Bridge over troubled waters

18| One Big Family

Bailey

For the first time since 2005 the Crawford's and the Mitchell's are together for Christmas once again. It's been a long four years since we've all been together and I'm happy we can sing Christmas carols and get drunk off our ass like the good old times. I even got Mark to come out and do a pre Christmas celebration considering everyone have different plans on Christmas Day back in Canada.

Since my place was way more festive than Corey's we decide to congregate in my place but cook at Corey's just so nothing gets knocked over once we inevitably challenge each other to a spiked hot chocolate drinking contest. But I stay at Corey's for a little and cook with his mom and my mom and Brady's girlfriend Kaitlyn. She was my favorite girlfriend of Brady's and I love them together. They've been going strong for two years and he was so in love with her. She teaches preschool and she's the cutest little thing ever. We always welcomed her to the family and I'm happy she's here with us. Because I know my boys aren't going to be any help when it came to cooking food to feed our families.

"Look at these pictures" my mom gasps looking at Corey's fridge. He had been taking some of the pictures I took and put them up on his fridge. It was like a little "Corley" shrine. Although he hates it when people refer to us as our ship name.

"I know I've taken a break from photography to focus on painting, at least until the art show. But having pictures like these is why I got into photography in the first place" I smile.

Corey's mom picks up one picture to look at it and I smile big. It was from when he surprised me at the art show and I made him take a picture with me. He even got all dressed up and matched with me, it was adorable.

"This kinda looks like your senior prom picture" she says and I smile. Senior prom... what a night that was?

"How long have you known Corey" Kaitlyn wonders.

"Pretty much my whole life, at least the major parts. He was nine and I was eight when we officially became best friends. We had hung out a few times before then because he lived down the street from me and he played on Brady's hockey team since he always played a few ages up. But something pulled us together when we were kids and we haven't been able to separate since" I shrug.

"That's seriously so cute" she admits and I smile.

"I'm pretty lucky. He's put up with me all these years and he's still not tired of me" I smile. Lord knows I gave him a lot of reasons to get tired of me. But he's still here.

"He never could" his mom promises me. "Every time he calls home he's telling me about how you tried a hot dog for the first time or how your art career is doing so good or how you guys get to do things you did as kids. He could go on like this for a few lifetimes and still be happy" she claims.

I smile to myself as I look back to the fridge. "That makes two of us."

We finish up with the food and bring it over to my place. All the guys were in front of the Tv watching football as per usual. Being the only girl out of these two families was a struggle, I had a big tom boy complex up until high school. But being around them made me tough and loved and it was pretty great.

"There you are" Brady says as he wraps his arm around me. He pulls me into a kiss and I try not to smile but I couldn't help it. My fingers get tangled in his hair as I make up for lost time.

"Here I am" I whisper on his lips.

"Is the food ready" he wonders as we separate a little.

"For the most part yeah. There's a few things in the oven finishing up but dinner will be ready about 5" I assure him.

"Sweet" he cheers.

"How have you guys been? I trust my brothers haven't given you too hard a time" I insist. God I hope they haven't given him a hard time. They liked him but he was a "pretty boy" and they're the rough and tough ones so they definitely say some things they shouldn't.

"I'm not worried about your brothers. Corey's the one who's got that on lock" he claims.

I look over and see Corey staring at us. There was a hint of sadness in his eyes as he watched us be all lovey. He turns away when I look over and I let out a sigh. I felt bad for being affectionate with Mark in front of Corey. I felt guilty. I know that I shouldn't, but I do. And if I told Mark that he would surely jump back on the "You Love Corey Not Me" train I just got to come to a stop. And while he's wrong because I do love him I love Corey too, just in a different way. I just can't tell him that.

I go to open my mouth but I get stopped when I hear someone tapping on a glass. I turn around and see Brady with a wine glass in his hand and Kaitlyn under his arm. My heart melts when I see them together because the one man I never thought would learn how to love has finally learned.

"Can I have everyone's attention please" he starts. Everyone settles down as we turn to him trying to figure out what's going on. "I know we haven't all been together like this for a while and I'm happy everyone listened to my sister and she agreed to host Christmas in Chicago this year. Even if it's not actually Christmas quite yet. For once she was right" he claims and I roll my eyes. He never does take a break from being a pain in my ass. "I wanted to do this for a long time but I wanted it to be special. I needed my other brother Corey and TJ and my second parents Trevor and Sylvia here too" he says.

He suddenly gets down on one knee and sets his drink down before pulling something out of his pocket. I gasp when I see a ring box and the smile spreads across my face. I felt like jumping up and down I was so excited.

"Kaitlyn, will you join this crazy family of mine and marry me" Brady asks. I almost yelled yes before she did but she got it out before me. He slips the ring on her finger and I freak out in my spot.

After things settled down I drag Mark over to them to get a look at the ring. She shows me and now I see why being a accountant can come in handy. That's a nice rock she's got.

"Never thought I would have proposed before you" Brady teases Mark.

"I haven't even thought about rings" Mark claims.

My face falls when I realize I don't think he's ever thought about us getting married. And I'm afraid to bring it up because if he doesn't want to spend the rest of his life with me I don't know what I'm going to do. We're going on six years together, I figured he would have known this is a forever kind of thing. But maybe he doesn't and maybe I'm just the stupid girl getting rung along for years before she's finally had enough. And the worst part is I haven't had enough, I want more with him but maybe, just maybe he doesn't want it with me...