by Nikki Ash
“I didn’t. Your grandma did.” Bentley lifts his chin toward my mom.
“Thanks, Grandma!” Chloe’s voice is muffled, full of the donut.
“Don’t talk with your mouth full of food, please,” Bentley admonishes, getting him an eye roll from Chloe.
“Okay, so who’s packed and who do we need to get packed?” I ask.
“Kids and I are all packed and the luggage is in the foyer. You’re the only one who needs to pack.”
“Well then, why don’t you girls take Ryan out back to play while I finish packing and then we’ll head out and show Grandma around Las Vegas.”
“Okay!” both girls exclaim, taking Ryan’s hands with theirs out the back door.
Caleb
Me: We’ll be in Breckenridge tomorrow. When will you be there?
Marco: I don’t think I’ll be able to go. Sorry.
Me: Why?
Marco: I need to train.
Me: You just fought less than a month ago and won… I know after a big fight you take a break.
Marco: I need to keep up my momentum.
Me: Marco, you need to join us. Your mom is going to flip her shit.
Marco: She’ll be fine.
I slam my phone on the counter and hear the screen shatter into a million pieces. “Fuck!” I’m going to have to go to the store to get a new screen for my phone before we leave.
“What’s wrong?” Hayley walks into the kitchen, grabbing a cup of coffee.
“Nothing, Hayles. My screen shattered. I’m going to need to run to the mall and get it replaced.”
She sets her coffee down. “I can see that. But my question is, what’s wrong? Why did you slam it down hard enough to make it shatter?”
Shit, she saw me slam the phone down. There’s no way I’m letting her know Marco isn’t planning to come to Breckenridge for Christmas. It’ll break her heart. In the two years since Marco moved to California, he’s only been back here once, and it was shortly after he left. I’m not sure what happened, but he left without letting us know and hasn’t been back since. I’ve tried to talk to him about it and I know Hayley has as well, but Marco isn’t talking. So instead of getting on him about not coming home, Hayley, Mackenzie, Chloe, and I have been to California several times a year to visit him.
He's also refused every year to go to Breckenridge for Christmas. The first year he refused, Hayley had us all flying out Christmas Eve to spend Christmas with him. Last year, Marco went away with his friends to the Bahamas for Christmas. Hayley was really upset and it just about ruined her Christmas. There’s no way he’s doing this to her again. If she knew I was arguing with him, she would hide her feelings and tell me to leave him alone.
“Caleb, what’s wrong?” she asks again. Her phone buzzes and she quickly grabs it off the counter. After a second, she frowns and puts it back down. I’ve noticed her doing that several times recently.
“Nothing that can’t be fixed. I’m going to run to the mall to get my screen fixed. I should be back in a couple hours.” I give her a quick kiss before going to the room to grab my wallet and truck keys.
“Where are you going, Dad?” Mackenzie walks out of her room, her hair looking all crazy from sleeping.
“My screen shattered. I’m going to run to the mall and get it replaced before we leave for Colorado tomorrow.”
“Oh! Can I go? I need to get a new jacket for the slopes. Mine is too small.”
“How about we buy you one once we’re there. You have plenty of jackets to wear for when we get off the plane, right? I’m just going to run in and out.”
“Okay.” She shrugs and closes the bathroom door.
I don’t know how it happened. It’s like my mind has a mind of its own, I swear. I’m standing at the airport with a ticket to San Diego International in one hand and my broken phone in the other. I tell myself I can’t let Hayley know where I’m going because of the broken phone, but we know that’s a crock of shit. I could easily use a payphone or ask someone to borrow theirs, but I choose not to. Calling Hayley means explaining why I’m about to board a plane to San Diego, which will only upset her. I’m hoping by doing this behind her back I’ll stop her from being hurt and we’ll spend this Christmas as a family.
The woman over the intercom announces my section. I hand her my ticket then head through the gates to board the plane. An hour later, and I’m snagging a cab to Del Mar and thirty minutes later I’m knocking on the door to Marco’s apartment, which overlooks the beach. When nobody answers, I curse myself for not getting my phone fixed first, then knock again.
