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She winces as I tease her, almost opening the lid and then stopping, protesting that maybe I should leave it ‘til Christmas morning after all.
“Don’t you dare, Jack Cole,” she squeals and urging me with her eyes to open the box I yield.
The most precious thing I could hope for, apart from the true gift itself.
A little plastic stick, with a big blue plus sign at one end.
I know it doesn’t mean boy or girl. It just means baby.
Another life to add to our already wonderful life.
I watch it trembling in my fingers until I reach for Avery, holding her tighter than ever it seems these days.
So thankful for her, and for the family she keeps giving us both.
“Avery?” I ask her, brushing her bangs back, kissing her with each word.
“Have I ever told you just how much I love you?”
“You might’ve, once or twice.” She smiles, both of us streaming those tears of joy now, looking over at our babies as I hold my hand over her belly, feeling number three starting to kick for the first time.
“Already?” I ask. Almost as astonished as Avery.
“They probably know we’re talking about them, that’s all,” Avery says calmly.
“Both?” I ask, wondering if there’s a second surprise.
Avery just shrugs and kisses me again.
“I guess we’ll have to wait for Christmas in November to find out for sure,” she adds cryptically.
“I don’t think I can even tell you, Avery, just how much I love you all,” I tell her.
“Every chance you get Jack you do, and we’ll always do the same… because I love you more than anything. And our babies, they’ll be saying the same thing too, soon enough.”
Kissing her head as she nestles back into me, we both watch the fire and imagine we can hear the snow.
The wind in the trees whispering the words we feel within.
I love you. Merry Christmas.
