Ok, I have been inspired by your reviews to post more chapters. This means that I'll have to write more! I only have up to 26 written so far, I think.

Anyway, this chapter had a very naughty word in it. I'm not going to change the rating because it's only once, but you've been warned.

Chapter 22

It was a little after nine in the morning when Kevin roused from sleeping. He was a little disoriented but quickly remembered where he was. He reached to his left for Beth, finding only a pillow where she had been. A few minutes later, she entered the room, already dressed, with a cup of coffee in her hand.

"Wake up, Sleepyhead. We have a ton of stuff to do today. Are all your presents ready? And when I say 'all' I mean the ones that are for me."

He laughed and took a sip from her mug. "Yes, Mrs. Girardi, your presents are all ready and so are all the other ones."

"Okay, then get up and get ready. We're going to the homeless shelter with Joan to give out presents."

She pulled the chair beside him so that he could get up. He went into his bathroom to shower and shave. She followed him in and sat on the toilet as he showered. She talked constantly about everything that she and Joan and his mother had planned for the day. He basically ignored her until he turned off the water and opened the curtain. She handed him a towel. He thanked her and said he thought he would spend the day with Luke instead. Beth said she was okay with that. She, Helen, Grace, and Joan would go out and do good while they guys played "Three Men And A Baby."

He grabbed her hand as she was standing to leave. "I really want a baby, Beth."

"I know, Kevin. So do I, but I'm scared. I think we should talk to the doctors before we do anything."

"You're still taking your pills?" he asked in an almost accusing way.

"Yes, I am. I want to make sure everything is going to be fine first. I'm not prepared to go through that again. I have a feeling that they'll recommend IVF, and I'm not sure that I want to do that."

"What do you mean you don't want to do that?"

"I think we should consider adoption."

"Beth, that's crazy. Why in the world would we do something like that without even trying on our own?"

"You remember those girls we saw in China playing in the yard?"

"No, I don't."

"Yes you do. On the day of the Opening Ceremonies when we were walking downtown."

"All I know about that is that you were the only one walking."

"Oh, for God's sake Kevin. That's not what this is about, so stop making it about you. I'm so fucking sick of it."

Kevin's eyes got wide at Beth's use of profanity. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything, but yeah, I remember what you are talking about."

"Ok, well, that was an orphanage for little girls. In China couples are only allowed to have one child, and for the most part, parents only want boys. The girls are left in orphanages if they are lucky. Most are just left to die. I think we should consider adopting a little Chinese baby girl."

"You've thought this all out?"

"I've been thinking about it since we got back, after Bailey, more than three years."

"Well, why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I was considering your reaction. Looks like I was right."

"How long does it take?"

"Um, depending on the conditions, probably about a year."

"What do we have to do?"

"We should get a lawyer. We'll have to complete a psychological assessment and home visits and a bunch of other stuff. The paperwork has to be translated into Mandarin, and we'll have to go there and get her, but this is what I want, Kevin. Maybe later we'll try to make a baby, but for now I want one in my arms that I don't have to worry about it getting here."

"Beth, why didn't you tell me that you were afraid?"

"I don't know, Kevin. I just assumed that when you were ready you'd bring it up and then everything would come out. Kind of like it just did."

Kevin finished drying off and motioned for his clothes. She handed them to him and left while he dressed. He met her downstairs a little while later where the entire family was gathered at the table. Beth was burping the baby, Grace and Joan were having a conversation about something girly that Helen was adding to from time to time. Will and Luke were also discussing something. Kevin felt a little left out but also still a bit asleep. Helen placed a mug of coffee in front of him. He reached over his shoulder to grab her hand. She stopped and leaned down to kiss his cheek.

The family left the table and went their separate ways to spread a little Christmas cheer. The girls, minus the baby, went with Joan while the guys worked on finishing up the decorations and alternated taking care of baby. Kevin realized that he wasn't able to push his wheelchair while holding Hadassah, since she was unable to support herself on his lap. This freaked him out a little, knowing that he would have to be able to handle the baby by himself. He hadn't thought about this potential problem, but he knew it was one that would have to be solved quickly.

"Uh, Luke," Kevin began, "Can you take her for a minute. I, um, have a problem here."

