BREAKTHROUGH (Love's Not Easy Series Book 2) (20 page)

“It really touched my heart.”

“The Bible verse is right, you are more precious than rubies.”

“Thanks.  So are you.”

Mattie came running in the room.  “Aimee, can we go now please?”

“I need to go.  Mattie and I have a date at the chocolate factory.”

He laughed. “As long as it is Mattie, I am fine with it.  Have fun.”

“Thanks.”

Chapter Twenty One

The day was Christmas Eve and Aimee was taking the twins and Mattie for their date with Santa and his friends. The date included baking cookies with Mrs. Clause. When Aimee told her dad about the date with Santa, her dad made plans to take Deandre ice skating and out for dinner for a Christmas date.

Aimee was enjoying Santa time as much as the kids. Santa helped them build a snowman, sang songs with the kids, and he even told them a Christmas Story about his reindeers. The elves gave the kids treats and helped them play tricks on Mrs. Clause.  Then, Santa took a sleigh ride with each individual child; while, an elf waited at the bottom of the bank and took a picture.  Then, the last thing he did before Santa had to get ready to fly back to the North Pole and get ready for his busy night, was letting the kids sit on his lap and tell him what they wanted for Christmas.

Aimee loved seeing the joy in their eyes as she took photos of them helping Mrs. Clause make fresh homemade cookies for them to leave out for Santa.  When the two hours was over, the elves gave Aimee a scrapbook kit to go with the photos they took throughout the day.  When she and the kids returned home, she and Mattie made the scrapbook and wrapped it for Deandre and her dad, while the boys took a nap.   Then, she took the kids to meet her dad and Deandre at a kids Christmas Party at the main lodge.

Once dinner was over, Aimee gave each of the kids a gift from her to open.  She had bought them each a pair of red/green/white pair of lounge pants with a white thermal Henley for the girls and green for the boys.  Once they took showers, Deandre took the kids to the living area to sit and wait on Aimee.  Aimee came down in matching PJ’s, which caused the three youngsters to go wild.

Just as soon as they posed for pictures using goofy and normal faces, Aimee got a message from Aiden, he wanted to Skype.  Aimee got her laptop from the kitchen counter and turned on Skype, Aiden was waiting on her.  “Hey.”  She was grinning.

“Hey.  How was your day?”  Just seeing her brightened his day, even if it was on a computer screen.

“I think today maybe one of the best Christmas Eves I have had since I lost my mom and Gran.”

“That is great.  Seven years is too long to not have an amazingly fun Christmas Eve.”

“Aiden. Aiden.”  Mattie was jumping in and out of his vision.  “Look what Aimee bought, we match.”

“Wow, you do.  That is so cool.”

He made Aimee grin.  She knew it was corny, but the kids really enjoyed the fact that they all match.  She got the idea from an article she read about how to bond with younger siblings.  The twins came and sat on Aimee’s lap.  “Wed atch oo.”

Aiden laughed.  “I see, you match too.”

“Our tirts are dreen.”

“I have a green shirt like that too.  I love green.”

“Wed to.”  They answered together.

Aimee and Aiden talked for the next half hour with the kids jumping in and out of the camera.  He didn’t seem to mind, in fact, he started up a game of I see you with the twins that had everyone rolling over laughing.  Just when she thought she could not fall any deeper in love with him, God shows her she can.

“Piper is trying to beep in.  I will call you later.” Aimee hated to end the skype with him, but it was getting close to bedtime for the kids and her dad was going to read the Christmas Story from the book of Luke to everyone.

“Piper.  Hey.”

“Hey, who were you skyping?

“Aiden.”

“Oh.  He hasn’t skyped me.” She teased.

“His yped Aimee al time.”  The twins commented.

“Really?  Well, it seems Aimee and Piper need to talk when we go back to our flat.”

Aimee heard her dad coming down the stairs. “Who is ready to hear the story of the birth of baby Jesus?”

The little ones were jumping up and down.  Aimee moved herself and the laptop, so she was sitting in front of the Christmas tree, like she did when she was their age and her dad read the story to her.  “Piper, dad is going to read the true Christmas story from the Bible; do you want to stay on and listen?”

James popped his head in.  “I loved hearing your dad reading that to us as children.”

“Aimee, let’s do a group chat and everyone can listen.”  Piper seen the twinkle in her eyes.

“I love it.”

Her dad waited while she got Aiden, Lexi, Jaxson, Colin, and Kelli on video chat.  “Now I feel like my whole family is here.”  Aimee turned the laptop, so her friends could see her dad. Mattie, Deandre, and the twins joined Aimee in front of the Christmas tree.  “I use to read this to Aimee every Christmas as a child.  Somehow, we lost the tradition, but it is back to stay now.”

Her dad read the story of the birth of Jesus, just as he did when Aimee was a child. He was using different voices to make it entertaining and Aimee enjoyed it, just as she did as a child.  James commented on how it made him feel like he was back on the plantation.  Aimee felt like it took her back too.  But, mostly, she felt like her mom was smiling down on them. For the first time in seven years, Aimee felt like she had a family.

