Commitment (27 page)

Admiral Brackett laughed. “Not today, it’s not. Merry Christmas, Mr. President.”

Dylan and Cat had run off to play with one of Cat’s new video games while the adults continued talking in the dining room. Christmas at Nick’s began as it always did; with a family dinner that was more akin to a festival brunch. Between Alex’s brother and mother, there was always enough food to feed a family three times their size. Alex chuckled slightly as the thought passed through her mind that in a few years they might actually need this much food. The boys were content for the moment, although Alex had spied them shaking some of the boxes under the tree when they thought no one was looking. She laughed quietly at the sound of Dylan’s voice in the distance and then returned her attention to Cassidy, who was seated beside her.

“Do you mind?” Barb asked Cassidy, placing the baby in her arms. Cassidy just looked up and smiled, accepting the small package gratefully. Little Jacob was quite wide-eyed at the moment; doing his best to focus on and explore the face looking down on him. Alex looked on, watching how Cassidy’s eyes softened when the baby grasped her finger. She heard Cassidy whisper endearments to their nephew and felt her heart rise dramatically into her throat.

Helen watched from across the table, a smile tugging at her lips. She noticed that both Alex and Cassidy wore their charms from Dylan underneath their sweaters. She was curious how Cassidy’s news was received. At the moment, she was deriving great pleasure from the expression on her daughter’s face as she watched Cassidy with the baby. She cleared her throat slightly and reached her feet. “Those boys will be restless soon enough,” she said. Helen made her way behind Alex and squeezed her daughter’s shoulder. “Alexis, help me clear this; will you?”

“Mom, I can do that,” Nick piped up.

“No. No. You and Barb go with Cassidy and Rose and wrangle the kids into the other room. Alexis and I have a system,” she smiled.

“Geez. Mom finally got you trained, huh?” Nick laughed. Alex rolled her eyes at him.

“Come on, Cassidy. We get a free pass today,” Nick said as he left the room.

Alex leaned over and touched Jake’s tiny hand. Cassidy looked up and sighed, receiving a tender kiss on her cheek from her wife. “Looks good on you,” Alex whispered. Cassidy winked and followed Nick into the other room. “So,” Alex said as she picked up plates and brought them to the sink. “Let’s get this mess cleaned up so we can get to the presents!”

Helen grasped her daughter’s forearm and pulled her back. When Alex turned, she could see her mother’s eyes had grown misty. “I’m so happy for you, Alexis,” she said as she enveloped Alex in her arms.

“You’re sneaky,” Alex whispered.

“You’ll learn,” Helen chuckled. “Comes with the parental territory.”

“Mom?” Alex began to grow serious.

Helen looked curiously at her daughter. “What is it?”

“I don’t even know how to tell her,” Alex said softly.

“Tell her what?” Helen asked.

Alex looked up with pleading eyes. “How much I love her. How much I love them.”

Helen smiled and kissed her daughter’s forehead. “She knows. Dylan knows. That baby will now, Alexis. It’s written all over your face. You couldn’t hide it if you tried.”

“That reminds me,” Alex said, holding up a finger. She ran to the far side of the room and retrieved a box wrapped in special paper. Cassidy had wrapped the box in bright red foil with a metallic green bow. She had Alex scrawl out a card for Dylan in an unfamiliar hand.

Alex handed her mother the box and winked. “That has to be last. Like you found it here; okay?” Alex explained.

Helen read the inscription and shook her head. A warm smile painted her lips and she patted her daughter’s cheek affectionately. “You two are too much,” she said.

“It was Cassidy’s idea,” Alex shrugged.

“I’m sure it was. I’ll take care of it,” Helen promised. She watched as Alex hurriedly set about cleaning up the kitchen. “Let’s go,” Helen held out her hand.

“We’re not done,” Alex observed.

“We are for now. I can’t take this suspense. Besides, Rose is going to kill me when she finds out I’ve known for over a week,” the older woman chuckled.

“Yeah, aren’t you the little conspirator,” Alex poked.

“You’ll forgive me when you need a babysitter,” Helen said.

Alex kissed her mother’s cheek. “I don’t think she’ll ever know how much it meant to me that she chose to confide in you, and wanted you to be the one to help.”

“She knows, Alexis. That’s why she did it,” Helen said with a wink, heading off into the other room.

Alex sighed. “You really are something, Cass.”