This time, the door opens, only it isn’t my son. It’s a girl who appears to be the same age as him, standing in the doorway with nothing but a tank top and underwear on, making me look anywhere but at her.
“You aren’t Marco,” she says.
“No, I’m not. I’m his dad. And you are?” I focus on her face now. She doesn’t seem bothered that she’s talking to a stranger in her underwear.
“Bianca. You don’t look old enough to be his dad.”
“Bianca? What are you still doing here?” Marco appears from behind me, dripping in sweat. “Dad?” He looks confused. Then his face morphs into worry. “Are Mom and Mackenzie okay?”
“Yeah, they’re fine.”
His face turns from worried to annoyed. “Are you here to try to get me to go to Colorado?”
I look from him to Bianca, who is still standing in the doorway in her underwear. “You think you could invite your dad in? Maybe not discuss this in the doorway?”
“Shit, sorry. Come in.” Marco reaches over to me giving me a one-armed hug. He smells like sweat and saltwater. He must have been jogging along the beach. I follow them to the living room and sit on the couch. Marco must remember Bianca’s still here because he says, “Give me a minute,” before he goes to his room with Bianca following behind him. About fifteen minutes later they both emerge. She’s finally dressed in more than underwear with a purse slung over her shoulder, and he’s freshly showered in basketball shorts and a shirt.
She gives me a soft smile and leaves without Marco saying a word to her. “Girlfriend?” I ask as he sits on the couch across from me.
“Nah.”
“Friend?”
“Not really.”
“Fuck buddy?”
Marco laughs. “Yeah, I guess you could say that.”
“Where’s Mathias?” A few years ago, Marco asked me if I would hire someone to dig up information on his biological family. Even though his mom was dead and there wasn’t a name listed under father on his birth certificate, he needed to know if he had anyone biologically related to him and his sister Chloe. The detective found one living relative: a sister to his mom, here in California.
I contacted Jennifer without Marco knowing in case she didn’t want anything to do with him, but she was elated to find out she had a niece and nephew. Her parents had both passed away and Marco’s mom was her only sister. When she got into drugs, she cut ties and had no idea her sister had two children.
Jennifer has a son, Mathias, who’s only a couple years older than Marco. After visiting a few times, Marco made the decision to move to California, where he and Mathias share a two-bedroom condo on the beach.
“He’s at work until five. I don’t think I could ever put on a suit every day and work a nine-to-five job.” Marco shakes his head.
“That’s because you’re a fighter.”
We both sit in silence for a few minutes. With Hayley not here to keep the words flowing, we wait for the other to speak.
Marco finally laughs. “Does Mom know you’re here?”
I glare. “No, you pissed me off and my screen shattered. I left to get it fixed and ended up here. She thinks I’m at the mall.”
Marco throws his head back in laughter. “Hol-y shit! She’s going to kill you.”
“No, she’s not. You want to know why?”
Marco sobers up. “Why?”
“Because I’m going t
o return with her sweet little boy.” It’s Marco’s turn to glare. “And once she sees you and hears you’ll be gracing us with your presence in Colorado for Christmas, I’ll be getting an extra special Christmas gift.” I give Marco a taunting wink just to fuck with him.
“Oh, fuck! Really, Dad?”
“Like you don’t know anything about getting laid? Your little fuck buddy answered the door in her underwear. Just be glad I didn’t have your mom with me.”
Marco’s eyes widen, thinking about that one.
“I’m not going to Breckenridge.”
“Tell me why.” I know there’s something keeping him away.
“I’m busy here.” He doesn’t look me in the eyes.
“You’re too busy to spend the holidays with the people who love you? That is not the kid your mom and I raised.”
Marco sighs then looks me in the eyes, nervously. “Dad, I need to tell you something.”
“You can tell me anything. You know that.”
