Chapter 53

"Yes, Princess, more," he told her and grinned as she ripped into it to find three videos from the list that she had made a month ago. She jumped up with a squeal and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you, Dada!" she said and kissed his cheek.

"You're welcome, Princess. Now get back to work and pass out the other gifts."

Annie handed the next one to her mother, it was from her and she handed the same size package to AJ and told them that she had one for Dammit too. She asked if they could all open them at the same time. Everyone agreed and they began, each found a placemat with a picture drawn by Annie with their name on it. She told them that she had one for herself too. Lili's said Mommie and AJ's Dada, Dammit's name was on hers and Annie showed them the one she made for herself that said Princess.

The next gift was to AJ from Lili and it was the recipe box that she had purchased and the card included said that she would organize all of his recipes for him. He also received a photo album from her with pictures of the three of them that she had been taking for the last month that they had spent together. There were several pages in the back that were empty and Lili told him that she would put the pictures from this Christmas in them.

Annie handed AJ a gift from her and her mommie and said, "We both made this for you, daddy."

Opening the present he found a homemade ornament for his tree. Touched that they had gone to so much trouble to make him this gift, he quickly got up and hung it on the tree. "Thank you both for the wonderful present. I love it, very much."

Annie opened the gifts from her mother next and found another video and some clothes; her favorite though seemed to be the baby doll that was in the last box. She couldn't lift the last gift for her mother from AJ and he got up to help her. Placing the large gift in front of Lili he said, "This gift means even more now, I hope that you'll like it, I made it myself."

"Then I am sure that I will," Lili smiled up at him and began to unwrap the gift. Inside the paper she found a hand carved wooden cradle! "Oh, AJ, it's so beautiful I love it so much," said Lili, caressing the cradle and oohing and ahhing over the gift.

Annie looking under the tree said, "There's no more except the ones for the people coming tomorrow."

"Oh, Annie, I know there's one more gift, "AJ told her.

"Where?" she asked.

"You have to close your eyes and I'll bring it in," he said

"It's for me?" she asked excitedly.

"Only if you close your eyes."

"They're shut, I promise."

AJ went into the mudroom and brought back Annie's last gift from him. Laying the wiggling golden retriever puppy into her lap he stepped back. Annie's eyes popped wide open and she was licked in the face as she screamed, "A PUPPY!" The puppy was all over Annie and they were both rolling in the floor.

"What are you going to name her, Princess?"

"That's what I'll name her, Princess," laughed Annie.

"That sounds like a fine name to me. But who will come when I call for my Princess?"

"Both of us," Annie laughed.

"As long as you don't name our son Prince I can handle that," laughed Lili.

"What about our son 'formally known as Prince'?" teased AJ.

"I don't think so, thank you very much," replied Lili with her eyebrow arched.

"Since I've been thinking all this time that this baby was Joe's why don't we name him Joe?" asked AJ solemnly.

With tears in her eyes Lili said, "I think you are a fine man AJ Chegwidden and I love the idea. Joseph Chegwidden is a fine strong name for the baby."

"Do you have any thoughts about a middle name?" he asked.

"No, I had no names picked out because I thought I was giving the baby up and wouldn't let myself think of any," replied Lili. "Yet you have known all along. You must have had several names pick out and settled on what the baby's name would be once it was determined it was a boy."

To be continued…