…..
Sunday afternoon, five days before Christmas
"Dad? What's going on? You haven't said a word," Lucas said as Martin drove them from the airport.
Martin looked at Lucas in the rear view mirror and then Elizabeth. "There's been a development."
Elizabeth squeezed his hand and Lucas raised his eyebrows. "What sort of development?"
"Crystal showed up, son."
"What? She got in the gate? I'm going to have Charlie fired."
"No, Charlie did his job."
"Alright…so…"
"Charlie brought Kyle to us."
"Kyle…"
"Well, Crystal's son and according to the birth certificate, your son."
Elizabeth pulled her hand away but Lucas snatched it back. "He's not, Beth. I promise you. He's not mine. She slept with my best friend. For all I know, he is Kyle's father."
She nodded and he looked up at Martin. "Dad, he's not mine."
"Well, that is a bit of a mystery then. One, why did she list you as his father on his birth certificate. Two, why did she leave him with us and where is she? Three, what do we do with him?"
"I will find out. Where is he now?"
"Your mom is watching him."
"This is so typical of Crystal. Never taking responsibility. Pushing off her problems on other people."
"He has a letter with him."
"What does it say?"
"We didn't read it. It has your name on it."
Elizabeth could feel the anger filling the air. She wondered if Kyle was Lucas' son. What if she got pregnant the last time they were intimate? Why else did she put his name on the birth certificate?
Martin pulled into Vi's driveway. Elizabeth saw Nora waving out the front window and she couldn't get out fast enough.
"Babe?"
Lucas was staring out the side window. "Huh?"
"Babe, walk me to the door?"
"I…yeah." She got out and grabbed her bag and then waited for Lucas to come around to her side.
"Mama!!!!" Nora yelled, standing in the doorway.
"Sorry, Beth. She didn't want to wait another second," Vi told her from the door, trying to zip up Nora's coat from behind her.
"It's fine, Vi. I'll be right there."
"You should go to her," Lucas told her, zipping his own jacket.
"Are you being serious right now, Lucas Bouchard?" she asked, hands on her hips. "We need to talk about this, but even before that, after the amazingly romantic weekend we had, we need to say goodbye."
"I don't know how to get through this, Beth. He's not mine. He can't be."
She reached up, cupped his face, and kissed him. "I love you, Luke. With all of my heart. We need to take time to talk about this. Right now though, Nora is needing me so I am going to take her home, feed her dinner and grab our stuff so we can stay overnight. Unless of course you don't want us there."
"Of course I do. I need you there, Beth."
"Alright then. See you in about an hour."
She gave him a hug and then headed up to see Nora who was yelling for her.
"Baby girl! I missed you!" Elizabeth said, squatting down and gathering her daughter into her arms.
"Mama! Miss Mama."
"Thank you, Vi, for watching her."
"Of course. Happy to do it, of course."
"Wanna go home, love?" she asked Nora.
"Daddy?"
"Yep, we are going home to have supper and then we will go see him."
"Amie and Ace?"
"Yep. Them too."
"Kay. Let's go!"
Martin arrived in Lucas' driveway shortly after. "Son, are you alright?"
"Yeah. Thanks, Dad, for watching the kids for me."
"You know we love to watch them. Its no hardship."
"And for waiting to tell me about Kyle until we got home. That means alot."
"You gonna marry her, son?"
"Yeah. She's moving in as soon as we can make it happen."
"But marriage?"
"Yes. I don't have a plan yet but yes, I will propose."
"Good. I've always wanted a daughter and Beth…she's a good one."
"She's the best one."
When they walked in the door, Lucas expected the kids to be happy to see him but instead they were yelling at each other and Helen was trying to get control.
"Hey!" he boomed. "What's going on?"
"Daddy!" Amie yelled, rushing over to hug him. "Can you please tell Kyle to call his mom so she can come pick him up? He's so mean!"
"Ames, you need to be kind."
"But, Daddy…"
"Apologize."
"Yes, sir." Amie stomped over to Kyle and looked back at Lucas.
