Finally, I have finished this chapter! Sorry it took so long! I suck, I know it!
I really hope everyone enjoys it!
Oh, and for those of you that don't know and have been reading New Beginnings, I've began an outtake story for it. So far, there's two chapters and I'm asking for ideas for future chapters. Check it out!
Before I get to the story, I'd like to thank Northwoman for her speedy and accurate beta job.
As usual any mistakes that remain are mine.
And these characters are Charlaine Harris's not mine!
Eric's POV
"Hunter, I've read you three books. You've got to go to sleep," I practically begged.
Tara and Jason had been the last guests to leave and that was about an hour before and since then, Sookie had been in the kitchen cleaning up and I'd been trying to get Hunter to go to sleep which was proving to be much more difficult than normal. My guess was that it was all the sugar he'd had. I swear, every time I turned around, someone had handed him a cookie or a piece of fudge.
Normally, I'd read him one book, usually Green Eggs and Ham, and he'd be asleep before I was even finished. That had been the routine every single night that I'd been here at his bedtime since the night Sookie and I told him we were together, but I guess that just wasn't how it was going to go, this time.
"Can't we read one more?" he asked.
"Hunter, you have to go to sleep. It's almost midnight, little man ... and it's way past your bedtime. Look, even Killer's asleep," I said pointing to the corner of the bed where Killer was curled up in a ball.
No! Not the eyes! I thought, as he looked up at me begging with his huge brown eyes. His eyes got me every single time and I swear he knew it. He was smart, but this time I was going to be smarter. I wasn't giving in tonight.
Maybe that was wrong of me, but I didn't know what else to do. Asking him nicely wasn't working, so I decided to go with a little innocent fear.
"Santa's coming. You have to go to sleep or he won't come. Don't you want to have presents in the morning?"
"Yeah!" he said excitedly.
"Then go to sleep. He'll be here really soon and if you aren't sleeping, he'll leave. Then you won't get any gifts till next year."
I knew telling him Santa wouldn't come would probably scare him to sleep, but not in a way that would scar him for life.
"Really?"
I nodded as I responded, "Really."
"Eric, will you stay with me till I fall asleep?"
"Of course I will," I said as I flipped off the lamp then added, "Go to sleep and when you wake up, you get me and Sookie and you can open all the presents that will be waiting for you."
Killer coming up to the top of the bed and burrowing under the covers to spoon with Hunter was the last thing I remembered ... and then, I heard Sookie's voice.
Sookie's POV
When I finished cleaning up the remnants of Christmas Eve, I realized it had been nearly two hours since I'd started and I hadn't seen hide nor hair of Eric, which was unusual considering he'd been on me the entire day to stop and rest. I had pretty much refused all day long since there was so much to do before our company arrived and I figured since all the company had left and we both had no plans for tomorrow that he'd have been in at some point to tell me to clean up in the morning and go to bed, but he hadn't, so I decided to go find him.
He'd bought Hunter a swing set for Christmas and I knew he wanted to get it put together tonight, so it would be ready for use when Hunter found out about it in the morning and it was getting really late. If he didn't start soon, there was no way he'd have it put together before morning.
When I found him, I found him curled up, asleep with Hunter. He looked hilarious, yet adorable, in that tiny, little, twin-sized bed. I had no idea how he could possibly have been comfortable.
He and Hunter had really gotten close. So close, in fact, that I swear, they were almost like father and son ... not that I could ever think Eric, or myself for that matter, could ever replace Remy and Hadley in Hunter's eyes, but he really loved Hunter and Hunter loved him just as much. I was glad because not only was it good for Hunter to have a male parental figure in his life, but also, seeing him interact with Hunter allowed me to see what a great dad he was going to be to our baby. We were all lucky to have him.
"Eric," I whispered softly in his ear as I nudged him. "Eric, wake up."
"Sookie ... shit! I didn't mean to fall asleep," he said groggily.
"Language," I warned, pointing to Hunter.
"Oops. Sorry. What time is it?"
"It's a little after one. Come on. Let's get out of Hunter's room before we wake him up," I suggested.
When we got into the living room, Eric flopped down onto the couch and said, "I've got to get that damn swing set up by morning, but I'm so tired. I don't know if I'm going to be able to get it done."
