Ethan followed Jacob into the master bedroom, where he’d laid Collin on the bed after he fell asleep on his shoulder. On one side of the bed was a pile of coats, and Collin was spread eagle, snoring softly, on the other.
Jacob hung out in the doorway, making sure no one interrupted Ethan as he gathered his kid. The party was still in motion, though it’d moved to the after-party stage when couples played card games at the tables in the back yard or talking quietly in the front room. The music was turned down and mostly instrumental and two of the food tables were cleared out.
“Sorry to leave you with clean up,” Ethan said as he bent over to arrange Collin’s limbs to make it easier to pick him up.
Poof!
“Oh no you don’t!” Jacob stormed into the room and shut the door behind him. Pressing one hand against the wood, he looked ready to pounce.
Ethan straightened, staring at his brother-in-law and good friend like he’d lost his marbles. “No, I don’t; what?”
“Not you.” Jacob folded his arms and glared behind Ethan. Ethan turned to find Nick and Lux leaning against the gas fireplace. The flame was off–the house was warm enough with all the people in it–they didn’t need to add artificial heat.
Ethan smiled. “What’s up?”
Jacob moaned. “Don’t tell me they got to you.”
Nick coughed into his fist. “Gratitude.”
Lux scowled.
Jacob breathed deeply. “I am grateful. But guys, stay out of my bedroom.”
Lux looked around as if she had just realized where they’d poofed into. She pushed her glasses up her nose. “Your request is noted. However, you are both fully clothed, and we knew he was sleeping, so it didn’t seem like a bad time.”
“How did you know he was sleeping?” Jacob asked.
“How did you know we have clothes on?” Ethan demanded a little louder. Jacob glanced at him, so he explained, “Seems like the more important question. The song goes: he knows when you are sleeping; he knows when you’re awake. But I don’t remember a line that says: he knows when you have pants on; he knows when you don’t.”
“Fair point.” Jacob folded his arms and glared at Nick.
Lux considered them. “Clothing knowledge is not a Kringle gift I’m aware of.”
Kringle gift? Ethan was about to ask her what she meant when Nick cut in, “Judging by the number of cars out front, we took a gamble.”
That made sense. “Why are you here?” Jacob asked. He was calmer than when he first saw the Kringles and Ethan made a mental note to ask him how he knew these guys. Although, last year’s impromptu Christmas wedding was starting to make sense. There were many things about last Christmas that were fuzzy; the days seemed to blend into one in his memory.
Lux’s eyes brightened. “I have a questionnaire for you to fill out,” she told Ethan. “I’m trying to quantify wishes and the results. Also, since you had a tie-breaker wish, I’m studying the effect on not only wishes themselves but the people involved.” She tapped her phone, and Ethan’s beeped in his pocket.
“I’ll get right on that,” he said–having no intention of spending his night answering questions about his Christmas wish. Nick watched him with a steady gaze. Ethan began to squirm under his silence. “Alright, I probably won’t do it,” he blurted out the truth.
Lux sighed. “On a scale of 0 to 10, with ten being the highest, how happy are you with Pearl as a co-parent?”
Jacob dropped his head back and groaned. “That was your wish.” He sat on the bed as if the weight of Ethan’s wish wore him out.
Ethan shook his head. “Not exactly.” He turned to Lux. “Right now, I’m about a five.”
Lux blinked. “That’s not at all decisive. A five is the middle ground. The exact middle ground.”
Ethan nodded as he ticked off items on his fingers. “I like that she’s taking an interest and prioritizes her son. I like that Collin is happy. I don’t like her in my house or interrupting …” he looked for a way to state this without including Valerie’s name, “... conversations with my friends.”
Nick chuckled.
Ethan glared at him, daring him to call Valerie more than a friend.
He wisely kept his mouth shut.
Lux huffed. “How long do you think it will take for you to have a conclusive answer? The one wish is unraveling faster than anticipated. Our chance to study two wishes is disappearing by the day.”
