Twas the night before Christmas Chapter 60

 

Christmas Eve

Once again Jon rolled over and reached for Colleen, only to find the bed empty on her side.   Once again this week, he’d have to take care of his morning wood in the shower.  Looking at the clock, it was close to nine in the morning. Sitting up in the bed, he reached for his phone.  He had missed two calls from his mom and one from his dad. The voice mail from his dad wasn’t a shock, he knew it was coming, they were separating again.  This was the second time they had taken a breather, in their marriage. Of course, his mother’s voice message was blaming Colleen for the split.  He decided to put his mother on an allowance, if she won’t see the damage her viciousness was causing by herself, maybe this would help.  He would support his dad and Tony’s sauce business, but mom would be on an allowance.  

After taking a hot shower he dressed and headed down to the kitchen.  It was full of the women in his family.  Maggie was calling out directions like a military general, and her happy little soldiers in Santa hats were snapping too.  Going up behind Colleen he put his chin on her shoulder and his hands around her waist.

“When we get on that ship, you don’t get out of bed till I do, or I might have to pink your ass,” he whispered in her ear.  

“Momma, he threatened me,” Colleen told her mother, as she fed Jon an apple slice she had cut for pies.

“Then you must’ve deserved it, sweetie,” Maggie told her as she cut butter into the dough on his counter.

That statement brought laughter to the other women in the room.

“Did I miss breakfast?”  Jon said still holding onto her waist.

“I saved you a plate of bacon in the warmer, and a bagel,” Colleen told him as she turned her head for a kiss.

Jon gave her a smacking kiss on her lips and as he uncurled himself from her he popped her butt. That sounded loud in the suddenly quiet kitchen.

“Ouch,” Colleen squealed. “Momma.”

“Yep, you must’ve deserved it, Colleen,” Her mother rolled her eyes.

Jon laughed getting his plate out of the warmer of the stove. Taking it into the living room where Stephanie came and handed him a mug of coffee.

“Hey Dad, would you be mad if I didn’t go on the cruise?” Stephanie sat beside him on the sofa, looking at the tree in the corner of the room with half the floor covered with packages.

“Greg?” Jon asked her.

“Yeah, he called me this morning to see when I would be home,” she turned and looked at him.  “The girls missed me.”

Jon sat his plate and mug on the table and turned to face his baby girl. “Stephanie, I don’t want to see you hurt like you were after the dance, it killed me that this man could hurt you like that,” Jon said softly

Stephanie placed her hand on his arm, “Dad, I love him so much, I want his girls to see me the way we see Camo,” Stephanie told him, “I think they’re starting to accept me because they asked for me to be around.”

“How will get back to Jersey?” Jon asked her.

“They’re coming tomorrow for lunch, and I’ll go back with them,” She told him.

“We’ll miss you, but if it’s what you want,” was all he got out before Stephanie threw her arms around him and hugged him.

Stephanie jumped up and ran back into the kitchen, Colleen stood in the doorway watching them.

“If he hurts her, I’ll kill him,” Jon told Colleen.

“Did my dad tell you that?” Colleen asked as she came in and sat on his lap.

“Not in those words, but the look in his eye told me all I needed to know,” Jon admitted as he cuddled Colleen to his chest. Rubbing her back he sighed. “I know she’s almost thirty years old, but damn it she’s my baby girl.”

“She’ll always be your baby girl, but just think Jon,” Colleen sat up and put his face in her hands. “Those girls might be your first grandkids, other little girls to spoil rotten,”

“Oh my God, grandpa,” Jon gasped.  “I’m not ready.”

Colleen laughed, “At least you won’t need to change their diapers.”

“That’s one blessing,” Jon pulled her back down to his chest, kissing the crown of her head.

“Uncle Jon,” Isabella said from the doorway.

“Yes Izzie,” Jon answered and looked at Matt’s daughter.

“I’m so sorry, don’t be mad at me,” Izzie stood there in tears.

Jon waved her over and pulled her up in his arms as Colleen stood up to give up her spot in Jon’s arms to Izzie.

“I’m not mad, I could never be mad at you sweetie,” he told her as he wiped a stray tear from her cheek.

“I’ll never do it again Uncle Jon,” Izzie said. “Never ever.”

 

“Aunt Colleen had some cookies in the kitchen, why don’t you go get us a cookie?” Jon asked.

Jon saw Matt standing in the doorway, watching his daughter make her apologies to her uncle.

Once Izzie was out of the room, Jon motioned for Matt to come and sit down.

“Dad sent me a text, did you get one?” Jon finished his now cold coffee.

“About the separation?  How many does this make seven or eight?” Matt snatched a slice of bacon from the plate.

“Second, it just feels like eight,” Jon pulled the plate out of Matt’s reach.  “It’ll get worse before it gets better, this time mom is blaming Colleen for this.”

“Damn, when she goes off her meds, she really goes off,” Matt said as Tony came into the room.

“You two talking about Mom again? Let’s make a pact,” Tony snatched a strip of bacon, “No mom talk till we get back to Jersey, in the spirit of the season, happiness.”

“Sounds like a plan, Bro,” Matt agreed.

“I’m in, after tomorrow, no mom talk,” Jon agreed.

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After Mass they all congregated into the Livingroom, it was stocking time. Colleen sat on Jon’s lap as her mother passed out each stocking.

“Wow was this all in one of those boxes Tony brought up?” Jon whispered in her ear.

“Santa’s little helper,” Colleen laughed.  Tony was up capturing all this for the family.  The little girls loved their mini-dolls and princess jewelry and candy.  The little boys loved their hot wheels, army guys, and the candy.  Each stocking had an orange, candy, and little dollar store goodies.

Jon took his stocking, the fruit, nuts, and candy reminded him of when he was a kid.  The pens, paper clips, and hot wheels car made him chuckle. “Thanks, babe, I love it.” Then at the very toe of the sock, he found a coupon book for Frosty’s from Wendy’s.  “Trying to fatten me up?”

“I know how you like a little non-dairy treat every once in a while.” Colleen accepted Jon’s kiss and started to pull things from her own stocking.  She was really enjoying this time with all the family together.

Soon it was time for the milk and cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer.  All the kids off to bed, while Cullen, Matt, Jamie, and Jon went to the bar in Tony’s van to pick up Santa gifts, and haul it to the house.  It was close to three before Jon and Colleen made it to bed.

“Merry Christmas Babe,” Jon said as he cuddled her close, spooning her to his body.

“Merry Christmas, Jonny,”  Colleen yawned and patted his arm.