"Merry Christmas!" Jennifer cooed to her son as she picked him up out of his crib that December morning. Wearing a set of green footie pajamas with red and white candy canes all over, he smiled at his mommy showing off his two new bottom teeth. "My, aren't you getting big?" She laid him down on the blanket she'd set up on her bed to change him. The room wasn't big enough for a changing table so she'd learned to make do, keeping the diaper stuff under the bed. "Today, your daddy's coming over and when the boys and Katie wake up we'll open gifts. Then we'll go to his house and have dinner because his house is bigger. Kendall and them insist on wearing their pajamas over there since it's Christmas and according to them you have to stay in your PJs all day, but if you don't mind, I'm going to get you dressed."
Jennifer hummed a Christmas carol as she carried her baby boy into the kitchen for his morning breakfast. Everyone else was still asleep so she tried to be quiet. The boys had had some grueling rehearsals with Gustavo lately getting ready to finish that tour they were on seven months ago.
"Ho-Ho-Ho!" Mitch greeted in struggling to come in the door with a bag of gifts.
Keegan giggled. Lately he'd been giggling at everything. He was just a giggly baby at the moment. His mom had put him in his highchair and he was just sitting there giggling at his father.
"Yes, Christmas is a fun time!" Mitch announced to his son. "Is anyone else up?" He wrapped his arms around his girlfriend.
"No. The boys have been working so hard for Gustavo I'm letting them sleep in."
Just as she said that a tall blond stumbled into the room rubbing his eyes, his hair wild in different directions.
"Good morning," his mom greeted him with a kiss to his cheek, which he rubbed off like he was embarrassed. "What are you doing up so early?"
"It's Christmas," he mumbled searching the fridge for something, anything.
"I'll make you guys Belgian waffles when everyone gets up."
Kendall poured himself a cup of orange juice and sat down next to his brother. Keegan squealed as Kendall roughed the slight bit of dark hair on his head.
"Your first Christmas, Baby Brother."
Keegan smiled toothily and smacked his hands against his highchair tray. He reached his chubby little arm out. Kendall knew what he wanted so he bent over and let Keegan "rough up" his hair, too. He was always trying to imitate his older brother.
Soon the remaining four found their ways out of bed; Mama Knight made huge Belgian waffles for each of them; and now they sat around the Christmas tree opening presents.
"Tell Camille thank you for the sweater," Jennifer said to Logan holding up a blue and green striped sweater with a bear hoodie.
"She wished she could be here to see Keegan's first Christmas, but you know, gotta spend Christmas with the family."
Kendall bopped him on the arm. "Maybe one day spending it with you will be family."
Logan turned about ten different shades of red causing everyone to laugh.
"All right, let's get cleaned up and head on over to Mitch's," Jennifer said.
"One more thing," Mitch interrupted pulling out a long box.
Carefully Jennifer unwrapped the paper and opened the white lid.
"This is—" her eyes started to water as she pulled out the diamond tennis bracelet.
"I love you, Jen." He took the bracelet and hooked it around her right wrist. "I know I haven't exactly been the best boyfriend—person, but the trials we've been through this past year have shown me what I truly want and what I truly want is you."
Sitting next to each other on the couch, Jen wrapped her arms around Mitch's neck and pulled him into a deep kiss earning cheers and whistles from the boys. "I love you, too."
.O.
"This has been a wonderful Christmas." Jennifer snuggled into Mitch on the couch in his den that evening. The boys and Katie had taken Keegan home for bed leaving them to spend the last remaining hours of the holiday alone. "I—I haven't felt this way since Kendall and Katie's father passed away."
"I don't want to rush you. I did that once and looked what happened."
"We made a beautiful kid together."
"Because he got all of your genes."
"You don't give yourself enough credit. I wouldn't have picked you if you were that bad."
"You were taking pity on me."
"Never!" She snuggled into his chest. "I'm glad you came back."
Whenever I see the episode Big Time Superheroes I always feel bad for the kid Zwagger. He got played by Hawk. He probably all excited and thought he had this big record contract. He was gonna be a star. No, he was just being used by Hawk to get back at Big Time Rush.