The Greatest Gift

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Will half-expected that he would find the President of Atlantis Cable News still asleep. She slipped out of bed without his notice early this morning (though she was supposed to take the day off). Finally, he pulled rank as her husband and forced her out of the building at noon.

That did not, however, stop her from working. Out of desperation, he confiscated her Blackberry and put it at the back of the top shelf in their closet where she could not reach it. She protested but he assured her that if a true emergency arose, he would be contacted, too. So instead she scurried around the apartment. Doing what, he was not sure. All she would say was that she wanted everything perfect for Christmas.

Eventually, he persuaded her to lay down with an offer of a back massage that she could not refuse. Her back was bothering her-more so than the past month or so. She had not complained but it was obvious in her movements. He kneaded the muscles in her lower back and hips, and within fifteen minutes she slipped into sleep.

He wrapped his arms around her and took a power nap, too, before showering, shaving, and changing into a pair of grey dress pants, and a matching pin stripe shirt. He called his siblings and made sure all of their gifts had arrived, and then finalized a few details for his and MacKenzie's first Christmas as husband and wife.

As he walked into the master bedroom, he immediately discovered that MacKenzie was not asleep. He could hear her puttering around their spacious bathroom. He continued to step quietly across the floor so that he could watch her if presented with the opportunity. "You are beautiful," he told her from the doorway as she was applying a little perfume to her skin.

"Not huge?" she asked him through the bathroom mirror.

She turned around as he shook his head. He took her in, head to toe, a look of desire in his eyes and an amused, indulgent grin on his face. "Never," he said, walking towards her. He leaned down and brushed his lips over hers while he caressed her belly with one hand. "You forgot your shoes," he whispered playfully against her mouth.

She hit him on the chest. "That's because my back hurts and my feet are still swollen, despite my nap, you big oaf."

He laughed.

She hit him again. "It's really not funny. I tried ten pairs this evening—ten pairs, Billy—and none of them fit."

"You're right. It's not funny," he agreed, swallowing another grin.

"For that, you get to find me a pair of shoes."

"You've got at least 100 pairs in the closet. And if not, you can wear one of mine."

"That's not helping, Will," she pouted. "Look at me. My feet and ankles are the size of an elephant's… and it's all your fault."

"Guilty as charged. And I'll gladly take responsibility for any and all discomfort you are experiencing. Well, 98 percent of it anyway."

She laughed.

"Only three weeks left. It's worth it, isn't it?"

"Of course, it is."

He took a jewelers' box out of his pocket. "Merry Christmas, honey."

"You don't want to keep this until tomorrow?"

"This Christmas Eve it's my turn to surprise you." He opened the lid. Inside was a large pearl encircled by diamonds on a gold chain, with matching earrings.

"Will," she gasped.

"Do you like them?"

"I love them," she assured him as she took out the gold hoop earrings she was wearing and set them on the counter. "Where did you find them?"

"I had them made," he told her. "You really like them?"

"Yes." She stood on her toes, threw her arms around his neck and kissed him, their baby pressed between them. "Put the necklace on me?" she asked with her arms still around him, his hands now holding her waist. She was wearing a charcoal grey wool dress that neither accentuated, nor disguised, her pregnancy. The dress had the perfect neckline for it, he was relieved to find.

"Turn around," he commanded. He removed the necklace from the box and then handed the box to her. Deftly he fastened the chain around her neck as she moved her hair out of the way; and then she inserted the earrings.

Their eyes again met through the mirror as she instinctively touched the pearl. "They are beautiful," she told him, her eyes turning to liquid gold. He sighed in relief. She had exacting taste, and he got it right.

"I love you," he told her, his hands still on her shoulders. She leaned into him and he ran his hands down her arms.

"We love you more," she replied, moving his hands to where their baby lay sleeping. Then she told him, "I have a little something for you, too."

He followed her into the bedroom where she pulled out a small box from one of her dresser drawers. He opened it to find a single gold cufflink. It was identical to the one he was wearing only inscribed with the date of May 3, 2013-their actual wedding date-in Roman numerals, instead of the June date she originally chose.

"I had it made while you were in jail and meant to give it to you as a wedding present. But with all that happened after, I forgot about it. I found it at the bottom of the drawer a few weeks ago."

He smiled. "Thank you," he told her. He quickly replaced the old link with the new one and then said, "Now, you pick me out a tie while I find you a pair of shoes."

It took a little time, but he found her a pair of shoes and slipped them over her sore feet. "Ready for dinner, Cinderella?" he asked as he assisted her up from the edge of the bed.

