.”
“It’s always the babies of the family.”
“Except for ours,” I point out with a laugh. “Griffen isn’t much of a troublemaker and never has been.”
“No, I suppose you had that covered,” she taunts, “Mr. Bad Boy of Suitor’s Crossing.”
“I retired that moniker years ago. Besides, you love me, anyway.” Kissing her pouty mouth, I groan at the remnants of hot chocolate clinging to her tongue then force myself to retreat.
We’ve got a Christmas Eve tradition to complete before I’m free to love on my wife for the rest of the night.
“Okay, time for presents. Which one do you want to open first?”
Some of the light dims in her eyes, and I wonder what I said to dampen her mood. Before I can ask, though, Beth uncurls from the couch and grabs a gift set slightly apart from the rest under the Christmas tree.
“This one.” She hands it to me, an almost imperceptible tremor in her grip. I’m not sure why she seems nervous. She’s been acting strange the past few weeks, but every time I ask if anything is wrong, she brushes me off, saying I’m being paranoid.
I wait until she’s seated again then begin ripping the green and gold wrapping paper. Pausing before removing the white cardboard lid on the gift box, I glance up at Beth with a reassuring smile. “You know whatever you got me I’m going to love.”
“You’re easy to please.” The words are a tease, but I can tell she said them on autopilot, her focus on the present in my lap like it’s a ticking time bomb.
Curiosity eats at my concern as I toss the lid and lift sparkly red tissue paper to reveal a neatly folded t-shirt.
This is what has her clenching her fists and biting her lip in worry?
The silhouette of a firefighter helmet decorates the center of the chest. An ‘EST.’ logo with the year is printed inside it. But it’s the two words surrounding the artwork that finally settles in my brain and starts a buzzing in my ears.
Fire Dad.
FIRE DAD.
My gaze jerks to Beth, who already has tears threatening to fall down her flushed cheeks.
“Babe, are you…” I swallow the lump in my throat and try again. “Are you pregnant? Are we having a baby?”
“Yes… My doctor’s appointment confirmed it. Are you happy?”
“Are you kidding?” I drop the boxed tee and lunge for her, wrapping her in my arms. “I’m fucking ecstatic. We’ve got a little one on the way, and babies are much better than bunnies.”
Beth gives a watery laugh and returns my hug. “They are, aren’t they?”
