Commitment (25 page)

Cassidy wiped her hands on her apron and gave him a little pout. “I thought you were going to help me,” she questioned him.

“I got busy,” he said.

“Is that so? I thought these cookies for Santa were important,” she said.

“Yep.”

“So, then…where did you disappear to?”

“Santa might be able to find me, but I had to make sure that the reindeer would be all right,” he explained.

Cassidy narrowed her gaze. “Do I want to know what that means?” Dylan shrugged and grabbed his mother’s hand. He led her to the sliding door and pointed out toward the stone patio. Cassidy shook her head in amusement. “That’s very creative, Dylan,” she said sincerely.

“It’s my name,” he pointed.

“Yes, I see that. You spelled your name with my bag of carrots. I’m sure the reindeer will remember you now.”

He gave her a toothy grin. “Yep!”

Cassidy brushed her hand over his head. “You thought of that all by yourself, huh?

“Yeah. I figured they might get hungry. Uncle Pip said he always fed the reindeer just to be sure they put in a good word
with Santa. He said they had…ummm…” Cassidy raised her brow at him. He scrunched his face up for a minute in thought. “Sway,” he said. “What does that mean?” he asked her.

“Who has sway?” Alex asked from a few feet away.

“Reindeer,” Cassidy explained. Alex nodded.

“Yeah, come here, Alex. Look!” Dylan called to her.

Alex made her way across the room. She looked out over Dylan’s head and pulled Cassidy to her. “Hi,” she whispered in her wife’s ear.

“Hi,” Cassidy said softly, accepting a kiss to her cheek.

“So, what do we have here?” Alex asked.

“Uncle Pip told Dylan the reindeer have
sway
over Santa,” Cassidy nudged Alex.

“Yeah? That’s probably true, Speed,” Alex agreed as if it were an important piece of evidence she had just discovered. Cassidy rolled her eyes, kissed her wife gently and headed back toward the oven.

“Mom made cookies for Santa,” he tilted his head back toward Alex.

“Just for Santa?” she asked.

“No!” he giggled. “You can have some too, but Santa gets the biggest one.”

“Guess that’s only fair,” she agreed. “Mom’s got Santa covered, and you took care of the reindeer. What’s my job?”

Dylan looked up to Alex and tapped his cheek. He beckoned her to him and whispered in her ear. “Oh….I hadn’t thought of that, Speed. Good thinking,” she said. “Why don’t you go wait for me in the living room? I’ll be right there, and we’ll make sure that the fireplace is free and clear for Jolly Ole’ Saint Nick,” she promised.

“Hey!” he stopped. “Santa’s name is Nick!” Alex nodded. Cassidy giggled as she listened. “Maybe he’s really Uncle Nick!”

“Santa is a lot older than Uncle Nick,” Alex reminded him. “He used to bring Uncle Nick his presents too.”

“Oh yeah,” Dylan said. He just shrugged and slid across the floor toward the counter where Cassidy was laying out
the cookies to cool. “Can I have one?” he asked his mother hopefully.

Cassidy placed one on a napkin and handed it to him. “One, Dylan.” He accepted it happily only to slide off again. Cassidy watched him, reveling in his youthful exuberance. The feel of Alex’s hands around her waist caused her to sigh deeply and lean into her wife’s arms.

“What about me?” Alex asked lightly.

Cassidy caressed Alex’s hands for a moment, opened her eyes, grabbed a cookie, and then spun around to place it directly in Alex’s mouth. “A mom’s work is never done, I guess,” she sighed, returning to the task at hand.

“It’s good,” Alex choked out through a mouthful.

“I’m glad you are happy,” Cassidy began when she felt herself spun around.

Alex put the cookie on the counter and kissed her wife passionately. She heard a soft moan escape Cassidy and pulled back with a playful wiggle of her eyebrow. “See? Good.”

Cassidy wiped a smudge of chocolate chip from the side of Alex’s lips and kissed her sweetly. “I’m glad you are home.”

“Me too,” Alex said.

“Alex!” Dylan called from the other room.

