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Chapter Fifty - December 24

"Nick, grab the camera!"

"Why?"

"Just do it!"

I hopped over Brooke and grabbed the camera laying on the kitchen counter. I headed back to the living room and gave it to Liv. She flipped the screen open.

Noah had on a huge floppy Santa hat and was standing up by the couch. Jingle Bell Rock was playng on the stereo and his little legs were bouncing up and down. Brooke had a plastic microphone pressed up to her face and was making up her own lyrics.

"Noah, come to mommy!" Liv cooed. He laughed, his fingers digging into the cushion.

"NoNo Go!" Brooke said. She tossed the microphone; it missed his head by inches. She looked at me.

"Sowwy! Sowwy!"

I could never argue with that adorable 'sorry.' It was her new favorite word. Noah let go of the couch and stood there for a second.

"C'mere Noah," Liv said. She held out her arm; the other one had the camera trained on him.

I knelt down by Liv and clapped.

"You can do it!"

Brooke came over right by me and clapped. It was like his own little personal cheering section. With a happy giggle Noah took a clusmy step forward. Then another.

I think he freaked himself out. He plopped down and held out his arms.

I scooped him up and covered his little face in kisses.

"DADDY!"

I picked Brooke up. She leaned over and gave Noah a big smack on his cheek.

Liv bounced up, grinning ear to ear.

"Now, that made my Christmas Eve," she said happily.

"COOKIES!" Brooke said. She pointed to a little white plate set out on the table.

"Those are for Santa. If you're good you'll have presents tomorrow morning," I said. Brooke grinned.

"Pee-sats," she said happily.

Liv followed me up the steps and took Noah. I carried Brooke into her nursery.

"My bed," Brooke said happily.

Since she had been doing so well with the whole potty training thing, I had transitioned her crib to the toddler bed. She seemed much happier now that she didn't have to create a complex animal stacking system to get out of the crib. I put her down and she grabbed her covers excitedly.

"Nite Nite Boo," she said.

It had become a tradition between her and I. I stood up and picked up a book from her little nightstand. It was a beautiful picture book version of The Night Before Christmas. Brooke grabbed her teddy bear and held it close as I perched down and opened the book.

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

By the time I was done, Brooke's eyes were closed. I studied the tiny little rows of pretty blonde eyelashes. Her bottom lip jutted out slightly in a little pout. I leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"That was a good read."

I looked over. Liv was leaning against the doorway.

"What was your story?" I whispered.

"Mickey Mouse's Christmas ABC's," Liv said. "Not quite as exciting."

I got up, put the book down, and took her hand. Together we went down the steps.

"Alright," Liv said. She cracked her knuckles. "What do we have to put together?"

"Doll house, rocking horse, and play stove" I said.

"I'll take the rocking horse," Liv said.

A half hour later, I knew why she did. There was so many little bits and pieces to the doll house that I didn't think I would ever get it together. Liv had already moved onto the play stove.

"I don't know why," I said. "But I can so see Brooke hitting Noah on the head with one of those plastic frying pans."

Liv laughed. "And Noah trying to eat the plastic sunny-side up eggs."

We walked in tandem. When we were finally done it was eleven thirty.

"We need to eat the cookies. And milk."

I smiled. "Do they have pot in them?"

Liv gave me a look.

"We're never talking about that again."

I laughed. If anyone should have been in denial, it should have been me. I was the one to wrestle Brian in Liv's little panties.

Liv and I both took the couples and nibbled them down. I downed the milk.

"Bed?" I asked. Liv yawned.

"Yup. I have a feeling little Brooke-ster is going to be waking up early."

I smiled.

"For pee-sants."

------------------------------

December 25

"Mommy. Daddy. Mommy. Daddy. Pee-sants. Mommy. Daddy. Mommy. Daddy."

There's nothing like waking up to the persistant chant of a little one tugging at your covers. I opened an eye. Brooke's sparkling little eyes looked back up at me.

"Hey, Merry Christmas goober."

She stuck her thumb in her mouth.

I sat up and yawned. The other side of the bed was empty. Liv must already be up.

"Where's Mommy?"

Brooke just smiled. I scooped her up.

I bumped into Liv in the hall. Noah had two handfuls of her hair in his hands.

"Santa left a rather messy diaper for my Christmas present," Liv explained. I grinned.

We headed downstairs. It was hard to believe that just last year Brooke had been too little to really understand what everything was all about. She was more interested in bows and boxes than what was actually inside.

This year was completely different.

"PEE-SANTS!" she squealed. Noah squealed right along with her even though I had a feeling he was going to take her place in the bow and box department.

We set the kids down. Brooke went right over to the dollhouse. If she didn't get anything else, she still would have been happy. Noah eyed the rocking horse with delight.

Liv's mom and Mike arrived early. Brooke sat on my lap and we tore into her presents. Noah did the same with Liv. Like I had guessed, he ended up with two huge red and green bows stuck to his head.

As Brooke toddled back to her dollhouse, I leaned up into the tree and removed a white envelope. Liv's mom groaned.

"Nick..."

"Just open it."

"I know what's inside your little white envelopes."

I grinned.

"You need a honeymoon," I reasoned.

Mike smiled. "He's right there."

Liv was making a face as if the last thing she wanted to think about was her mom and a honeymoon. Even so, when her mom went in for a hug, she smiled.

"Maybe we should go to Colorado. I mean you did say it was beautiful."

Liv glanced at me. I bit the inside of my cheek.

"I'd go somewhere warmer if I were you."

We got into a discussion about the best places to vacation. After a nice lunch they left. Twenty minutes the doorbell rang again.

"Who's that?" Liv asked.

We weren't expecting anyone else. Needless to say I was a little more than surprised to see Angel standing at the door, tears streaming down her face.

"Nick!" she wailed. Her arms wrapped around my neck. I closed the door. Angel didn't lose it very often. Whatever or whoever did this to her was dead.

-----------------------------

"Angel, it's not the end of the world."

"That was my bread and butter. What am I going to do now?"

Angel had her feet propped up on the coffee table and was nibbling from a plate of cookies. I was staring at her stomach. Her pregnant stomach."

"I'm sure you can get jobs modeling maternity clothes," Liv said. Angel sniffled.

"I thought the company would just transfer me to that department. But they said they had enough of those models."

Her face was blotchy with acne. She was a mess. I had never seen her look that disheveled.

"So what happened to your apartment in Canada?"

She sniffled and licked at a chocolate chip before taking a bite into the cookie.

"My lease ran out."

"Have you talked to Matt?"

She snorted. "I think he has me on permanent caller ID block. Plus, I don't even want him in my life."

I bit my tongue. As far as I was concerned he was going to be in her life for at least the next eighteen or nineteen years.

"Angel, do you want to stay here?" I said.

She took a sip of milk and burped.

"I can't do that."

"Of course you can," Liv said. "We're going to be on tour and we could use someone to watch the house. It would work out for both of us."

"You don't want to live with mom," I said.

I saw tears spring to Angel's eyes again. "Well, if it's not too much of an inconvenience..."

I smiled. "Of course not."

As Liv tried to give Angel a pep talk and Angel wallowed in pregnancy hormones, I excused myself and headed upstairs. I scrolled through my contacts and dialed Matt.

It went straight to voicemail.

"Hey man, this is Nick," I said. "You know, Angel's brother? The woman you knocked up? I just want to let you know that you better man up and get your head out of your ass or I'm going to pull it out for you. Merry Fuckin' Christmas."

I hung up. I felt better.

But only slightly.