Holiday Trilogy Special Edition

by Jamie Hill

  For a moment, Alex remembered the horror and revulsion he'd felt when he'd found out Natalie was pregnant, but then he realized she was talking about what the hormones did to her sex drive. Oh yes, he had loved that. "You play dirty pool, Natalie Jameson."

  She grinned and poured herself into his kiss.

  * * * *

  "Da da da da," Gigi repeated over and over again, toddling around her almost empty bedroom as Natalie packed the last of her things.

  "Yeah, he'll be back soon. You need to learn to say 'Mama', little girl. It would do wonders for my self-esteem."

  "Hey you two, we're back!" Alex poked his head in the bedroom and smiled at his daughter and wife. "Since when are you low on self-esteem?"

  Natalie shifted her huge stomach around in front of him and chuckled. "Must be the 'Goodyear Blimp' thing I have going for me."

  He rubbed her stomach and kissed her earlobe. "You know I love your big baby tummy."

  "You are sweet." She sighed as his hand caressed her.

  He grinned, and kissed her mouth quickly. "I'd go into more detail, but I don't think the three guys in the living room would appreciate it. We've got one more load of furniture and then we'll be ready for this little stuff."

  They looked around the room. "It'll be so nice having more space. We were getting a bit cramped in here."

  "Yep." He released her and scooped up his daughter. "Hey, little Geege. Are you minding yourself for Mama?"

  "Da da da da," she answered.

  "That's my girl." He kissed her and set her back down. "You're not doing too much, are you Nat? I don't want you to get worn out."

  "I'm fine. I just wish I could do more. It's a shame this all had to happen in my eighth month."

  He shrugged. "We couldn't move until we found the perfect house."

  She looked at him. The house they were buying in to was nowhere near perfect, but it was what they could afford on one income. She felt guilty about that, but Alex never said anything to make her feel that way. He acted like the house was fabulous, and she went along.

  At least it was in a quiet, family neighborhood away from the college. They'd have three bedrooms, a garage, and a nice-sized backyard with a swing set. It'll do for now. Natalie was looking forward to the move and getting settled in before the baby was born.

  It hadn't taken her long to get pregnant again. Natalie suspected she might have conceived the night they spent at the hotel together. She was thankful because some of Alex's friends' wives talked about struggling to get pregnant. She certainly didn't have that problem.

  It was a healthy, uneventful pregnancy and she was grateful for that, too. She needed every break she could catch with a toddler running around the house. Gigi was finally sleeping through the night, which allowed Natalie and Alex to get more rest—or not, but at least that was for reasons of their own choosing.

  "Come on, come on." Dean entered the room and tried to sweep Alex out. "Who in their right mind left the two of you alone when there's work to be done?"

  "We're not exactly alone." Natalie looked at Gigi banging a wooden spoon against a plastic pan.

  Dean rolled her eyes. "The truck is loaded again, brother-in-law, and your helpers are starting to talk about beer. So if you want to get this finished today, you'd better keep moving."

  "I'm out of here." Alex grinned and gave Natalie one more quick kiss before he slipped out the door.

  Natalie smiled at him as he left, and Dean rolled her eyes again. "You two make me sick. Pregnant like an old brood mare, and he still makes those goo-goo eyes at you."

  "Thanks a bunch." Natalie made a face at her sister and rubbed her tight stomach. She was getting a little tired. Maybe I should sit down.

  Dean's face lit up. "Did I tell you, I heard back from the gallery in Chicago?"

  "No!" Natalie found a sturdy box and sat on it. "What did they say?"

  "The job is mine if I want it."

  "Hey, congratulations!" She attempted to stand but couldn't manage it, and waved her hand. "Ah, well, I'll hug you later." Then she frowned and added, "But Chicago? Do you really have to go so far away? There isn't a gallery in Topeka or Kansas City, or Wichita even?"

  Dean shook her head. "None that I want to work for. This one is the best. Don't worry, I told them I couldn't start until the baby's born. I have to be here for that."

  "Well, thanks," Natalie said softly. "Gosh, I'm going to miss you. We've never been separated by a couple hundred miles before."

