A Very #Jameston Christmas By Andrea Johnston
Bolting upright, it takes me a few seconds to recognize my surroundings. Which is strange since I’ve been sleeping in this bed and in this bedroom for a few years. My head is foggy like I drank too much eggnog last night. While I did enjoy my first alcoholic drink in over a year, I’m questioning the beverage of choice. The morning after eggnog taste in my mouth leaves a lot to be desired.
The spot next to me is empty and my mouth instantly forms a pout. I hate when he gets up before me. Our days are so chaotic, I relish in the early morning moments when it’s just us. The us it was before I peed on that stick and before our lives were no longer about ourselves. Thinking about that day and how scared I was but how easily Jameson embraced and celebrated the life we created, it instantly brings tears to my eyes.
Glancing to my right, I see a glass of water and a bright blue capsule on the night stand. He really does love me. Popping the capsule in my mouth, I take a large drink from the glass and then another. Gosh that’s refreshing. My bladder is screaming for relief and my boobs feel like I’ve missed a feeding. I take a quick look down to make sure I’m not leaking. So far so good. Still, they feel like that may change any minute.
Tossing back the covers, I pad my way to the bathroom. The house is quiet, but I do smell the telltale signs of the first pot of coffee. I miss caffeine. Not that I don’t indulge in a fully leaded cup each morning, but this week has been more exhausting than usual. Christmas isn’t just a holiday for my mom, it’s a reason for her to demand her family around her every day for two weeks. Every. Single. Day. The only excuse that has worked to get out of the pre-holiday, holiday, and post-holiday gatherings was morning sickness. While Jameson would love nothing more than to see me barefoot and pregnant again, that’s not happening anytime soon.
I pull on a pair of knee-high socks adorned with Christmas trees and presents and slip on my favorite oversized cardigan before exiting our room and making my way down the short hallway. Stopping at the partially opened door across the hall from our room, I quietly enter the room and look down at my sleeping baby boy. Ethan James Strauss is the light of my life. His dark hair is sticking out in all directions as it does most days while his little heart shaped lips are in a perfect baby smile. My baby boy is smiling twenty-four hours a day and I love every single minute of it. Wearing his special Christmas pajamas, his little diaper butt is pushed up in the air while his hands are tucked under his chest. If we were in yoga, our instructor would be very pleased with his form. I suppose it’s not called child’s pose for nothing. Not wanting to wake him, I repeat my same steps out of the room and back down the hallway to the living room.
I stop short of entering when I see Jameson standing in front of the tree. The tree we battled over. Jameson wanted an artificial tree because of the mess a live tree can create. I refused. I insisted on a massive live tree that I decorated in traditional colors of red and green. It’s the perfect tree. And it’s a mess. I had no idea how many needles there would be all over the floor. And on the couch. And in the toy box. They’re like pieces of prickly little pieces of cotton and float all around the room. Never again.
Before I can make my presence known, I hear Jameson say, “And that’s why, JoJo Bean, I’m going to teach your brother karate by the time you turn three. I need him to protect you when I can’t.” Tears spring to my eyes at the sight of my handsome man holding our sweet baby girl. Jolene Elizabeth Strauss is the opposite of her brother in every way. While Ethan is never without a smile, Jolene, named after the song made famous by my idol, Dolly Parton, has more of a brooding look at all times. She’s my thinker and I know in my gut she’s going to do amazing things in life. With her dad’s features, she is also going to break hearts and I fear for all the boys who come knocking on our door.
I continue to listen to Jameson talk to our daughter and I swear my ovaries are sending me morse code to procreate. Sit down, ovaries. No more babies. At least not until I squeeze this ass into my wedding dress and these babies can eat solid food.
“Do you like the princess ornament? You’re daddy’s princess and don’t you ever forget it. Whatever you want, all you have to do is ask. Except date. There will be none of that until you’re at least thirty. And, even then, I’m not sure.”
Rolling my eyes, I clear my throat and walk toward two of the three most important people in my life. “Do not promise her everything her little heart desires. I swear, J, she’s going to ask for a pony one day while I’m at work and when I get home there will be a mini barn in the yard.”
“If she wants a pony, she gets a pony.” Shaking my head, I hold my hands out for my sweet girl. Her gummy smile is all I need to know he’s right. We’re such suckers. JoJo practically leaps into my arms as Jameson transfers her to me.
“How long have you two been up?” I ask settling onto the couch and lowering my shirt to allow the baby to nurse.
“Not long. I got up to pee and heard her singing in her crib. I swear she’s just like you, always singing. I didn’t want her to wake Ethan so I brought her out here.”
“Ah, that explains the fancy ensemble you’ve got going on there,” I say gesturing to his Christmas boxers.
“You weren’t complaining last night when Rudolph’s nose lit up.”
He’s got me there. I sit on the couch, Jolene settled into my lap. The lights of the tree fill the room and I allow myself a few minutes to enjoy the beauty before me as I switch my baby girl to the other breast . When she’s done nursing, she pushes herself off my boob and looks up to me with big green eyes. Milk dribbles down her chin and I wipe it with my finger. Messy eater like her daddy.
Speak of the devil. Jameson walks back into he room, this time wearing a pair of flannel pajama pants and a t-shirt, and sets a cup of coffee on the table in front of me. Standing, I take Jolene and place her on the rug near the pile of toys we keep in the corner. Returning to the couch, I pick up my cup of coffee and settle into the side of my fiancé, his arm wrapped around me, as we enjoy a few minutes of quiet before the craziness begins.
