Home for the Holiday

by Wendy Stone

  "Nothing, Mom, I took care of it.” I walked up to her and gave her a hug. “It's nothing so ... please just let it be for now, okay?"

  "Something tells me I shouldn't but I will, for now."

  I breathed a sigh of relief and started the water running, rinsing off the plates and stacking them in the dishwasher. I heard Nicky in the family room with my father watching football on television and under that I could hear Bekka and Steven talking. Arguing was more like it.

  Mara and I finished cleaning up the kitchen and the dining room and then went into the family room as well. I plopped down on Nicky's lap, wrapping my arms around his neck and snuggling my nose into his neck.

  "Tired?"

  "Uh huh, someone didn't let me get a lot of sleep last night."

  "You probably kept yourself awake with the snoring."

  "You're going to get hurt,” I said, glaring up at him.

  "Try it,” he egged. “I dare you."

  I curled up my fist and stuck it under his nose. “Mom would hurt me if I got blood on her couch."

  He was about to say something else when we both heard a feminine cry from out in the living room where Steven and Bekka were. I was up like a shot. She might be a bitch and almost impossible to be around but she was my sister and no one was going to hurt her but me while I was around. “Bekka!"

  She was standing in front of the couch holding onto her belly with both hands, a look of disbelief on her face. Between her legs was a wet patch of carpet. “I think my water just broke."

  Nicky called the hospital to let them know she was coming in. Steven hustled her out to the car as the first of her contractions hit. She bent in half, clutching the hard mound of her belly, her face going white. “Oh,” she gasped.

  "We'll be in the car behind you,” Mom told her as they helped her into the front seat of Steven's car. “Just breathe, baby. You'll get through this just fine."

  Dad drove as quickly as he could, but Steven was driving like a maniac. By the time we got to the hospital, Bekka was in a room. I could hear her cursing already and was shocked by the things she was saying. I turned and glanced at Nicky, surprised to see a small smile on his face.

  "Hey,” I growled, coming up and taking his hand. “What's with the smile?"

  "She kind of reminds me when my cousin went in to labor. I drove her to the hospital and she cursed me, men in general and her husband in particular for the entire trip. I never knew she knew those kinds of words."

  "I just hope she doesn't upset Mom with her language,” I said softly.

  Steven came out of the room, his face a little on the green side. I couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy. I mean even if I hated the man, I knew what Bekka was like and I'd seen enough movies on reproduction to know it was a messy job. Steven had never been good with messy.

  "She wants to see you,” he said curtly to me.

  "Me? Why does she want to see me?"

  "I didn't ask, I wouldn't dare ask her right now. She just wants to see you."

  I gave Nicky a look that spoke of my fear and then took a deep breath, feeling him squeeze my hand in support. Then I went into the hospital room, a wavering smile upon my face.

  The nurse pulled her hand out from under the sheet. “You're fully dilated and effaced. The doctor should be here momentarily and then you can start pushing."

  "Wow, that was pretty quick, wasn't it?” I asked the nurse. “I mean, her water broke only about an hour ago."

  "Some women go fast.” She rose, patting Bekka on her knees. Bekka was wearing a hospital gown pushed up over her huge belly. Two monitors were strapped around her. One on top of her belly and the other below. One was monitoring the baby's heartbeat, which seemed fast to me, the other was keeping track of her contractions. As I watched, I saw her tense and heard a low moan come from her as the needle on the monitor tracked her contraction.

  When it was done, I went closer to the side of the bed. “Steven said you wanted to talk to me?"

  "I need you to promise me something, Kenna.” Bekka was sweating so I took the cloth sitting next to the bed and wiped her forehead with it, offering her a spoonful of ice chips as well.

  "What, Bekka?” I asked, taking her hand when she grunted and scrabbled for mine. She held on so tight I thought she would tear it off. When she released it, I shook it, trying to stop it from hurting.

  "Sorry. I didn't realize it would hurt like this,” she said, surprising the hell out of me with the apology. She'd never apologized for stealing my fiancé, why would she change now?