Aimee helped put the kids to bed.  She stayed in the room until Mattie fell asleep, then she took her cell and went down to the quite living area to call Aiden.

He answered on the first ring.  “She didn’t want to go to sleep tonight?” He had a hint of joy in his voice.

“No.  She is too excited about Santa and all the fun we had today.”

“I was so glad to see you smiling and having a good time.  After your summer in Virginia, you needed some family bonding.”

“It is just a shame it took a tragedy to make us realize what we could have had all along.”

“So, is that what you are calling it now, a tragedy?”

“It beats the alternative.  I don’t want to call it anything.  I wish I could block the whole thing from my mind.”

“We need to not focus on the negative parts of the evening, but the positive things God brought from the tragedy.  We raised two hundred thousand dollars for our cause.  We admitted we are in love.  And you got your family back.”

“Yeah, those are real positive points to focus on. Can we make a subject change?”

“Yeah.  What time is your dinner tomorrow?”

“Deandre and I are cooking it, so around four or five.  We have breakfast with her mom and dad and the rest of the family before they leave for their Cruise.”

“So, it is just your immediate family for dinner?”

“Yes.  Unless you want to get on a plane and fly down after your dinner.  Deandre has mistletoe everywhere.”

“That sounds tempting.  I wish I could.”

“Me too.”

She heard her dad and Deandre coming down the steps.  “I gotta go, Santa is coming; I don’t want to be caught being naughty.”

Aiden laughed.  “You don’t have a naughty bone in you.  Good night, love.”

“Good night.”  He knew her all too well.

She helped her dad and Deandre with Santa Clause before heading to bed herself.  She would be awoken early by Mattie, that was for sure.  That night, she slept so peaceful.

Sometime during the night, the twins came and got in the bed with Aimee, as did Mattie. She awoke to the kids laying on her in every direction and her dad and Deandre laughing.  “I think you were a hit.”  He took a picture that he text to Aimee.

The kids went wild opening the presents from under the tree.  Due to the plane ride back to the States, toys were small and minimal.  The kids got some new clothing, a stuff animal, and the boys got kids tablets from Santa; while, Mattie got her own tablet, as well.  Aimee bought Mattie a new outfit for dance class and some accessories for her tablet. The twins each got a backpack with their favorite cartoon character and some learning toys.  Deandre and Clint loved the scrapbook Mattie and Aimee made for them.

They had breakfast at the lodge with the rest of the family and said goodbye. Her uncle told her that someone called to reserve their chalet and was arriving this afternoon.  When they got back to the chalet, Aimee and Deandre started Christmas dinner, while her dad helped Mattie set up her tablet from Santa.

Dinner was almost done around four thirty.  Aimee was wiping the counter, when her cell rang.  “Hello.”

“No Merry Christmas?”

“Merry Christmas, Aiden.”

“That is more like it.  What are you doing?”

“Right this second, I am cleaning the counter tops.”

“Have you had dinner yet?”

“No, we are almost done.  Dad is going to watch the ham and rolls, while Deandre and I get ready.”

“Well, I will let you go for now.  Call me before you eat.”

“Ok.” He confused Aimee.

It took about forty-five minutes to get ready.  She glanced in the mirror before going down.  She knew her dad had the cameras out.  She wore an outfit he and Deandre got her for Christmas.  The back distress jeans fit her perfect and she loved the country feel of the moss green denim shirt over a white tank.

She called Aiden as she walked down the steps.  He was talking about his parents and the fact they left the Palace after dinner for a tour of the country side of Neahovia. Then, they had a New Year’s Eve party at a church in the country.  He didn’t know the exact details, other than he didn’t have to go.

The doorbell rang just as she reached the bottom step.  “Hang on, Aiden, I need to answer the door.”  She opened the door and all she could see was someone holding gifts in their hands.  “Can I help you?”

The gifts came down and Aiden, Lexi, and Jaxson stood in the hall.  “Surprise.”

Aimee dropped her mouth.  “Oh my goodness. You guys just made a great Christmas even better.”

When Mattie noticed them walking into the living area, she came running, showing her gifts.  The twins followed.  Everyone was so great with the kids.  Aiden even promised to take them to the ice skate ring after dinner.

The dinner was so delicious. Aimee never knew Deandre could cook this good.  The atmosphere was so relaxing. Aimee made a cranberry punch toast, to the breakthrough this family had made to come together again.

The skating rink was not very busy.  The twins put on the baby skates and walked around the toddler area, while Mattie took off skating with Lexi and Jaxson.  Aimee and Aiden sat on a bench watching the twins play.  “Aiden, this is so sweet.”

“I figure your parents could use a break and the kids would love the skating.”

“No alternative motive?”  She playfully pushed him.

“Well, you know it was an excuse to be here alone with you.”

“He took her hand.  Aimee, I need to tell you something.”

Aimee’s heart was pounding.  All of a sudden she felt like her nerves had gone crazy.  Aiden must have noticed her fear.  He put his arm around her.  “It’s not bad news.”

“Don’t keep me in suspense, please.”

“Ok, but I want you to look at me.”  Aimee turned her head.  “I have moved out of the flat.”