Hayley
Me: Did you get your phone fixed?
Me: Hello?
Me: It’s been awhile since you left. Are you okay?
Me: Caleb, I’m getting worried.
“Mac, have you heard from your dad?” I look down at my phone hoping to see a text from Caleb. Every text has turned green indicating his phone is off. I tried to call a couple times and every time it’s gone to voicemail. My phone buzzes and I check it, but it’s neither of the messages I’m waiting on.
“Nope,” she says, looking up from her phone.
“Are you packed? We’re leaving first thing in the morning.”
“Yeah.” She doesn’t look up from whoever she’s texting with.
“Who are you talking to?”
“Chloe. She said Marco isn’t coming to Colorado for Christmas.” She rolls her eyes. I didn’t know for sure, but I suspected he wouldn’t be going. I never came out and asked him, afraid of the response I would get. I kept hoping for a Christmas miracle, but knew it more than likely wouldn’t happen.
“Well, maybe we can end our trip a little early and go visit him. He’s probably just busy. I can ask Kayla if we can bring Chloe with us.”
The front door opens and Caleb walks in. He doesn’t shut the door behind him, and then in walks Marco. I run passed my husband and into my son’s arms. I haven’t seen him in almost six months and I’ve missed him like crazy.
“Oh, sweetie! You’re home.” I give him a kiss on his cheek then hug him again. “I missed you so much. I swear you grow taller and bigger every time I see you. Are you coming to Colorado with us?” I don’t wait for him to answer before hugging him again.
“I missed you, too, Mom.” Marco doesn’t move. He lets me hug him and hugs me back. I don’t know when it happened, but he grew up. At six-feet tall and over two hundred pounds, my little boy has turned into a man.
“Are you coming?” I back away, holding my breath, and wait for Marco’s answer.
He looks to Caleb and back to me before answering. “I’m going.”
“Yes!” Mackenzie squeals and runs to her brother to give him a hug.
“So, you left to get your phone fixed and came back with Marco. How did that happen? And you never texted me back. I was worried.”
Caleb looks at me sheepishly. “I haven’t gotten it fixed, yet.” He looks down at his watch. “Why don’t we all go to dinner and I’ll drop it off to get fixed while we’re out.”
I should question why he hasn’t gotten it fixed and where he’s been all day, but something tells me, whatever he was doing is the reason our son is home for the holidays, so I let it go, thankful to have my family together.
“Sounds good. How about I see if anybody else wants to join us?”
“Oh! Can we invite Kayla and Bentley, so Chloe and Faith can go? And Liz, so Lilly can go?” Mackenzie asks excitedly.
“Actually,” Caleb says, “How about we just do dinner, the four of us? We’ll see everybody at the cabin soon enough.”
“Okay.” I smile, liking the sound of that.
“Fine.” Mackenzie frowns.
We get to the mall to drop off Caleb’s phone and the guy says it’ll be ready in about an hour. “Why don’t we eat at the food court?” I suggest, and everyone agrees.
We get to the food court and Caleb and Mackenzie take off to the pizza place, while Marco and I go to our favorite sushi place.
“How have you been?” We’re waiting in the long line to place our order and I figure I’ll take advantage of the few minutes we have alone.
“I’m good, Mom. Just busy training. How are you? How’s the clinic and the rec center?”
“Everything is great. I just miss you, Marco. I thought when you left almost two years ago, you would come home.” Traitor tears fall before I can stop them. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m so emotional.”
Marco envelops me in a hug. “Don’t cry, Mom. I miss you so much. I’m sorry I’ve been gone.”
“Is it something I did?”
He looks at me incredulously. “Are you crazy? You’re the best mom I could ever ask for. I just needed to get away, find my own place in the world. I promise to start visiting more. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Okay, but when you left you—”
“Marco?”
Marco and I turn to the female voice who called his name. Bella is standing there with Tristan, Ashley’s son, and for some reason she looks almost upset to see Marco.