"Why don't you just wait? You can do it tomorrow," I suggested as I took a seat beside him. "I know he won't mind. He'll be so excited to have it that it won't matter if it's put together or not."
"Sookie, it is his Christmas gift. It needs to be put together when he wakes up. Dads all over the place are putting things together for their sons right now...," he trailed off then added solemnly, "I know he's not my son, but I'm ... like ... the closest thing he's got to a dad. I have to do this for him."
"Eric," I said choking back tears, "I love you and we are so lucky to have you in our lives."
"Baby, please don't start crying again," he begged as he pulled me against him and took me into his arms. He kissed my temple then cooed, "I'm the lucky one."
I swear, I didn't mean to start crying when he said that, but I had been really emotional lately, so the floodgates burst open. Actually, pretty emotional probably wasn't the right way to describe it ... I had been a blubbering idiot.
For the past few days, I'd pretty much been crying at the drop of a hat, so when the tears started falling it didn't surprise me and frankly, I was just happy I wasn't crying over a commercial again.
This morning, I had just sat down on the couch with Killer and my daily cup of coffee and ended up crying for over an hour because of that depressing Sarah McLachlan ASPCA commercial. The day before it had been Folgers and the day before that had been Coke. I mean, at least this time I was crying over real life and not a TV commercial.
I don't know how long I sat there in Eric's arms crying, but finally, he asked, "Baby, are you okay, now?"
I nodded as I rubbed my eyes and said, "I'm fine. I'm sorry I've been crying so much lately. I just can't control it. I swear, I'm really not like this all the time. I think the pregnancy just has me a little crazy right now," I laughed.
"Sookie, I know you aren't like this all the time. You're going through a lot of changes right now, and on top of all of that, I know you're tired, too. You've been up for nearly a day and we didn't get much sleep last night. You really should try to get some sleep. As much as I'd like to stay here and cuddle with you all night, I really need to get to work on that swing set."
I knew he wanted to put the swing set together, but I just wasn't quite ready to let him go. I tightened my arms, which were around his waist and asked, "Can we cuddle for just a few more minutes?"
"You are starting to sound like Hunter," he laughed. "Am I going to have to threaten you with Santa, too?"
"Threaten me with Santa?" I asked puzzled. "What on earth are you talking about?"
"Oh, I was having a hard time getting Hunter to go to sleep so I told him that if he wasn't asleep when Santa got here, that Santa would leave and not leave him any presents."
"Good one," I laughed. "Speaking of Santa, we've got to get all the gifts under the tree. It would be really bad if he woke up and we hadn't put them out yet. Why don't we do that, then if you want, I'll call Jason. When he and Tara don't have to be up early, they're night owls, so I know he'd be up and more than willing to come help you put the swing set together."
"Well, if you think he won't mind, I guess that would be helpful, but you call him, I'll do all the heavy lifting."
Eric's POV
As I came down the stairs dragging a huge Rubbermaid container on wheels, full of Hunter's gifts, behind me, I hoped I wasn't making too much noise. I knew if he woke up, the whole Santa thing would be out the window and that would not be good.
Jason will be here within the hour," Sookie said smiling as she shut her phone.
"Are you sure he doesn't mind?" I asked, worried that he would be pissed when he arrived.
"No, he's cool. He said Tara was trying to get him to watch Miracle on 34th Street and he was glad to get away," she laughed. "Unless you count A Christmas Story, Elf, and Bad Santa, Jason doesn't do Christmas movies."
She was sitting on the floor between the tree and the fireplace and between the glow of the lights and the glow of the flames, she looked like an angel which inevitably made me hard. I wheeled the Rubbermaid container over to where she was sitting, removed the lid, then took a seat beside her.
"I wish I could make love to you ... right here, under the glow of the tree and the fire ... right now," I said huskily as I leaned in and brushed my lips against hers.
"Mmm, me too," she said snuggling closer to me.
"But we have too much to do," I said frowning.
"And a small child in the room on the other side of that wall," she said pointing in the direction of Hunter's room, "that could wake up and come in here at any given moment."
Sookie mentioning Hunter brought our focus back to the task at hand which was getting Hunter's gifts under the tree, so I started unloading the contents of the container while Sookie arranged everything under the tree.
"Do you want to go ahead outside and get started?" she asked once all the gifts were under the tree. "I can help you until Jason gets here."