  "Make that six hundred miles," Dean corrected.

  "Six hundred miles?" Natalie exclaimed in horror. "Oh my God, Dean, you can't go!"

  Leaning down to hug her sister, Dean laughed. "You'll be just fine, Nat. It's not like I'm leaving you all alone here. You've got Studly, and Giggly over there…" she rubbed Natalie's stomach, "and this new little guy. It's going to be a boy, I just know it is."

  "How do you know?" Natalie wiped her tears away.

  "Auntie Intuition. I think you should name him Clark. Or Warren. Something classic like that."

  Natalie chuckled. "I'm not naming my baby after one of your movie idols."

  "At least I was thinking classic, and not more recent. I could have said Shaun Cassidy."

  "David Cassidy," Natalie interjected. "It was always David for me."

  "Shaun was cuter. Or Leif Garrett. Or those guys in the Bay City Rollers, what were their names?"

  "Forget it." Natalie grabbed her sister's arm and pulled herself to a standing position. "I'm not naming my baby after a Scottish rock band. Watch Gigi, will you? I have to pee."

  She waddled into the hallway as Dean called after her, "What about Sylvester, as in Stallone—you know, the Rocky movie? Or Sam Elliot, from that Lifeguard movie?"

  "Sam is cute," Natalie called back.

  "He sure is!"

  "I meant the name!" Natalie hollered, and chuckled. Alex would not appreciate naming their son—if it is a son—after a movie star. They'd have to sort through names very carefully.

  It was indeed a son, and he made his appearance two weeks prior to his due date. David Martin Jameson was named for his late grandfather, Martin Clark, and no one else. Natalie smiled at the baby as she cradled him in her arms a few hours after giving birth. He looked like Gigi had early on, dark hair and ruddy complexion.

  Alex sat on the bed next to her, smiling at his son. "He's beautiful."

  Natalie looked at her husband and asked the question she needed to ask one time, and one time only. "No difference, right?" She prayed there would be no difference in the way he felt about this baby and Gigi.

  Alex ran a hand over her cheek. "Absolutely no difference. We have two beautiful children, Natalie Jameson, and I love them both very much." He leaned in to kiss her cheek. "I love you very much, too. I can't wait to get you home and show you."

  She shoved him away gently and made a face. "I just passed a seven pound baby through my vagina. It's going to be a while before I want to think about sex."

  He closed his eyes and nodded. "I'm sure it will, dear."

  * * * *

  Much to his surprise, it was a while before Alex wanted to think about sex, either. He took a week's vacation, and after that he was never so glad to get back to work in his life. Once they got David home, they quickly fell into their old routine of not sleeping at night, walking the floor with a crying baby. Only this time, when they got him settled they had Gigi to deal with.

  Life with two children was a whole new world. David would cry and wake Gigi up, or she'd have a tantrum and wake him up. She wanted his pacifier, and took it whenever she saw it, whether he was using it or not. She was generous with her toys, though, and continually piled them on top of the little baby.

  The minute Alex walked in the door at night Natalie handed off one of the kids to him, and regaled him with stories about their day. Once when Natalie ran to the bathroom for just a minute, Gigi turned over David's baby seat and left him strapped in, upside down, crying on the floor. After that, N
atalie decided to take the baby into the tiny bathroom with her. Alex tried not to chuckle, and to provide a sympathetic ear if nothing else.

  Only one time did he make a comment about having the second child too close to the first. It took him so long to thaw out from Natalie's chilly response that he knew not to mention it twice. He figured eventually he'd want sex again, and keeping mama happy was the key to that factor. So he did what he could, and for a while it seemed he was always rocking, changing or feeding someone.

  When it came time for Dean to move to Chicago, he wasn't as unhappy about it as Natalie. He got along okay with his sister-in-law, but they weren't that close. Natalie was devastated, though, and cried for days before and after Dean left.

  Alex tried to be supportive and provide extra help with the kids while Natalie moped. She spent more time with her mother, who was also mourning the move, and they consoled each other.

