by Jessica Wood
An idea popped in my head just then, and I felt my insides battle against what I thought was best for Jackson and what was best for me. Jackson had worked his ass off this year to get his promotion to Vice President. I was so proud of him and wanted to make Christmas special this year for us.
By the time Jackson came inside from the front yard, I’d made up my mind on what to do.
“Jax?”
“Yeah, babe?” he looked over at me expectantly, “Do you need help with something over there?”
I looked down at the ornaments in my hand. Then I looked up and smiled and shook my head. “No, but I was hoping to pass an idea by you to see what you thought.”
“Oh yeah? What is it?”
I paused briefly as I thought through what I wanted to say.
“Well, seeing as Aunt Betty, Uncle Tom, Charlie, and Kendra are spending Christmas here…” I started slowly.
“Yeah?”
“Maybe we should invite your father to Christmas dinner this year?” I suggested cautiously as I anxiously watched Jackson for his reaction.
“Very funny.” He gave a dismissive chuckle as he pulled out an inflatable snowman from the box in front of him. “Outside, right?” he asked as he motioned to it in his hands.
“Yup, by the Santa gnomes in front of the hedges.” I cleared my throat and spoke slowly and deliberately.
“Wait,” I said as he was about to head back out the door.
“What?” He turned back to me.
“Actually, I wasn’t joking about inviting your father.” This time, I met his gaze so he knew I was serious.
“Oh.”
“He’s still your father, Jax. Even though you guys haven’t been close in a long time, you guys seemed really close when you were younger. He seems to want to be a part of your life. And you just got promoted to Vice President at work. I know he’d be proud of you and would want to celebrate your success.”
“I don’t know, Clo.” He sighed.
“Jax, do you know what I love about you?”
He met my gaze. “What?”
“Despite how much you try to hide it, you have the biggest heart of anyone I know. I know this because you have an unparalleled ability to forgive those you love, no matter how much they’d hurt or betrayed you.”
He blinked, not expecting that to be my response.
“Babe, if you were able to forgive me, maybe you can eventually forgive your father too.”
He didn’t say anything, but I could tell his mind was spinning.
“I’m not going to pressure you into anything, babe. This is completely your decision. You had told me before that you regretted not spending more time with your mother before she passed away. I just don’t want the mistakes from our past cause you to miss out on the chance to spend more time with your father while he’s still here.”
I looked at him. I don’t want you to resent me if you missed out on this chance, Jax, I thought to myself. It was a thought that I was too afraid to ever voice out loud.
Jackson let out a sigh. “Let me think about it, okay?”
“Okay,” I said with a smile.
As Jackson went back out the front door with the inflatable snowman, I hoped that he would decide to give his father another chance. I was the reason that had broken apart their relationship. I know it’d be my biggest regret if they didn’t get a chance to make amends when they still could.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Chloe
“Merry Christmas, Chloe!” Aunt Betty gave me a warm hug hello.
“Merry Christmas, Aunt Betty! It’s so good to see you. I’ve really missed having you guys around all the time.”
“It’s certainly an adjustment. If we didn’t own a calendar, Tom and I wouldn’t be able to tell it was winter, let alone Christmas in Florida. We’re still shocked that it’s always so sunny there.”
I laughed. “Well you guys look great with a nice healthy tan.”
Uncle Tom walked through the front door with Charlie and Kendra as they carried in several wrapped gifts.
“Merry Christmas!” we all said to each other as we exchanged hugs and greetings.
“Chloe, it smells wonderful,” Uncle Tom said as he drew in a deep whiff of the air and smiled with contentment. “You always did have a knack for cooking.”
“Thanks, Uncle Tom. I hope everything tastes as good as they smell.”
“I have no doubt,” Charlie cut in as Kendra pushed his wheelchair through the hallway.
Then Aunt Betty pulled me aside as Jackson lead everyone else into the living room.
“So did you mention that John might be coming to dinner tonight?” she asked in a hushed voice.
I smiled and nodded, hoping I appeared completely okay with it. “Jackson called him and asked if he was free.”
“How do you feel about that though? Especially with your history with him?”
I knew she wasn’t probing to be nosy but was genuinely concerned.
“Well, honestly, being around John makes me uncomfortable. I always think he’s looking at me in an inappropriate way. But he is Jackson’s father and John said he wanted to make amends. So for the sake of Jackson, I want to at least give him a chance to prove himself that he was being sincere about his desire to start fresh and be a part of this family.”
“Okay, dear. I just wanted to make sure you were okay with this.”
“Thanks, Aunt Betty. I think maybe I’m just overreacting. When Jackson called John about coming to dinner, John actually asked if he could bring a date.”
“A date?” Aunt Betty raised her eyebrows in surprise.
“Yeah, I know. I was surprised to. He says he’s been dating her for a few months now.”
“Well that’s good. That must lessen some of your worry with him visiting?”
I nodded. “Yeah, that did help. It seems like he is putting in the effort to try to make amends and start a new life.”
“That’s good news, honey.”
“Let me put your coat away and I’ll meet you with everyone else in the living room?”