After my third sip from the cup, Captain Crazy himself beckons us from the nursery. Ethan’s babbles fill the house and Jameson laughs. “I’ll get him. Why don’t you flip on some music and we’ll do this present gig before we get ready to head to your folks.”
“I don’t know why we have to go anywhere. We have the babies. Everyone should come to us.”
“You do know that means we’d have all of them here. In our house. Until God knows when.”
Eyes wide, I gasp. “Excellent point. Let’s do this. We can get in and get out quickly at Casa Sullivan.”
Shaking his head, Jameson walks down the hall and quickly returns with a very happy baby boy who is eyeing his breakfast aka my boobs, like it’s, well, Christmas breakfast.
***
An afternoon with our families is exhausting. Actually, it’s amazing and everything I never knew I needed or wanted in my life. And then exhausting. The kids were over the moon with all the boxes and wrapping paper. They destroyed each piece of paper into tiny pieces of confetti. Jameson and I were overwhelmed with all the presents they received for their first Christmas. To say they were spoiled would be an understatement.
Thankfully, I convinced my parents and Piper to keep some of the presents at their house so we don’t have to pack as many when we’re visiting. Even with that little bit of manipulation, my SUV is packed full of more stuff than these two little nuggets will ever need.
Pulling into the driveway, Jameson pauses and looks at me. A slow smile appears on his face and I know today was just as special to him as it was to me. I lazily rest my hand on the center console, palm facing up. He laces his fingers with mine and lifts our hands to his lips, his gaze never leaving mine.
“It was a good day.” He kisses my hand again. “How about we get these two inside and I give you your present?”
Eyes wide, I say, “I didn’t think we were doing presents.”
“Oh we’re doing presents all right.”
Rolling my eyes, I giggle as a pool of heat settles in my lower stomach. Will I ever tire of this man and his dirty mouth? I sure as hell hope not. “Talk is cheap, Mister.” A loud boisterous laugh fills the SUV as I hop from the car and open the passenger door to get my baby girl who is blissfully asleep with a smile on her face. Kissing the top of her head, I look across the backseat and watch as Jameson lifts an equally passed out Ethan from his seat.
I follow Jameson into the house and the nursery, gently laying Jolene in her crib. Unlike her brother who loves to sleep on his tummy, my little girl lays flat on her back, arms and legs wide like a starfish. A light snore escapes her and Jameson and I both laugh. Quietly, we exit the room, leaving the door slightly open before walking into our bedroom.
“Good call feeding and bathing them at your moms. I think the grandmas really loved bath time.”
“I know I loved the grandmas doing bath time. It’s the first bath in a week I didn’t leave the room looking like a wet dog.” I love my kids but I think they are of the opinion they are actually fish.
“You’re my favorite wet dog,” Jameson says, his voice low and gravelly. Just how I love it. “Now get your ass naked and on that bed so we can get to that present I promised.”
“By present you mean orgasm, right? Because,” I say as I step up to him, my chest grazing the spot between his glorious set of abs and pecs, “I really want you to give me lots of presents.”
Growling, he grabs my ass with his strong hands and pulls me close to him. My arms wrap around his waist as he lowers his mouth to mine. Our kisses have never been tentative. Passion and fire is all we have ever been, and I pray we’ll ever be. I have loved Jameson Strauss all of my adult life and building a family with him has only solidified how much he owns me. Mind, body, and soul.
As he pulls back from the kiss, he places a quick peck to my lips and then surprises me. “Actually, I have a real present for you. Close your eyes.”
Doing as I’m told, I wait for him to wrap a blindfold around my eyes. It’s been weeks since we’ve played a little with the kink and I’m ready. Instead of cool silk tied behind my head, Jameson lifts my hand, palm up, and places a box in my hand.
“Open it,” he urges.
Slowly, I open my eyes to see a square box in my hand. A jewelry box. Confused I look up to him, a glorious smile on his face melts my heart. He’s so happy. I do that for him. Our family does that. I know because I feel the same way. Instead of letting my new sappy heart to make my eyes leak, I turn my attention back to the small box and open it. Nestled in the black velvet sits a gorgeous ring. Two emerald stones flank a beautiful diamond. Wide-eyed, I look up at Jameson.
“I wanted you to have something from me and the kids. I didn’t think you could fit another pair of socks in your drawer so I thought, why not a ring that signifies the three most important things in our lives.”
“Three?”
“The two emeralds for the little miracles sleeping in the other room and the diamond for the day you’ll become my wife. Four months, babe. We’re official in four months.”
April. Our wedding day.
“Emeralds for their birthdays and a diamond for our anniversary.”
“Yep. It’s for your other hand. This one,” he says lifting my left hand to his lips and kissing my engagement ring. “This one never leaves this finger. It’s mine.”
“It’s yours.”
“Never forget it. Now put that on and get naked. Presents, baby. Plural.”
Squealing, I pull the ring from it’s place in the box and slid it on my finger. Faster than he can unfasten his pants, I slip off my dress and begin to shimmy out of my bra and panties. Climbing up onto the bed, I sit and wait for my future husband to strip. As he sheds his boxer briefs, I can’t help but lick my lips in anticipation.
“Hey Ashton?”
“Yeah?”
“Truth or Dare?”
Smiling, I lean back on my elbows and reply, “Both.”
