Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 69452 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69452 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
“Really?” Neesha asked, looking nervous. “I’m pretty green when it comes to kids. I’ve taken care of the nieces and all, but they were already mostly out of diapers when I did. I’m just gone a whole lot, thanks to my running schedule.”
“Oh, yeah,” she said. “Are you breastfeeding?”
Conversation flowed, and all of us chimed in from time to time.
At one point, Anleigh crawled out of my lap and into Neesha’s, but only because she was closest to the tree, which she had an intense fascination with.
Noel and her family arrived with Grams on their heels, and everyone poured into the kitchen, bearing gifts.
“Is this normal to do gifts here this early? Do y’all open gifts with your family first?” Merriam wondered.
“No,” Kyle answered for them. “We usually head to all the family’s houses first. Get those finished up. Then we open our Christmas with the girls at the end of the day, so they get gifts all day long, and we’re not rushed to open and bolt. This way, they get to enjoy everything, and we get to put all the crap together without having somewhere to go in twenty minutes.”
Merriam laughed at that.
“Pretty,” I heard Anleigh whisper to Cammie, who was about four years older than her.
Cammie held out the Christmas doll and said, “You can play with it.”
Anleigh took it, eyes wide.
I watched her avidly, loving how everyone was making an effort to play with her.
Cammie and Jessa were the eldest at six and five. Then came Winnie at three and a half. Anleigh was by far the youngest, but she seemed to integrate herself in well with my nieces to the point where they were all giggling, playing around the Christmas tree by the time that Ginger announced breakfast was finished.
“Oh,” Grams said as she caught Anleigh’s hand. “I suggest you start with the cinnamon roll first.”
Anleigh giggled and walked with my grams into the kitchen.
Merriam fell into step beside me and said, “Should I take your grandmother’s advice?”
“Grams is a sugar fiend, remember?” I laughed. “She’s really a bad influence.”
“I heard that, young man. It’s never a bad thing to have dessert first,” she countered my words.
“I think I might take her advice,” Merriam said as she took in the cinnamon rolls, her eyes comically wide. “Those look like ones you see on food shows.”
“Ginger has a restaurant that won a Michelin Star. She only serves breakfast,” Jones said proudly, puffing out his chest. “She’s the best baker around.”
“I can’t wait to try everything.” Merriam licked her lips, making me want to do the same.
Breakfast commenced, and I had to admit, even not being a sugar guy like I was, Ginger had outdone herself on the cinnamon rolls.
“This is amazing.” Merriam stared at the last bite of her roll. “I’m going to throw up. I’m miserable.”
She took the last bite anyway, then fell back onto the couch with a groan.
Everyone laughed, including the kids.
“Mama,” Anleigh whispered. “Twee?”
I stood up and offloaded my plate, leaving it for later after the presents were open.
Everyone did the same except for Merriam, who started to dig into the dishes.
“No,” Grams said as she caught her hand. “We’ll do those in a while. Right now is for presents.”
“It’s okay. Anleigh and I can get these knocked out while y’all open…” She trailed off when Grams started to tug her into the living room.
I was happy to find that the new furniture that Ginger had forced me to purchase was being put to use.
The huge sectional couch had, of course, been used. But not all of it like right now.
Even the chair next to the tree was being taken up, this time by Neesha and Anleigh.
Anleigh was sitting between Neesha’s legs, her hand on Neesha’s belly.
Neesha picked up Anleigh’s little hand and pressed it down in a different spot.
When I assumed the baby kicked, Anleigh picked her head up in awe.
“That’s adorable,” Grams whispered.
“Agreed,” I murmured.
A quick vision assaulted me of Anleigh doing the same to Merriam when she was pregnant with my baby.
It was so desperately wanted that I stopped walking and just took that vision into my soul.
Yes, I could definitely get down with having Merriam be permanently mine.
“Come on.” Grams patted the seat next to her. “Sit down. Trust me.”
Merriam sat, and I grinned at the hesitant way that she did it.
Walking farther into the room, I headed to the first pile of presents and started to hand them out.
The first present that Anleigh got, Merriam frowned.
The first present that Merriam got, her breath caught.
As the presents started to flow, and the pile at the end of the chair that Neesha was sitting at started to grow, I could see the tears begin to well in Merriam’s eyes.
She looked at me, and I could tell that she was overwhelmed.