Page 26 of Santa Baby

Nic

I focus wholly on Talia. She’s been so quiet since we both came together yesterday that I worry I might have pushed her too far, too fast. It’s not that she’s distant really. She’s just too quiet. Why doesn’t she want to talk about what happened last night? Why doesn’t she tell me I moved too fast? Or that I’m an asshole for not having more control over my own goddamned body?

“It’s snowing.” When I look up it’s to find Talia looking out the window, a soft, sweet look on her upturned face.

“So, it is.” I smile at her. “You want to go watch it while we eat?”

She gives me a questioning look.

“Come on.”

I move us so she can sit curled up on the window seat, her feet in my lap and our plates in our hands as we watch the white flakes fall magically out of the sky.

“It’s beautiful.”

“Yes, it is.” She’s talking about the snow. I’m talking about her being next to me while my mom plays with our baby close by. I’m talking about waking up to her in my arms and us coming downstairs together so we can all be with our family. I’m talking about watching the wonder on her face at something as simple as snow and wanting to put that look on her face as often as possible in the future, knowing that is what I am meant to do with my life.

Our eyes meet and I try to tell her what is inside without saying the words. She deserves the words but I’m not sure if I can say them and get them right. Not yet. A commotion at the door has us both looking over to find my brother and a short redhead standing beside him and covered in snow.

“It’s really coming down out there.”

She has a sweet, soft voice and can’t be much older than my Talia. She rolls her lips around her teeth and her eyes take everything in. Mom comes bustling through the door leading to the pantry holding Noelle.

“Mom,” Chris starts as we both go to try to take Noelle from her, “this is Kit, my fiancée.”

“Oh, hello. Please come in. We were just finishing up with breakfast but there’s plenty left if you’ve not eaten.”

“Oh that’s…I ate before.”

“How much before, little one?”

Everyone’s eyes turn to Kit and Chris as a side of Chris comes out I’ve not ever seen before.

Kit looks everywhere but at Chris and mumbles something.

“What was that, little one?”

“Not since last night. But I’m so nervous about meeting everyone I was afraid I was going to puke which would have been awful and just made me more nervous.”

I watch as Talia comes forward and a different side of her comes out as well. “You can sit by us. We were just kind of slumping around, looking at the snow. I’m Talia by the way.” She leans in close to Kit. “I’m new too.”

“Can I play with the baby? Is she yours?”

“Noelle, yes she’s ours.” My heart swells and I try to fight back the joy that washes over me at the fact she said Noelle was ours. My mom must realize too because she gives my hand a squeeze before moving closer to Kit.

“Not until after you eat, Kit. You can’t keep going without eating.”

“You do that too?” Talia seems excited that she’s found someone else who does what she apparently does, as I store that bit of information away so I can make sure she’s eating in the future.

The two girls go over to the island and Talia helps Kit make a plate as the two chat and get to know each other. My brother walks up beside me with an equally stunned expression.

“Huh, would you look at that? They made friends.”

I give him a cocked eyebrow before giving him my agreement, “Guess this means me and you are going to have to start acting like we get along. You know, to make them happy.”

“Shit, you’re right. As freakin’ usual.”

The rest of the morning is spent finishing up the decorating and planning out dinners. The two girls help Mom who seems to be having a blast and has Noelle permanently glued to her hip. I might have gotten to hold her maybe fifteen minutes all day long and that was when Mom had to go to the bathroom.

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