Luke turned from helping his dad by holding up the tree to look at his brother. "You can't move while you're holding her, can you?" he asked.

"No. We have to fix that."

The wheels in Luke's head were instantly turning. "It doesn't really help if you hold her in one hand, because then you'd be going in circles. Can you lay her on your lap long enough to get to the carrier?"

"I'm afraid to do that. What if the momentum pushes her forward. That's not smart."

Luke scratched his head. "No, that won't work, you're right. I've got it! We'll use one of those scarf things."

Kevin looked up, confused and not sure he liked where Luke was going. "Excuse me?"

Luke explained. "It's a type of baby carrier. It's like a sash that ties around your shoulder and the baby is inside it, like a pouch. It will leave your hands free while supporting the baby. It might look weird, but it will work."

"Do you have one?"

"No, but we'll make one with a towel and you can try it out using a pillow or stuffed animal as a baby."

"You mean I can't experiment with your daughter?"

"No, you cannot. You've not been approved for human trials."

Luke took the baby and placed her in the bassinet and ran upstairs to work on his invention while Kevin held the tree for Will. A few minutes later, Luke returned with one of Joan's dolls and a bunch of fabric.

"Ok, this is a rough prototype, but I'm fairly certain you can buy them in stores and I know you can online, but we'll try this out to see how it works, if the design is feasible."

He slipped the sling over Kevin's shoulder and handed him the doll. Kevin situated the toy on his lap, facing outward, supported by the material. He moved around the room a little, checking for slippage or movement of the doll. There was none.

"Luke, this is great. We have to get one of these things."

Luke nodded. "I saw a website upstairs that offers all sizes and patterns, and they come with special padded straps for more comfortable carrying. You guys are all set. Now where is your wife so you can go knock her up?"

Kevin chuckled. "She's not here, and I'm not going to 'knock her up' anyway. We're going to talk to our doctors soon. She's worried about the possibility of another ectopic and is fairly certain that her doctor will suggest in vitro. She's not cool with doing that right now."

Rubbing his chin, Luke nodded again. "So what are you going to do?"

"She wants to adopt a baby from China."

"So what are you going to do?" Luke asked again, smiling.

"We're going to adopt a baby from China, of course. No, seriously, it makes a lot of sense, and really is the best thing for us to do right now. We want a baby, and the stress of trying to get pregnant is just too overwhelming, especially with the move and everything."

"Are you sure you're ready to go through with it? It's a HUGE responsibility and a ton of stress."

"Well, it will take about a year anyway. We'll have a little time to get prepared, but I'm sure we'll second guess everything we do."

Luke agreed. "You try to think that you know what to do, even when you don't, but it's so scary sometimes. There is this little tiny person and you are in charge of how they experience the world and for the most part, who they will become. It's amazingly hard and amazingly rewarding when she looks up at me and smiles. I want to make the world safe for her, but we all know that doesn't necessarily happen."

Kevin nodded silently. "I'm not sure what we're going to do. I want to talk to the doctors, anyway. We can always get the adoption process started in case we can't get pregnant, but I have a feeling that it will happen."

Luke placed his hand on Kevin's shoulder. "It will work out. It always seems to for you, even when it's not the way you planned."

"I just make a lot of lemonade," was Kevin's reply. "Hey, we'd better get back in there so you can help Dad."

Luke glared at him. "This is traditionally your job, you know?"

"Yeah, but I'm letting you take it over from now on."

"Thanks. I'm really looking forward to it," Luke quipped flatly. He turned to leave the room. Kevin called after him.

"Luke."

"Yeah, Kev?"

"Thanks."

"No problem."

Together, the brothers rejoined their father who was about to be over taken by the Christmas tree lights.

The guys were finally finishing the decorations when the girls returned from their afternoon of doing good. Joan was absolutely giddy. They had handed out more toys and food baskets than ever before at the shelter, and all the families who had applied for aid had been helped. Grace had almost been nice to people, while her mother and Beth were as charming and kind as she would have imagined.

