Whiskey River, Drown my Soul

Chapter Sixteen

Christmas Day.

I woke to sunshine streaming through the first floor spare bedroom window. After I finally fell asleep, I had slept incredibly deeply.

Musta been all that whiskey and emotional exhaustion.

Being that we were up north, and it was winter, the sunlight meant it was probably later than I had wanted to get up. I reached for my phone on the nightstand and Rev tightened the arm he had around me so I couldn't reach it.

"Happy Christmas, love", he whispered against my head.

I turned over and rolled to face him, nudging his nose with mine.

"Happy Christmas to you, too", I said. "Our first together".

"You forgetting about the year Charlie was born, or that doesn't count?", he asked.

"Shit. Both", I grumbled.

Charlie had been born five days before Christmas. I met her four days before, so that Christmas I was technically with Rev at his house, but neither of us were even aware that Christmas was happening then.

"Sorry, love", he said quietly.

"Me, too".

The amount of shit I put that man through that year...

"I didn't get you anything", I told him. "Add that to my list of backdated presents to go shopping for tomorrow".

"Having you today is my present", Rev insisted. "Plus, I didn't get you anything, either".

"Let's not then", I said. "I don't need presents".

"All right".

"We need to get up", I insisted.

"Five more minutes", he said, squeezing me.

Was it my imagination, or was Rev getting more affectionate? He seemed different. Since Brad died, since he returned from England, and since I started kicking ass for a living, Rev seemed to have changed. Not a lot, but there were subtle differences that I continued to notice.

He seemed more...human, less...invincible, still totally Rev.

We got ready in plenty of time. We were due to my brother's at noon.

As we drove over, I shielded my eyes from the glaring sunshine reflecting off the snow and melting my pupils. I didn't have sunglasses in the rental Jeep. It appeared to be a beautiful day outside, but it was a lie. It was only twenty degrees Fahrenheit in Nowhere, Midwest.

...........................................................................

Rev had been pleased with how well received he had been at the Larsens', but really, he expected that from Steve. He could tell Steve was an excellent husband and father. He didn't think the girls were going to be as friendly as they were, though, especially Brad's daughter. Somehow, Rev had assumed that her father's hatred toward him might have also flowed through her DNA, like a genetic disposition to reject all things Rev. Instead, she was affectionate with him and even gave him a little nickname, more surprising when her parents said that wasn't characteristic of her behavior for anyone.

Brad would be livid if he were here.

The thought moderately pleased him but then he chastised himself because that sweet, insightful little napper was never going to have a chance to grow up knowing her biological dad. 

Overall, he thought the night went well for Paige, too. She did well there, even though it was emotionally overwhelming, and she didn't lose it until they got home. This morning, she got up and was okay, not crushed.