Chapter 82: Christmas
*You don’t choose your family. They are God’s gift to you, as you are to them. – Desmond Tutu*
The ornate grandfather clock from England chimed the midnight hour in the formal living room. Or as Dean called it, the special guest living room. Other than a few special occasions, she couldn’t think of a time that they had used that room.
Unlike Reese’s house, this one was two levels. The top floor was the more formal part of the house. It had formal dining and living rooms, chef’s kitchen, billiards and game room, a mother-in-law suite and a media room. All precisely decorated and rarely used. From the front, it looked like a single-story house with the second story being built inside the hill.
The lower level was where they lived. Except for the large deck that extended the length and about half the width of the lower level. Whenever they had a princess party, it was typically on the deck. The perpetually decorated deck was large, mostly covered and looked over the pool.
The heated pool.
The chimes finished and it was now officially Christmas. The ache in her chest became unbearable. This was the first time that Mary was gone over Christmas. This was also her longest tour with Doctors Without Borders. Usually, they were just a few weeks or months. This time, as the head doctor, it had been for a full year.
With a grunt of frustration, she flung off her covers and slipped her feet into her camel-colored fleece lined house shoes. She could hear Monster’s tail thumping on his bed as she walked by.
“Go to sleep.” She told him and he gave her a little whimper.
Typically, she would head down the hall and out to the pool. She would swim laps until Reese came over and made her get out. Then, he would wrap her in a warm towel and sit with her in his lap.
That was his way. He was protective but not pushy. He knew when she needed to expel pent up energy. And when she needed a cuddle. She had heard her mom and aunts saying that it had to do with him being a Dom. She hadn’t known what that was at the time.
The internet answered that question. Her mother’s book collection answered more. And left her with other questions. Questions that she did not want to know the answers to if they involved her mother.
Tonight, she didn’t want to swim laps. She didn’t want to go to his house and find him doing God only knows what to her boyfriend’s mom. Those were some completely gag-tastic thoughts. Fifty Shades of Reese. One of her aunts had said that one time and they had all burst out laughing after Dean had innocently asked; “pieces or cups?”
Quietly, Dean pushed open the door to JD’s room. He lay in the middle of the large bed on his side facing away from the door. The dark blue comforter had slid down to his waist and his shirtless back was facing her.
The blanket had exposed the tattoo that he had gone and gotten with his brother the day before they found out their mother was pregnant. They both had NO MATTER WHAT and three stick figures above it. It was decided that after the baby was born, another stick figure could be added. Jaxon also promised to take Jolene to get one once she was released from the hospital and felt up to it. After all, they two brothers got the tattoos because of her. They wanted each other to know that they had their siblings’ backs.
No matter what.
Dean tiptoed over to the bed, leaving her shoes on the floor as she crawled up on the mattress. As she slid her legs under the covers, he rolled over. A strong arm was thrown across her and pulled her tight against him. His hand grabbed her Oscar the Grouch night shirt as they both settled into a spooning position.
“What’s wrong?” JD asked quietly in her ear.
“I miss my mom.” She whispered with her voice thick with unshed tears.
“Come here.” He said rolling to his back and she turned to lay her head on his chest. He held her close to him as she slid an arm across his stomach. As the first tear hit his chest, JD kissed the top of her head. He held her as she cried and soft sobs gently shook her body.
“Tell me about her.” He quietly requested.
“She’s great. She has this wicked sense of humor. Uncle Owen redid the floors because she kept getting flour and stuff embedded in the hardwood. She would tack up a balloon with a trip wire and then you’d be covered in flour.” Dean laughed. “And glitter. Uncle Owen hates glitter.”
JD couldn’t help but laugh. “I can’t wait to meet her.”
“I think she’ll like you.” Dean said softly. “We read all the Harry Potter and Mockingbird books and stuff like that before going to the movies. And of course, we binge the cult classics. She let me paint all my monsters on the walls. I think I’m going to put Zero and Frankenweenie in Monster’s room.”
“You did those?” he asked. She gave a soft Uh-huh as he kissed the top of her head. “They’re great.”
“I had art first period my freshman year and if I show her that I was working on one of them. Last year she would let me come in late as long as I was there by the time the first period was over. This year I can’t do that since it’s my second class and my first period teacher is a bitch. We’re trying to get my classes changed for spring. It worked out before I had my license and Uncle O had to take me to school.”
“No bus service out here?”
“No bus service for Wilson.” She chuckled. “It’s a charter school and not part of the school district.”
“I never thought about that.”
“I also did the world map in mom’s office and paint the country flag for every new country she goes to. She’s been to all of Africa and most of Asia. Quite a few in South America. She met dad in Syria.”
She stifled a yawn.
“You should get some sleep.” JD suggested and she nodded as she drifted back to sleep. “Merry Christmas, Dean.”
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