Joan loved her new sisters and her mother so much she could barely contain herself as she watched them interact with their husbands in the living room. Grace brought the baby from the study and fed her as the others began to put presents around the tree. Beth ran up the stairs with Joan to retrieve packages from their rooms. They returned, arms loaded with ribboned boxes to add to the growing mound beneath the tree. Kevin had stashed his in the dining room closet. Beth found one addressed to her and began shaking it. Kevin scolded her saying she had no more patience than a four-year-old. She scowled at him and continued her shaking.

Before the family realized it, the time had come to get ready for church. Helen always insisted on Christmas Eve Mass, no matter how much Will and Kevin protested. By now, they had just stopped doing it all together and were resigned to their duty. Helen planned out a shower schedule so that everyone would be ready in time. Grace and Luke went first followed by Beth and Kevin, then Joan and finally the parents.

While they were waiting, Beth pulled their clothes from the suitcase and pressed the wrinkled items. She turned back to the bed to find a small package on top of her outfit. She raised her eyebrows at Kevin who encouraged her to open it. She pulled the ribbon off the box and opened the velvet case inside. Her mouth formed a small o as she gazed at the contents. Beautiful princess-cut diamond earrings set in platinum that perfectly matched her engagement ring stared back at her. The year before he had given her a pendant and the year before that, a diamond bracelet. The earrings were by far the most exquisite, however. She sat on his lap and embraced him.

"I absolutely love them. They are so beautiful."

"No, you are beautiful. There's more. Look again."

She went back to the bed where she found an envelope containing a resort brochure and two plane tickets to the south of France. She screamed out loud. He placed his mouth over hers. He held her in his arms and could barely keep from throwing her on the bed until there was a knock on the door. Beth called for the knocker to come in. Luke opened the door a crack and stuck his head in. He told them they were up for the shower. Beth collected their clothes and followed Kevin into the bathroom.

He wanted to fool around, but she reminded them of the time schedule. They tried to hurry and succeeded in bumping heads a couple of times. Beth shut off the water and grabbed two towels from the rack. She threw one at Kevin and used the other to dry off and then to wrap her hair. She dressed quickly and handed Kevin his clothes. He left the bathroom, and Beth finished her hair and makeup. He came back in to dry his hair after she was done. Her dark hair was dried straight, falling to her shoulders. She was wearing a minimal amount of makeup, eyeshadow and lip gloss. She fastened the clasp on her earrings. The diamond pendant was dangling in the v-neck of her red sweater. Her cream colored wool trousers were crisply pressed. She was radiant. He smiled at her. They went downstairs to join the others.

Grace and Luke were dressed and ready. The baby was wearing a navy blue velvet dress. Beth took her from Grace's arms. In doing so, she shook her hair out of her face revealing the glint of the lights on her new earrings. Grace saw them and gasped.

"You could feed a small African country with those things!" she exclaimed.

Beth laughed and nodded. Kevin came up behind her and addressed Grace.

"I have to do something to get her to stay with me. I'm not nearly as intelligent as Luke."

Beth slapped him as Helen, Will, and Joan come down the steps. The doorbell rang, and once again, Adam was on the other side of the door. Joan asked him to come in. He greeted the family members, shook hands with the guys and kissed Grace on the cheek. She glared at him. Everyone laughed and Adam asked her if she was celebrating both Christmas and Hanukkah from now on. She explained that by marrying her little Gentile friend, she was now entitled to twice as many presents. Adam agreed that she had made the right choice. Beth asked if he wanted to hold Hadassah. He took her until it was time to leave for church.

Father Mallory greeted the Girardis and Adam at the vestibule door. They found seats at the back of the church. They took up and entire pew, which was convenient so that Kevin could be on the end without the possibility of anyone needing to get in. Grace and the baby were on the other side so that they could get out if necessary. Kevin held Beth's hand as they sang songs and listened to Father Mallory read the Christmas story. When it was time to light the candles, the acolytes came down the aisles to begin the trail of light. Kevin passed his flame to Beth and down the row. Finally, everyone rose to sing Silent Night. Beth remained seated beside him. He told her to stand, but she stayed at his side. She sang the words of the Christmas carol in his right ear. Soon, it was time to leave. Father Mallory was back at the door wishing his parishioners well. He stopped the Girardis at the door. Helen introduced the various members of the family, including Beth and the new baby, whom he had never met. He wished them all a very Merry Christmas as they continued to the car.