“Okay, thanks honey.” She handed me her coat and headed to the others down the hall.
Just then the doorbell rang and my body tensed a bit knowing that it was probably John and his date at the door. I look toward the living room to see if Jackson heard the door. From the happy chatter emanating from the room, I knew he hadn’t.
I walked to the door, plastered a smile on my face, and opened the door.
When I saw John and his date smiling back at me at the door, my body froze and I felt sick to my stomach. This was a nightmare—my worst nightmare.
“Merry Christmas, Chloe,” she sugar-coated those words as she flashed me a devious smile.
Standing next to John was none other than Amber.
***
I wasn’t sure how long I stood there, frozen in place and staring at them in disbelief, but I finally snapped to reality when I felt a hand on my shoulder from behind me.
“Dad,” Jackson’s voice boomed right behind me, “Why is Amber here?”
John smiled. “I told you I was going to bring a date.”
I still couldn’t speak as I stared between John and Amber. There was a satisfied smile on Amber’s face as if she had been waiting for this moment for awhile.
“Amber is your date?” Jackson sounded incredulous.
“Yeah. We bumped into each other a few months ago at a coffee shop and reconnected.” He looked over at Amber, who leaned up and kissed him. “And the rest is history.” He let out a chuckle.
“Should we come in?” Amber’s cheerful voice piped up.
I met Jackson’s gaze and I could tell he was also dumbfounded by this new development.
“Yeah, why don’t you guys join us in the living room,” Aunt Betty cut in. She probably sensed something was wrong and I was grateful that she was able to step in and diffuse the situation.
While John and Amber followed Aunt Betty to the living room, Jacks
on pulled me aside.
“Are you okay, babe? I really didn’t know he was going to bring her.”
“I don’t know what I’m feeling right now, Jax. I think I’m still in shock.”
“Clo,” Jackson held my gaze intently, “Just remember, I’m always going to be on your team. I’ll do whatever you want to do. If you want to go in and pretend like everything’s fine and try to enjoy this Christmas dinner with everyone peaceful, I’ll pretend along with you. If you want John and Amber to leave right now, I’ll ask them to leave right now. If you want to cause a scene, scream, and vent out some of your frustration against John and Amber, I’ll be the first person to grab a thick slice of the honey ham and smack it across Amber’s face.”
I burst into laughter as I pictured Jackson hitting Amber with a slice of ham. I smiled up at him, grateful for the way he loved me. “I love you, Jax.”
“I love you too, Clo. So whatever you want to do, I’m game.”
I let out a deep sigh. “It’s Christmas and everyone’s already here. We should be in the Christmas spirit. I don’t want to ruin everyone else’s night. So let’s just try to make the best of it.”
“Okay. Works for me.” He took my hand and we walked down the hallway to the living room together as a team.
***
Several hours later, after everyone stuffed themselves with second and third helpings of food, I was surprised by how normal the night had turned out. John and Amber didn’t say anything inappropriate or rude all night. Everyone started to relax after the first hour.
After dinner, everyone sat around the fireplace in the living room and watched classic Christmas movies that were playing on TV. I was finally starting to relax and I could tell Jackson was too.
Aunt Betty, Kendra, and I cleared the table and put the dishes in the dishwasher. Amber stayed in the living room and hung out with the guys, which was fine by me. As normal as tonight was feeling, I knew I didn’t want anything to do with her.
“Looks like we’re all cleaned up,” I looked around the kitchen with a smile. “Thanks so much for helping out.”
“You did the hard work, Chloe,” Kendra said. “Dinner was so good, I think I gained ten pounds tonight.”
I laughed. “I’m glad you liked it.” Then I remembered something. “Oh before I forget, I’m going to put out the towels for you guys in the guest room and I’ll join you guys back in the living room in a few.”
I grabbed some clean towels from the linen closet and walked down the hallway to the spare room. I placed the towels in the private bathroom connected to the room.
As I headed toward the door to leave the bedroom, John appeared at the doorway.
I immediately felt uncomfortable.
“Hey, Chloe.”
“Hi, John. Is there something you needed?”
“Yeah, I just wanted to thank you for an amazing meal. I think Amber and I are about to head out soon.”
“Oh,” I said, unable to hide the surprise from my voice. Then I instantly felt guilty for feeling uncomfortable just seconds ago and assuming the worst out of him.
But then something happened. Instead of heading out of the room, John took a few steps forward and closed the door behind him.
“What are you doing?” I asked in alarm, the uncomfortableness I’d felt earlier returned like a flood.
“I just wanted to have a little chat with you, that’s all.” His gaze moved down my body, causing me to feel sick to my stomach. “Did you really think I was going to leave without paying my respects to the hostess?”
To my horror, a smile spread slowly across his face as his eyes darken with a spark of amusement.
“I think you might have had a little too much to drink, John. Let’s go back out in the living room,” I suggested, trying to stay calm.
“Come on, Chloe. Are you being so coy with me?”
“You’re not making any sense, John. You’re dating Amber.”
