The Business Woman

Christmas Eve

It had been weeks since our trip to Moscow and tomorrow was Christmas Day. The concert was amazing and I really bonded well with Jack's younger sister. She was excited to be an aunt again! I'd been really tired lately and I learned how messy Jack was. He would kick off his shoes anywhere and leave his socks beside the bed.

We'd just finish eating dinner and I was cleaning up the kitchen.

"Alright Anna, Santa isn't going to come if you're not in bed," Jack said. "Go take your bath and I'll be up to your room to read you a story."

"What about the cookies for Santa?" She whined.

"You're absolutely right, take your bath and when you finish we can bake the cookies," I said smiling.

Anna stood up from the dining room table and made her way to the bathroom.

"Dinner was excellent babe," Jack said while wrapping his arms around my waist.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it."

"You didn't seem like yourself today what's going on?" He asked before resting his chin on my shoulder.

"Nothing really." I lied.

"Are you gonna stick with that or are you gonna tell me what's actually wrong?"

"You remember when my aunt called this morning?" I asked.

"Mhm."

"Well my mama and daddy are in town and they're going to be over there tomorrow."

"I think it's good that they'll be there. I can finally meet them and we'll be able to tell them about our new addition and our wedding plans."

"But we don't have any wedding plans. But that's beside the point I haven't spoken to them in almost a year."

"Well, I guess I've been thinking more about getting married more than you have." He sighed. "But like you said that's beside the point." Jack dropped his hands from my waist and headed down the hall.

I didn't put much thought into getting married, because I didn't think it'd be any time soon. I mean sure I was having his kid, but marriage is such a big move.

When I finished with the kitchen, I snuggled on the couch and wrote in my journal, while listening to Pandora.

Julianna crawled beside me while wearing her cute little reindeer pajamas.

"Are you ready?" She asked while poking me.

"Yes!" I said before hopping on my feet and making my way back to the kitchen.

We rolled the chocolate chip cookie dough into small balls before placing them on a pan.

"I hope Santa likes these cookies."

"I'm sure he'll love the cookies."

"Do you think he'll bring lots of presents?"

"I don't know." I shrugged playfully. "If you're on the nice list he will."

While the cookies baked in the oven, Anna and I sat with Teddy on the couch and watched the Polar Express.

After the cookies were finished baking, we placed them out on the coffee table along with a tall glass of milk.

"Can we watch the reindeer with the red nose?" Her soft voice asked.

I looked at the time on my phone before answering.

"Yes, run and go get your daddy, so we can watch it together."

I sat on the couch and propped my feet up on the ottoman, while I flipped through Netflix to find the movie. They came trailing down the hallway and into the living room.

Jack was in his bedclothes with his hair dampened.

We could smell the cookies in the oven about fifteen minutes into the movie. Anna and I waited for them to cook before we sat a plate of cookies out for Santa Clause.

"Okay, little one its time for bed," Jack said before picking Anna up from the floor into his arms. She giggled as he tickled her and led her down the hallway.

"Goodnight sweetheart," I called after them

I turned off the TV and grabbed the plate of cookies and the cup of milk and made my way to our bedroom.

After ten short minutes, Jack came trailing into the 

"I thought the cookies were for Santa." He said while looking over at the almost empty plate of cookies.

"They were, but Santa isn't carrying a human inside him now is he?"

He just shook his head bad sat on the edge of the bed.

"Babe, when are you gonna unpack your suitcase?" I asked while glaring at the black suitcase with clothes stemming from the top.

"As soon as we finish wrapping Julianna's Christmas gifts." He said before he began pulling out different unwrapped presents from under the bed.

"Here's some wrapping paper." He said before tossing me the roll of green and red printed snowflake paper.

He passed me a couple of gifts and we sat and talked.

"So you really don't want to marry me huh ?"

I placed the Barbie in the wrapping paper before looking up at Jack.

"I do. I'm just scared. We've been doing things so fast."

"Why should we slow down?" He asked picking up the tablet and wrapping it in snowman wrapping paper. "I'm in love with you, you're having my child, and you make my world go round."

"And you are a really great man, Jack. I'm really thankful to you."

"I bet our baby is a girl." He said smiling his signature smile.

"Hopefully they look like me because you're ugly," I said laughing.

He sat the gift aside before climbing on the bed to attack me. He pinned me to the bed and began tickling me.

I was laughing as hard as I could while trying to fight him off.

"I'm ugly huh ?" He said playfully.

"No!" I yelled back while laughing.

He leaned down and kissed my lips stopping the playful attack and the obnoxious laughter.

"I got you something." He said after pulling away from the kiss and sliding off of the bed.

I sat up and leaned against the headboard.

He came back with a perfectly wrapped gift in the shape of a box.

"Open it."

I untied the satin bow that wrapped around the box and then I quickly opened the lid of the box to reveal a check with more than enough zeros and commas to cover my college education.

"I want you to succeed and not worry about anything," Jack said as he watched my eyes light up as I held the check in my hands.

"Thank you so much, Jack," I said on the brink of tears.

I jumped up from the bed and wrapped my arms around him. I was busting my ass to pay for college. Now I could take more classes and become a full-time student.