  One Saturday afternoon Alex settled in for football with his children while Natalie visited Jane. He had Gigi nestled in her playpen with thirty-five assorted—quiet—toys, and David snuggled into his bouncy seat, pacifier firmly in place. Alex had just fixed some hot dogs and settled in front of the TV when Natalie returned. "Hey there!" He looked at her. "What are you doing home? I thought you were having dinner with your mom."

  Natalie dropped onto the sofa and looked at him with disbelief. "I thought so, too. Turns out, she has a date."

  Alex grinned. "A date? Go Jane!"

  Natalie made a face then frowned. "I couldn't believe it. We were sitting there talking, the phone rings, and the next thing I know she's changing clothes and getting ready to go out."

  "So did you see the guy?"

  "Oh yeah. He was there before I could escape. He's a professor, Alex! He has this longish, graying hair, and a beard. And he wore this corduroy jacket with patches on the elbows."

  "Patches, like covering holes?"

  "No! Patches, like long haired professors who evidently think that's a good look to wear. Oh my God!" She appeared shocked by the whole prospect.

  Alex chuckled. "What's his name?"

  "Sam Mason. Dr. Mason. He's in the psychology department." She buried her face in her hands. "Oh God! He kissed her cheek, Alex! It was mortifying!"

  Chuckling, Alex patted the arm of his chair. "Come here. Sit with me. Oklahoma and Texas just kicked off."

  She slid onto the chair next to him and rolled her eyes. "Like I care about Oklahoma and Texas." She rubbed her hands over her arms and glanced at the baby who was now sleeping in his bouncer. "I'm so glad we didn't name him Sam."

  Alex looked at her. "Was that name ever in the running?"

  She shook her head. "It was just something Dean suggested."

  He nodded, held up his plate and waved it in front of her face. "I've got hot dogs."

  She blinked, totally uninterested.

  He smiled. "I've got two quiet children."

  Natalie sighed and put her head on his shoulder. "Now that, I like." She reached out and took a hot dog anyway.

  * * * *

  "Let's have another baby." Natalie curled up next to Alex under the Christmas tree and smiled.

  "You have got to be fucking kidding me." He put down the screwdriver he'd been holding and stared at her. It didn't appear that she was.

  She laughed and touched his face. Language like that was rare, so he suspected she knew he was serious. "Aw, com'on Alex. We know we want at least one more. Let's have it now so they'll all be close in age."

  "Natalie, we're finally able to put them both to bed at night and get some decent sleep. I need to enjoy what we have for a little while, here. You're moving too quickly for me."

  "Nonsense." She ran a hand through his hair. "Everything is just perfect. Your job is going well, we have this nice house—"

  He coughed at that. "Which is not quite as nice as we thought it was going to be. The bedrooms are medium sized at best, with an appalling lack of closet space. If we had another baby he or she would have to share a room with his brother or sister, and Nat, those rooms just aren't that big. Then there's the backyard that turns into a mud hole whenever it rains."

  "That can be fixed."

  "Yeah!" He snorted. "For several thousand dollars! I'm not sure we're ready to make an investment like that in this place, given its other limitations."

  "Alex…" she whined, and he raised a hand to stop her.

  "Don't. Listen to me. I do want more children. I just don't see the rush. Let's enjoy the two we have for now, why don't we?"

  Natalie pouted and hugged her knees. "I just love being a mother so much. It's the only thing I want to do anymore."

  He picked up the screwdriver and returned to the riding toy he was assembling. "So that last year of college is out?"

  "Yeah," she said softly, and nodded her head. "I can't imagine being away from the kids right now. I have no desire to do that."

  Alex snapped the handles into place and held up the toy. "Ta da!"

  She clapped her hands. "It's perfect. Gigi will love it."

  He set the toy under the tree next to some plastic tools for David and the mountain of wrapped presents that somehow managed to make their way under the tree, considering the fact that Natalie refused to go shopping. He attempted to make a family outing of it like he had last year, but she wasn't buying it. She ordered from the Sears Wish Book and anything she couldn't find there, she had Alex buy locally.

  He stood up and extended a hand to his wife. "I want to talk some more about your desires. You told me what you don't desire…is there anything you do desire?"