She had to be joking. I was not about to have my pregnant girlfriend outside, in the yard, in the freezing cold helping me assemble a bunch of heavy wooden beams in the middle of the night. No way in Hell! Especially after she had cooked and cleaned all day long on only about three hours of sleep. She needed to go to bed.
"Absolutely not!" I chided. "You've been on your feet all day and I know you are tired. You need to go to bed," I insisted firmly.
"Well, if you won't let me help you, then do you want your gift? We still have a little time before Jason is supposed to be here."
"I thought you already gave me my gift," I said surprised.
This afternoon, while we'd been getting ready for dinner and our guests, out of nowhere, Sookie asked me to go to the store. Little did I know, it had been a set up. When I got home, my sister Pam was waiting for me on the front porch.
Apparently, Sookie had arranged for Pam to be here for Christmas dinner. This was the first Christmas that Pam and I weren't spending together, ever, and even though I was ridiculously happy to be spending my holiday with Sookie, the fact that Pam couldn't get away from work this year killed me.
Sookie knew how I felt and somehow managed to talk Pam into flying in for dinner. She was only able to stay for a few hours, but I was so grateful. Pam and I were so incredibly close and the fact that Sookie had taken that into consideration was by far the best gift anyone could have given me.
"I haven't given you your gift," she said wrinkling her nose up and squinting at me in confusion.
"Pam coming to dinner wasn't my gift?" I asked just as confused.
"No silly. That wasn't your gift," she reached under the tree and pulled out a small wrapped box. She placed the box in my hand and added, "This is your gift."
"Oh ... well, I guess we could exchange gifts, but then I do think you should rest. I worry about you and the baby when you push yourself too hard."
She smiled as she lifted her hands into the air. Shaking her head, she said, "Okay, I give up. I'll give in and lie down, but can I just veg out on the couch and watch TV until you're finished?"
"I guess that would be sufficient," I said smiling as I stood up, bending over to pick up the gift I'd made for her from under the tree.
I sat both boxes on the coffee table then reached out my hand, helped her up, and led her over to the couch.
"You'll probably fall asleep here anyway, like you always do," I laughed as I took a seat beside her and kissed her forehead.
I reached over, picked her gift up off the table, and handed it to her.
"You first," I insisted.
I was so nervous and I hoped she liked it. The thing was, everything was so new between us and I really didn't know what to get her. After waiting until the last minute, and by the last minute I totally mean about nine o'clock this morning, I'd called Pam for advice and I really hoped the advice she gave me was right and I hope all that hot glue stuff was dry.
Had I have known Pam was on her way out the door to fly here, I would have just asked her to bring me some of Grandma's jewelry, but when I talked to her, she didn't let on, so the only piece of Grandma's jewelry she'd brought with her, was the one piece I'd asked her to overnight to me as soon as possible and that wasn't something I wanted to give to Sookie for Christmas. I had a specific vision in my head for the moment I was going to give it to her and Christmas wasn't it, so my crappy homemade gift would have to do.
Sookie ripped paper off the shabbily wrapped box I'd put it in, then she pulled it out. I sat there nervously hoping she liked it as she thoroughly looked it over.
Sookie's POV
I was looking at the most thoughtful gift and the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. He'd obviously made it himself and although it wasn't perfectly put together, I could tell he'd really worked hard making it.
"Eric, you're trying to make me cry again!" I chided. "A scrapbook! It's beautiful! Where'd you learn to do this?"
He'd covered the album with a pale green satin fabric and lined the edges with a pale yellow lace. He'd obviously been busy at some point with my hot glue gun ... well, unless he had his own, but I somehow doubted that.
"Well, Pam gave me the idea, but I did a little research on the internet to figure out how to put it all together," he said grinning.
In the center there was a frame embellished with the same pale yellow lace that edged the book and in the frame was a picture of Eric and I dancing on Halloween. We were holding each other and you could practically see love in the way we were looking into each other's eyes. Looking at that picture made me see how downright stupid we'd both been and made me so very happy because we'd finally both seen the light.
"This picture ... where did it come from? I've never seen it before."
"Pam took that picture of us on Halloween with her cell phone. She uploaded it to her facebook page and tagged me so I could print it. I think she tagged you, too, so it's probably on your page ... there's more, if you open it," he said smiling.
