I hate folding napkins. Why would you fold napkins? There is no rhyme or reason to it. The second you sit down at a dinner table, you take the napkin and unfold it to put it on your lap. It's not like a folded napkin is a better napkin.

But I'll do everything tonight, everything to get on Rory's good side.

Finn called earlier. He told Rory that Miranda hat a 'little' allergic reaction to 'something' – as far as I remember, he mentioned puffy eyes when I talked to him - thus they had to stop by the pharmacy on the way over and would be a little late.

Colin called as well, telling her that they'd actually be early since there were no funny incidences on their way down from Boston.

When Colin started in his dad's law firm right after law school, we didn't get to meet him and Steph all that much anymore. A couple of years after Lailie was born and Henry was on his way, we started the Christmas Dinner tradition. Every year, it reminds me more of how 'old' we've gotten. Rather enjoying watching the kids play with their new toys than go out and 'play' ourselves. The old LDB days seem to be long gone. I have to get the guys to 'hang out' like we used to do in college. Poker night, maybe a LDB revival. We have to do it fast or the next opportunity would be Finn's bachelor party. Well, if he ever finds the guts to pop the question. I know he's had the ring for quite some time, he just never has the nerve to get down on one knee.

Watching my wife hurry through the house, checking every closet and every cabinet for some kind of special table cloth, I wonder, if I should feel sorry for him or tell him to sell the ring.

Nah, it's definitely worth it!

"Logan! Stop sitting there like a no good. Do something! Stop staring around! Colin, Steph, and the boys will be here in 20 minutes!"

I get up and take the silverware that she put out on the breakfast counter. Things we do for love…

Five minutes later, she bans me from the dining room, telling me to go sit with Lailie. Apparently I didn't use the right silverware. Only God knows what's going on in women's heads.

Lailie is snuggled into a corner of the big couch in the TV room which is right off the kitchen. Her head is laying on the armrest.

I go and pick up Mr. Bear who has fallen underneath the coffee table and hand him to her.

"Thanks, Daddy." She sighs and stares back at the TV where the end credits just start rolling in.

"What did you watch, Pix?" I settle in the opposite corner and pull a little of her blanket over to cover my feet.

"It was boring. It was about how Santa made animals talk and taught this pig to fly and the cow to sing. Pigs can't fly and cows can't sing. Stupid."

I take the remote and switch everything off.

Sighing again, she takes the blanket and Mr. Bear and crawls across the couch to sit on my lap and cuddle against my chest.

"Hey, Daddy?"

"Ya, Pix?"

"Did Mommy kick you out of the dining room again?"

I chuckle.

"Yeah, she did."

"I knew it!" Pixie's giggle is the cutest giggle in the world.

"Hey, Pixie?"

"Ya, Daddy?"

"Do you like Christmas so far?"

"I don't know…"

"Huh?" That surprises me. "What do you not like about this Christmas?"

"I didn't like how you and Mommy were mad at each other last night and how Grammy yelled at you and how Mommy yelled at Grammy."

"I'm sorry about that, Pix. Mommy and I just had a little misunderstanding. Do you know, what a misunderstanding is?"

She shakes her head.

"A misunderstanding is, when somebody tells you something, but doesn't tell you all about it. And then you assume it was one way, when it was actually all different."

"Hm, like when Sara told me she didn't have time to play with me. I saw her later in the park with another girl and thought she had a new best friend. And when I went up to her to tell her I didn't like her any more, she said the girl was her cousin who came to visit her and that's why she didn't have time to play with me. Is that a misunderstanding?"

"Exactly. And you remember the feeling you had when you thought Sara had a new best friend?"

"Yes, I was sad. And I was mad because I didn't want her to have a new best friend."

"See, that's how I felt last night."

"You didn't want Mommy to have a new best friend?"

I laugh.

"No Pixie, it was a little different, but almost the same. I was sad and mad at Mommy because she didn't tell me everything she should have told me. Like Sara should have told you before that she didn't have time because her cousin was visiting her."

