Chapter 9
Athos and Sylvie were woken by several footsteps passing their bedroom.
"I suppose we better get up," she said. "Wouldn't want us to be bad hosts."
Athos sighed and got up.
When they finally made it downstairs to the great room, they found four year old Philip crawling around the floor looking at each package. The boy was still in his pajamas, hair sticking up everywhere.
"Philip, have you had breakfast?" Athos asked.
"Mummy and Aramis are making it," the boy said.
"I'll go check on them," Athos said pressing a quick kiss to Sylvie's temple.
Athos entered the kitchen cautiously. Aramis knew how to cook, but he tended to over indulge Anne whose skill in the kitchen left much to be desired.
"Well, it seems everything is still intact," Athos said.
"Oh very funny," Anne scowled at him, but there was no heat behind it.
"Breakfast will be ready twenty minutes," Aramis said.
"I hope Philip is not being any trouble," Anne said.
"No," Athos shook his head. "He was just examining every gift under the tree." Anne and Aramis looked at each other grinning. "Sylvie's with him now. I'll leave you two to it."
Athos returned to the great room where Elodie sat with little Marie-Cessette and Sylvie. Phillip was still examining the presents. Athos said hello sitting on the armrest.
A phone rang nearby. Everyone checked their phones.
"It's yours," Athos said grabbing the phone on the coffee table and handing it to Sylvie.
"It's Maman," Sylvie said.
"It's snowing!" Phillip shouted from the big window at the front of the house.
"Phillip, indoor voices, please," Elodie lightly scolded.
Marie-Cessette began to cry. Porthos came in wandered in noticing the crying and went over to the couch where Elodie sat holding their daughter. "I'll take her," he said.
Elodie smiled up at him. "Thank you."
Porthos smiled in return. Athos couldn't help smiling at the couple.
"Well, now, what's this?" Porthos said bouncing Marie gently in his arms. He walked around the room with Marie talking to her quietly. Within a minute or two little Marie began to calm.
Athos continued watching Porthos with his daughter. The doubt he had been carrying in the back of his mind for the past few months began to reassert itself.
He wondered if he could really be a good father. He was a morose and difficult man. Would he have patience with this child?
"Athos," Sylvie's voice brought him back to attention.
"Everything all right?" He asked.
"Maman can't make it. The weather was too bad and she didn't want to risk it," she said.
"I'm sorry," he leaned over kissing her forehead.
"Mummy, can I go outside and play in the snow?" Phillip nearly shouted again.
Anne was just entering the room and met up halfway with her son. "Phillip, remember what I told you about shouting indoors?
"Breakfast is almost ready," Anne told everyone after talking with her son telling him he could play outside later.
TM
After their breakfast they returned to the great room. Aramis and Phillip took up the job of delivering the presents to everyone.
Athos sighed quietly sharing a glance with Sylvie. It was going to be a long day.
It was indeed a long day. Handing out the gifts took a good ten minutes at least. Then there was the debate about what order they would go in. Would they take turns opening a gift at a time or when it was someone's turn would they open their gifts in one go?
That was another five or ten minutes of his life Athos would never get back.
Tired of the debate Athos made a decision. With his commanding voice he spoke. "Allow Phillip to open his gifts at one turn and Elodie and Porthos can help open all of Marie's next. We'll figure out what to do with the rest of us later."
That satisfied everyone and soon Phillip was tearing into his gifts. Each toy that required batteries was met with pleading from Phillip for batteries. Unfortunately someone neglected to bring batteries.
Aramis tried to look innocent as he received glares from everyone in the room.
Eventually Anne had gotten Phillip to calm down with some toys that didn't need batteries and a promise as soon as they were home they would have batteries for him.
It was lunch time when Phillip was through unwrapping his presents.
"d'Artagnan, help me up please," Constance asked from the couch.
"Do you need any help?" Athos asked Sylvie.
"No, I got up myself earlier," Sylvie said and attempted to get up from the couch.
Athos noticed she was having some difficulty, but waited to see if she would ask for help.
"Athos," Sylvie's voice was defeated and frustrated.
Athos walked back over to her grabbing the hands she lifted towards him and helped her up. To be fair, it was a terrible couch even for someone who wasn't seven or eight months pregnant.
"I know it's difficult giving up some of your independence," Constance offered standing next to d'Artagnan. "But it won't be much longer."
Athos and Sylvie exchanged panicked looks realizing it wasn't much longer.
Constance laughed. "It'll be all right," she said.
TM
Athos leaned against the side of the big window looking out into the front yard. All the gifts had finally been unwrapped and Anne allowed Phillip to go out and play in the snow.
It wasn't a whole lot of snow, but just enough to be trouble. The roads would probably be bad for at least another day.
Aramis was bundled up along with Phillip playing with the boy. Athos smiled. It was known only within the team; Aramis was really the boy's father. Athos wasn't sure, but he didn't think even Louis knew.
"Hey," Sylvie came over next to Athos leaning into his side. He wrapped an arm around her back pulling her close.
"Hey," he said smiling at her.
"One day that will be our son or daughter out there playing in the snow," Sylvie said.
His doubts still fought for dominance, but Athos did his best to push them away as they continued to watch the activity outside.
TM
Anne and Phillip left for home the day after Christmas so the boy could spend time with Louis.
Everyone else decided it was best to leave the day before New Year's eve. Athos and Sylvie saw everyone out and to their cars. Promises to call or text were made when everyone arrived home safely.
Athos and Sylvie met up with Albert the caretaker of the house. They said their goodbyes and thanked him and his wife for all their help.
When Albert wasn't looking Athos slipped an envelope in a location he knew Albert would find it. Inside the envelope was the usual amount of money Athos gave Albert for Christmas, but this year it included a card that Sylvie insisted on. She added a warm note of gratitude to the older couple for their kindness and generosity of spirit. Then they both signed it.
"Are you sure you shouldn't have just given the card to him?" Sylvie asked as they headed back to the house.
"He's a proud man," Athos said. "He doesn't think he needs anything extra. It would simply embarrass him."
TM
An hour later they were on the road heading home. Sylvie slipped a hand in Athos' as he drove giving it a light squeeze.
TBC