Chapter 33 Logan
LOGAN
Christmas Eve at the big house just felt right.
We’d all done our own thing for the past few years, but the renewed closeness meant that we were going old school for the holidays this year. That meant everyone under one roof as Santa paid his annual visit.
We were supposed to be winding down, but Noah was hopped up on too much gingerbread, thanks to the house he was supposed to decorate but wound up eating.
It had taken Gwen forever to get Sophia to sleep, and I had a feeling that Noah would be asking for glasses of water and another story for hours.
The threat of being on the naughty list didn’t hold any weight when Santa was already in the air and loaded down with gifts.
We were all camped out in one of our recently renovated rooms, transformed under Nina’s guidance from seldom-used sitting room to an old-world library and study complete with a roaring fire and the biggest Christmas tree in the house.
I’d wanted to keep the room as sleek as the skybrary at my old place, but Nina had insisted on a classic, cozy vibe.
As always, she was right. It had become the room in the house everyone felt drawn to when they wanted to wind down and relax. Tonight, we’d all found our favorite spots to lounge and sip nightcaps while we listened to vintage Christmas music.
Ariel stalked in wearing a festive collar and regarded everyone with the disdain of a grown cat.
She was still snuggly with us, but at heart, she was an introvert who wasn’t a fan of crowds.
Still, she opted to hang out in the library instead of disappearing into a closet, which I took as a win.
If anyone could bring out her social side, it would be through the combined efforts of Noah and his Aunt Emilia, who was an animal whisperer no matter the species.
“Hey,” Nina said as she plopped down on the sofa beside me.
“Hi there,” I said, drawing her close to me. I paused to take her in then lowered my voice. “You look tired. Too much hostessing?”
She laughed at me. “Please. You know I live for this stuff. I’m happiest when I’m making memories with my favorite people. And don’t forget I’ve had Gwen, Emilia, Candace, and Josie pitching in on the prep.”
“And the men did the clean-up,” I reminded her.
“As you should,” she said primly.
I studied her profile, lit by the glow of the fire.
“You’re so fucking beautiful.”
There was a commotion from behind the couch.
“Daddy!” Noah exclaimed wearing a scandalized expression. “That’s a bad word!”
“Oh, bud, I didn’t know you were there. You’re right, I shouldn’t say that word.”
Nina giggled. “This feels very familiar. You cursing for little ears to hear.”
I dropped my head back. “Don’t remind me. That’s what started everything.”
Noah held up a little hybrid walkie talkie device he’d gotten from his Uncle Drew, which was part of our pact to open one gift on Christmas Eve. “I was recording you. Here, listen.”
He fussed with the buttons.
“Noey, please don’t.” I reached for the device. “Show me how to delete it.”
He sighed and walked me through the steps. I could feel Nina smiling at us. I turned to her once the evidence of my potty mouth was erased and Noah had run off to surveil someone else.
“What?” I demanded.
“Just thinking about how lucky I am. I mean, come on, would you look at this thing?” She held up her arm so the diamonds in her new tennis bracelet glinted in the firelight.
“You like it? That’s the first of many gifts to come,” I assured her. “A couple of them are destined for these shelves.”
I gestured to the bookshelves surrounding us. I’d kept my rare book dealer busy for the past few months.
She leaned over to kiss me on the cheek. “I’m sure I’m going to love anything and everything you have planned. But you forgot to get your Christmas Eve gift from me.”
I’d been so busy handing out the sanctioned gifts to each of my family members it had totally slipped my mind that I needed to open one as well. But it didn’t matter. No gift could compare to what I already had in the people surrounding me.
“I can wait until tomorrow,” I said. “Look, everyone is wrapped up in each other.”
We glanced around the room to find Noah doing some sort of interpretive dance for Drew and Emilia, and Gwen dozing against Harrison’s chest on the couch opposite us, and Candace and my father slow dancing to Bing Crosby by the Christmas tree.
“Well, I can’t wait,” she insisted. “And besides, you’re the only one who didn’t get something. You deserve a little treat.”
Her eyes twinkled as she handed me a small envelope.
“This is tiny,” I said as I took it from her. I shook it. “Is it the keys to a new car?”
She snorted a laugh. “Please. As if you need more.”
“What? You can never have enough shoes, I can never have enough cars.”
She slapped my arm.
“Can I ask questions about what it might be?” I asked.
She gestured for me to give it a shot.
“Okay. Is it something I said I want?”
Nina nodded. “Oh yeah. A bunch of times.”
“Is it just for me? Like, I don’t know, paragliding lessons?”
She sputtered. “It is not just for you, and there’s no way in hell I’d ever give you a death-wish gift like that!”
I twisted up my mouth. “Hmm. Is it a temporary thing? Like a dinner with my favorite chef from Paris? Or is it something that I’ll have forever, like a nice watch?”
“It’s a forever present.”
“Can I share it?” I asked.
“You better.” She was beaming at me like someone who knew she’d nailed her gift giving.
“Is it…” I trailed off. “Hmm.”
“Oh my God, would you please just open it?” Nina huffed at me with fake indignation.
“Fine,” I said as I slid my finger along the envelope seam.
She clapped her hands in almost the exact way Noah did when he was too excited to contain himself.
I pulled out a tiny slip of folded paper and held it up in front of her. She nodded.
I opened the scrap and read the two words in her familiar script, and my eyes welled the second I took in what it said. I looked over and discovered that she was crying too.
“We’re pregnant?” I asked in a shaky whisper.
She nodded, biting her lip. “I waited until tonight to tell you because it’s the perfect gift.”
I pulled her into a tight hug, doing my best not to break down completely. We’d been trying since the time in my childhood bedroom, and while we weren’t at the point where we were getting stressed out about it, we were getting frustrated that it was taking so long.
Considering I made love to my wife every damn day, if not twice a day.
I finally pulled away from her. “How far along?”
She placed her hand over her stomach. “Seven weeks. It’s still early.” She glanced around at the rest of the family and lowered her voice. “But I still want to tell everyone.”
“Tell us what?”
We both jumped as Noah popped up from behind the couch.
“Noey, come here,” Nina said, taking his hand and guiding him to us. “We have to tell you something exciting.”
He stood in front of us, his eyes bouncing between our faces. It was probably obvious to him that something very important was happening.
“Now, don’t get over excited, okay?” I cautioned.
Noah had completely shed his shy side, and these days, he had no problem letting the world hear his voice. His personality was even bigger than before, and I loved every bit of it.
“Noah,” Nina began quietly. “I just gave your dad his Christmas gift, but it’s also for you, because…” she trailed of and swallowed hard. “You’re going to be a big brother.”
His mouth dropped open.
“You mean you’re having a baby?” It came out in a strangled whisper.
“We are,” Nina beamed at him.
He took a beat to let everything fall into place, his face shifting from shock, to confusion, to happiness, to mischief.
He spun around. “Grandpa! You need to get me a bunk bed!”
Noah ran toward them, pointing over his shoulder at us.
My dad furrowed at me, and then it was Candace’s turn to be shocked as she processed the implication.
“Are you…” Gwen was now wide awake and staring at us. Harrison looked equally dumbfounded.
Noah climbed on the couch and raised his hands over his head. “I’m going to be a big brother!”
And that was all it took for the Christmas Eve tranquility to descend into joyful madness. Everyone jumped up and rushed to us. The cheering rivaled the crying, and the noise took over the room.
But I loved it.
This was family. Old and new, blended and blood.
And absolutely perfect.