I opened it to the first page and although it was decorated beautifully, I focused mainly on the copy of the announcement the school had sent home to inform all of the parents of the details of the fall festival that Eric had placed in the center of the page. Beneath it, there was a small piece of paper with a caption that said:
I wish I had a picture of you, from this day, but this was all I had. This was the day you changed my life and I know that at first, neither of us were sure if it was for the better, but it was and you know, the more I think about it, I think I fell in love with you, that very day. I just didn't know it then.
My tears started falling again as I sighed, "Oh, Eric."
I flipped to the next page and found a picture of him and Hunter that I'd taken last week. They had just built a castle with Hunter's Legos and I had grabbed the camera to commemorate the moment. Beneath it there was a picture of Killer and Hunter that I'd also taken the same day and the ultrasound of our baby that we'd just gotten yesterday and beneath both of them, there was another caption that read:
You've given me the family that I didn't think I'd ever have and for that I'll always love you.
"I know it's not much ...," he said trailing off, then added, "You can take that stuff out of it if you want and use it for the baby or whatever."
"Eric, this is everything. It's the best gift anyone's ever given me and I would never change it," I said smiling, then added, "Well, maybe I'll add to it, but I love what you put in it. It's perfect. Thank you."
Tears were still spilling down my cheeks, in spite of the smile on my face, when I reached over onto the coffee table and picked up Eric's gift.
Handing it to him I said, "Now it's your turn," then wiped the tears off my cheeks, fully expected more to start falling soon.
Eric ripped the paper off of the tiny box, opened it, and questioned, "What is this?"
"What does it look like?" I asked. I wanted to see if he understood what it meant.
"It looks like the key to your house, but I already have one," he said puzzled.
I remained quiet and watched him intently as he pondered the meaning of the gift, then out of nowhere a huge smile formed on his face. He'd obviously figured it out. Seeing him smile made me smile, but not for long because before I knew it his arms were around me and he was squeezing me so hard that I swear I almost peed.
"Uhg, Eric," I grunted. "Too tight."
"Oh, I'm sorry," he said as he let go of me. "Are you positive, Sookie?" he asked. "Is this really for real? You really want me to move in?"
"Yes!"
Eric's POV
"I love you, Sookie. I love you so damn much," I said as I felt a single tear slide down my cheek.
Fuck! I'd never been so happy in my life ... well, maybe I was when I saw the baby the day before, but regardless, the last thing I wanted was for her to see me cry, so excused myself.
"I'm going to get you your pillow and a blanket. You stay put and I'll be right back."
"Okay," she said smiling.
I went to our bedroom, picked up my bag, and sat it down on our bed. I reached in the pocket and I pulled out the ring Pam had brought with her from New York. The one I'd asked her to overnight to me ASAP.
This morning, my plan had been to ask Sookie to marry me on New Year's Eve precisely at the stroke of midnight, but by what could almost be considered a Christmas miracle I had the ring already and I really wanted to ask her now.
I put the ring in my pocket, grabbed Sookie's pillow, and the quilt from the foot of the bed, then went back into the living room to the woman that I hoped would agree to be my wife. I wasn't gone long, but by the time I got back, she had already fallen asleep.
She looked so peaceful lying there and in that moment, I realized that asking her to marry me could and should wait. She needed her rest. I wasn't sure if I'd wait until New Year's Eve as I'd originally planned, but I wasn't going to ask her tonight. I gently lifted her head and put the pillow under it, trying not to wake her, but I was unsuccessful.
"Eric," she said groggily as her eyes opened. "Are you finished with the swing set?"
"No, not yet. You've been sleeping for less than ten minutes," I laughed. "Jason hasn't even gotten here yet. Go back to sleep. I'll be back to put you to bed in a little while," I said as I covered her with the blanket then headed outside to wait for Jason.
I hope you liked it and I hope to have the next chapter up in a couple of weeks. We'll get to see how Eric's proposal goes!
Also, please leave me reviews so I know that y'all have stuck with me even though I suck and haven't posted anything in a really long time. For those of you that did stick with me, THANKS!
Oh, and before I forget, I'd like to thank s. meadows and stealingdreams who helped me pick the commercials that made Sookie cry over in the Country Club earlier today! If you are unsure what commercials they are and would like a good cry, there are links to them on my profile.