“Same goes,” she replies. “I saw Jesse and Lucy had the babies. Nice nickname by the way, K Quads.”
I grin. “Yeah. They’re so tiny, Tera, but they can poop something fierce.”
She smiles softly. “I’m sorry, Xander.”
“T,” I say, my hand reaching up to cup her cheek. “Never apologize for doing what you have to do. I get it. I was the first one to see you after, remember? I wish I’d been there. You have no idea how much I wish I’d been there for you that day,” I confess, the guilt that’s been eating my soul not allowing me to hold it back.
“Stop that. You were there. There was nothing that could have been done. You know it and I know it, so let’s just leave it at that, okay? Let’s agree that it sucked, but life goes on.”
I stare into her beautiful hazel eyes, the flecks of green and gold prevalent tonight.
“Okay.” For now.
“How much time do you have?” she asks.
I look at my watch and wince. “Time goes entirely too fast when I’m here with you.”
“It does. How long?” she asks again, catching my evasion.
“Ten hours,” I answer.
Tera grabs my hand and leads me toward the bedroom. “Then let’s make them count.”
“I hopped off the plan at LAX…” This landing isn’t as happy as the last one. The time with her went so damn fast. I hate that I had to wait a day to go to her, to waste that day on my mother, but it couldn’t be helped. It was see her then or see her on Christmas day—today—and that just isn’t going to happen.
I don’t see the point. To sit there at some stuffy formal dinner with a woman who was barely there when I was growing up? A woman who disapproves of my career choice. A woman who has had more husbands than I have fingers on my left hand. A woman who I talk to less than that during an entire year. It’s all about appearances for Dr. Lynn McCormick-Mackenzie-Daniels-Linz-blah, blah, blah. Honestly I forgot the rest. I’m surprised I remember that many.
The car pulls up in front of CFD and I take a deep breath. Home. One day Tera will call this home too.
I open the front door and I’m met with laughter which makes me grin. I drop my bag on the floor, meeting Mrs. Martinez stare. “I’ll get it later. I promise.”
She grins and waves me on. “Go. They’ve been waiting for you.”
“Yeah?” I ask, happy to hear that.
“Yes. It’s never the same without you,” she tells me and I walk over and give her a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
“Thanks, Mrs. M.”
She blushes prettily when I give her a wink. I chuckle as I head toward the noise. It’s been a couple days but it feels like so much longer.
I pause in the doorway taking it all in. Everyone’s here—same as last year, only we’re five bodies heavier this year—the babies and Nicole.
The tree is decorated in reds and golds, the fireplace blazing in the corner—fireplace in California. I shake my head. Only Lucy. The holiday lights and candles decorate every surface, and bodies are littered on the sofas, chairs, and floor.
“Xan!” Nicole greets, jumping up off Ben’s lap to give me a hug.
“What’s happening, people?” I ask, enjoying Nicole’s floral scent much more than the sterile one she’d been sporting for a while there. “How are you feeling?” I ask quietly.
“I’m good,” she replies, pulling back. “How are you?”
I smile, genuinely, and she smiles back. “I’m good.”
“You have a nice trip?” Ben asks.
I nod. “I did.”
“Want to talk about it?” he asks.
“Nah, but thanks. Almost there, Benny boy. We’re almost there.”
“Because that’s good news, I won’t slam my fist into your gut for calling me Benny again.”
I chuckle and lift my shirt revealing my toned stomach. “Abs of steel, baby.”
Meggie hoots and hollers. “Damn, Xander. You are looking good.”
“I know it,” I agree and grin when Sera rolls her eyes.
“Where are my babies?” I ask, searching the room. I spot them sleeping in portable cribs and head over. They look so fucking cute in their tiny holiday outfits. Nothing formal, just cute Christmasy onesies. Speaking of—
“I’ve got some presents for the babies.”
Jesse and Lucy both groan.
“Stuff it,” I scold and grab the two boxes I put in the corner before I left. I hand one to Jesse and one to Lucy. They look at one another and I roll my eyes. “They’re not bombs. They’re for the babies.”
