Silent Night

by Natasha Preston

days where I cried and reflected on what I’d been through, however the good days outweighed the bad. It was a battle that I knew I was going to continue winning, and my family was the best prize.

  I made the hot chocolate and milk and carried them in on a Santa-themed tray. “Here we go,” I said, laughing at Cole ruffling the kids’ hair. Bentley didn’t have much after he’d rubbed it all off, but it was so soft and wispy and as blonde as mine and Everleigh’s.

  Cole stood up, taking the tray and putting it down on the end table.

  “Everleigh, yours are the ones in the purple paper,” he said while he got Bentley out of the Jumperoo and gave him his bottle.

  “Can I open them now?” she asked.

  “Of course,” he replied, holding his hand out for me. I lowered myself to the carpet and snuggled to Cole’s side.

  “Which one do you want to open first?” I asked her.

  She flopped to the floor and looked around, overwhelmed. “Um… I don’t know. Which is the best one?”

  “Everleigh…”

  “I know, I know, they’re all best. The big one!” She grabbed hold of it and grinned up at us.

  “Go ahead,” Cole said.

  I picked my hot chocolate up as she ripped her presents open and Bentley drained his bottle. Cole watched with the biggest smile. As soon as she was finished she’d want her drink too. Everleigh’s love of hot – warm – chocolate was as inevitable as her love of ice cream. Those were the two things I’d grown up on. Cole used to take me to a diner nearby when we were teenagers to eat as much ice cream as we could before we felt ill.

  The diner was refurbished while I was living in Australia, after I’d told the truth and moved away, and Cole had bought our booth.

  It was so sweet and still brought tears to my eyes when I thought about it.

  Even though I’d left him he still wanted that booth.

  I flicked the TV on to set it to a Christmas songs channel to make the morning extra festive. Once Bentley was done with his milk Cole sat him between his legs and handed him a green wrapped present.

  “Think he’ll just chew on that?” he asked just as Bentley’s mouth opened and the edge disappeared.

  Laughing, I took it out and replied, “Yep. Let me help you, buddy.”

  Cole and I watched Everleigh open everything she had, stopping between each gift to play with it and take a sip of her drink.

  “We could be here for a while,” Cole said, nodding as she started playing with the Elsa doll that took one week and fifty miles to track down.

  “I think so. We should’ve saved that one for last.”

  “Put Bentley down so I can give you your presents,” he said.

  “I like the sound of that,” I replied, sitting him in the inflatable ring so he could sit and play with his toys too.  

  “Here,” Cole said, handing me a sack of presents when I sat back down with his pile of gifts.

  “Thank you. We open at the same time, right?”

  He nodded, staring into my eyes like it was the first time he’d seen me – again. “Right.”

  The kids were happily playing with all their toys, so we had a few minutes to ourselves to open ours in as much peace as you can get with two little ones.

  We’d gotten each other the usual little bits we’d asked for. Clothes, my favourite perfume, a voucher for the local tattoo parlour so Cole could get Everleigh and Bentley’s name inked into his skin, and a few other bits.

  I unwrapped a particularly revealing underwear set, careful not to let Everleigh see it. Raising my eyebrow at Cole, I ran my hand over the soft, white lace.

  “For later,” he said, and I’d never seen a more hopeful look on his face.

  “This a present for me or for you?” I asked teasingly.

  “You,” he replied, faking hurt. “Okay, both of us.” Sighing, he added, “Me. I got it for me.”

  Laughing, I nudged his shoulder and put the lid back on the box. “Well, maybe I will put it on tonight.”

  His eyebrows. “Yeah?”

  I nodded, biting my lip, and his eyes darkened. As much as I was looking forward to a big family Christmas I was also very much looking forward to getting my husband naked.

  Groaning, he said, “We have hours, let’s not do this. You shouldn’t have said anything.”

  “You’re terrible,” I said, reaching over and dragging his main present towards us. “Now this one.”

  Cole didn’t take much downtime for himself, always making sure we were looked after and the kids were entertained, so I’d bought him something that I knew he’d want but would never buy himself.

  “Oakley…” he said, his bright blue eyes visibly lighting up as he stared at the PlayStation 4 box. He’d not played video games for years.

  “No arguments!” I raised my eyebrow and pointed at him.

  Laughing, he leant over and kissed me. His lips were perfectly soft, and I wanted to deepen the kiss but we both knew we had to keep it reserved and not scar Everleigh for life.

  “I love you. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome,” I replied.

  “There might be one more for you,” he said. “Everleigh, can you pass me that present in the tree, please?”

  “What present in the tree?” she asked, not even looking up.

  “Well, if you’ll glance over there you’ll see it.”

  Sighing because she would have to leave the Frozen characters that she’d been role-playing with, she got up. “Where, Daddy?”

  “Near the bottom. Red paper.”

  “Oh! Here it is,” she said, pulling it out. “Who’s it for?”

  “Mummy,” he replied.

  Everleigh negotiated the maze made by wrapping paper and handed me the present. “Thank you, baby,” I said when she handed it to me.

  With a fleeting smile, she went back to her game.

  I shook it, narrowing my eyes at Cole. It rattled quietly. “Hey, no cheating, just open,” he said, tucking my hair behind my ear.

  I tore into the paper and found a black velvet box. Glancing up briefly to see him smile, I opened the lid and gasped.

  He’d bought me a white gold necklace and earring set. The stones were blue topaz and matched the ones in my engagement and wedding rings. Apparently they reminded him of my eyes. They reminded me of our children’s too.

  “Cole… It’s beautiful.”

  “I was hoping you’d say that.”

  “Thank you.” I leant in and kissed him, lingering for a little longer than we usually did in front of the kids. My heart beat wildly and my body heated in all the right places. Now is so not the time.

  “Merry Christmas,” I whispered against his lips.

  Bentley started fussing, ending our moment. One of them usually did, but neither of us ever minded. Cole reached over and picked him up while I put my jewellery on. My rings sparkled with the twinkling lights on the tree.

  “We should eat breakfast and get ready to go.”

  “Nanna’s!” Everleigh shouted, hopping up. “Let’s go now. Will Leona be there yet? Will Uncle Jasper be there yet?”

  I held my hands up. “Whoa, calm down. Nanna and Grandad will probably still be asleep. Leona will be opening her presents with Mia and Jasper… Well, he’ll be playing with Sophia’s toys but at his house.”

  Cole took them upstairs to get dressed in the clothes I’d already picked out, or nothing would match. While they were getting ready, I packed the presents for everyone into large gift bags and went to brush my teeth.

  ***