Alex watched as the boys opened their last presents. Cat was doing his version of a happy jig over the authentic Boston Red Sox Jersey Rose had purchased for him. It had his favorite player’s number emblazoned on the back, and it was topped off with a new team hat. Cat loved all things baseball, and Rose loved to hear him rattle off statistics about his favorite team. Being the best of friends, Dylan had begun to follow suit, and his grandmother had bought him an identical jersey with the number ‘15’. The gifts came complete with a promise to take the boys to Boston for a day in the city and a game at Fenway Park when the new season began.

Dylan had followed his cousin’s lead and donned his jersey, but rather than dancing about, he sat quietly fiddling with a toy. “Dylan! It’s so cool! We’re gonna go see a game with Grandma Rose!” Cat prodded his cousin. Cassidy nudged Alex knowingly, and Alex looked over to her mother with a raise of her brow.

On cue, Helen disappeared, returning with a colorful box in her hands. “Umm? This was in the foyer,” she said. “It has a note addressed to you, Dylan.”

Dylan accepted the box and looked at the card that was taped to its front. He began trying to sound out all of the words. Seeing his forehead wrinkle in concentration, his grandmother stepped in from behind to help him. Rose looked at the card and read it out loud. “It says:
Rudolph found this in my bag after we left your house. He says thanks for the carrots. Tell your mom she makes great cookies. Merry Christmas, Dylan. Santa
.” Rose looked at Cassidy suspiciously. Cassidy grinned and shrugged innocently.

“Well, open it!” Cat urged.

Dylan ripped off the paper and held his breath. He peeled back the tissue and traced the item with his fingers. “Big…”

“Brother!” Cat yelled. “It says Big Brother!”

Dylan looked puzzled for a moment. He pulled out the T-shirt and studied it. Rose closed her eyes momentarily as the message suddenly hit her. She bent over and whispered in his ear and pointed to the Batman symbol in the middle. “It says
Big Brother, Sidekick Coming in July
. It means, you’re going to be a brother, Dylan,” she explained.

Cassidy had placed her head on Alex’s shoulder and was smiling broadly, waiting for the outburst she knew was due any minute. She hadn’t expected it to come the way it did.

“Mom!” Dylan screamed in excitement. Cassidy and Alex both jumped slightly as Dylan darted toward them, dropping the box. “Santa got your letter, Mom! I told you. You’re gonna have a baby!” he exclaimed as if he were delivering her the news. He jumped up in between his parents. Helen and Rose fell into a fit of laughter as they looked on. Nick looked at
Barb, still somewhat confused and Barb pulled him close to whisper in his ear, “Cassidy’s pregnant.”

“Yes, I am, Dylan,” Cassidy said.

“Santa
is
magic. I told you,” he said earnestly. “Alex, I’m gonna have a brother!”

Alex laughed. “Well, you might have a sister, and that would be just as cool.”

“Yes, it would,” Nick agreed.

Dylan flashed Alex a toothy grin and gave her a high five. Cassidy shook her head. “Have you two been talking behind my back?” she joked.

“Us?” Alex feigned innocence.

“Mom, is there a baby in your tummy like Jake was in Aunt Barb’s?” he asked.

Cassidy adored her son and cherished his innocence. “Yes, Dylan, there is.”

“That’s so cool!” He hopped off the couch, grabbed his box and ran off.

“Where are you going?” Alex called after him.

“I gotta put on my shirt!” he yelled back.

Alex noticed Rose making her way toward them and immediately reached her feet. She was taken slightly off guard when Rose took her into a tearful embrace. “Thank you, Alex.”

“I didn’t do anything….honest,” Alex joked. “Ouch,” she winced as Cassidy pinched her backside.

“You are fifty percent responsible, Alex Toles,” Cassidy said flatly.

“And happily so,” Alex agreed.

Rose sat down beside Cassidy and hugged her. “I’m so happy for you, Cassie.”

“So?” Barb asked from across the room. “Come on, I want the skinny! When did you find out?” she asked Alex.

The moment was interrupted when an exuberant seven-year-old danced back in the room. “Big brother, Batman!” he danced in, singing a tune of his own creation.

“All right, the inquisition will begin in the dining room with desert,” Helen announced.

Alex grasped Cassidy’s hand. “See you in a minute,” she said, leaving her wife and mother-in-law on the couch.

Nick grabbed his sister’s arm. “Alex, you’re going to be somebody’s mom,” he said. Alex looked back at where Dylan was dancing around in his ‘big brother’ T-shirt, making up some song and putting on a show for his mother and grandmother. “Alex?” Nick called for his sister’s attention.

Alex took a deep breath, enjoying Dylan’s antics and delighting in his excitement, thinking how much she loved him. “I already am, Nick,” she said proudly. “I already am.”

Wednesday, December 31
^st

nd? Is it done?” Admiral William Brackett asked through his secure line.