Chapter 19: Celebration x3
Today, we celebrated Snowflake Day. My brother and his family came early. It was good to see Falkor. I canāt believe how big his kids have gotten. Rickieās a teenager already and little Katherine is a child. My brother-in-law called and told us heād be late, and he told us not to wait for him. So my wife called us all to open presents.
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We gathered around the gift pile, laughing and joking. It was the first time he had gotten to meet Jeff. There had been a lot of good-natured ribbing, as well as some speculation disguised as such as well. I have to say, he took it pretty well and gave as good as he got, for the most part.
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We were most of the way through when my brother-in-law finally showed up.
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All-in-all, it was a day filled with food, fun, and family. It seems a little odd to me at times as my watch my family; my wife as she laughs with her brother, a brother she only recently has begun speaking to again; my daughter as she ruffles her little cousin, Katherineās hair and then is swept into a hug and kiss by her boyfriend. I can only smile as I look out the window, thinking of my parents. Theyād be proud, I think, proud of where the family was heading. Iād like to think theyād be proud of me, as well. Though, come to think of it, if they were watching, theyād probably have something to say to me about a couple of thingsā¦ but well, shouldnāt bring that up now anyway.
Faye waited while everyone else was occupied before she pulled Jeffrey aside.
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āHowās Draco?ā she asked without preamble.
Jeff looked guilty and more than a little harassed. āHeās healing. Heās lucky. By the Watcher, I hate this secrecy! Iām lying to the woman I love about her father. Iām lying to her motherā¦ This has to stop. That was the last time, right?ā
āAccording to the brass, yes,ā Faye answered. She didnāt look any happier. āLook, Iām not any happier about this. Heās my partner, my friend, and my husbandās brother. That last assignment was rough. He survived it, though, thanks to you and the medical team.ā
āIt wasnāt as serious as it could have been and he heals quickly. Must be a family trait,ā Jeff huffed out. āStill, I donāt like this. How Sophia didnāt find out, I have no idea. And I know for a fact that Dracoās been very careful around Aurora. Luckily, she canāt read me like she can most others. I can guarantee, though, that if she finds outā¦ thereās going to be a comeuppance.ā
āDonāt I know it. Weāll get through it. Weāre family.ā
Jeff sighed. āYeahā¦ā
Faye laughed. āSo? Have you yet?ā
āNo, not yet. Soon, though. I wanted to wait until the holidays are over. Then I will.ā
Faye punched his arm lightly. āGood luck.ā
Somethingās up in this house. I know it. I can feel it. I just donāt know what it is. Thereās something in the air. It swirls around everyone. It started a few days after Jeff moved in with us. And I think it has to do with the two days Dad was gone. It was something to do with work. A big case, he had said. Since he came back, Jeff has been tense and Dadās been acting a bitā¦ shifty. I sit here, drinking a cup of coffee, waiting for Dad to get up.
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I waited and when I heard this footsteps on the stairs, I stood up. He froze in the archway when he saw me. āUh, hey, baby girl.ā If I didnāt know him, I might not have seen that instance of trepidation before it was covered up by what I always saw in his eyes: the love, the pride.
āDad, we need to talk.ā
He could have evaded, could have tried to pretend he didnāt know. But thatās not my dadās way. At least, it hadnāt been. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. āYeah, I suppose we do.ā He joined me at the island and grabbed a mug from the tray Iād prepared. There was silence between us for a long time. Then he looked at me. āI never really figured Iād be able to keep it a secret for long. I just wanted some time. Time to show you guys I was fine.ā
āHow badly were you hurt?ā I asked him. āAnd donāt lie to me, dad.ā I was trying to keep my voice calm, level, though it was hard. In a lot of ways, I understood why he felt the need to keep it quiet. We were a close-knit, tight family, but we were also a littleā¦ protective. And none more so than my father.
āBad enough, though it was never life-threatening.ā He sighed. āāRoraā¦ I made an oath when I joined the force, to serve and protect. Itās dangerous work, you guys have always known that.ā
āYes, yes we do. But that doesnāt give you the right to lie to us, to not tell us when youāve been hurt!ā
āI know, I know.ā My dad looked miserable. āI justā¦ I didnāt want to worry anyone.ā
āDoes mom know?ā
āYes. I told her last night. Sheās not real happy with me.ā
āNo, I imagine not. What happened?ā
āI canāt give details,ā he said immediately, ābutā¦ well, Faye and I have been tracking this smuggling ring for a while now. We finally tracked them to their latest hole. We raided it; we went in. There was resistance. They had weapons. I took a ricochet in the side. Didnāt hit anything vital. I was in and out, patched up quick.ā
āI assume you swore Jeff to secrecy?ā I asked on a whim, some of that feeling in the air suddenly making more sense.
āYes. Doctor/client confidentiality. Please, Rora, donāt blame him. Heās been miserable keeping it from you.ā
I could only sigh. āYes, Iām aware. I canāt read him like I can read most, but that doesnāt mean I canāt tell when heās miserable.ā
āHow mad at me are you?ā
āOh, itās up there on the scale, butā¦ I understand, a little why you felt the need to keep it secret. Justā¦ dad, donāt do it again. Weāre a family, right? We stick together.ā
āMaybe thatās what I was afraid of,ā I heard him mutter to himself. It brought out the first smile I had had in a few days.
āYeah, I suppose I understand that too.ā The mad Iād been working on and keeping a tight lid on evaporated. Oh, I imagine itāll come back every now and again. But I did understand why he kept it quiet. Dad got up and so did I.
