My note….I hope the first chapter didn't turn anyone off...I promise, it won't all be so warm and fuzzy...you know how I love the drama, and anything involving Craig Manning, has to equal drama. So please stay tuned.

THE EX FACTOR

CHAPTER 2: ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS...

November 29, 2011

Ashley watched her son from the doorway of his bedroom and smiled to herself. It was past his bedtime, but she knew there was no way he would go to bed before his nightly ritual.

"Whatcha doin' ?", she asked softly, but still managing to startle the young boy who was deeply concentrating on what he was writing.

A small head of brown waves snapped up and two hazel eyes shone at the sound of his mothers voice. "Makin' my Christmas lists", Tyler answered simply, and resumed his writing.

"Plural?", Ashley asked aloud as she walked slowly over to his bed, sitting on the corner. Tyler's head bobbed up again, eyes narrowed in curiosity at the new and foreign word, making his mother giggle slightly. "Two lists?", she clarified with another question, and ruffled his hair playfully.

"Yep", he nodded exaggeratedly. "One for here, and one for Dad's house". Ashley swallowed a slight lump that had formed in her throat and forced her smile to widen a bit. The subject of Craig Manning, was still a touchy one, in this house. "I wanna make sure Santa can find me", he added innocently.

Ashley laughed. "I'm sure he will sweetie", she assured her son, "even if you only send him one letter".

"But if I put everything on one list, he might bring the wrong gift to the wrong house", Tyler pointed out, handing his mother the top page from the two, he was working on.

"A guitar?", Ashley raised her brow curiously, and Tyler beamed proudly. She smiled back at her son before glancing again at her son's shaky Kindergarten penmanship.

"It's on Dad's list, 'cause he can teach me how to play", Tyler reasoned.

"That's a good idea", Ashley agreed. "But remember, Jimmy knows how to play too, so...".

Before Ashley was able to get the rest of her sentence out, Tyler squealed an excited "that's right", and scribbled the word 'gitar' on the second of his two pages. "Now Santa knows to bring a guitar to both houses".

"I think you can just ask for one guitar, and bring it back and forth, between the houses", Ashley suggested, and let out a chuckle, as she reached for the other page. "Two bikes? Yeah, that would probably be a good idea", she nodded her approval, and Tyler grinned back at her.

Ashley continued to skim the papers, comparing the first few entries of these two, very different lists. A new basketball, two computer games and a remote controlled helicopter for their house; an mp3 player and the newest x-box game system for Craig's. She tried to hide her amusement at Tyler's choices, especially the expensive requests he expected to see, underneath his fathers Christmas tree. "Ty, what's this?", she asked, coming across a jumble of consonants, surrounding a lowly vowel.

"Ahh...it's a...um...skateboard", he mumbled hopefully, but soon realized it would be a lost cause when Ashley cast a disapproving eye at him. So, with much reluctance, and a huge sigh of disappointment, Tyler took the paper from his mothers hand, and began to erase the vetoed entry.

"That's on both papers?", she queried sternly.

Tyler shrugged innocently, "I figured if I put it on both lists, Santa'd have to bring me at least one...". He watched his mother tentatively, but quickly matched the soft smile she was giving him.

Just as Ashley handed over the second page to her son for correction, entry number six, caught her attention. Her smile faded and her eyes threatened to tear up. "A baby brother", it was almost a whisper, and sounded much more like a question, then a statement.

"Yep", he affirmed, scrubbing his eraser across the paper. "Since I already have a new baby sister at Dad's...and Julia..so I thought we should get a baby boy for here".

Ashley paused a moment, waiting for the tightness in her throat to ease up before speaking. "You know, Ty...Santa doesn't actually bring babies to peoples houses...".

"I know, Dad said the stork does", he replied innocently.

Ashley's lips turned up slightly, in spite of the myriad of emotions coursing through her. She cleared her throat. "And you also know that Jimmy and I are working really hard on that for you. Right?".

Tyler nodded in understanding. "But it's taking a really long time...I just thought maybe Santa could help", he offered sincerely. At that sweet request, Ashley pulled her son into a tight hug. "Bobby Leland asked for a puppy last year and you know what...he got it", he added hopefully.

"Yeah?", she laughed, batting away her tears before releasing Tyler from her grasp.

"Yeah", he parroted excitedly, laughing in unison with his mother.

"Is this a private party, or can anyone get in on the fun?". Both heads immediately toward to the tired, but happy, voice coming from the doorway.

"Jimmy!", Tyler squealed and jumped to his feet.

"Hey", Ashley greeted as she crossed the room, meeting her husband in the middle. She lovingly ran her hand down the side of his cheek, as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close.

"Sorry I couldn't get home sooner", Jimmy said, looking apologetically up at Ashley. She smiled and shrugged, then leaned forward to place a soft kiss on his lips.

"I...waited...up...for...you", Tyler interrupted, in between his bounces.

Jimmy broke away from Ashley, looked over at his step-son, happily jumping on his bed, and laughed. "I can see that", he replied and pushed over to the side of Tyler's bed.

Tyler quickly dismounted onto his bottom, and pulled the book Jimmy had been reading to him every night before bed, off of his nightstand. "We're on chapter three...".

"Yes we are", Jimmy confirmed, pulling the covers down for Tyler to slip under. "Did you brush your teeth, yet?", he asked the boy as he tucked him in.

Tyler nodded and smiled, "Washed my face too". Jimmy grinned approvingly, then began to open the book up to the appropriate page.

Ashley smiled at the exchange, then moved in to collect the papers that had spilled from Tyler's bed, and onto the floor. She spied the words 'babby brthor' once more, before shuffling them into a messy pile. She stood swiftly and stuffed them into the top drawer of Tyler's tall dresser. With a quick spin, she leaned forward and planted a kiss on her son's forehead, then moved to her husband and did the same. "I'll warm you up some dinner", she whispered into Jimmy's ear, as she straightened.

"Nah, I'm not really that hungry", he answered wearily.

Ashley ran her hand down Jimmy's shoulder. "Even though you didn't get a chance to eat yet?", she quipped pointedly. Jimmy glanced up innocently and shrugged. "I'll bring you something anyway", she added over her shoulder, as she made her way out, leaving Jimmy to his nightly duty of bedtime story reader.

"I was waiting for you to come down, but I guess that dinosaur book has you way too engrossed to eat", Ashley called out, just minutes later, as she neared the top of the stairs. "I hope a cup of soup and sandwich are okay. Although the soup probably isn't very hot anymore...", her voice trailed off, at the beauty of the sight in front of her...Jimmy was fast asleep in Tyler's bed, propped up against the headboard, supported by the giant stuffed gorilla that he had won the boy at a church carnival the previous summer, and two child-size pillows, while Ty was snoozing contently, nestled against Jimmy's warm chest.

The book was draped across Jimmy's lap...still opened to the first page of chapter 3.

I was actually going to add another section to this chapter, but decided against it, considering it takes place at a later date. I think the story might flow better if I give each 'day', it's own chapter...and I thought this was a cute place to end it.

P.S. for Kelley...did you catch my small, subtle reference?

Degrassi is not mine.