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The truck finally pulled up to the house, and Jamie and the rest of them piled out of it into the snow and the wind. From there it was a thankfully a relatively short trip to the door, opening to the light and warmth of the house.
“You’re just in time,” Mark said when he opened the door, greeting them all with a grin. “The kids are in bed, and the party can officially start.”
“I know I could use a drink,” Paul said as they all tramped inside and started stripping off their snow-covered outer gear.
“Make that two drinks,” Alex added.
“Two drinks, coming right up.”
Mark moved over to the counter to get the drinks made, and Jamie and Alex took seats at the table next to Paul and Christine. Jamie noticed, with a smile, Laurel drawing her father in for a kiss, her hands moving over his shoulders like she was checking to make sure he was still in one piece. It wasn’t something her mother would have ever done except for effect, and it made Jamie happy to see it. To see someone genuinely caring about her father. Laurel was exactly what he needed, and it was plainly obvious how much he cared for her in return.
In the glow from the Christmas lights, Jamie looked around the room filled with her family. Mark was setting down drinks in front of them, while Erica and Christine laughed with Paul over something Jamie had missed hearing. Jamie leaned into Alex’s shoulder and felt her chest expand with love for them all.
This was what they had worked so hard to build. Through all the struggle and the heartache, this was what they had created. And it was so completely worth it, Jamie thought as she watched her family gathered around the table while the wind howled outside.
It was worth everything.
***
BED CAME LATE, OR TECHNICALLY early, as Alex and Jamie stumbled tipsy and exhausted to their room well after the clock had struck three, and fully aware they’d likely be woken by excited toddlers in far too little time.
It was a guess that proved only too true when shouts of “Christmas! Christmas!” greeted the rising sun.
Jamie woke first, rolling over to find two cheerful little faces staring at her over the top of the mattress. Tired as she was, she couldn’t help but laugh at their eager expressions.
“Come on, Alex. Wake up.”
Alex grumbled something that might not have even been English, and blinked his eyes open.
“Daddy!” the twins yelled happily, scrambling up onto the bed and bouncing around Alex.
“Hey, babies!” He laughed, managing not to sound almost awake. “You two excited?”
“Yes!” Lilli said loudly.
“Santa!” Benton added.
“You want to go see if Santa came?” Alex asked.
The twins nodded, eyes lighting up.
“Well, then, let’s go wake up your aunts and uncles and see what we can find out.”
“Aun’ Chris?” Benton asked.
“Yes,” Jamie said. “Aunt Chris. And Uncle Paul. And Aunt Erica, and Uncle Mark.”
Lilli clapped her hands together delightedly and she and Benton scrambled to get down from the bed, Alex and Jamie following more slowly.
“You know they’re all going to hate us for this, right?” Jamie pointed out.
“It’s part of Christmas with kids,” Alex said, grinning at her. “They’ll need to get used to it.”
Or misery just loved company, but Jamie didn’t point that out. She shook her head, and followed the kids down the hall to Mark and Erica’s room, where Alex opened the door and pointed.
“Go on,” he encouraged. “Get ‘em.”
The twins giggled, and ran across the carpet to the bed as fast as their little legs could carry them, climbing onto the mattress and calling excitedly to Mark and Erica.
“Aun’ Era! Unca Mark! Christmas!”
Jamie hid a laugh behind her hand as her brother and sister-in-law came groggily awake. Alex was looking entirely too pleased with himself. Mark lifted his head and saw them, and let it flop back to the pillow again.
“This isn’t funny, Alex.”
Erica laughed, sitting up to wrap both of the twins in a hug. “It’s Christmas, babe. And you have a very excited niece and nephew.”
Mark grunted, mumbled something about brothers, and levered himself upright. “Is it really?” he asked the twins. “Christmas? Has Santa come already?”
“Yes!” they shouted together.
“Well, then, I guess we’d better get up and see what he’s brought.”
The twins were all about that, and soon they’d rousted Christine and Paul from bed, too. Both of them, Jamie noted, were much more cheerful about it than Mark had been. Paul seemed to find the whole thing endearing. Jamie’s father just laughed when they woke him, pulling the twins in for a tight hug. Laurel had circles under her eyes that Jamie was sure matched her own, but she smiled and slid out of bed, grabbing a robe from the chair in the corner and declaring herself ready to go open presents.