"Ames."
"I'm sorry I called you mean."
Kyle frowned at Amie and then lunged at Ace, pushing him onto the floor.
Lucas picked up Kyle and pulled him away from Ace, putting him down on the counter. "No fighting, Kyle. Not in my house. You are in a time out for…how old are you?"
"Six."
"Six minutes it is. No talking. Stay there."
"You're not my dad!" Kyle yelled.
"You're right, I'm not. I do however own this house and there is no fighting allowed."
"Whatever."
"Shhh."
Kyle crossed his arms and looked away from Lucas, but he stayed put and he was quiet.
Lucas walked over to Ace who was sitting on the floor. "Son?"
"Dad."
"Are you alright?"
"He said his mom says you're his Dad."
"I'm not, Ace. I'm your dad and Amie's dad."
"And you're gonna be Nora's too, right? She feels like our sister and Elizabeth feels like our mom."
"That's the plan. Now, can you tell me why you and Amie were fighting with Kyle?"
"She's right, Dad," he whispered. "He says mean things."
"Well, as long as he is here, we will have to make sure that he changes that personality trait and that means that you come tell me instead of handling it on your own."
"Yes, sir."
He kissed the top of Ace's head. "I missed you, bud."
"I missed you too."
After six minutes. Lucas let Kyle down. "Now, you owe Ace and Amie an apology as well."
"No I don't."
"Oh yes. No apology, you'll have another time out."
"That's not fair!"
"Yes, it is. If you are going to live here, even for one night, you need to be respectful of me and my parents and my children."
"I want my Mommy."
"I know and we are going to figure that out."
"She left me here. She's going to jail."
"Jail?"
"Yeah. She thinks I don't know but I heard her talking to someone on the phone when we were still at home."
Helen came into the room and hugged Lucas. "There's a letter on your dresser in the master. From her."
"Thank you, Mom. For everything."
She nodded and stepped away. "I'm going to go lay down for a bit."
"Okay. What would you like for dinner? I'll get takeout."
"No need. There's spaghetti and meatballs waiting for you."
"Kyle, its time to apologize."
After he finally let go of his stubbornness, Lucas let him go to the family room and play with the toys there. Ace and Amie were heading to their rooms but he suggested that they go into the family room too, so that Kyle doesn't feel alone.
"Its not fair," Amie said quietly. "He's mean and he's not our brother but we have to play with him?"
"No, you don't have to but you know what?"
"What?"
"You are a very sweet girl and Ace is fun to be around. Maybe Kyle just needs to feel what its like to be around people like that."
Plus Lucas was trying to get time to pass quicker so he could read that letter and then see Beth and Nora.
"I guess," Ace agreed, though he didn't seem very happy about it.
"Yeah," Amie said, willing to go with her brother.
"Thank you, kids. I'm very proud of you. Miss Elizabeth and Nora are spending the night tonight. They should be here soon. I'm going to unpack in my room for a bit." And read the letter.
He shut his door and sat on the bed, grabbing the letter.
"Dear Lucas,
I know that dropping Kyle on your doorstep, literally, probably made you angry but I have my reasons. But I want to start from the beginning.
About a month after you and I separated, I became pregnant. I honestly don't know who Kyle's father is. I know I made some bad choices and that was one of them. I love Kyle though, so I can't apologize for what happened in the past.
A few years after he was born, I made another bad choice, one that I am reaping the consequences for now. Long story short, I am going to jail. By the time you read this, I have already turned myself in for embezzlement. My sentence is three years and I couldn't leave Kyle alone or risk him having to go into the foster care system. My mom died and she was the only one I had left. Except you.
You may be wondering why I listed you as Kyle's father on the birth certificate. At the time, I hoped we could reconcile so in my own messed up head, I thought listing you would help. That I could convince you that you are his father.
Regardless of how wrong I was, I need you, Lucas. I know you don't owe me anything but please don't let my son get lost in the system. I may never see him again and I couldn't live with that. I know you are a good man and he will be safe with you until I serve my time.
I will be in touch.
