Luckily, it wasn’t the hand holding the surprise.
“I’ll be right back,” Aries assured him. “I have to put your surprise up.”
Vin released his wrist.
Aries rushed over to the mantel where Evan had put the stocking holder on the edge.
“I want to help!” Nix ran over.
“Okay.” He glanced over at Gem.
“This is all you two,” Gem told him.
Aries shrugged. Gem was so boring! He didn’t even know how to have fun.
Nix grabbed several of the homemade stockings out of Aries’s hands and started to link them to the hooks.
His mama sewed so good!
They all had custom stockings and now so did Vin and Evan. Because they were part of the family. But stockings were special and just couldn’t be bought at a store. It meant much more when they were handmade. Like his mama had always done.
Aries still remembered the first Christmas before his parents were married when they added their stepfather’s stocking to theline. His mama had spent two weeks sewing the stocking. It was the first time that he’d seen his stepfather cry.
At that moment, Aries had been looking forward to adding his own partner’s stocking one day. And that day had finally arrived.
He stepped back to admire the seven stockings that hung on the mantel.
Beside him, Nix was dancing around, but Aries frowned.
Something wasn’t right.
“Dance with me!” Nix grabbed his hand.
“No!” Aries yanked his hand away.
“Uh.” Nix pulled Aries to his side. “What’s wrong?”
“Doesn’t look right,” Aries insisted.
“You, me, Gem, Vin, Evan, Mom, and Dad. That’s everyone,” Nix said.
“Daddy should be next to me!” Aries whispered frantically. “He needs to be!” It wasn’t right. Vin, even just his name, shouldn’t be so far away. With people between them. They needed to fix it.
“I gotcha!” Nix said with a little wiggle. He quickly changed the order.
Aries, Vin, Nix, Evan, Gem, Mom, and Dad.
“Looks good.” Gem joined them, putting one arm around Aries’s shoulders and the other over Nix’s.
“Yeah?” Aries peered up at Gem. “Really?”
“Just the way it should be,” Gem told him.
“I agree,” Nix said.
Aries, Vin, Nix, Evan, Gem, Mom, and Dad.
“Maybe next year Gem will have someone to surprise with a stocking,” Nix teased.
