The Life Of Aaron Prescott

Bonus 3

A A R O N

Malcolm and Katelyn both pull on their stuffed toy as Lindsey tries her hardest to break them apart. I sip down my mourning tea, looking between my wife and our twins that have been going through an arguing phase for the past week.

Ryan walked into our living room, babbling incohesive words to his three year old son, Xavier, in one arm and Mason's son, Luke, resting sound asleep in the other. Rose and Mia are singing along to a Christmas song in our kitchen as they prepare dinner for us and I'm not sure where Jordan and Adam are.

Jordan's adoptive son, Parker, is close to the twins and seems to just be watching them in amusement. My guess on where Jordan and his husband are is upstairs with their new adoptive daughter, Poppy.

Christmas dinner was currently being hosted at our new house in Beverly Hills that Lindsey had persuaded me into buying last year. With me just getting a raise and Lindsey's writing career skyrocketing, we decided to take out a little money to buy the place.

Rose claps, gaining all of our attention back towards the kitchen, "dinner is ready!"

***

It took a while to get the kids to all sit down, especially since Malcolm and Katelyn both wanted to be right next to each other but rip each other's heads off at the same time so Lindsey had the great idea to sit them across from each other.

Now it was just all the adults at the table -excluding Ryan who was playing outside in the little snow we had gotten with all the other kids- as we all drank some tea or coffee and ate Lindsey's sweets that Katelyn helped her bake.

Rose and Mason complain about how Luke doesn't like football or cheerleading and instead spends more time on ice with a stick. Jordan gushes over Poppy and Adam interjects on how jealous Parker has been of his sister. Mia explains more about her and Ryan's wedding coming up soon and how she doesn't want any press to be there.

Ryan's music career has been successful and honestly he is quite famous now to a point where people will even ask me about him when I'm out for a run. Lindsey always sees fans for her books alone but when she included one of Ryan's songs in one of her Instagram stories people went digging and found out we all went to high school together. It was scary honestly.

My uncle and aunt couldn't join us this Christmas since my aunt has the flu pretty bad but they both send their Merry Christmas cards and we sent back -as we always do- photos of Katelyn and Malcolm.

Walter went to prison last year for manslaughter after killing somebody in a drunk driving car accident, I haven't been in to visit him once and honestly I don't plan on ever seeing him. He's where he belongs and I'm where I belong, surrounded by family and friends.

We talk about prom to Adam since he actually isn't from Los Angeles. Adam moved here from England for school and ended up meeting Jordan at a local café when Jordan was a barista for a bit. After a year of dating, they got engaged and married the next summer at a vineyard.

Mason got a job doing medical equipment repairs after four years at community college and Rose became a professor at UCLA after getting her degree at Stanford. Jordan followed in his parents footsteps and is working at becoming a CEO of his own business and even though Adam has explained what he does to me ten times now I still can't remember, I just know he had to get a science degree. Mia is a primary school teacher and is teaching all the kids but Poppy right now for kindergarten.

We all still live in LA, nobody really wanted to move from this place. Even Ryan who could move anywhere he wanted but living in the heart of Hollywood and being a musician is probably the best thing for him.

The front door creaks open and in walks Colleen, Kim, Kyle, Alan, Emilia, Carlos, and Rose's parents with even more plates of food.

We all stand up, walking over to greet the parents. I hug Carlos and Kyle, kissing Emilia, Kim and Colleen on their cheeks as I meet Rose's parents. I've only seen them at Rose's wedding but regardless, shake their hands anyways.

The kids all yell 'grandma' or 'grandpa' before they rush over and hug the parents legs close to their small bodies. Colleen was thrilled when we told her three years ago we were pregnant with the twins and she has been an amazing help and grandmother. Christopher has helped out as well and the kids know him as grandpa. Lindsey still seems sad and there is still some hurt from her father but she pushes that aside and has let the past go.

Ryan's family and ours have been tight knit between needing to have kids picked up from preschool and T-ball, soccer and anything we put them in someone is always available to help so Emilia and Carlos are known as second grandparents to the kids and I wouldn't have it any other way.

As the night starts to come to an end and everyone has left the house, leaving me and Lindsey to look at our fireplace with the kids snoring softly behind us.

I look over at my beautiful wife and smile, "sweetheart."

Lindsey lets her mug of hot chocolate fall into her lap as she looks over at me, "what?"

"Querida, it means sweetheart," I explained. "Nine years together and you have never asked what it meant."

Lindsey laughs, more at herself than me before she leans on my shoulder and stares in the sparkling flames. I wrap my arm around me, enjoying every single second.

THE END <3