chapter 38
[Jude]
As the sun has just risen, it’s early when I enter my condo for a quick shower and change before I rush to Angelica’s to discover an explosion of bags and boxes and wrapped Christmas presents.
“What the fuck?” I mutter, scanning the typically empty space that is cluttered by the pile of gifts, oversized bags near the entrance, and a double stack of pizza boxes on the kitchen island.
I’d question if I’ve been robbed, but this looks more like an invasion.
Tossing my keys on the kitchen island, I swipe a hand through my hair and prepare to storm down the hallway when the guest bedroom door opens.
A timid child exits and stares at me. I stare back at a miniature version of Julia. A little girl who looks exactly like her mother did when she was that age.
Despite the shock, I squat to my niece’s level. “Hi, Lollipop.” I don’t expect her to approach me. I haven’t seen her often enough in the four years of her life. Lolly Rochelle Paige has wild curly hair, reminding me of a certain someone who snuck out of Ashford’s this morning.
“Are you Santa Claus?” She eyes me with suspicion. “You don’t look like Santa Claus.”
I bite my lower lip, fighting a smile. “No. I’m your Uncle Jude.”
“Hey, Jude,” a masculine voice sings, and I glance further down the hallway to see the sleepy father of this little one exiting my bedroom. My brother-in-law loves to sing the song I’m named after, like it’s a joke, when he bears the nickname for a motorcycle.
In the name of Christmas, what the . . .
“Chopper.” I slowly stand to greet the heavily tattooed man wearing a white T-shirt and gray sweatpants, who scoops up his daughter, pressing kisses to her neck, which causes her to squeal. He carries her to the end of the hallway, but not into the open space of the living room and kitchen.
“Did you peek?” Chopper questions. “What did Mama say? No peeking. You need to come get her and me first.”
Slowly, I glance at the presents, realizing that my sister and her family have invaded my home, bringing their Santa duties with them, for Christmas.
“What the fuck?”
Chopper gives me a scathing look as I finish speaking, while Lolly quips, “He said a bad word, Daddy.”
“He did say a bad word.” Chopper continues to glare at me. He’d be scary if I didn’t know he’s a teddy bear for my sister and their kids. “I bet Santa didn’t bring him any presents.”
“But Santa brought me presents. Right, Daddy?” she squeezes her father’s cheeks to gain his attention.
“I bet Santa brought you lots of presents.” Chopper rubs his nose against hers, and she giggles again.
“And I bet . . . Uncle Jude would like to know how Santa got here.” I arch a brow at my brother-in-law.
“He drove his sleigh,” Lolly explains, like I don’t know the details.
Chopper shifts Lolly to his hip. “And a delayed flight from L.A.” Chopper narrows his eyes one more time, imparting the situation.
My sister brought her family to me on one of the busiest days for travel in an airport.
Behind Chopper, who still holds Lolly in the tunnel of the hallway, my sister approaches her husband and wraps her arms around him from the back. Chopper shifts to kiss her.
“Merry Christmas,” she says softly to him.
“Merry Christmas, cupcake.”
Lolly giggles again and reaches for her mother.
“I’ll get the boys,” he comments, before sparing me another glance, threatening me to be nice to his wife.
I don’t need the warning.
With Lolly on Julia’s hip, twinning in a way, my sister stares at me. “Don’t be mad.”
“I’m not,” I admit, glancing back at the pile of presents and sighing heavily. Despite the exhale, I’m not upset. In fact, I feel strangely lighter, almost pleased that she is present.
“You scared me,” she whispers.
My head swings back in her direction. Instantly, I realize what I’ve done. The heart attack. My sister has always been a worrywart, and she might have been afraid she’d lose me in an instant, like we lost our mom.
“I’m not going anywhere,” I weakly attempt to reassure her. I pat my chest. “Made of steel.”
If only that were true, because it aches this morning. While I feel like my heart fills my chest, it also feels strangely empty. Like an inflated balloon.
“You know I’ve always doubted that,” Julia says about my heart, hitching Lolly higher on her hip.
I finally approach my sister. “But you’ve never doubted me, and that’s all that matters.” Standing right in front of her, I stroke a shaky hand down Lolly’s wild curls. She tucks her head into my sister’s shoulder, and I pull back.
Julia watches me. Her brows pinching at something she sees in my face.
“I’m sorry,” I blurt, to distract her. “For making you concerned.”
“I know you are.” She slowly smiles. “And as your penance, we are here to celebrate Christmas.” She jostles Lolly on her hip and bops her on the nose before looking back at me. “We are just waiting on—”
A sharp knock comes to my front door, and I turn to face it before spinning back for my sister.
“Perfect timing. Can you get that?” Julia adds.
“What the hell is going on?”
Julia tries to give me a stern glare, but stoicism isn’t possible on her freckled cheeks.
Spinning toward the front door, I curse the building security. They exist so random people cannot enter the inner building without permission, and I only have two people on my admission list.
Julia and Angelica.
My blood rushes through my veins as hope sores. Maybe she’s come to me.
But when I open the door, I come face to face with a familiar-looking man and the sunshine of his life beside him.
“Dad?”