He snorted. “Did you honestly buy that?” He laughed. “I hate to break it to you, but Amber has her eyes set on your husband.”
“What?” I felt blindsided and confused by what was happening. “So why did she come here as your date?”
“You’re a smart cookie, Chloe. That’s their excuse to see more of each other.”
“Their?”
“Yeah, Jackson and Amber. Didn’t you noticed at dinner? They couldn’t keep their eyes off of each other.”
“Stop lying,” I said defensively. “I think you need to leave now.”
“I’m not lying, Chloe. Stop lying to yourself. Just think about it. We’ve been in this room for awhile. Why hasn’t Jackson even thought about checking up on you? It’s because he’s busy talking to Amber.”
“Jackson has no interest in Amber. He married me, not her. Why are you saying these things?”
He threw his head back in laughter. “Jackson’s my son, Chloe, and like father, like son. Even though I married Jackson’s mother, I never stopped loving your mother, who was my previous lover. And if I recall correctly, Jackson and Amber used to be an item at Harvard, way before Jackson slept with you.”
“You’re just trying to confuse me right now.” I trust to push pass John to get to the door, but he grabbed my arms and held me in place.
I shook my head violently, wishing this wasn’t happening. I could smell the wine on his breathe. “Don’t! Jackson is your son, and he is my husband. We are happily married. He loves me and I love him. I’ve never truly loved anyone else in my life but him. We are about to have our first child—your grandchild. How can you still want to break us apart?.”
“I don’t know. Maybe it’s a sickness and you’re my drug of choice. Reason has nothing to do with this. You remind me so much of your mother—of what I let go of years ago and couldn’t get back. You look so much like her.”
He stared at me in a way that brought a shiver down my back.
“Please stop, John,” I begged. “You don’t want to do this.”
“Come on, Chloe. Don’t you miss me? I let your mom slip away before, I’m not going to make that same mistake again.”
I struggled against his hold and try to break free. Suddenly, before I could respond, he grabbed my hand and moved it down on top of his jeans.
“Can’t you feel how hard I am for you?”
“No!” I cried and it was then that my fight or flight instincts kicked in and I screamed out for help.
Within seconds, I heard footsteps running down the hallway. Then, Jackson pushed through the door.
Caught by surprise, John fell forward, suddenly releasing his grip on me. I fell backwards and crashed hard against the floor. Sharp, throbbing waves of pain confused my every thought. I clutched my stomach and felt something warm and wet. I looked down at my hand and saw that it was covered in blood.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Jackson
Chaos surrounded me as I tried to focus on Chloe as she cried frantically on the floor, laying in a pool of her own blood.
“Our baby girl,” she sobbed. “Jax, save our baby. Please save her.”
Tears filled my eyes as I held her, feeling helpless as we waited for the EMT to arrive on the scene.
“Hold on, Clo,” I begged. “Help will be here soon. I can’t lose you. I just can’t.” I held her, trying to comfort her, trying to keep her conscious.
I didn’t know how long I knelt there holding onto her before the EMT came with a stretcher. In less than a minute, Chloe was in the back of the ambulance and it sped off into the night.
Aunt Betty held me in her arms as she tried to comfort me. “Everything will be okay. Let’s just stay calm, honey.”
“I can’t lose her. I can’t lose her,” I kept repeating.
“You won’t,” Uncle Tom reassured and he placed his hand on my shoulder for comfort. “We won’t lose her.”
Uncle Tom drove Aunt Betty and I to the hospital where Chloe was being sent to. I was in a daze. How did this happen? We had been having a hap
py Christmas evening like a normal family.
“What happened?” I finally asked in the car.
“I don’t know,” Uncle Tom said. From the edge in his voice, I got the sense that he had his own theories that he wasn’t willing to share with me.
“Kendra said that Chloe went in the room to put some clean towels out,” Aunt Betty explained. “But what was John doing there?”
“The better question is, why did he run off like that with Amber before we even called 911? And where did he go?”
“I should never have invited him to dinner,” I said through gritted teeth. As much as I wanted to believe my father had changed and wanted to be a part of my life, I knew in my gut that he wasn’t the man I’d always imagined him to be growing up.
“Honey, it’s not your fault.” Aunt Betty put a hand on mine. “Don’t be too hard on yourself. Right now, we just have to stay positive and focus on Chloe and the baby.”
When we arrived to the hospital, Chloe was already being prepped for surgery.
“Your wife lost a lot of blood,” the ER doctor explained, “and at this point, we believe it’s best to do a caesarean section to make sure the baby is okay.”
“Our baby’s due date is not for another two months. Will she be okay if we do a C-section?”
“She will be born premature, but at 34 weeks, she should be fine. We will probably have to keep her in the hospital for a few weeks for observation.”
“And what about my wife? Will she be okay?”
“She did lose a lot of blood. But luckily, she was brought in quickly so I don’t anticipate any complications. She will need be stay in the hospital for a few days after the C-section to heal.”
I let out a huge sigh of relief as I thank the doctor before he hurried off to prepare for surgery.
