Chapter 30
REBECCA
“That’s a great picture,” Steven comments as he looks over my shoulder.
I’m holding my cell phone, getting ready to upload the picture I took earlier on the web. It’s Steven holding Damian up as they put the golden star on top of the Christmas tree.
It’s a wonderful keepsake for our first Christmas Eve together. All in all, the day has been perfect. We decorated the tree together, and the presents have been wrapped and hidden in my closet for the morning.
Now, the house is filled with the smell of delicious food that’s been cooking for hours, and the fireplace crackles in the background, giving the perfect aesthetic.
There’s only one thing missing … my parents.
“Can I put the marshmallows on the sweet potatoes?” Damian asks, sitting on the counter next to Steven.
“Of course,” he replies and hands him the bag of mini marshmallows. Damian digs his hand in and starts sprinkling them on top of the dish.
I lean over and baste the ham that’s still cooking in the oven. Everything, even down to the meal, we’ve done together as a big family. It truly has been the perfect day, but I can’t help but wish that my family were here with us to enjoy it.
It doesn’t seem fair that Damian or I are shunned just because I fell in love with an amazing man.
Sighing, I close the oven, and once I’m standing at full height again, Steven wraps his strong arms around me. He must sense something is off with me. “They will come around eventually,” he whispers as if reading my thoughts.
Smiling, I close my eyes and rest my head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. It’s something I do when I’m feeling overwhelmed.
As the dinner nears completion, we venture into the living room to spend some time together, watching the Christmas parade on TV.
“I hope Santa gets me the exploring kit I wanted. Oh, and a magician’s cape.” Damian begins talking about everything that was on his Christmas list, and inside, I’m laughing.
Everything he’s listing has already been bought and is wrapped, hiding in the back of my closet for him to open in the morning.
He’s going to be one happy kid when he wakes up to see all the stuff Santa got for him this year. I didn’t have such luck buying a gift for Steven. With everything going on, along with only being with him for a few weeks, I only had one idea.
It’s a large canvas of the picture I snuck of Damian and Steven the first day they met. They were in his office, and I snapped a picture unbeknownst to them on my phone. It’s not much, but I thought it would look nice in our living room.
Something to look at and remind us all how far we’ve come since that first day.
“Well, I’m sure you will be very happy,” I call out to Damian as I walk back toward the kitchen to check on the food. Steven follows and leans down to check the ham.
“I think it’s done. It smells amazing,” he comments while pulling it out carefully. As I do the same to the sweet potatoes, there’s a light knocking at the front door. I turn to shoot a curious look at Steven, who just shrugs, setting the pan in the center of the table.
Who could be coming here this late on Christmas Eve? Everyone should be at their own homes with their families, doing the same thing we are doing. As I pull the door open, my breath hitches as my mouth hangs slightly open.
As I stand speechless, standing on the porch is my grandmother, my mother … and my dad. But why would they be here? The last time I saw my dad, he was punching my boyfriend. And my mom … Well, she was far too busy ignoring me to show any remorse.
However, I’m elated to see my grandmother. “Well, are you going to invite us in? It’s freezing out here,” she says with a bright smile on her face as her hands clutch her puffy winter coat.
Shaking the trance away, I say yes and step aside, holding the door as they all pile in. “Grandma!” Damian yells from the living room and jumps into Mom’s arms.
I want to be angry at my parents for how they acted toward me. I want to resent them for throwing us away like we meant nothing to them, but I can’t bring myself to hold onto that hatred.
Seeing how happy they are to see Damian and vice versa, it warms my heart. My grandma walks next to me and grabs my hand to give it a quick squeeze.
“I couldn’t bear to see the family separated for the holidays,” she whispers as my parents walk over to me. “Now, go on.” She looks at my father, and he sighs exhaustively.
It’s hard to keep eye contact with him after all the hurtful things he did and said to Steven and me the day he found out about us.
“I—uh,” he begins, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m sorry.” Grandma steps next to him, nudging him as if he were still a child in her eyes. Dad rolls his eyes, and I swallow the chuckle that rises in my throat.
“I’m sorry about how I acted. I shouldn’t have kicked you out. I … I miss you guys.” As Dad continues, I lunge forward and wrap my arms under his for an unexpected hug. Everyone makes mistakes … I know I did.
The only thing that matters is that they are here now. No matter if Grandma forced him to come or not. The important thing is that they came for their family. As I let go, I hug my grandmother and Mom as well, thanking them all for coming here tonight.
“Dinner is ready; you might as well stay and eat. We have plenty,” Steven chimes up as he begins slicing the ham. My eyes shoot to my dad to gauge his reaction. To my surprise, he nods and gives a hint of a smile as he takes a seat.
Everyone else joins, and soon, our plates are full and so is the conversation. Damian is telling them all about what he wants for Christmas and about how nice it is living here with his dad. I can see the shifts of discomfort between my parents.
I know it’s new to them, but they are going to have to get used to the idea of Steven and me being together, especially because of the secret we’ve been hiding for a few days now.
“So, what made you guys come tonight?” I ask as the conversation dies down, looking at my father. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited to see you, but it’s out of nowhere.”
Dad sets his fork down and looks at Steven. “I actually got the idea from him. Ran into him and Damian the other day at the store. After I thought about what you said, I had a change of heart, I guess. That, and my mother didn’t give me an option.”
His eyes have since shifted to Steven, who nods knowingly as I raise an eyebrow at him. If he saw my father, why didn’t he mention it to me? Maybe the news of the new baby overshadowed it.
Either way, I’m glad it happened. We are together again as a family. Something I’ve been wanting this entire time but knew that it wouldn’t happen unless the truth came out.
Smiling, I take the last bite of my sweet potatoes and set my fork down. With everyone finally together in one place, I know that this is the time to spill the news to them all at once and rip it off like a Band-Aid. I’m not sure if I’ll ever have the courage to do this again, so I clear my throat.
As everyone looks at me, my eyes lock with Steven’s. With a smirk and nod, he silently gives his approval. I take a deep breath in, trying to grip onto every last bit of courage I have left.
“So, I’m glad you are all here because I have something to say.” As my eyes trail across the table, they land on my dad, who looks confused. My stomach twists as I think back to the altercation outside Tony’s Deli, and I pray that this news doesn’t have the same outcome.
I don’t think I’d ever forgive my father if he acts that way in front of Damian.
With the risk of scaring them off again, I open my mouth and mutter the words. “I’m pregnant …”
“Wait,” Damian says as the table falls silent. “What does that mean?”
A giggle falls from my mouth, unsure whether it was brought on by what he said or the nerves that filter through me.
“It means you’re going to be a big brother,” I reply, placing my hand on his back. The moment it clicks in his brain, his eyes grow brighter as he smiles widely.
He leaps onto my lap from his chair and hugs me. “Mommy! I’m so excited!” I giggle and immediately look around at my family, who are all staring back at me.
I didn’t know what to expect when telling them. Would they get angry or shout at me? Maybe they will all just leave without a single word …
Their blank expressions leave no room for imagination, so I cling to Damian tightly, hoping that they don’t ruin Christmas Eve for him. For all of us.