Cassidy laughed a bit harder. Dylan was beyond wired. “Duty calls,” Alex said. “We wouldn’t want Santa to miss us!” she exclaimed in excitement that mirrored Dylan’s. Cassidy watched her wife sprint off, grabbing two more cookies on the way. “I said one, Alex,” she called after her wife. “You are worse than Dylan,” she chuckled. “Well, if Santa misses this house, it won’t be for lack of trying,” she mused.

Alex and Cassidy tucked Dylan in and kissed him goodnight. His overexcitement had led directly to exhaustion. Before Alex had him fully covered, he was already asleep. She felt Cassidy’s
hand slip around her waist and the weight of her wife press against her. “Well, now that Santa’s got his cookies, and the reindeer are properly fed, I think someone has a project to tackle,” Cassidy reminded her wife.

Cassidy led Alex from the room, and they made their way back down the stairs. Alex headed off to the garage to retrieve the race track they had purchased for Dylan from Santa. “I haven’t built one of these in years,” Alex said with wide eyes.

Cassidy loved the playfulness of her wife. She could see the way Alex’s eyes lit up as she carried the box toward the living room. She started toward the coat rack and retrieved her jacket when Alex captured her attention with a quizzical expression. “I have to make sure the reindeer eat their carrots, Alex,” Cassidy explained. Alex nodded her understanding. “I figured I would make some hot chocolate when I’m done, and then you can help me with Santa’s cookies,” Cassidy said.

Alex beamed. “Okay!”

Cassidy headed off to the patio and began removing a few carrots here and there. She took a bite out of several that were left. “I cannot believe the things I do.” She snickered at the slight absurdities that accompanied parenthood. Once Cassidy finished throwing the extra carrots off into the woods, she headed back to the house. Closing the door, she heard Alex singing Santa Claus in Coming to Town and allowed the sound to wash over her. She continued to listen, occasionally catching herself humming along as she prepared their cocoa.

“How’s it coming?” Cassidy asked.

“Just about done, actually,” Alex said.

“That was quick.”

“Eh, it was easy. Let me get his other Santa presents and put them under the tree,” Alex said. “Be right back.”

Cassidy set the cocoa on the small table next to the couch, put one of her favorite CDs on and turned off the remaining lights, leaving only the tree to illuminate the room. She watched Alex place the rest of the toys Santa would deliver
strategically under the tree. Alex placed the last box where it was only slightly obscured by a few branches and then turned to Cassidy. “All done,” she announced proudly.

Cassidy’s nose wrinkled into a devious smile, and Alex’s brows raised in silent questioning. “Well, actually there is one more,” Cassidy said.

“No. I don’t think so. I got them all.”

“No, there is,” Cassidy said definitively. “But, before I show that to you, I have something for you.” Cassidy patted the couch and handed Alex a small box as the agent took her seat.

“You’re giving me a present tonight?” Alex asked. Cassidy just shrugged. “Well, then I should…”

Cassidy grabbed Alex’s wrist. “Just open it,” she said.

Alex slid the bow off and tore the paper to reveal a jewelry box. She stopped and looked at Cassidy, receiving a raised brow in encouragement. Alex opened the lid slowly. “You got it back! It’s my necklace from the…” A crease crept across Alex’s forehead. She shook her head a bit sadly. “Cass, this isn’t mine.”

“I think it is,” Cassidy said.

“No…look,” Alex said as she lifted the necklace from the box and looked at her wife. The sparkling smile that greeted her caused Alex to search Cassidy’s eyes deeply. She explored the familiar twinkle of green and blue that tonight seemed to reveal a hint of mischief and mirth. Alex continued to study her wife intently. As Cassidy moved to look at the box in Alex’s hand, her blouse drifted open, reflecting the light from the Christmas tree off of the stones in Cassidy’s necklace. Alex thought she might have stopped breathing. She reached out and took a gentle hold of Cassidy’s charm, noting the extra stone sitting next to the diamond marking Dylan’s birth. She slowly allowed her gaze to meet her wife’s eyes again, trying to process what Cassidy was telling her.

