Tommy beams, bouncing on his toes. “Can we go give it to her now? Please, please, please?”
Greg chuckles, shaking his head. “How about we wait until Christmas morning? It’s only one more sleep.”
Tommy’s face falls for a moment, but then he perks up again, his attention caught by Gemma whose little fists are now waving in the air. “Can I hold her?” he asks, holding out his arms eagerly.
“Sure thing. Let’s sit down first,” Greg says.
Tommy thrusts his drawing at me, then races into the living room and launches himself onto the couch.
I laugh and use a magnet to attach the childish artwork to the fridge before following them.
In the living room, Greg sits beside Tommy and carefully transfers Gemma into his waiting arms, helping him to support her properly. “There you go, buddy. Gentle now, okay?”
Tommy nods, his big brown eyes solemn. He cradles his baby sister with a tenderness that makes my heart ache in the best way. “Hi, baby Gemma,” he says, pressing a kiss to her head. “I’m your big brother, Tommy. I’m gonna take care of you forever and ever.”
Greg looks up at me with shining eyes. My throat grows tight with emotion. In moments like these, surrounded by the three most important people in my world, remind me of just how lucky I am.
After a few moments, Tommy looks up at me, his brow furrowed. “Daddy, when will Gemma be big enough to play with me?”
I chuckle, ruffling his hair affectionately. “It’ll be a little while yet, buddy. She’s still really tiny right now.”
Tommy nods, considering this. “That’s okay. I can wait.” He grins suddenly, his face lighting up. “When she’s bigger, she can help decorate the Christmas tree.”
I glance over at the tree covered with strands of popcorn and crayon-colored paper chains, crafted by Tommy’s little hands—so different to our coordinated decorations of previous years. This one is so much better. I nod at Tommy. “We can all do it together.”
“And I’ll teach her all sorts of stuff, like how to build the best Lego towers and how to climb the big tree in the backyard.”
“I’m sure she’ll love that.” I exchange an amused glance with Greg over Tommy’s head. “But for now, why don’t we focus on getting you ready for your bath, hmm? It’s getting close to bedtime.”
Tommy sighs dramatically. “Okay, Daddy. But can we read two stories tonight? Pretty please?”
I pretend to consider his request, tapping my chin thoughtfully. “Hmm, I don’t know. What do you think, Papa? Should Tommy get two stories?”
Greg winks at me, playing along. “He’s been a very good boy today, and he was a big help with Gemma earlier. So yes, I think he deserves two stories.”
Tommy jumps up from the couch. “Yes! Two stories!” He grabs my hand, tugging me towards the bathroom. “Come on, Daddy, let’s go! The faster I take my bath, the faster we can read!”
Laughing, I allow myself to be pulled along, my heart overflowing with love for my little boy. I’m exhausted from a dayon my feet, but never too tired to tackle bath time and bedtime stories. Soon Tommy is laughing and giggling in a cloud of bubbles.
A short while later, I see Greg with Gemma, disappearing into her room, the one painted in a soft muted sage green. When he reappears in the doorway, she’s swaddled in a soft blanket, her eyes drooping. “I’m going to put her down for the night, but thought you’d want to say goodnight.”
“You bet.” I drop a kiss to her forehead, breathing in that baby powder scent. When I look up, Greg’s looking at me with a smile that makes my chest flutter. I’m locked in his gaze until the sound of splashing and giggling reminds me that our energetic four-year-old is waiting. “Daddy!”
“Duty calls.” Greg chuckles. “I’ll get this little one settled in her crib, and you can make sure Tommy doesn’t flood the bathroom.”
“On it.” I steal a quick kiss before turning back to Tommy.
Tommy launches into excited chatter as he plays with his rubber bath toys, telling me about his day and all the adventures he’s had. He tells me about taking Gemma for a short walk and how it was so cold outside he could make smoke come out of his mouth like a dragon. He informs me that he did a puzzle with Papa, and they made soup and sandwiches for lunch. I listen with a full heart.
We’re so blessed that Greg can work from home and take care of the kids. Tommy attends preschool once a week and I’ve adjusted my schedule to make sure I have an extra full day at home too.
While Tommy plays and mumbles to himself, I gently wash his hair. I can hear Greg singing softly to Gemma as he puts her to sleep in the nursery. The image fills me with a warmth that radiates from my chest, a love so profound it takes my breath away. I never could have imagined, all those years ago whenGreg and I first fell in love in high school, that we would end up here—married, with two beautiful children, living out our dreams in the small town of Collier’s Creek that we’ve always called home. But now, I can’t picture my life any other way.
The water is starting to cool as I rinse the last of the suds from Tommy’s hair and help him from the tub. After drying him off, I wrap him in a fluffy towel and pick him up. He nestles into my arms, his damp hair tickling my chin. I hug him closer, breathing in the familiar scent of bubblegum shampoo as I carry him to his bedroom. It doesn’t take long to help him into his favorite racing car pajamas, then he climbs onto the bed, reaching for the small pile of storybooks on the nightstand.
I sit beside him, back against the headboard and once Tommy is settled against my side I begin reading. The first book isn’t even finished when his eyelids grow heavy and his breathing slows. Closing the book, I stand and tuck him in. I run my fingers through his soft curls and press a gentle kiss to his forehead. “Sweet dreams, little man.”
With a last look at my sleeping son, I quietly pull the door ajar and step into the hallway. I pad softly back to the living room, where Greg is waiting for me on the couch. He looks up as I enter, his blue eyes shining with the same love and contentment that fills my own heart. Wordlessly, I settle beside him, wrapping my arm around his shoulders and pulling him close. It’s a quiet moment, just the two of us, the soft glow of the Christmas tree lights providing a warm ambience, and the only sound, the crackling of the fire burning in the grate behind the childproof barrier.