  "That's okay. What do you need from me, Bekka?"

  "If anything happens to me, I want you to raise my baby."

  "Nothing is going to happen to you, Bekka. You're in a good hospital with a good doctor. You'll be fine. Besides, shouldn't Steven have a say in this, too?"

  "Steven never wanted this baby. He wanted me to have an abortion. When I told him I wouldn't, well, he got very upset and promised me that he wouldn't help raise the baby. I don't really need his help, but if something happens to me ... I don't want my son or daughter raised by that asshole, do you?"

  "No,” I said, and meant it. But if something happened to her, how the hell would I be able to raise a baby? I shook off the thought. Bekka was healthy and hadn't had any problems during her pregnancy. She should be fine. “Okay,” I said finally. “I'll raise the baby if something happens. But, Bekka, nothing is going to happen."

  "I know.” She seemed tired now that she'd gotten me to promise and she lay back on the bed, closing her eyes. “Would you send Mom in now?"

  I'd been dismissed. That easily, she could dump that news on me and then send me away. I nodded, gave her hand a squeeze and walked out of the room. “Mom, she wants you."

  I must have looked a little shell-shocked; I know I felt that way. Nicky took my hand as soon as I sat down next to him.

  "Are you okay?” he asked.

  "My sister just asked me to raise her child if anything happened to her. How do you think I feel?"

  "Whoa, what about Steven?"

  "What about me?” Steven asked, coming up and setting down across from us.

  "Shouldn't you be in there with your wife?"

  "She doesn't want me in there right now,” he said, looking glumly at the door.

  "If I didn't know better, Steven, I'd think you wanted to be in there with her."

  "Bekka is my wife, Kenna. She's having my child. Where else would I want to be?” He gave me one of his patented smirks, the one that always used to make me want to smack him because he seemed so nasty, like he had something to lord over me. I'd always hated that smirk.

  "How about with Diane?” I asked in a whisper. That wiped the smirk off of his face and I couldn't help but laugh. “I'm not afraid of you anymore, Steven. You have no hold over me and I don't have any feelings left for you but loathing. Don't you even try to be superior to me. I know your secrets. I'm not afraid to blab them, either."

  "Your sister is in there having a baby and you're acting like this? I'm surprised at you, Kenna. Maybe it's the company you keep nowadays."

  Before I could reply, my mother came to the door, waving for Steven to come in the room. He paled, gulping audibly before he stood and moved obediently toward her. I kept my mouth shut, not wanting Dad to hear any of our argument.

  Even from where we all sat, we could hear the sounds of Bekka's pain. I cringed as I heard her moan. It sounded as if she were being tortured. “Why don't they give her some pain killers? I mean, don't they do epidurals for these things now?"

  "Your momma had all you kids naturally without a lick of drugs in her system. It's healthier for the babies.” Daddy reached over and squeezed my hand comfortingly. But I could see his face pale when he heard Bekka scream. I couldn't sit any longer. I got up and paced the floor, walking by my sister's room. I was standing there when they hustled Mom out.

  "What's wrong?” I asked, seeing the worry in her face.

  "The baby's gone into stress.
His pulse was dropping. They're taking her in for an emergency C-section.” She clasped my hand, pulling me close.

  "It'll be okay, Mom, you know Bekka's too tough to let anything happen to her or the baby. She's strong and she'll be fine."

  We stood against the wall, watching as they wheeled Bekka out of the room and down to the delivery room. Steven held her hand until a nurse pulled him from her side and took him to get ready.

  "We love you, Bekka,” Mom called. “We love you."

  "Come on, Mom, there isn't anything we can do now.” I took her hand and pulled her toward the waiting room.

  We stood in the middle of the room, holding hands in a circle while Mom said a prayer for Bekka. When the final Amen came, I sank down into my chair, adding my own prayer. Deep down, I feared something bad was about to happen, something that was going to change everything.

  In what seemed like no time at all, Steven was back at the door. He was dressed in scrubs over his street clothes and still had on the hat and mask. Above the mask, his eyes were rimmed in red and his hands shook. “Good God, Steven,” I said, going to him and leading him to a chair. “What's wrong? It's not Bekka and the baby..."