Back at the house, the family gathered around the living room after the baby had been placed in her crib in Luke and Grace's room. The monitor on the coffee table was their reminder of her presence upstairs. As per family tradition, everyone opened one present given to them by Helen and Will on Christmas Eve. They began with Kevin. Will handed him the package, and Helen kissed him on the cheek. Kevin removed the wrapping and opened the box. He smiled at the contents. There was a collage of photos of him as a baby and then a little boy of no more than five or six years old, a new leather folio for his work, as well as three of his favorite children's picture books. Beth was next. Her package contained baby lotion, baby bath and matching adult varieties for her. At the bottom of the box was a small frame containing a photo of her and her sister on their wedding day. Beth had never seen the photo before, but it was a wonderful black and white candid shot of the two sisters laughing about something in the bride's room right before the ceremony. They skipped Joan and went to Luke and Grace. Their boxes, like Kevin and Beth's, contained small odds and ends with a framed photo or photo collage. Luke's was one of him at the beach at the age of eleven, and Grace's was from her Bat Mitzvah. Adam was next. His photo was one of him and his mother who had passed away two years before the Girardis moved to Arcadia. His gift was art supplies. Finally, it was time for Joan's package. She opened it quickly, a little perturbed that she had been left for last. The photo frame was on top. The photo was of her and Adam at the senior prom. Beneath the frame was a velvet jewelry box. Joan pulled it from the larger box, a perplexed look on her face. She opened it to find her grandmother Brodie's engagement ring. She looked over at her parents and then at Adam who had knelt in front of her. Her eyes were the size of saucers as she realized what was happening.

"Jane," Adam began as he took her hand, "You are the most amazing and life-loving person that I've ever met or could ever imagine. We belong together, and I've been too dense and stubborn to admit it before now. I know you could do so much better, but it would be so great and I would be so surprised if you would agree to marry me."

Joan slid off of the couch and slipped her arms around his neck. She whispered yes in his ear, and the rest of the family mobbed the couple. Adam finally had the chance to slip the ring on her finger. She realized at this point that her parents had been in on the entire thing. She asked her mother how she had been able to keep such an important secret, but Helen just hugged her. Kevin and Luke had cornered Adam and had begun to explain the expected treatment of their sister to him. Beth and Grace had pulled Joan onto the couch and were admiring the antique ring. Grace asked Joan when she wanted to have the wedding, and both girls offered to help in any way possible. Joan hugged them both.

Beth yawned and glanced at the clock on the wall. The hour was getting late, so she looked over at Kevin, who was already looking at her. He motioned toward the stairs. Beth excused herself, hugged Joan and Adam, and moved up to the bedroom. Kevin followed a few minutes later. She had already dressed in a black lace nightgown. His eyes widened but he said nothing as he joined her in the bed.

As they lay back on the pillows, Kevin turned to Beth with a questioning look on his face.

"What is it, Kevin?" she asked placing her head on his chest.

"I was just wondering something, and I hoped you would answer it for me."

"Okay."

"Why did you agree to see me when Joan called you?"

"I'm sure that we've been through this before, Kev."

"I just need to know again."

"All right. I had been away from you for three years. I had made a life with Jake. I loved him. Enough to agree to marry him. Part of that decision was imagining my life with him and what that future would be like and also what it would be like without him. It was a very tempting picture, very privileged. So, I said yes to that. But when it was time to go through with it, I couldn't. He asked me if I loved him. I said yes, and I knew that he loved me. But we weren't meant to be. He is the second best person I've ever met, and it was so amazingly difficult to not go with him. But when I talked to Joan and she asked me about seeing you, I had to do that all over again. I had to look at my life with you and without you and make a decision. My vision of my life with you was different than with Jake, but no less wonderful."

Kevin stopped her, "Then why didn't you go back to him?"

"Because when I tried to imagine my life without you in it, I couldn't."

He stared at her head on his chest and sighed deeply. He didn't say a word but wrapped his arms around her. Finally he whispered into the darkness, "I wouldn't have a life without you."