“Mommy?” Benton asked, and Jamie leaned down to him. “Where Markie?”
“Markie’s still sleeping,” Jamie explained. “But he’ll come down when he wakes up.”
“No way!” Alex jumped up. “My little boy’s not missing out on his presents.” He grabbed Lilli and Benton’s hands. A few minutes later they came racing back down the hall, with Alex carrying a tired-looking little boy. His eyes lit up instantly when he saw everyone and the tree with presents in the living room.
The room quickly became a scene of happy chaos. The twins, in their pursuit of presents, scattered wrapping paper everywhere, squealing excitedly at each new toy revealed.
“Jamie,” Alex said, when they had unwrapped all their presents and were happily playing with the pile of new Christmas toys. “I’ve got something for you.”
Jamie looked up from Markie, who was settled in her lap, cuddling the stuffed puppy they’d gotten him. Carefully, she handed him over to her sister, and Alex passed her a long, flat box. He looked, she thought, almost anxious, like he really wanted her to like what was inside. She wanted to tell him that she was sure she would, but that seemed a little silly. So she just opened the box instead.
Inside, there was a necklace lying on blue velvet. The delicate chain was gold, and there were three hearts on the pendant, each of them a different metal, with diamonds set at their centers. Her breath caught in her chest.
“Oh. Alex. It’s beautiful.”
“Look at the back,” he said, leaning forward with a smile on his face.
Jamie picked it up carefully, turning it over to find engraving across the backs of all three, in a tiny script: To the woman who taught me that success means nothing if you don’t have someone to share it with. You are my heart.
Tears pricked at her eyes, and she set the box aside to wrap her arms around Alex’s neck and hold him tight. “I love it,” she whispered against his shoulder. “Thank you, Alex.”
“I’m glad you like it,” he said, sounding a little choked up himself. “Everything it says is true. You mean the world to me, baby.”
Jamie clung to him a moment longer, and then she sat back and he carefully picked up the necklace, fastening it around her throat. She lay a hand over the cool metal against her collarbone. There was a smile on her face that refused to go away.
“How did I ever get lucky enough to score such a perfect man?” she asked, leaning against his shoulder.
Alex laughed and wrapped an arm around her, drawing her in closer. “It just comes down to you being absolutely amazing, Jamie. No luck involved.”
“Here,” Christine was saying when Jamie pulled her attention away from Alex’s eyes. “This one’s for you.”
She handed a package across to Erica, and then there were gifts for everyone going around. The room filled with laughter and chatter, and the sound of wrapping paper ripping. In the hearth, a fire was burning, and Christmas music played faintly in the background. Jamie smiled, and took the gift Mark was passing over.
***
MORNING TURNED TO AFTERNOON, which turned to evening by the time everyone left. Jamie had to admit she was a little relieved to see them go. It was nice to have family around, but the quiet that settled over the house when it was empty of everyone but herself and Alex and the children felt good. She took a long, slow breath and let it out again.
There were dishes that were going to have to be done, but Jamie decided one night stacked beside the sink wouldn’t hurt them. It was still Christmas Day, after all.
Arms wrapped around her from behind, and she leaned back against the warm support of Alex’s chest.
“I think the kids should go to bed early tonight,” he said, breath brushing warm against the curve of her ear and making her shiver a little.
“Oh, you do, do you?”
“I have been trying to get you alone for almost a week,” Alex growled. His arms tightened around her. “Tonight, come hell or high water, I’m going to take you to bed.”
Laughing, Jamie turned around to face him. “Is that a promise?”
“You had better believe it.”
“Well,” she said slowly. “They were up pretty early, and there was a lot of activity. They didn’t get much of a nap. I’m sure that going to bed early can be arranged.”
“Good,” Alex said. “See to it, then.”
Jamie shook her head and untangled herself from his arms, turning to head upstairs. The slap of a hand against her backside made her jump and turn to glare at him. Alex looked at her like he hadn’t just smacked her ass.
“Don’t take too long,” he said, voice dipping into a purr. “I’m not sure I’m feeling all that patient.”
Neither, incidentally, was Jamie.