  "The baby is fine,” he said, his voice monotone, betraying his shock. “She's a bit on the small side and has to go into NICU for a few days."

  "What about Bekka?” Mom asked.

  "Her blood pressure was all over the place. They got her stabilized, but they need to keep an eye on it. They're worried about a stroke or something.” He let his head drop into his hands. “She could have died in there."

  "He actually looks as if he cared,” Nicky whispered to me.

  "Yes, he does.” I sat down next to him. “You've almost got me convinced that you care, Steven."

  "I didn't know I did, not until I could have lost her.” He looked up at me with tears in his eyes. “Bekka can be very hard to live with, Kenna, you know that. But she's been the only woman I've ever been with whose had faith enough in me to think that I can do anything I put my mind to. I can't lose her now."

  "What about the baby?"

  "Her name is Rose Elise,” he said softly. “She's beautiful. She has Bekka's golden hair and my eyes. I never thought I'd be so excited to have a baby."

  "What about Diane?” I whispered.

  "In the past,” he stated. “I'm a father now. I have to act like one."

  He glanced up at my parents. “I hope to one day have a family like you do, sir."

  Just then, the doctor came in, seeing Steven and heading his way.

  "We have your wife situated in her room. She needs quiet and rest. We'll continue to monitor her blood pressure but we've got her stabilized. You can go in and visit but keep them short and don't excite her in anyway."

  "Thank you, doctor,” my mom said, giving the startled man a hug. “You've given us two Christmas miracles tonight."

  The doctor flushed. “You're welcome.” He beat a hasty escape. “Merry Christmas to you all."

  "Can we see the baby?” I asked, eager to see my niece. I would stay away from my sister, I didn't want her upset and my presence always managed to make her upset.

  "She's in an incubator down at the nursery. They aren't going to move her to peds, at least not tonight. She mostly needs some oxygen and some time under a heating lamp."

  I gave my mom a hug. “Congratulations, Grandma. I'm going down to see the baby. Give Bekka my love, okay?"

  Mom nodded, understanding. “We'll be down there after we see Bekka, then I think we need to get home and get some rest. Bekka's going to need a lot of help when she brings home little Rose."

  Nicky followed me down to see the baby. She was beautiful, not all red and wrinkled like most babies. She had rosy cheeks and her eyes were open and looking at us.

  "Wow,” Nicky said, coming up behind me. “She is beautiful."

  "Steven's going to have his hands full when she figures out boys don't have cooties."

  "It'll do him good."

  We stood and watched her stretch in her small crib, her arms flying about as she kicked her feet. Her fist brushed her little rosebud of a mouth and she opened it, trying to stuff her fist into her mouth. “I think she's hungry."

  "Aren't they always,” Nicky said.

  "I don't know. I don't know much about babies. I helped Mom with Mara but I didn't do much babysitting when I was a kid."

  We stepped aside when Mom and Dad showed up with Mara. They cooed and fussed over pretty little Rose until Mom was finally pulled away.

  "Let's get home. We don't want Santa thinking we aren't in bed waiting for him now, do we?"

  "Oh come on, Mom, I think even Mara realizes that there isn't a Santa."

  "I do not,” Mara declared, her hands on her hips. “There is too a Santa and he has a huge Discovery card with no spending limit."

  "Sounds like my dream man,” I mumbled to Nicky, who shook his head at me. I yawned. It had been a long day.

  "All right, troops. Let's go home,” Dad said. We left the hospital, marching across the frigid parking lot and piling into the car. Despite my nap earlier, I was having trouble staying awake. So I leaned my head against Nicky and closed my eyes, letting the others talk above me.

  [Back to Table of Contents]

  Chapter Eight

  The door squeaked softly as I pushed it open. I paused, listening for noise of anyone else stirring in the silence of the house. When I was sure I was the only one awake, I slid through the small crack I'd created, slowly closing it behind me.