āForgive me?ā he asked, looking sheepish.
āOf course.ā He pulled me into a hug. āLove you dad.ā
āAnd I love you too, my little Northern Light.ā
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āWell, things are appearing to be back to normal,ā I told my daughterās boyfriend. āSophiaās finally talking to me again. Was Aurora tough on you?ā
āActually,ā Jeff murmured as he stared at the chess board, ānot really. She was upset, but seemed more resigned. Lookā¦ please just donāt ask me to do something like that again. I canāt do it.ā
āI promise, I wonāt. Iām sorry to have pulled you into it to begin with. It was mostly luck, bad luck, that you were in the ER when they brought me in to begin with.ā
We were playing chess. It was a habit weād gotten into since heād moved in. He was good, I have to admit, though not as good as I am, not yet.
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āSo, remember what we talked about the other day? Have you asked her yet?ā
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āNo. Iāve been putting off. The Simflu has hit her hard. Her stomach is finally settled down. Found her in the bathroom again yesterday, praying to the porcelain Watcher.ā
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āOnce sheās feeling better, Iāll ask her.ā
āNervous?ā
āTerrified!ā he admitted with a laugh. āBut I guess that goes with the territory, right?ā
āOh, most definitely.ā
I sat in the chair in our little library, reading the book.
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I felt a little bit like a thief, but I needed the excuse for quiet, to think. I thought the Simflu just wouldnāt leave me alone. Iād been sick for several days on and off. Jeff had had it for just a day. We tried to make sure we didnāt give it to anyone else. But I just wouldnāt get betterā¦ or at least, thatās what I had thought. But there had been something else, a niggling thought in the back of my head. But eventually, I couldnāt ignore it anymore. I was pregnant.
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I hadnāt told anyone yet, wasnāt sure how to, honestly. Maybe we were all still being careful after finding out about Dadās little incident. What would Jeff think? We hadnāt really talked about kids, not yet. I was nervous. Exceedingly nervous. About telling him, about telling my parentsā¦
As I fretted, the book forgotten, Jeff walked in.
āHeya, babe.ā He swallowed. I noticed he looked a little pale, a little uncertain. It made my stomach drop. We hadnāt really talked a lot the last few days, after the discussion about what had happened with my dad. Was Jeff having second thoughts? Oh Watcher...
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āLook, let me apologize again,ā he began. I stood up and put two fingers to his lips.
āDonāt. Really, itās ok. I told you I understood. Jeff, are you ok? Whatās wrong?ā
He swallowed. āAurora, thereās something I want to say, ok?ā
I held my breath, trembling, afraid of what I was about to hear. I wanted to be illā¦
Jeff took a deep breath. āAurora, no one has ever made me feel like you do. I wasnāt ever really looking for
the One. Wasnāt sure there was such a thing. Until that day I met you. It was like a sucker punch to the face. Youāre gorgeous, thereās no doubt of that. But there was something more, right from the get go. And the more I got to know you, the more I discovered.ā He got down on one knee, pulling something from his pocket. I couldnāt breathe. āAurora Breton Wyvern, I want to spend the rest of our lives together. Please, will you marry me?ā
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My breath left me in a rushā¦ and maybe a sob with it. What can I say? Hormones. Plusā¦ well, I was so happy, I was crying. I threw my arms around his neck, burrowing my head against his shoulder.
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āIs that a yes?ā he asked tentatively.
āYes!ā I was finally able to choke out. Then I froze again. āUmā¦ I have something to tell you. Jeffā¦ Iām pregnant.ā His eyes widened and he looked a bit like a fish out of water for a moment.
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Then he picked me up and whirled me around before crushing his lips to mine.
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Today has been quite a day. I suppose I deserve it a bit, after all, I kept quite a secret from my family. Then again, Iām not unhappy about it. Just all a bit sudden. Actually, itās not, I guess, when I really think about it. I mean, I knew Jeff had intended to ask Aurora to marry him. Heād come to me first. The second part, thoughā¦ that was a bit of a shock, I have to say. Aurora went to her mother first, to tell her both bits of news. I think she was a bit shocked herself.
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Then, apparently it was my turn.
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I still canāt quite wrap my head around it. Not only is my little girl going to be getting marriedā¦ but Iām going to be a grandfather soonā¦ A grandfather! Iām too young to be a grandfather! Then againā¦ I suppose my parents were too. Hmā¦ I get it, you guys. I get it. Well then.
Jeff has been diligently reading a ton of pregnancy books. I think he might be more nervous than I was. Ok, maybe not MORE, but certainly heās up there.
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Weāre all very excited. My daughter is constantly being accosted so people can feel her tummyā¦ yes, including by me.
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Her mother and I are excited. We both tried to deny it at first, I think. Not because we donāt want grandchildren, but just because we hadnāt thought about it yet, I suppose. Still. Neither one of us can wait now that itās going to happen. āYou ready?ā she asked me as we looked up at the stars.
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āReady as Iāll ever be,ā I told her with a laugh. āYou?ā
She grinned. āI think itāll be nice, get to spoil the grandkids while weāre both still young, huh?ā
āI thought you were only as old as you feel?ā my daughter asked with a snicker. She was leaning against her future husband. All four of us had gone outside to look up at the beautiful night sky.
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Amidst all the craziness that is our family, there have been a few other events, involving our loyal canine companions. First, young Ares and Apollo have become adults.
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And their father, Hercules, is now an elder. Seems just yesterday that he was a little ball of fluff, following us around. And now heās all gray. Time moves much too quickly the older one gets, Iāve found.
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