Sincerely and thankfully,
Crystal
Lucas was speechless. He looked up as his door opened and there stood his love. "Thank goodness," he whispered, pulling her into a hug. "I read the letter."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah and I need you to know something, Beth."
"What's that?"
"I didn't know about Kyle or any of this. I found out when you did."
"I know."
"He isn't my child. The letter confirms that. But, I need to ask for your support here and honestly, once you read the letter, you may not want to worry yourself with me and my life."
"Stop, Lucas. I'm not going anywhere."
"Maybe hold off saying that until you read this." He handed the letter to her and they both sat on the bed.
She took his hand in hers, holding it on her lap as she read. After a moment or two, she put the letter down. "You need to keep him," she said, no question about it.
"I do."
"I'll help you. I'm still moving in and we will do this together. You and me and all our kiddos."
"Are you sure?"
"Daddy! Tiss, Tiss," Nora said, running in and holding her arms out to be picked up.
"Sweet pea! I missed you!" She touched his face and kissed him over and over.
There was no doubt in her heart that Lucas would save Kyle from going into the foster care system, despite who his mother was to him.
"You have such a good heart, love," she told him. "You are wonderful."
"Stay night?" Nora asked Lucas.
"You are! And one day, you're going to live here!"
"Yay! Kitty?"
"You want a kitty?"
"Meow."
"Mama and I will have to talk about that."
"Kay. Down," she said, wiggling and running out of the room.
"Oh my. I want to be her Daddy."
"You are her Daddy."
"No, I mean her actual Daddy."
"Lucas…what are you talking about? Really?"
"You'll see," he smiled, getting up and walking out of the room.
"Oh wow," she whispered, following him. She really couldn't wait until Christmas morning.
…..
Later, before bedtime routines
"What's a family meeting?" Amie asked, bouncing onto the couch next to Lucas.
"We all need to have a chat, including Kyle."
"He's not…"
"Ames."
She stopped talking.
Lucas looked at all four kids and Elizabeth before continuing.
"So, what do you all think being a family means?"
"Mommy and Daddy and babies?" Nora asked.
"Kids, not babies," Ace corrected.
"Elizabeth? What do you think family means?" Lucas asked, winking.
"I think its people who live together and take care of each other and love each other, no matter what."
"Right. I agree. Some families are different. Some don't have both Daddy's and Mommy's," Lucas explained.
"My friend Sam has two dads," Ace told them.
"Right. It can be any combination. But what makes them a family is that they take care of each other and love each other, just like Elizabeth said."
"I don't have one of those," Kyle said, burying his head in his knees. "That's not fair!"
"Sure you do, Kyle. We are your family," Ace told him, surprising everyone.
"You don't like me!"
"I do," Ace told him. "I could always use another brother or sister."
"Brother?"
"Kinda? I mean, neither of us have Mom's right now, but Elizabeth can take care of us."
"I have a mom."
"But she is away so while she is gone, Elizabeth will be here."
"I guess that will be okay."
"I'm glad you all feel that way because Elizabeth and Nora are moving in to stay with us," Lucas told them.
"Forever?!" Amie squealed.
"Yep. Forever."
"So what this also means is we need to listen to Elizabeth when she tells you to do something just like you listen to me."
"Yes sir," Amie and Ace said. Followed by "Yeah, Daddy!" from Nora.
Kyle stayed quiet.
"Kyle? What do you think?" Elizabeth asked, walking over and kneeling down to his level.
"Will you take care of me like my Mommy?"
"I will do my very best. No more fighting, okay? Just talk if you are mad."
"Okay."
Elizabeth opened her arms and waited for Kyle to walk into them. It took him about five seconds and then he broke into tears and ran into her arms.
"I'm scared, Elizabeth."
"I know. Being in a new place is hard. But you know what? We are in this together and I'm new to living here too."
"Okay."
Lucas got on the floor and opened his long arms. "Family hug?"
Everyone tackled him and Elizabeth just watched, falling deeper for this lovely man.
It was going to be a merry Christmas.