  The hall was empty, so I crept down to my old bedroom, avoiding the creaky board in front of the door at the last minute. I didn't knock; I wanted to surprise him with his present, since we'd decided not to exchange gifts. But I'd found this comic book at a garage sale and couldn't resist. Nicky was a comic book geek from way back and I'd know he'd die when he got his hands on the one that lay protected inside of a plastic bag in the small box I carried.

  The door unlatched with a tiny click and I pushed it open further, taking a deep breath and slipping inside. I sat the box down on one of the night stands and just stood staring down at him. He was so incredibly handsome. In sleep the worry lines on his forehead were gone and his face took on a much younger mien. His hair lay tousled upon the pillow and I knew I'd have to force him to get a haircut before we went back to work. His chest was naked and my fingers just itched to touch him, to make love to him again, this time in a bed—where I wouldn't get frostbite in strange places.

  "Are you planning on staring at me all night or did you want to come in here and kiss me?” he said suddenly. His eyes opened and he grinned unrepentingly up at me.

  "Oh you ... Why didn't you tell me you were awake?"

  "I thought you were having too much fun molesting me with your eyes.” He sat up and held out his arms to me, even though I'd turned and headed back to the door. “You can't come in here and just leave without a kiss. Come here, baby, I have a desperate need to kiss you."

  Okay, how could I resist that? I turned, though now I held the box with his present in it in my hands. Sitting on the side of the bed, I curled my hand around the back of his neck. He was warm from sleep and smelled so good; I closed my eyes and let him kiss me.

  His arms wrapped around me and I felt him drag me across his lap until I was lying down on the bed, Nicky on top of me. His mouth was hot, his tongue sweetly investigating my lips and teeth. He lifted his head once. “Merry Christmas, baby,” he whispered before I drew him back down to me.

  "Back at you,” I whispered against his mouth. I heard wrapping paper wrinkle and looked down, seeing the box I'd so carefully prepared being smushed between us. “Whoa,” I whispered. “You're going to break your present."

  "My present?” Nicky said, his eyes looking down at the box as well. “What happened to not having enough money to make the trip and buy presents as well?"

  "This one I could afford.” I wasn't about to tell him that it had cost me a quarter at a garage sale. Obviously
the owner hadn't known what he was sitting on and maybe I was wrong to take advantage of the man that way, but it was for Nicky.

  He narrowed his eyes at me and took the box out of my hands, dropping another quick kiss on my lips. Pulling off the wrapping paper, he opened the lid on the box and pushed aside the tissue paper. “Oh wow,” he breathed, lifting the comic with the delicate hands of a surgeon holding a replacement heart. “Oh wow,” he said again. “How ... Where ... When did you ... Oh wow."

  "I take it you like it?” I said, laughing. I sat up next to him on the bed as he inspected the cover and the pages.

  "Like it?” he whispered. “Baby, I love you. This is fantastic."

  Warmth rose inside of me as he slid the comic back into its plastic bag, carefully setting it on the night stand where it wouldn't be injured. “I thought we weren't exchanging gifts,” he said while his back was turned.

  "I know, but when I found that, I just couldn't not get it for you. If you want me to take it back...” I let the question linger, I already knew his answer.

  "No, no, that's okay. I guess you'll just have to forgive me for this one then,” he said, turning and handing me a small box. It was beautifully wrapped and I knew the store must have done it. Nicky's idea of wrapping usually had something to do with yesterday's newspapers and a lot of tape.

  "Nicky,” I started to argue with him but he pressed two fingers against my lips.

  "Hush, this is an important gift, one that I wouldn't, I couldn't, give to anyone but you. Now open it. It comes with a question."

  I carefully slit the tape, pulling apart the wrapping paper and setting it aside. There was plain cardboard under the paper and I opened it, spilling the box inside into my hand. My heart started to race and I looked up at Nicky. “Is this what I think it is?"

  "Do I look like a mind reader?” he teased. But I could see beyond the banter and cuteness. Nicky was nervous and was trying to hide it. “Open it,” he urged.

  I slowly lifted the top of the blue velvet box. Against a black satin backing, a huge diamond solitaire glittered madly.