I stand here looking out over my living room and I can't help but be thankful for what I have. Thanksgiving has come and gone. Christmas is here. Unlike most families, we don't buy our presents in advance. We wait until the week before Christmas to go shopping. It's more fun that way.
Christmas is kind of a special holiday for us. This year will be weird since my father passed away three months ago. He loved spending time with his grandkids and they loved spending time with him. But it's special because we invite everyone over on Christmas eve and they stay over until
Christmas day when we have a giant feast and open our presents.
Our family might be considered unconventional but I wouldn't want to spend the holidays with any other group of people. Maxwell and Aden love Bug. He's always teaching them about some new insect and it thrills them that their 'Uncle' Bug loves bugs just as much as they do. If you haven't already figured it out, Maxwell and Aden are my children. Twin boys actually. Eight years old and only separated by a minute. It's a running joke around the office that Aden was born holding onto Maxwell's foot because he didn't want to be born last. They say he gets that from me. Never wanting to be left behind or picked last for anything. And you know what? They're right.
I used to think my life was sad but it doesn't compare to what Lily is going through. Her husband of four years died before he could see his daughter, Kaitlin or Kat for short, being born. He was a good man. Kind and gentle. Perfect soul mate for Lily. Then his life was cut short all because some drunk thought it would be fun to go bowling, his car being the ball and people on the sidewalk being the pins. Jerry didn't even make it to the hospital and was pronounced dead in the ambulance. Kat was born four days later. She's three now and a splitting image of Lily. Beautiful baby. I was hoping for a girl but I guess the third time is the charm.
Now we come to Nigel. What can I really say about him? He's weird and sometimes a little crazy but everyone loves him. He's like the class clown at work but very good at what he does. Aden favors 'Uncle' Nigel over 'Uncle' Bug. Which only fuels their rivalry even more. Every year the presents, from those two, seem to get bigger and bigger because they are trying to out do each other. I sometimes find myself reminding them that the boys are only children so they admire a yellow sponge that wears pants on tv and that they have nothing worry about. The boys will equally look up to their Uncles when they get older. This calms them down until the next Christmas roles around then they start all over again. Sometimes I think I have four children instead of two.
Last but not least I come to Garret Macy. My boss but most of all my most trusted friend. He's been through a lot with me. Cared when others didn't. Put up with all of my shit when I was way out of line. Put his own ass on the line in order to prove my theories about a case, true. You can't find anyone better than that no matter how hard you look. But most of all he helped me created two wonderful children. Sometimes I feel bad when I see him looking at a picture of his daughter. He lost her when he married me. It's been eight years and she still refuses to see him. I can't really blame her. All kids, no matter their age, think their parents are going to be together forever and when a divorce tears a family apart...a kid continues to think that.
I love my husband and kids. And I love my less than perfect family but I don't think I'd have it any other way. Not when I can stand here in the doorway watching them all interact in my living room. The kids are running around the presents, the ones from Nigel and Bug are so big that I'm afraid to know what's inside. Lily and Nigel are playing with Kat on the couch, I think I see the buds of a romance beginning there but who am I to pry? Bug is brooding in the corner near the egg-nog like he always does until the boys drag him out and include them in a game that he taught them the previous year. This keeps his ego inflated long enough to make it through to the end of the year. Some of you might be wondering about Woody and I wish I could tell you about him but I can't. When he found out I was marrying Garret, he disappeared and I haven't seen him in the eight years I've been married. I hope he found someone nice to settle down with. He was a nice guy. Just not the right guy for me. Garret is standing behind me with his head resting on my shoulder and his hands rubbing my eight month extended stomach. He's whispering how lucky he is to have me into my ear and I can't help but smile. God I love that man. We move to join the festivities as I feel the baby within me kick. Oh yes. It's going to be a girl. HA! I finally won. Garret prides himself in being able to predict our childrens sex before they are born but this time...this time he's the one changing the diapers for the first month while I get to relax. This year feels extra special. Like we've been blessed for some odd reason. This is a Christmas that I find myself saying "Jordan Cavanaugh-Macy, miracles do happen. Just look around yourself if you need proof." And I do.