Lucy rips into hers first. She opens the box and there’s a stack of onesies inside—each set of four has three blue and one pink.
Her eyes flick to mine. “This is so sweet!”
“They’re special. Read what they say.”
“Oh hell,” Kennedy mutters and I hide my grin.
“It’s great to be out. We were running out of womb,” Lucy reads aloud with a laugh.
“Nice, man. Real nice,” Ethan says.
Lucy looks back in the box, pulling out the next set. “I was a surprise. So was I. Me too. I was unexpected.”
Sera snickers and Meggie lets out a loud snort.
She pulls out the orange one and Jesse groans. “I just did nine months on the inside.”
Ethan laughs and laughs and laughs. Apparently that one tickled his fancy.
“Xander Mackenzie!” Lucy scolds, holding up the next one.
“You may as well just think that for each of the rest.”
“Oh boy,” Lucy mutters. “I’m proof mommy puts out.”
Sera snorts and Mama snickers.
“Mama!”
“What? What? It’s funny,” she answers and I nod.
Lucy holds this one up. It’s got a sperm character on it with a #TBT hashtag.
“Cute,” Anthony admits.
“See? Your parents get it!”
Lucy rolls her eyes.
“Oh, this one is cute! ‘Uh oh. I shizzled in my dizzle’,” Lucy snickers.
Lucy cuts me a glare with the next one. “I’m what happened in Vegas.”
That gets everyone hooting and hollering.
“Last one,” she announces. “Oh God. ‘Made in Vachina’.”
That gets laughs all around too.
“Jesse’s turn,” I say.
“Lucky me,” he replies. He chuckles at the first one and holds it up. It’s got arrows pointing at each arm hole and the word arm with each arrow. Ditto for the legs. In the middle it says You can do this Dad.
“I could use that sometimes,” Ethan admits.
“Me too,” Kennedy agrees.
Jesse cuts me a glare. “My daddy is an arrogant bastard.”
More laughs and I’m feeling pretty damn proud of my purchases.
“K Quads,” Jesse announces with a laugh. “Nice.” He raises a brow. “Last ones?”
I nod. “Yep.”
“Rollin’ down the street eatin’ cheerios, sippin on a box of juice, LAID BACK, with my mind on my mommy and my mommy on my mind,” Jesse sings.
“You can’t not sing that!” Lucy exclaims.
“Those are very thoughtful, Xander,” Mama tells me. “I knew you’d find something fun for them.”
“Always, Mama. Always.”
Lucy picks up the wrapping paper and organizes the boxes under the tree.
“Flight okay?” Jesse asks.
“Yep. Long, but I got another one of Lucy’s books read,” I admit.
“Which one?” she asks.
“That Ginger Scott chick. I gotta say, Luce, that Reed dude was pretty fucked up for a while there.”
“Right?!” she agrees.
“Nolan’s got some staying power. You gotta admire that,” I add.
“That’s the truth,” Sera interjects. “I’m not sure I could have hung around like she did with—”
“Shush!” Meggie scolds. “I haven’t read it yet!”
“Well, get to it,”
I tell her. “That’s some good shit right there. Going Long is up next.”
Nicole snickers. “Who woulda thunk it? Big bad rock star Xander Mackenzie reading YA romance.”
“I’m like a transformer.”
“Huh?” Coley asks.
“There’s more than meets the eye,” I tell her with a wink and a laugh.
“Lame!” she shouts.
“Dude,” Kennedy says shaking his head.
“That one was bad, even for you,” Ethan adds.
“I thought it was pretty good,” Cage states and I stop in my tracks.
“Doth my ears deceive me? Did Cage dude just say he thought it was pretty good?” I taunt.
“It’ll likely never happen again, so enjoy it while you can,” he replies and I laugh.
“I will, you can bet on that. So, what’s been going on while I’ve been gone? Anyone get knocked up?”
“Xander Thomas Mackenzie,” Mama scolds.
“Sorry mama.”
“Well? Anyone? Did the babies start talking yet? Walking? What’d I miss?” I ask.
