“Oooh…these are almost done, Ro. You have the kisses ready?” Lani breathed in deeply, loving the smell of fresh baked cookies on Christmas day. The days before made more sense, but she always liked to save at least one batch for the day of.

Rosalie quickly popped an unwrapped Hershey’s kiss in her mouth and tried talking around it. “Shí, Mamí. 48 kishes.” She slyly wiped her mouth with the back of her hand to keep the chocolate dribbles to a minimum.

“How many did you eat?”

“Three. But I opened three more. 48 kisses.”

Lani leaned over the counter to Rosalie’s well counted bowl and grabbed a kiss, biting off the tip and letting it melt in her mouth. “47. Better open another one.”

“Mamí…” Rosalie huffed and swallowed the melted chocolate down, licking one last drop off of her lips. “When are Nick and Aaron getting here?”

Right on cue the doorbell rang in full unison with the oven timer. “I’ll take the oven, you take the door.”

Rosalie hopped off the stool wondering why Nick would ring the bell. Then, the fullness of Christmas day hit her. “Oooh! Maybe his arms are full of presents and he needs help!” Her skip cranked up to a gallop and she flung the door open. “Feliz Navidad, Nick-…”

But it wasn’t Nick at the door. This man was shorter. And darker. And…he looked sort of familiar. With nerves taking over her body as memories of this man came creeping in, she slipped into lazy, accent-filled speech. “You not Nick.”

“No, but you’re Rosalie, aren’t you?”

“Sí…” When the man bent down to shake her hand, Rosalie stepped back. “I don’t know you.”

The man’s eyes pained at her retreat, but he stood back up and looked into the house. “Is Mamí at home?”

“She…she in the kitchen. You, um…” Rosalie took a few steps back and shook her finger at the man, scolding him for something that had not been done, but she felt like he was in need of a good scolding anyway. “You stay out here.”

“Okay.” He chuckled as the door closed in front of him.

Rosalie, however, was not laughing. “Mamí. It was not Nick.”

Lani pointed to the bowl of kisses, directing Rosalie to start putting them into the centers of the cookies she’d just pulled out of the oven. “These aren’t gonna stick if we wait any longer. Start kissing.”

Rosalie blindly obeyed, but only got two candies in two cookies before she stopped. “Mamí. Nick’s not here.”

Lani barely looked up from her work, missing the tension and fear blatantly written all over her daughter’s face. “No, I guess he’s not. Who was at the door?”

Rosalie shrugged and went back to the kisses. “He asked for you.”

“Well, you silly…finish these up and don’t forget to unwrap another one.” Lani untied her apron and hung it from a cabinet’s doorknob. “Why didn’t you tell me? Leaving him stand outside. Honestly, Ro.”

“He’s a stranger.”

Lani had so many lists running through her mind of things to do, things she’d already gotten done and couldn’t let go of yet and things that she knew she was forgetting but couldn’t quite put her finger on, that none of this was coming together for her. Rosalie’s obvious tension. The oddity of a stranger showing up on their door stoop on Christmas afternoon. “Well, it’s Christmas, Ro. No one’s a stranger on…” She opened the door and slammed it closed again. “Ay, mierda.”

“I think he’s the man from the park, Mamí.”

Lani’s hand hadn’t left the doorknob as she leaned back against the wood, bumping her head against it and closing her eyes as 10 million scenarios ran through her mind. “I think you might be right.”

“Why he here?” A soft knock lifted Lani off of the door and made Rosalie run to her mother’s side. “He was nice to me at the park. Maybe he’s a nice man.”

Lani’s hand ran through her daughter’s curls, not wanting to deal with this today. Ever, really, but why today? Why did he feel the need to do this today? She wanted to kill him.

“Lani…please open the door.”

“Mamí. Maybe you should let him in?”

Solana mindlessly nodded and turned the knob, plastering a pleasant smile to hide the anger, fear and disbelief that this was actually happening. The only comfort she had was that Nick and Aaron should be moments away. Although, as she saw the victorious smile spread across Neron’s face when she opened the door, she wondered if having all of them in the same house was such a good idea.

“Neron.”

Neron took a tentative step forward and reached out for Lani’s hand, stepping back as she quickly retreated. “Lani…it’s been too long.”

Flames of fury flew out of her eyes, masked by a pleasant smile only for her daughter’s benefit. “Why today, Neron?”

“Hi, Neron! Come have some cookies. We’re making peanut blossoms!” Rosalie pushed in between her mother and the man, and seeing that they knew each other, completely welcomed him into their home.