"Ah! I get it. But you're not mad at Mommy any more, are you?"

"No, Pix, everything is fine."

"Good!"

"Daddy?"

"Ya, Pix?"

"Do you think Uncle Finny got me a kitten for Christmas?"

"Well, Pix, I do-"

Phew! Saved by the doorbell.

"I'll get it" I yell, hoping that Rory heard me. "Come on Pix, I believe Colin and Steph are here. You like playing with Henry and Jack, right?"

She takes my hand, walking over to the front door. "Well, sometimes I like it. But Daddy, they are such babies!"

Suddenly she stops dead in track. "I don't wanna play with babies tonight."

I stop and pick her up, putting her over my shoulder cave man style. Giggling she throws her small fists against my back and struggles with her legs.

"Let me down, Daddy, let me down!"

"No way, Pix."

I still have her over my shoulder when I open the door to reveal Colin and Steph. Looking down, I see a pink faced Henry and even further down a popped up dark blue snow suit with a faux fur hood under which I assume Jack is hidden.

"Hi guys! Welcome! Merry Christmas!" I lean over the tiny snow suit people to kiss Steph's cheek, ignoring the yelling bundle on my shoulder.

"What happened to her?" Colin asks as he picks up some bags and looks at Lailie.

"Her? Well, you know, kids."

I finally let her down when the gang is inside and she stares at me with a red face. "I despise you!"

"Whoa, where did you learn that word?" She ignores me and turns to Colin and Steph.

"Hi Uncle Colin, hi Aunt Steph." As she turns back towards me, without giving our guests any kind of chance to greet her, I can barely stop her from kicking my leg.

"Pix, stop it! What was that for?" I question as I kneel down to her.

"I don't wanna play with them!" she hisses and throws a scorning glance at Henry and Jack who are currently being unwrapped by their parents.

"But Pix, you always liked playing with them."

"But not any more."

Sighing I say: "Please, do it for me. I promise you they will be nice."

Pouting, she stalks off.

"Anything wrong with her?" Steph asks as she hands me her coat and Jacks fur thingy.

"Well…" Is anything wrong with her? "You know, we got home late last night, then she was up early today because she was so excited. I guess she's just tired."

"If you say so…"

Just in that moment Rory enters the hallway from the living room.

"Hey you two! I just heard your voices, though I didn't hear the doorbell… Did you find everything ok?" She walks over to Steph to give her a hug and then to Colin to get a kiss on the cheek.

"Well you know, Rory, Miss Stephanie over there, thought that she would know the way to your new house way better than my navigation system. Well, apparently she didn't and we drove around the neighborhood for like 20 minutes. We already had a safety patrol car following us!"

Laughing, I slap his shoulder.

"You know, Colin, never trust a woman's coordination instinct. It might kill you."

"Oh, wasn't there the one time, where you guys drove down to DC and Rory ended up in Philadelphia 'cause she didn't know how to work your navigational system and actually tried maps?"

"Stop it you two!" Steph's no-fun voice breaks our little walk down memory lane. "At least we didn't sink a yacht."

Please Rory, please… She doesn't have to know about this year's Easter vacation incident! "You know what Steph?" my beloved wife starts, and I inhale deeply, knowing what is about to happen. She takes Steph's free arm, the other one is occupied by Jack, who looks a little sleepy, and leads her over to the living room.

"Actually, my darling husband sank another one, just last…" her voice trails off as they get further into the house.

"Women." Colin shrugs with his shoulders. "You make one tiny teasing comment and you won't live it down for rest of the evening."

Picking the bags up again he adds: "See, she did all this shopping and wrapping and all that stuff, and guess who gets to carry these stupid things around! Henry you want to help Dad?"

Henry smiles sweetly and picks the smallest bag up.

I chuckle and look at father and son. "Right Colin, train them while you still can!"