  She smiled as he pulled her into his arms. "Oh yeah, I can think of a couple things. While you polish off that glass of milk Gigi left for Santa, how about I get some wine, and we sit here in the glow of the tree and see what happens?"

  Alex kissed her gently. "Okay, I'll eat the cookies. But you get the carrots she left for Rudolph."

  "Deal." Natalie popped the carrots in her mouth as she went to pour them some wine. She returned to the sofa with two glasses and settled in next to her husband.

  "Merry Christmas." They clinked their glasses together.

  "Merry Christmas, sweetheart." Natalie sipped the wine and set her glass down because she was still nursing.

  Alex finished his wine then hers, and pulled Natalie onto his lap. He unbuttoned the top of her blouse and began kissing her neck.

  Natalie squirmed and giggled as he nuzzled her. "That feels nice," she murmured. "You know if I was to get pregnant, remember what the hormones do to my sex drive."

  Alex didn't skip a beat. He'd been expecting this argument. He kissed her neck and replied, "Damn straight I remember! It's fantastic, no doubt about that. But when the good part is over, all of a sudden we have three kids under the age of three, and God knows how long it would take for us to get used to that. Then there'll be no sleep and no sex for months. I'm not sure it's worth it, babe."

  "Alex—" Natalie started to protest.

  He kissed her squarely on the mouth, then pulled back slightly. "Nope. It's Christmas Eve, and I'm not going to talk about this any more. You can either go get that diaphragm or I'll get a condom, but we are not conceiving a baby tonight."

  "Then maybe we should just go to bed," Natalie muttered.

  "Okay." Alex shrugged.

  Natalie hesitated a moment then grinned. "I'll get the diaphragm. Be right back."

  He smiled and watched her hurry off.

  The next morning Alex and Natalie helped the children open their gifts, and midmorning Alex's parents came over with another round of presents.

  "You shouldn't have," Natalie gushed as she opened package after package. There were stacks of clothes for her and fashionable outfits for both children. For Alex there was a membership to the local racquet club.

  "Wow!" He looked over the brochure. "This looks fabulous. I'm just not sure when I'd go."

  "You'll just have to make time," his father told him. "You always loved tennis, and I can
't remember the last time you played."

  Alex looked around the crowded living room. Gigi ran from one grandparent to the next showing off new toys, and David played with the bows in the middle of the floor. "I've been busy," he admitted.

  "Make time for yourself," Ted suggested. "Your mother and I learned that early in our marriage. It's important to take the time to do what you enjoy. Natalie, too." He looked at her. "You need to get out of the house and get away from everything for a while. Go shopping or whatever you girls like to do. Have lunch with friends."

  Natalie glanced at Alex and then his father. "I'm happiest right here, but thanks. I think that's a wonderful gift for Alex, though. I'm sure he'll love getting back into the game."

  "Yeah, maybe," Alex decided, and sat back. Natalie did seem happiest with her family around her. She certainly loved those children, not that he didn't. But as much as he loved them, he enjoyed his time at work, as well. There were some days the quiet solitude of his office was the only thing that kept him sane. Natalie didn't seem to need or want that time away. He thought that was great, if a little bit strange.

  * * * *

  Strange was definitely the word they both used to describe Jane Clark's boyfriend, Dr. Sam Mason. He and Jane had become a regular item and spent most of their time together. He was nice enough, Natalie decided, but a middle-aged man with a long, gray ponytail and a pierced ear was an anomaly to her. When Natalie invited Jane and Dean over for Christmas dinner, Jane accepted for the three of them, assuming it was implied that Sam would join them. Natalie didn't mind really, she wanted her mother to be happy, but Sam was definitely a bit of an odd duck. But whether she liked it or not, he and her mother were as thick as thieves, and although she couldn't prove it, Natalie suspected they were sleeping together.

  Alex thought it was great, but Natalie couldn't get used to the idea. She had been the first one to encourage her mother to date years earlier, when Jane had never seemed interested. Now that Jane was head over heels in a relationship, Natalie wasn't so sure she liked it.