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After she pulls back and wiggles free,I lower her to the ground and then look at my wife. “How many Daddy’s does she have?”
Maddi reaches out to pinch my side and I grab her hand, tugging her closer and curling it behind her back. She is so much shorter than me, but fits so perfectly in my embrace.
“How was your day?” She asks, ignoring my urge to tease her.
“Better now,” I confess. I love my job, but I miss my girls when I’m away. “Now we get the next three days together.”
“But we’ll be pretty busy,” we always seem busy. “Garrett says you have your fitting for your tuxes tomorrow afternoon. Then it's Terrance and Graces for their annual Christmas ugly sweater party.”
“Did they show up?” I grin.
“Washed and hung drying in the laundry room.” Maddison matches my smile.
I ordered them online a week ago, without even asking her to approve. Hers has a string of Christmas lights across the front, that actually light up and it reads, I like big bulbs. Mine is Santa holding a large package down low and states, stop checking out my big package.
I couldn’t resist, they were funny and I knew they would strike up conversation as well as some laughs.
“I’m gonna go grab a shower,” I offer her a kiss, lingering a little longer than I should but it’s something I can’t control. “You ladies get things set up and I’ll be back in fifteen.”
She nods and I back away starting for the bathroom but pause as I glance back to find her still watching me. “I love you,” the word ‘love’ I still to this day feel is not a strong enough word for what I truly feel when it comes to Maddison and Sarah. The two of them are myeverything.
“Love you too,” she steps back moving toward the kitchen where I hear Sarah singing along with the Christmas music still playing throughout the sound system. “Hurry up, we’ve missed you.”
Then she disappears and I hurry to get cleaned up so that I can get back to them.
five
Maddison
I lovethis time of year. The time when we all come together to decorate and celebrate. I say that like the rest of the year isn't full of parties and celebration, because around here we honestly celebrate everything. I think Gran Jackson celebrated Sarah’s first tooth like she’d just discovered some hidden planet or something. It was cute and fun, and she insisted we go with a tooth fairy theme. Sarah loved it, truthfully I think we all did.
Over the years I’ve come to the conclusion that nothing goes unnoticed in this family, we do not take things lightly and Gemma, she just loves a good family get together and uses everything she can to create one.
Some may look at us and wonder how we are always together and can still stand each other. To me, I just have one great big crazy, full of love and chaos family. I love every single second of it, even when I feel like strangling one or all of them, I adore them too.
“Mikey,” Colton laughs as he points at Mike's shirt. It’s funny to me how everyone still calls my husband Mikey like he’s an eight-year-old boy. The man is a monster, big, strong and looking at him you’d think he’s mean. Truth is Mike is the most loving, caring man I’ve ever met. He wears his heart on his sleeve, stands behind his family and friends so fiercely it can be overwhelming but this is the man I love. He’s the father of my daughter and maybe one day more, and I couldn’t have chosen a better man to share my life with.
“Seriously man, your Santa needs to be holding a smaller box,” he points to Mike’s hideous sweater. “Like maybe a ring box, or possible even tinier.”
The two of them argue back and forth in the middle of Grace and Terrance’s living room about the size of their ‘packages’. The rest of the guys heckle and taunt them, keeping the bickering going as they too laugh along at the shenanigans.
Us ladies make our way to the kitchen where the drinks and food are all hidden.
Grace is all over the kitchen, a little ball of nervous energy and both myself and Chloe watch her close. I can sense that Julian too is picking up on the ticking bomb.
He looks at me, I raise a brow and he nods, his eyes narrowed like he’s focused and attempting to solve a puzzle.
“Hey Gracie,” I say and immediately notice how her entire body tenses at the sound of her name. She doesn’t turn around to face us, her body still as she remains with her back to the entire room as she pretends to busy herself with what, I do not know.
“Mmhm,” I barely hear the response and know without a doubt she is barely holding on.
Grace has never been able to keep things bottled up. Yeah, maybe for a little bit, but with her she is the fine example of the saying the cup has runneth over. She takes in all she can, filling it up, until it reaches the rim, then all it takes in one last ounce and she is speaking, bursting at the seams and whatever it is she is holding back spews out like running water.
Or maybe you could say she is an over-filled balloon. All I do know is once she starts, it’s impossible to stop her.
“Are you going to join us?” I ask, flashing Julian a knowing smile. He knows her so well too, and together we make an unspoken plan with only one look, to make her pop.
“Oh I will,” she insists, still wiping away at some imaginary mess on a counter that appears clean enough to eat off. “I just want to clean up these crumbs.”