He rolls his eyes.

"By the way, I'll go and check on my mad little princess. Please follow the chitchatting voices into the living room and please keep the women from plotting anything against us."

Shaking his head he leaves towards the chatty voices, Henry trailing behind him, imitating Colin's walk.

In about seven months I will have a boy just like that. Well, it better be a boy. I wonder if Rory already told Steph. At the speed the two of them are talking, they might already be talking about nursery decoration.

I find Lailie sitting in her big reading chair in the playroom.

"What's up, Pix?"

"Don't wanna talk to you." She scoffs and looks away.

"Why is that?"

"You just want to make me play with the babies."

"I won't make you play with Henry and Jack. But they are our guests and you always liked to play with them. Why not any more?"

"They are babies!"

"But Pixie, your new baby brother will, obviously, also be a baby. Will you not play with him either?"

Quiet, but then: "I will play with him, 'cause he will be my baby brother and a lot cooler than Henry and Jack."

"Oh yeah, of course, your brother will be the coolest baby in the word. Should we look for baby size sunglasses and baby size leather jackets on the internet?"

She finally smiles.

"There is no such thing, Daddy!"

"Of course there is! When you were born, you were my little princess. We got you a very pretty white dress and a little crown and you were the most beautiful baby in the entire world."

Again sweet Pixie giggles.

"And if we want to make Junior the coolest baby in the world, we have to get him sunglasses and a leather jacket. Or, wait, you know what?"

"What, Daddy?"

"He won't need it, 'cause being your brother already makes him the coolest baby in the world!"

Giggling and smiling she jumps off the chair and runs to the door.

"You coming, Daddy?"

Lailie skips into the living room, singing some kind of la-la song. Apparently Ace hasn't told them about Junior yet since Steph is talking, or rather ranting, about Henry and pre-school interviews when I enter behind my daughter.

Everybody turns their head at the little hyper girl.

"Hey Lailie, you ok again?" Steph stops her rant to talk to her.

"Was she not ok earlier?" Rory looks between Steph, dancing Lailie and me.

"Well, let's say our daughter was a little grumpy earlier."

"Huh, how about that… What changed her mood?"

"My little brother is going to be the coolest baby in the whole world because he's my little brother!" Lailie babbles.

"Ha I knew it!" Steph gasps, jumps up and gives Rory a hug. "I knew it from the moment I saw you! You have that soon-to-be-mommy glow about you!"

As I sit down next to Colin, we watch the hugging, squeezing, and squeaking that is going on a few feet down the sectional.

"And I always thought that all this make-up makes them glow…" Colin mumbles, as we keep staring at the 'girls'. He drags his eyes away and pats my shoulder.

"Well done, man, well done. You managed to make a little Logan this time?"

Laughing I answer him. "Well, we don't know yet. And Ace threatens that I won't before the baby is actually born, 'cause you know… Ace and her 'I-don't-want-to-know-my-baby's-gender' talk. But I really wouldn't mind some male enforcement and you heard it, Pix is all set for a baby brother. She won't even think about the baby sister alternative. She asked Santa for a baby brother and that's what she's going to get."

"Ha!" He grins. "So the old guy was involved, huh?"

"Well, I hope not actively…" I smirk.

"Ew… Well, it's your wife! I just hope…" He stops.

"What, man?"

"I just hope that your pregnant lady won't make my non-pregnant lady want to have another child. She's been talking about wanting a girl ever since the day she found out that Jack was going to be a Jack and not a Jackie."

I take my eyes from the ladies and find Lailie sitting at the chair next to the fireplace playing on her computer.

"Colin, believe me, you wouldn't want to miss it. A man needs a son, that's for sure, but daughters are so… well 'cool', they make you do stuff you never thought possible."

"Man, Logan, you've got it bad!" He laughs at me and I lean back into the cushions.

I admit that she's got me wrapped around her pinkie, but I wouldn't want it to be any different.