"Presents!" Jessie screeches at she marvels at the tree.
"Wow, what a tiny tree! Couldn't you find anything bigger?" Chris jokes, playfully nudging me.
"Shut up" I say.
"Now kids" Daddy warns.
"We're being friendly, dad. We're not babies"
"You'll always be our babies. You will find out soon enough, Stevie dear" For the first time, my father lays his hand across my belly and the tears fall. "Stop crying, you're going to ruin all that pretty makeup"
"Um, Steph, can you come outside a minute?" Lindsey calls and I make a face.
"But its cold!" I whine.
"Promise you won't regret it!"
"Fine" I put my boots on and pull on a coat that is getting rather snug with baby girl in my belly. I meet him outside while everyone is cleaning up the kitchen and the dining room for me and sorting presents before they are opened. "What's going on?"
"Look down the road! Do you see?" He takes my hand and we walk down to the end of our drive.
"Are they building something on your road? This is private, that's illegal! We have to call someone." I ramble on and on and I'm really getting myself worked up.
"Whoa, relax. Listen to me" he says.
"What? We have to do something!"
"Breathe. Calm down, she's going nuts in there." He chuckles, looking at me with crystal blue eyes.
"What are we going to do?"
"I'm building."
"You are?"
"Two more houses. Not as big as this though"
"Two more houses?"
"Lori and Chris are wanting to move up here permanently" he tells me and I can't speak. "I suggested this place to them and they jumped at it. There's a great school here for Jessie and they have been looking for a place for so long."
"Why haven't I noticed? And what is the other house for?"
"You've been busy, baby. This was all in the works long before any of that stuff happened with us. I've been building on that second house for a little bit but the last one might take a little longer to finish. It's for your parents to have a place to stay, if they want, when they come to visit."
"Oh, Lindsey!" I can't breathe through my excitement.
"I'm hoping they will be done before the baby comes" He holds me while I cry but takes me in when I start to shiver. "Let me get you some hot chocolate"
"Baby girl is going to be a marshmallow when she's born with how much cocoa you spoil me with!" I giggle as he prepares it for me.
"Karen is late" I hear him whisper to Lori.
"I'll see what's going on. I think I have her new cell phone number"
"Ooh fancy" he says, making her laugh.
"Stall!" Lori tells him when she comes back and Lindsey comes toward me, kissing me hard. I pretend like I didn't hear anything but my excitement is bubbling over.
"Wow, what was that for?" I ask in response to one hell of a kiss he laid on me.
"I love you so much"
"I love you too" I say, stroking his face. "Can I give you another present?"
"Of course"
"I mean, since you are spoiling me! Nothing I give you will be as grand as what you've given me though" Lindsey has really outdone himself and I feel so unworthy.
"Don't worry about that. You are so giving to everyone around you, you deserve to be spoiled rotten" How did I get so lucky?
"Jessie, will you bring me Lindsey's present?" She's playing with one of her new toys but stops when I ask her for assistance.
"Which one?"
"The one you've got in your hand. Perfect. Thank you" I kiss her hair when she brings it to me. "This is for you" I hand it to him and he is shocked by the weight considering it's a slim thing and I've just made my niece carry it over to me. He gives me a curious look but I motion for him to carry on. He tears the paper off, saving the bow, and stares at it.
"Do you like it?" I ask
"A street sign. Did you steal it?" He has a wild, dangerous look in his eyes and I laugh.
"No, silly. Our house has no address. You told me it was unregistered and that it needed a name"
"Serendipity Way" he says, reading it and running his fingers over the raised lettering.
"Serendipity is stumbling upon a good thing without looking for it" I tell him.
"Like how you found me, weeks ago"
"And our baby" I add.
"And how we met" he says.
"The magic of us is evident in everything that happens in our lives. I want the world to know."
"Thank you for this gift! I can't wait to have this put up!" He places it down on the counter and kisses me, hungrily. "Even though you didn't steal it, you're still one bad ass little mama" We begin making out, hot and heavy, when Ruth clears her throat behind us. We are both so embarrassed, our cheeks flushed and our lips plump from the enthusiasm of our kisses. She strokes her son's shoulder, coffee in hand, then goes to the living room. I go upstairs to fix myself up then come back down to Karen playing with Jessie and passing out presents. She smiles when she sees me and I hug her.
"I missed you" she says.
"I'm so glad you could make it! We missed you too" I tell her and she rubs the bump.
"By the way, you have a doctor's appointment in a few days back in LA. Do you need me to find you a doctor up here?"
"I will be taken care of, don't worry. I have someone in mind, I just need to talk to Lindsey." I say. "I haven't even thought about anything in LA in weeks" I tell her.
"I know, sweetie. I've already talked to Warner about postponing the tour but this boxset needs to come out. I will talk to you after Christmas, I don't want to ruin your day with work"
"I love you for that. Thank you for taking care of everything while I was off with the fairies"
"I don't think Lindsey would appreciate you calling him that!" She joked and we bust out laughing.
