The Dysfunction Of Evan: Books 1-3 Collection

68. Holidays, Part One

I woke up sweating. The room was filled with sunlight, and I could hear Bobby barking at something outside. I wiped my face with a dry part of the sheet, and sat up. I felt the baby kick at my ribs. I was in my bedroom at the country house. I'd decorated it to look like it was from the Victorian era, in shades of green and cream. I'd insisted on making the only bedroom on the ground floor ours, and it was small. Our bed was pushed in a corner, my side of the bed against the wall. Tom always got up before me; he was free to get out of bed without waking me up. I usually stayed up late, but he wasn't bothered by my crawling over him. If I did wake him up, he take full advantage of the privacy afforded us by the late hour. I scooted to the edge of the bed and sat up, grabbing the bottle of water on the night stand. I took a long swig, then swung my legs over the side.

I emptied the bottle and tossed it on the bed as I stood up. I took a deep breath, then rubbed my stomach. I was greeted by a kick. After stretching slightly, I made my way across the hallway to the bathroom.

As I did my business, I studied myself in the mirror. My hair was a giant knot and I had drool stains on my chin. When I was done, I washed my hands, then scrubbed my face with soap and cool water.

I flicked off the light as I left, and made my way to the rec room, where Boyd and Lucy were playing. As soon as I entered the room, Lucy jumped up and ran over to me.

"Hi, sweetie." I said, returning her affection.

"Mummy, did you have a bad dream?" She asked, her big blue eyes filled with concern. I must have been making noises while I slept.

"I'll be okay. What are you guys building?" I asked, looking at the scattered Legos.

"We're making a club house!" Boyd said in excitement. "Daddy said we could glue everything together when it was done."

"Cheryl was helping, but Uncle Holly stole her." Lucy said with a sour look. I laughed.

"I'm sure she'll be back." I told them. "Where is Daddy?"

"He's putting up the holiday decorations. The front hall looks all fancy." Lucy replied, taking her spot back on the floor. "He even put up mistletoe."

Both kids started giggling.

"He says he's going to kiss you all night under it." Boyd said sticking his tongue out in disgust.

"So gross." Lucy rolled her eyes. I snickered.

"You know, if Daddy didn't like kissing me so much, you guys wouldn't be here. Nor would I have a baby in my tummy." I smiled, leaning against the wall.

"So, does that mean Cheryl is going to have a baby in her tummy?" Boyd asked. I cocked my head.

"Why do you ask that?"

"Because, Cheryl has been kissing Uncle Sebby." Lucy whispered.

That was interesting information. I smiled and let the kids get back to building. I started back towards my bedroom, then I heard Tom shout in pain, and the sound of something falling. I hurried to the parlor, the source of the commotion.

"Mother fuck." He grunted, holding his left hand. His face was red and twisted in pain.

"Daddy said a bad word." Lucy said next to me. The twins had followed me. I shooed them back to their Legos.

"What happened?" I asked, walking into the room. He was leaned against the table, a ladder on the floor.

"Fucking ladder broke while I was on it." He said. I grabbed his arm and tugged it away from his body so I could examine his hand. It was already starting to swell and bruise. "My hand got pinched when it folded up."