“I guess, maybe Santa got my letter, huh?” Cassidy said with a caress of Alex’s cheek.

Alex froze. “Cass?”

Cassidy continued to caress Alex’s cheeks softly, ensuring Alex could see the truth in her eyes. “Yes, Alex. We’re having a baby.” Tears immediately escaped Alex’s eyes as she looked at Cassidy, awestruck. She had instantly become immersed in a sea of emotions that pounded over and through her in waves. “Alex?” Cassidy called gently as Alex leaned forward and kissed her. Cassidy felt Alex’s hands raise to take hold of her own, both of which were still gently placed on Alex’s cheeks.

Alex tenderly placed her forehead against Cassidy’s. “Cass,” Alex whispered as she pulled back. “Are you sure?”

Cassidy smiled. “Yeah, I’m positive, honey. Though, it’s possible we might have to change that stone if this little one decides to wait a bit longer. If not, it looks like we’ll have two July birthdays to celebrate this year,” she said. “I hope you don’t mind sharing,” she winked.

“You’re gonna be a mom!” Alex exclaimed as the emotional reality shifted suddenly to elation. “Cass! You’re gonna have a baby.”

“I know,” Cassidy replied trying not to fall into a fit of laughter at Alex’s sudden outburst. “I think you might be forgetting something,” Cassidy smirked.

“What do you mean?” Alex asked.

“You’re going to be a mom too,” Cassidy raised her brow.

“We’re having a baby,” Alex looked at her wife. All Cassidy could do was smile back. “Oh my God, Cass…Dylan’s gonna freak! He’ll believe in Santa til he’s twenty for sure! Hell, I think I believe in him.”

“I think I just might agree with you,” Cassidy said. “On that subject,” she handed Alex another box and directed her to open it. “I thought that could be a present Santa drops off at Nick’s for Dylan.”

Alex explored the contents of the box. She looked back to Cassidy, beaming with excitement. “You are such a terrific mom,” Alex complimented.

“You think so?” Cassidy asked genuinely.

“Yeah, I do,” Alex said, sealing her words with a kiss. She dropped her hand to Cassidy’s stomach and closed her eyes. “There’s a little Cassidy in there.”

Cassidy watched the emotions cross Alex’s features like ripples across the water. Each one seemed to travel directly through to her heart. “Merry Christmas, Alex.”

“Merry Christmas.” Alex kissed her wife’s forehead. “I love you, Cassidy. Thanks for giving me the best Christmas I’ve ever had.”

“It’s not even Christmas yet,” Cassidy noted.

“Well let’s see if we can’t give you something to unwrap slowly until it is,” Alex countered.

“Are you propositioning me?” Cassidy asked. “I’m a married woman, you know. A married, pregnant woman.”

“I’ll take my chances. I have an ‘in’ with the big man in red,” Alex answered, offering Cassidy her hand and pulling her up.

“Think he’ll let me ride in his sleigh?” Cassidy sniggered. Alex picked Cassidy up into her arms. “What are you doing?” Cassidy squealed.

“I don’t have a sleigh, but I’m more than happy to give you a ride, Mrs. Toles.”

“Well, then…on Dasher…”

Christopher O’Brien walked into the townhouse and began searching out his girlfriend. “Cheryl?” he called out. There was no answer. “Cheryl! Where are you?”

O’Brien weaved his way down a narrow hallway toward the kitchen. It was empty. He continued his exploration of his home, stopping in his office, the living room, and even checking the bathroom. He climbed the stairs to the second level and called out again. “Cheryl?” He shook his head in frustration.
“It’s Christmas Eve. We have dinner plans at seven. What are you doing? Sleeping?” he continued to ask questions and speak as if his girlfriend was beside him. Reaching the master bedroom, he was surprised he still had not found the woman. He began removing his tie when a neatly folded paper in the middle of the pillows captured his attention. He began opening it and watched as a small black and white photo slowly cascaded down toward the bed. He picked it up and groaned. Returning his attention to the paper in his hand; he felt his frustration and anger building quickly.