The moment I unlocked the door to my house I was hit with the smell of cooking turkey, one of my favorite things about the holiday.
“We’re home!” I announced, leaning down to help my daughter off with her coat and gloves.
“How was the parade?” Clare asked walking towards me, wiping her hands on a dishtowel as she approached us.
“Great, Mommy!” Zoë exclaimed. The little girl hugged her Mommy’s tummy and looked up at her with a huge smile across her face. “I saw Santa Claus!”
Clare hugged our baby with one arm, “did you and Daddy have fun together.”
“Yes, Mommy,” Zoë replied. I took off my coat and hung it up next to Zoë’s in the closet. I leaned up against the door frame and watched my two girls.
“Was Elmo in the parade?” Clare asked the child.
Zoë nodded. “He waved at me!” She looked over at me, her eyes proud. “Didn’t he Daddy?”
“Yes, that he did,” I replied with a nod uncrossing my arms from my chest. Clare was grinning at me. I wanted to talk to her alone before the rest of the family started intruding. “Why don’t you go play with your Pop?” I suggested to Zoë. “I think I hear him rooting on the Jets in the living room.”
Zoë scampered away to find her grandfather before I had to ask her a second time.
I grinned and beckoned with one finger for Clare to move closer. She hung her dishtowel over her shoulder, and gladly came over, throwing her arms around my neck.
“How’s my babies?” I asked her, accepting a kiss that she planted on my lips.
“Which ones?” She said playfully. I wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her closer to me.
“All of them,” I said softly, leaning over and kissing the area between her shoulder and neck.
“Well,” she said. “Anya is asleep in her crib.”
“Mm-hmm,” I confirmed not removing my lips from her body. Without looking I moved one hand around to her stomach.
“These two are awake and moving.”
“What about this one?” I asked looking up from her neck and down into her eyes.
She smiled softly. “This one is doing just great.”
“Good.” I kissed her forehead quickly and rested my chin on top of her head lightly. I patted her back firmly. “Good,” I repeated quietly. I wrapped my arms around her neck and closed my eyes. I wanted to tell her about Mr. Michael Jerichs but I didn’t want to have a discussion about it, especially before dinner. We would be eating in two hours and the rest of the guests would be arriving an hour before then.
“I have to get back to the turkey,” Clare mumbled, moving her head onto my chest. My arms slid down around her upper back.
“Do you have to?” I asked her.
“I’m comfortable,” she sighed.
I laughed. “So now I’m a pillow, huh?”
I felt her nodding into my chest. “You’ve always been my Taylor-pillow.”
“Clare?” Came a shout from the kitchen where Clare had been stationed for the past few hours.
“In the hallway, Mom!” Clare called back to the kitchen. “Don’t move your arms,” she warned me when I went to take them away from her back. Clare’s head was turned towards the right, leaning into me comfortably. I held tight just like she asked.
“Hi Mom,” I said over my wife’s body. “How’s my favorite in-law?”
“I thought I heard you come in,” Clare’s mother responded.
“I’m not allowed to let go,” I informed her.
“Ohhh,” she replied. “I gotcha.”
“What do you want, Ma?” Clare asked, raising her voice so she could be heard through me.
“Are you feeling all right?” Mom asked. “You’re not too tired are you?” She looked at me. “I told her to go lay down while I mashed the potatoes and cooked the turnips but she wouldn’t listen to me.”
“Yeah,” I chuckled still holding my wife. “She doesn’t want to rest, she just keeps on going.”
“How can I not?” Clare said. “I’m not tired.” She sighed. ‘My back hurts.”
“I wonder why, kid!”
“Taylor, make her rest,” my mother-in-law begged. “She listens to you.”
I shook my head and mouthed “no she doesn’t.”
“I hear your heart beating in my ear, Tay,” Clare piped up. I felt her hand on my chest. “It’s loud.”
“At least it’s not stopped,” I joked, referring to the event from two months prior.
I cringed as she hit me hard. “Don’t say that.”
“I’m sorry, baby,” I gushed trying to cover up my mistake.
“You should be,” she grumbled.
“It’s great to see you looking better, Taylor,” Mom interjected trying to change the subject.
“Thanks,” I said.
“The last time I saw you, you were pale.”
“Well, I have the best nurse in the world,” I commented, freeing my arm from my wife’s back. I tilted her chin up to my mouth and kissed her. “Though she should be taking care of herself.”
Clare nodded and moved to my side. “Mom, I think I’m going to lay down for a few minutes in the guestroom. Think you can handle everything by yourself?” She winked at me.
“I’ve got your father to help,” Mom said. “If he wants to or not!” Clare inched towards the bedroom pulling my arm with her. “Taylor, don’t you think you should stay here and let her rest?” Mom asked noticing that I was getting pulled along with her daughter.
“I need him,” Clare said. There was a note of urgency in her voice.
“She needs me,” I repeated as I was pulled, backwards, into the guest bedroom.
Clare shut the door tightly behind us. I sat down on the bed and watched her lock the door. “Just in case little hands try to turn the knob,” she giggled.
I narrowed my eyes as she sat down next to me. “Clare,” I said slowly. “With your parents in the house?”
“No!” She said quickly. She blushed. “I just want some alone time with my husband before our home is filled with my relatives.”
I nodded. “You know, your mother must think we’re insane.” I pointed towards the door and shook my finger at it. “You know what she’s thinking out there.”
“Oh let them think!” Clare exclaimed shaking her head. She leaned her face closer to mine. “I don’t care what other people think.” She kissed me lovingly, reaching up and touching my face, her fingers trailing delicately on my cheek. “You’re scratchy,” she joked rubbing her hand on my cheek. She made a face. I put my hand on top of hers, stopping her hand from moving. I turned my head to the side and kissed her fingers.
“I’ve been up since four,” I said with a slight smile. “What do you expect?”
She giggled and I knew she was in one of her hormonal moods. “I like it.”
I flopped my torso down on the bed and starred up at the ceiling. “I better shave before the guests arrive.”
My wife joined me laying down on the bed. I reached over and threaded my fingers through hers. “Probably,” she agreed. Clare yawned loudly. “I’m tired.”
“Go to sleep,” I suggested hoisting myself up on one elbow. I leaned over her and kissed her nose. “I’ll come wake you up if anyone needs you.” I patted her stomach lightly. “Come on, move up there.” I nodded towards the pillow. Clare groaned but listened to me. I slipped off her shoes and pulled the comforter up to her chin once she was in position. “I love you,” I said, kneeling on the ground so we were face to face.
Clare yawned. “I love you, too,” she said with a smile. Her eyelids were starting to droop and I knew it was a matter of time before she slipped away into dreamland.
I placed one hand on her stomach and leaned in close. “You two go to sleep, too,” I told her stomach. “Don’t keep your Mommy awake,” I warned. “Your Mommy hasn’t slept more than two hours at a time since you’ve been moving around.” I kissed the comforter and moved back to my wife. Clare was smiling at me, her eyes glowing with pride. “I’ll make sure no one bothers you,” I promised getting up off the floor.
“Thanks babe.”
“Anything for you, doll.” I walked to the door.
“Jordan?” I turned towards the sound of my wife’s exhausted voice. She yawned. “Don’t forget to shave.”