“No one’s prego,” Sera tells me, then tacks on a, “thank God.”
“What? You aren’t going to have any more?” I ask.
“Not right now! After seeing Lucy go through all that, there’s now way in hell I’m risking that.”
Cage chuckles. Damn. The dude almost cracked a smile.
“I can understand that,” I admit.
“No talking. No walking,” Kennedy answers.
“Lots of shit pants and puking,” Ethan adds.
“That part of it I didn’t miss,” I confide.
“What do you mean?” Lucy scoffs. “They never spit up on you.”
“That’s because I’ve got the magic touch,” I boast, getting groans from around the room. “You know it.” I pull out my iPod. “You can’t touch this.” Then I Hammertime—with Nicole. She’s pretty damn good.
“Admit it, you missed me,” I taunt the guys.
“Can say as I did,” Trace responds.
“You’re just pissed because Megs likes my bod.”
He gives me a glare and flips me the bird. I pretend to reach out and grab it, then tuck it into my pocket.
“What the fuck?” he asks.
“I’m saving it for later,” I reply. “And you owe the swear jar. Tsk, tsk. You should have this down by now, Styx.”
“Yeah, yeah,” he replies, putting his money in the jar.
I look at the jar and whistle. “Who’s been dropping the F bomb?”
Sera shrugs. “That’d be me. I’ve been an F-word type of mood.”
“Thanks for the warning.”
She nods. “Welcome.”
“Where’s Jace?” I ask.
Lucy looks at me worriedly. “He had to go home.”
“Is everything okay?”
“I don’t know,” she tells me. “All I know is he got a message that he needed to get home ASAP. He didn’t give any details.”
“It’s never good when that happens,” Meggie states.
“Isn’t that the truth?” Ethan asks.
There’s silence for a few minutes and the moment is too heavy for the holiday.
“Ready to sing some Christmas songs?” I ask.
“Yes, let’s,” Meggie bounces.
Kennedy strums his ever-present guitar, starting us off with Little Drummer Boy. Up next is It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas. Mama and Anthony are up dancing when we begin All I Want For Christmas, We Wish You A Merry Christmas, and Winter Wonderland. Sera and Lucy sing O Holy Night after which I jump in with Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town—Springsteen style. And I’m a little surprised when Nicole, Kennedy, and Ben sing The First Noel.
“I’m diggin’ it. This is epic.” There’s a cry from one of the babies and I head over, picking up little Konnor—the names on their little caps helps a lot, though I almost have it to where I know who’s who.
I do the diaper change and head over to the sofas by the Christmas tree. Sera grabs the next baby, then Lucy and Jesse. When we’re all around the tree, I know there’s one song left to be sung, to show what this night is really about.
“One more,” I tell Kennedy. He raises his brows and I make an O with my fingers. He nods.
When Sera and Lucy sing loud and strong about falling on your knees, chills go through me.
Jesse passes Kennedy the baby and borrows his guitar. He strums a chord and I grin.
“Yeah, nice.”
He starts singing about being home for Christmas, his voice clear and soft yet still carrying that edge to it he’s known for, and my mind drifts to Tera.
If I have to visit her every year until she’s ready to come to me and be part of this life I will. I’m sure the others don’t understand and they don’t have to—not yet. There’ll come a day for that, but it’s not now. Not until my girl is ready.
I hand the baby to Jesse and snag the guitar, giving Kennedy a look. He shrugs.
“This one’s for Tera,” I tell them and sing Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas—classic Judy Garland style.
I won’t lie. It’s hard with her there and me here, even if I have these guys. The family won’t be complete until she’s here—and, for her, I’d wait a lifetime.
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I wish you a safe and happy holiday season!
Cadence, Rockstar #7, Jace’s story – Coming mid-2016.
True Love Way
©2015 Mary Elizabeth
Chapter One
Dillon
“Who do you think she is?” I ask.
This girl and her parents showed up fifteen minutes ago in the moving truck that’s now parked in front of the empty house next door to mine. With light skin and long brown hair, she’s dressed in ripped-up jean shorts and a faded black T-shirt with a design on the front of it I can’t make out.
