Chapter 8
"Hurry up, Teddy. We are going to be late."
"Mommy, do you thinks I gets to be Mary in da pageant this year?" Asked sweet little Phoebe who had yet to outgrow her preschool lisp.
"Probably not, pumpkin," replied her father as he scooped up the delicate little girl. She was her mother's exact replica. "But don't worry, you get a very important role. Grandma says that you are just the right size to be the Christmas angel." Phoebe clapped her hands in delight.
"EJ and I want to be the asses this year!" Teddy exclaimed.
"Donkeys, you want to be donkeys," his mother corrected as she worked to tame her son's copper curls. "It's too bad, because you are the right size to be a shepard."
Knowing that Santa was watching his behavior, Teddy thought better than to argue his role in the Christmas pageant.
Christian and Ana corralled their two children into the SUV that Taylor brought around front. They drove out through their gates and into the very next driveway. No matter how big the family got, they always gathered at Grey Manor on Christmas Eve. Christian parked the Audi next to Grandpa Ray's truck. Teddy and Phoebe rushed ahead to go find their cousins.
Christian helped his wife waddle up the brick steps. Ana was, as always, breathtakingly beautiful in her ninth month of pregnancy. Her belly preceded her. The twins were due any day.
Kate met her sister-in-law at the door. She gave Ana kiss on the cheek and a look of understanding as her own infant, Murphy, sat on her hip.
With their first two children, Kate steadfastly refused to name them after Elliott's beloved golden retriever that had long since crossed the rainbow bridge. By the third pregnancy, Kate mellowed considerably. When they found out they were expecting a second boy, Kate caved. She did draw the line at letting Elliott add 'Junior' to Murphy's birth certificate.
Christian reached for his youngest nephew. He took Murphy to 'find the men,' while Kate and Ana settled in front of the living room fire. Soon Mia and Grace appeared with drinks and cider. The four women relaxed before the chaos began.
After a few tears when her cousin Ava got to wear the Mary costume, Phoebe stole the show in her angel wings and halo. Despite Elliott's suggestion, Murphy did not go as Baby Jesus. Instead, he donned little lamb pajamas and happily cooed from his bouncy seat. Mia's toddler, Eamon, followed along with his older cousin EJ as the two dressed up as Wisemen. Teddy managed to smile even though his hopes of being a donkey were squashed. He played the role of shepard seriously. He made eye contact with EJ. They were planning the most epic Christmas prank of all time. As was their new family tradition, Christian closed the pageant playing all of Grace's favorite carols.
This year, the group included the Kavanaghs, the parents of Kate and Ethan, Mia's husband. Ray was included as always. Breaking from tradition the entire extended family planned to spend the night at Grey Manor. With the twins due any day, Ana was afraid that she might go into labor and spoil Teddy and Phoebe's visit from Santa. Grace offered to host the whole lot of them. If Ana and Christian needed to head to the hospital, the magic of Christmas morning would be guaranteed with all of the aunts and uncles, cousins, and grandparents around.
Once the children were down and the bikes and trikes were placed under the tree, Christian and Ana settled into the same guest room that Ana stayed in on her first visit to Grey Manor. Grace had turned Christian's bedroom and the whole third floor into a large dormitory for her grandchildren. Once her grandbabies were old enough and ready, they got to sleep in every child's dream room. Akin to the nursery in Peter Pan, the third floor was equipped with cozy beds, shelves full of books, rocking horses, board games, and baby dolls galore. There was a life size castle to play knights and princesses. Even little Eamon wanted to sleep with his cousins. Baby Murphy, still too small for the third floor, slept in the nursery adjacent to Grace and Carrick's room. Grace kept the room stocked with diapers and pajamas, always ready for an impromptu sleepover with her grandchildren.
Having in-laws like the Greys was every parent's dream. Ana and Christian, as well as his siblings and their spouses, allowed their children to stay at Grey Manor whenever it suited. All in all, their family was closer than most. They were truly blessed.
—
"Mommy, mommy, can yous pwease put dis dwess on my baby?" Pheobe asked her mother for what felt like the hundredth time that morning. With her usual patience, Ana changed the new doll's outfit. Surely the doll has worn every outfit by now, Ana thought. She pushed herself up from the sofa to make a trip to the bathroom. Her children and their cousins were still clad in their matching holiday pajamas and playing with their new toys. Teddy and EJ were engrossed in video games together.