When Marco doesn’t say anything, she asks, “Are you going to Breckenridge?” Her voice sounds cold—detached. I never asked Marco if he kept in touch with Bella and Tristan after he left, but the look she’s giving him doesn’t look the way two old friends should look when running into each other after not seeing each other for so long.
For many years, despite the six-year age gap, the three of them were inseparable in and out of the gym. That was until Marco started high school. It made sense that a teenager wouldn’t really want to hang out with kids six years younger, but the way Bella is looking at him, you would think something bad happened between them.
Marco just stands there, staring at her, so I answer. “Yes, he’s coming. He surprised us for the holidays. When’s the last time you guys saw each other?” I don’t ask the question to anyone in particular, but Bella answers. “Probably like over a year ago…”
“Um, Mom. The line is moving,” Marco points out.
I glance at Bella and she looks hurt. “Okay, well, I guess I’ll see you guys on the plane tomorrow.”
“Okay, honey. And we’ll see you in a few days, Tristan.”
“Bye, Hayley.”
Bella and Tristan both wave goodbye and walk away.
“What was that about?” I glare at Marco. Something is going on.
“What was what about?” He shrugs nonchalantly.
“Oh, Marco, don’t give me that crap. I’ve been around Bella for most of her life. Did you two have a fight?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.” He gives me a look that reminds me so much of Caleb. I nod in understanding, but I fully plan to get to the bottom of this. Is she the reason why he’s staying away?
We place our orders and I try to jog my memory of anything that could have happened around the time Marco left. But she said over a year ago. That would mean they saw each other when he came back that one time to visit…
“Mom.” I look at Marco, holding both our boxes of sushi.
“Oh, sorry.” I take my box and pay the cashier.
“Mom, drop it, please.” My kid knows me too well.
Kaden
“Mason! Focus!” I throw a punch to his stomach and he dodges it but just barely, his eyes finally coming back to mine.
“I am focusing! But damn, all these women that want a piece of me. How can I completely ignore that?” The kid waggles his eyebrows.
“If you don’t focus, you’ll lose your next fight and then the ladies won’t want any piece of you.”
&nb
sp; “I’m focusing!” He looks to the left of me and I know damn well his ass isn’t focusing. I throw another punch to his stomach, this time connecting a little too hard, but fuck! The kid is pissing me off.
Mason doubles over, more from not expecting it and less from it hurting. “Fuck! Kaden!”
“That’s not very nice.” I look to the left of me, following the sexy voice, and see my wife walking toward me. Then I look back at Mason. Was this fool staring at my wife?
Ashley’s dressed like a fucking sin, in a blood red sweater dress with a big black belt wrapped around her middle. It’s a business dress I’ve seen her wear before, but every time I see it, I wonder who in their right mind felt it was okay for a business woman to dress like that. Men wear suits. Suits which cover our entire body. Her dress isn’t too short or too tight. It’s just perfect. It accentuates all her amazing curves that I want to run my hands all over. Her ensemble is complete with a pair of high as fuck black heels that make me want to strip the dress off my wife and fuck her in only those heels.
Ashley only wears this dress for one reason, to get men’s attention and money, which means she must have come from a meeting with potential donors.
“Be nice to Mason, Kaden.” Ashley leans over the ropes and gives me a soft kiss that only leaves me wanting more. “Mason, have you thought about whether you’ll be joining us for the holidays? The gym will be closed and we would love to have you.”
Mason is an up and coming fighter I took on a couple years ago. When he moved here, he had just turned eighteen and Marco had decided to take off to California. Shortly after Mason started training here, Ashley and I learned Mason was homeless. We ended up taking him in and he’s been sharing a room with Tristan.
“I just hate to impose on your family vacation,” Mason admits.
“You said that last year, but this year I’m not letting you use that as an excuse. As a matter of fact, I am insisting you join us and I won’t take no for an answer.”
He considers this for a moment and he must realize it’s better not to argue with Ashley because he says, “Well, if you insist.”