“I don’t know,” my best friend, Herb, says. He wipes beaded sweat from his top lip.
I rock back on my heels, keeping my bike steady between my legs as gravel crunches beneath my road-worn Vans. The end-of-summer sun hammers down on us from clear mid-afternoon skies.
Kyle, my other best pal, rolls by on his skateboard, briefly blocking my view. “I’ve never seen her,” he says.
“She must be new.” Herbert halts his bike beside mine and taps his hands against his handlebars to the same upbeat tune that’s been stuck in his head all week.
The house next door is white with yellow trim, and it’s been vacant since last September. The previous owners, the Pimentels, were here one day and gone the next. My parents don’t like it when I eavesdrop, but I heard them say, ‘Mrs. Pimentel took Mr. Pimentel for all he’s worth after she caught him dipping his deep sea fishing pole into somebody else’s ocean.
There have been a few people by since the For Sale sign went up. Unless they’re originally from Castle Rain, no one ever stays long. We haven’t had newcomers in a while.
“This place is nothing but townies and old people,” my older sister, Risa, always says. “Fuck Washington.”
“Do you think she’ll be at school tomorrow?” Herb asks.
I shrug.
From the back of the U-Haul truck, a man who looks to be about my father’s age appears with a large box in his arms. Beside him, a short, thick woman with long hair, like the girl’s, dangles a set of keys in her hand. She has pep to her step, practically floating.
If fat people could float.
“Penelope,” the woman calls expectantly. “Do you want to be the first to unlock the door?”
The girl doesn’t answer. The lady with the keys loses her smile, and the man with the box scowls.
“She’s rude.” Kyle scoffs. “I hate her.”
I walk my bike from the street to the sidewalk in front of my house. My best friends stay back, kick flipping and tail whipping while I do nothing more than watch.
&nb
sp; “Pen,” the lady tries again, making the keys sing, swinging them harder than the first time. Her arm jiggles.
No response.
“Penelope,” the man stabs. “Don’t ignore your mother.”
Posted on the steps in front of the house, the girl, Penelope—Pen—whatever, is in her own little world. She has a black Discman on her hip and earphones in her ears. With a melody of her own, the new girl next door bobs her head back and forth, oblivious to her parents. Her eyes are hidden behind sunglasses with circular green lenses. At first I think she’s mouthing the words to whatever song she’s listening to, but then she blows the biggest bubblegum bubble I’ve ever seen.
My heart does a weird jump-skip-bounce thing.
Pink gum pops, covering her nose and chin. One swipe of her tongue is all it takes to clean up her face. She continues to chew, nod, and ignore.
“Dillon,” Herb whines. “Let’s go, dude.”
I look back at my friends, not as interested in riding bikes all over the town like I was this morning … like I have the last three months. Kyle’s face flushes pink, and Herbert’s forehead glistens as sweat rolls down his temples. They wait, but impatiently.
“It’s the last day of summer,” Kyle adds.
I turn toward the new people. Toward Pen.
“It’s just a girl,” Herbert teases.
Penelope pops another bubble. Her mom walks past her, shoving the key into the doorknob herself. The man with the box, whom I assume is her dad, places the cardboard package at his daughter’s feet. Her name is written across the side of it in black marker: Pen/ Fragile.
She finally understands and pulls the earphones from her ears. As she stands, wiping dust from her bottom, the girl with the green glasses spots me staring.
I’m greeted with another bubble.
My cheeks scorch red, embarrassed because I’ve been caught gawking. Instead of burning rubber down the street, I lean forward and rest my arms on my handlebars. The object of my weird fascination kneels and lifts the box. She disappears into the house just as her mom comes back outside.
“Dillon, come on,” Herb pleads. “Are you sweet for the girl, or what?”
“Shut up,” I say, rolling my bike onto the street. “Let’s just go.”
“Talk to her,” Kyle teases daringly. His dark blonde hair falls in his eyes, covering the gash on his brow from the fall he took earlier today.