After her pit stop, Ana found Grace and Mia in the kitchen preparing a snack-around lunch. Knowing that Ana would insist on helping despite her condition, Grace gave Ana the job of arranging the charcuterie board while sitting at the breakfast bar. They were soon joined by Kate and her mother. Every now and then, Carrick came in to refill the men's killer Christmas cocktails. On his third trip for refills, Ana suspected the men might be working towards full-on drunkenness.
Ana went to round up the children for lunch. Sure enough, she found their fathers chatting boisterously in Carrick's study. Christian gave her a spiked-cider tasting kiss and walked with her to the kitchen.
Grace let each of her grandchildren pick their own lunches from the buffet. She shushed Christian when he tried to add more fruit and less cookies to his children's plates. Once the older children were settled at the children's table, the adults plus the two grandchildren still in high chairs settled in to enjoy the meal.
Just as Christian pulled Ana's chair for her to sit, Ana felt a rush of fluid between her legs. Christian, in his somewhat inebriated state, failed to notice. It wasn't until Mia yelped, that Christian realized the twins were preparing for arrival.
"Shiiitake mushrooms," Christian said, catching himself before owing a twenty to the swear jar. Ana Saturday down, a bit stunned that her water had just broken. After a moment of silence, all chaos broke loose. Grace deemed Christian, and all of the other men, unfit to drive Ana to the hospital. She confiscated The keys to Bone Crusher when Elliott went to take the ATV next door to get Ana's hospital bag. Christian repeatedly dialed Taylor until Ana reminded him that he had given him the day off to spend with his daughter. It had been Christian who insisted that Taylor turn off his work cell on his time away.
Sheepishly, Mia, Grace, and Kathy Kavanagh all admitted to having been sipping on mimosas all morning. The only two sober adults were the breastfeeding Kate and the soon-to-be-in-labor Ana.
"For fuckkkleberry's sake," Kate threw up her hands. She went upstairs to get dressed. Grace sent the semi-panicking Christian and the never-panicking Elliott to fetch Ana's hospital bag by foot. Grace helped Ana to the guest room to change. Ana took a quick shower and dressed in soft leggings and a sweatshirt.
By the time the two stooges returned with the hospital bag, Ana was holding onto Kate's shoulders and rocking back and forth through a contraction. After kisses good-bye, Ana was ready to go. With Kate and drunk Elliott in the front seat and Christian and Ana in the back seat, Kate navigated Carrick's Suburban towards the hospital.
Unlike with the birth of his first two children, Christian proved little help to his wife during her labor. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't pull himself back to sobriety enough to be a good support. Finally, Kate took over. Christian and Elliott were remanded to the sofa in the birthing suite. Ana walked up and down the corridor, pausing when contractions took hold. Kate massaged her friend's lower back and talked her through each pain. While Christian and Elliott slept off their killer cocktails, Ana's labor progressed nicely.
"Kate, I think I need to sit down," Ana admitted after walking for what felt like hours.
"Finally," Kate muttered. She helped Ana back to her room. The two women were hit by the smell of alcohol, sweat, and Elliott's feet. Kate swatted the two men awake.
"You should be ashamed of yourselves! Ana's about to push some watermelons out her hoohaw and the two of you look like you just got back from a frat house." Kate threw some clothes at Christian from the hospital bag. "Go take a shower and find some coffee," she bossed.
"And, you, Elliott Grey, go find something clean to wear and wash up." Kate shooed the brothers out the door. She turned to Ana, laughing.
"Thank you!" Ana giggled. "Their smell was making me sick." She held her stomach through another contraction. Kate hit the call bell, requesting pain medication for her best friend.
Another hour and an epidural later and Christian and Elliott returned to Ana's room. Christian looked sober and clean. Elliott looked like an idiot. He was wearing a hospital gown.
"What? You told me to find something clean to wear."
"I meant something like scrubs, moron," Kate teased her husband with a good natured laugh.
Christian joined his wife. The pair smiled at each other in excitement, ready to meet the newest Greys. Christian gave Ana a tender kiss.
"Merry Christmas, Mrs. Grey"
"It's my favorite time of the year. Let's have some babies." Ana kissed her husband and hit the button for the nurse. It was time to meet their twins.
A/N: and so ends the story. I am marking it complete, but I reserve the right to pop back in every now and then for a holiday update with the Greys. Merry Christmas! Thank you for reading along.