Neron stumbled by Lani, apologizing with a grimace, not sure whose lead to follow. Lani’s or - he stopped and looked at the little girl, dark brown curls, shimmering brown eyes, a turned up nose that looked just like his as a boy and a glow of stubbornness that was going to be passed down regardless – or his daughter’s. “I don’t know what peanut blossoms are.”

“They’re Nicky’s favorite. Peanut butter cookies and you press kisses into them when they’re hot.” She pulled out a stool for him, ignoring the fact that her mother was still standing in the foyer with her mouth hanging open and her guard completely up. “You can’t eat them yet. They’re still hot.” She grabbed at another tin from the counter and struggled to get it open.

Neron took it from her and popped off the lid. “Ooh…cut-outs. Those are my favorites.”

“Have one. Here…” She dug into the colorful cookies and found one shaped like Santa Claus sloppily, yet lovingly covered in red glaze. “I iced this one.”

He took the cookie and bit into it, oohing and aahing with great dramatic flair at the artistic icing job, the delicious taste and then, as Lani slowly walked into the kitchen wondering how traumatized her daughter would be if she witnessed her mother bashing a cast iron skillet over this man’s head, he offered his daughter his final bite of cookie.

Which she took with a huge grin.

In a matter of two minutes, he had her in his grip.

And Lani felt like her world was swirling out of control. Out of reach. Out of any sense of reality that she’d worked so hard to keep it in. Two minutes and the son of a bitch came and stripped it all away.

“Mamí.”

Lani grabbed her apron from the knob and shoved the strap over her head, angrily tying it around her waist. He couldn’t do this to them. To her. To…he just couldn’t.

“Mamí!”

She fumbled with the ties, unable to get them to cooperate, unable to sort her mind out enough to do this most simple of tasks. Unable to speak, to focus, to reason.

To hear.

“MAMÍ!! The cookies are going to burn!”

Rosalie smacked the tin lid onto the counter, jolting Lani out of her nightmare. “Oh! Oh! Lo siento, Rosalie.” She continued mumbling as she turned off the oven timer and shoved her hands into her mitt, pulling out another perfectly baked pan of cookies. “We need kisses on these.”

Rosalie slid the bowl of kisses over to her new friend and showed him how to add them. “Push soft so they don’t split, okay, Neron?”

“Like this?”

A ruckus at the front door, gave Lani a brief reprieve from the whirlwind of hell going on in front of her. She twirled around from putting another batch into the oven to see her heaven walk through the door.

“Nick! De gracias a Dios!” Lani almost ran to the door, yanking the bags of gifts from his hands and wrapping her arms around her peace. Her comfort. Her home.

His arms slid around her waist and he instantly nuzzled in her neck, not sure why she was greeting him so demonstratively, but he surely was not complaining. “Merry Christmas, baby…” He pulled back and looked in her eyes, and saw them swelled with fear. “What’s up?”

“Nicky! We’re making your favorite! Come see!”

Nick looked up from Lani’s eyes and couldn’t believe the sight before him. With another look down to Lani and a glance back at his brother, who was completely, graciously clueless, he found a smile to offer to his Muñe. Now to find a voice. “Pea…peanut blossoms? You making peanut blossoms?”

“Yup. They’re still hot, but Neron is helping me kiss them.” She stuck one more kiss in one more cookie and one more kiss into her mouth, mumbling around the quickly melting chocolate. “Want a kish?”

“From you, any time.” He pressed his lips to Lani’s forehead and went to the kitchen, shooting a sideways glance to the unwelcome guest and leaning in front of him for a kiss from Ro. The lip to lip variety first. “You taste like chocolate.”

She plugged a chocolate kiss into his mouth and giggled. “Now you will too. Come on, Aaron…come see our cookies!”

“You-…you’d better open some more kisses, Missy. You’ll run out next batch.” Lani grabbed Aaron’s arm for support and allowed him to drag her towards the kitchen. “Don’t ask, just smile.”

“You okay?”

“I said, don’t ask…later. I’ll explain later. Just hold me up.”

“Got it.”

“Can I show Neron what Santa brought me?”

Nick took over for Aaron, hanging onto Lani tighter than he normally would. Was he afraid Neron would zap her away with the strength of his evil powers? Did he have power over Lani? Over Rosalie? Was Nick losing his? Why did he feel so desperately weak all of a sudden? Like Superman and Kryptonite. Nick and Neron.

“Mamí?”

Lani grabbed at the bag of kisses and opened a few, plopping them into the bowl and another one into her mouth, never answering her daughter, never looking up at the guest, wanting the proverbial ‘rewind’ button to appear out of nowhere so she could get this bastard out of her house.

Nick leaned into her ear, his warm breath not even having the typical effect on her it usually did. “Lani…”

“Mmm?”