"You still haven't told me where we're going?"

"You'll find out in fifteen minutes," he assured her. "Patience is a virtue."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't I know it."

In reality, it took twenty-two minutes. But he was relieved when she giggled as they stepped out of the car and exclaimed, "Tavern on the Green. I've always wanted to eat here at Christmas time."

"I know it's kind of cliché. But the food is good… and I owe you one."

As they ate, they enjoyed the view of the Christmas lights outside and talked about holiday memories. MacKenzie asked him, "What did you really think when I literally barreled into you two years ago?"

"That I had been struck by a force of nature. And then, when I discovered it was you, I knew that it was true." She smiled at him. Nonetheless, there was an element of skepticism in her eyes.

"I was heartened to find you with family and not with Nina," she confessed.

"You honestly thought I would be spending Christmas with her?"

She shrugged. "No… but I was pretty confused at the time, Billy. I still struggle at times when I think about you with her. I don't think that I'll ever understand it."

He reached across the table and took her hand. "I don't understand it myself. The best I've come up with is that she was a shield. I don't have to tell you how screwed up my state of mind was at the time. But MacKenzie, you are the only woman with whom I have ever shared holidays—shared family—shared myself. And the only woman I love. I think you know that's true."

"I do."

"You've hardly touched your dinner?" he commented to her. "I expected you to be starved. Do you want to try something else?"

"I thought so, too. Nothing seems appetizing. Maybe the baby is pressing against my stomach wall. I can certainly feel little feet walking on my ribs."

"I'm sorry," he told her sincerely. "Your back is still hurting, too, isn't it?"

She nodded. "It's this weird kind of pressure—a different kind of pain."

"Why don't we go home? You can soak in the tub and we can watch Mass. We don't need to be there in person. Are you having contractions?"

"Sporadically, I suppose," she told him. "But nothing regular."

By nine o'clock, however, she was having regular contractions; and by ten, they were at the hospital. While most first-time mothers experienced lengthy labors, their child had other ideas. In no time at all it seemed (though MacKenzie may disagree with this assessment), Dr. James was saying to them, "So, McAvoys... it is now 11:59 p.m. What day would you like to celebrate a birthday? Because with one more push this little boy is going to be ready to meet his parents. Don't worry, I told you he was good-sized… and he is."

"Christmas Eve," they both said at the same time.

Will watched in wonder as with one more push, his first son was born—right at midnight. He held his breath while the little airway was cleared, and that first newborn wail he had waited so long to hear, rang out.

Because the baby was three weeks early, he was quickly cleaned off, checked out, and wrapped up tight in a blanket before he was placed in MacKenzie's arms. She spoke softly to him and he immediately stopped crying. Will put his arms around both of them as tears ran freely down his cheeks. The baby was wide awake and looking up at his mother with a studious, intense gaze.

"He looks just like you," MacKenzie told him. She, too, had tears in her eyes.

"I hope not," Will replied. However, there was no doubting that the fuzz that covered his little head was strawberry blond, and his eyes were a surprising light blue.

XXXXXXXX

Several hours later, Will awoke to the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen: MacKenzie singing softly to their son, who was nestled high in her arms. "Hey…" he said as he stretched his stiff muscles and went to her side.

"Merry Christmas," she told him with a smile that lit up her face.

"How is he?" Will asked, slipping a finger into one of his son's hands and thrilling as the tiny fingers closed around his own.

"He's perfect," MacKenzie replied.

"And, how are you?" He gently kissed her before again meeting her gaze.

"Perfect."

He sighed in relief and with great gratitude that his prayers of the past six months had been answered.

She patted the mattress. "Take off your shoes and join us."

He nodded. "Let me get something first." He pulled his copy of A Christmas Carol out of his messenger bag, took off his shoes, and joined his family on the bed.

"I've been thinking," he told her, showing her the book.

"That we should use 'Charles' instead of 'Charlie'?"

He nodded.

"Do you want to hold him?"

Will reached out his hands and gently took their sleeping son into his arms.

"I've been thinking, too," MacKenzie said. She didn't say anything else until she had his full attention. Then she continued, "How do you feel about the name 'Christian'? It seems especially fitting on this day to honor this heavenly gift by naming him after the Savior of us all."

Will thought about it for a moment and then again nodded in agreement. He put his free arm around her shoulders and felt her gingerly lean against him. Will smiled at her and then looked again at his little boy-who had now opened his blue eyes, and said, "Happy Birthday, Christian Charles McAvoy."