He stood between the disaster and his love, hopefully blocking his words and her shock from her daughter’s notice. “Ro’s talkin’ to you, hon…don’t let him do this to you.”

“Why is he here, Nick?”

“No idea, but right now…”

“Right. Ro.” She rested her head on his chest and uttered one final, heart-felt sentiment. “El cabrón.”

“Shh…she’s going to hear you.”

“Mamí, why you not answer me?”

Lani peeked around Nick, grateful for his size…to hide her, to protect her, shield her from the ugliness on the other side of him. Now to get Rosalie back over to the correct side and all would be well again. “Lo siento, Rosalie. Yes, just for a few minutes. We’re going to have family time soon.” Nick’s hands never left Lani’s arms, running up and down them, calming her, helping her to breath properly again. “How do I get him out of here?”

“How did you get him in here to begin with?”

They stopped their private conversation long enough to smile insincerely when Neron walked by them following his daughter into the other room. “Aaron…go check out what Santa brought Ro…make sure he didn’t forget anything, huh?”

Aaron was confused, lost and wondering if home might be a little less stressful. But, he didn’t ask, didn’t falter. Just obediently followed Neron and Rosalie into the room, scooping Rosalie up onto his shoulders as they slipped out of view.

Once alone, Lani practically collapsed into Nick’s arms and he walked her to the couch, sighing as the buzzer went off in the kitchen. “Sit. What do I have to do?”

“Take out the cookies, turn off the oven and shove kisses into them.”

“I can think of a few other things I’d like to shove…”

“Yeah, well…just do kisses and cookies right now. I’m going to pass out, if you don’t mind.”

Nick reluctantly left Lani in the room as he tended to her cookies and tried to find out what the hell was going on without saying anything that might be overheard. “So, uh…were you expecting him today?”

“No. Ro saw that I knew him and I always told her strangers aren’t strangers if Mamí knows them.”

“Of course…and everyone’s Ro’s friend.”

“Right. Next thing I know, he’s eating her cut-out cookies.”

“Christ.” Nothing else was said. Nothing else could be said. Not without someone going in and totally upending Rosalie’s Christmas. Nick finished with the cookies and brought the bag of leftover kisses in to Lani. “Here. Eat up.”

“You’re my hero.” Kryptonite dispensed of for the moment.

“He’s not staying while we open presents.”

“No, I’m not. Rosalie wants to show me something in her room. Is that okay?” Lani inadvertently flicked rolled foil from her fingers as her eyes bore into the faux innocence of the man who was single handedly trying to destroy her. “Nick will come with you.”

For the first time since he entered their home, Neron’s expression grew forceful and agitated. “I don’t think that will be necess-…”

“Yeah, Nicky…come on…help me show Neron la natividad. Tell him the story like you told me.”

“La natividad?” Neron’s eyes shot to Lani’s again, fury scorching through his plastic smile. It was obvious the child had no idea who he was…she was just being friendly because her Mama taught her to be that way. He shouldn’t be surprised since he’d heard nothing after he sent the gift. La natividad. But, he’d kept his eye out. He watched the house regularly. Watched the comings and goings of this ‘Nick’ person who he’d specifically told Lani to stay away from. And now the bastard had brought his bratty brother into her life as well.

What was Lani thinking? Hell, she’d never change. She covered her insatiable sexuality up with that tight-assed job of hers. But he knew. He knew she was all about hot nights and wild rides. Obviously this Carter dude supplied. Other than money, there surely was nothing else he could offer her…and she never had been all that interested in money anyway.

But now, now he’d seen it all. Someone else was filling the place he’d abandoned so many years ago. And Neron was tired of standing in the wings watching it happen. He was going to get back where he belonged. One step at a time. He was in the house and Rosalie knew him…at least by name. Lani would have to tell her the full truth eventually.

And then, he could pick up where he left off. He’d have Lani back. He’d have his baby girl. He’d pissed it all away, but now he was ready. Ready to be a daddy. Ready to make that little girl smile like this big oaf of a…

“Take your eyes off of Lani and walk. Her room’s down here.” Nick pulled on Neron’s shirt sleeve, making him remove his glare from Lani’s direction. “Come on, Neron.”

Rosalie inched away from her new friend, suddenly aware of everyone’s underlying anger. Hidden messages to each other. Lack of jolly ho-ho-ho happiness in the house. She wanted Neron to leave.

She bumped into Nick who immediately picked her up and carried her the rest of the way down the hall. Her head naturally fell to his shoulder, but her eyes never left those of the guest. His smile didn’t seem so sincere anymore. His reason for being there suddenly became cloudy to her…he wasn’t just a nice man who Mamí knew. Something was wrong.

Something was horribly wrong.