an area he really wouldn’t want to be
hit.
“How about I change Bentley, then go
downstairs and get ready?” I said.
“Yes!” Everleigh shrieked. I thought that
would get her seal of approval. “Merry Christmas, Bentley.”
“First Christmas,” Cole added. “Everleigh,
let me up so I can pee before we go down.”
“Don’t wanna, Daddy,” she replied.
I left them to it, smiling to
myself and changed Bentley so we could get our Christmas started. He watched
me, cooing as I changed his nappy and popped his elf themed baby
grow back up.
“Are you ready to open your presents?” I
said, kissing his button nose. He smiled in return, his two little
teeth just visible from his bottom gum. He was such a happy baby
and slept better than his sister, even now.
I picked him back up and perched
him o n my
hip. “We’re going down now. I’ll call you in a minute.”
Everleigh squealed in
response , but
Cole said, “Okay.”
“ Look, Bentley, presents!”
I pointed to the piles and piles of gifts but of course he wasn’t
at all interested. Instead , I put him in his Jumperoo and flicked
the tree lights on. That was when he took notice. He kicked with
his legs, making himself bounce.
Our decorations were all the colours of the
rainbow because when you’re five sticking to one or two wasn’t
happening.
“ That’s all you’re going
to be excited about this year, huh,” I said, bending down and
kissing his check. Turning my head so I wouldn’t deafen him, I
shouted, “Okay, we’re ready for you!”
Everleigh’s footsteps thudded
down the stairs , and I heard Cole laughing as he came down after
her.
“Wow!” she shouted, eyes popping as she
looked around in awe. Bentley bounced harder, arms flailing. She
always got him worked up. It was cute until it happened too close
to bedtime.
“ I think she’s excited,”
Cole said dryly, leaning against the doorframe in just a pair of
joggers. Merry Christmas to me! I made no attempt to hide my ogling of my
husband’s toned, muscular chest.
He lifted an eyebrow and smirked. I shrugged.
Cole walked over, gave me a kiss and bent down to see Bentley.
“ I’ll make hot chocolates
and Bentley’s milk , and then we can get unwrapping,” I said, leaving
Cole and Everleigh to pull funny faces at Bentley. They all made my
heart swell.
I dashed into the kitchen,
filled the kettle up and switched it on. Our whole house was
decorated in hundreds of fairy lights .
It felt so cosy I wanted to leave
them up all year round, but Cole was dead against the
idea.
As the kettle boiled, I looked
over in the mirror that stretched the entire length of the wall on
the dining area side. Since I’d spoken up a nd told the truth about what had
happened to me, I looked so much more alive. Even I noticed
the colour in my cheeks and spark in my
eyes.
Warmth hugged me, squeezing my
heart. The feeling of complete bliss wasn’t constant, I still had
bad days , but
that feeling was more often than the days I cried or reflected on
the awful things I’d been through. It was a battle that I
now knew I was going to continue winning. My family were the best
prize.
I made the hot chocolate and
milk and carried them in on a Santa-themed tray. “Here we go,” I
said, laughing at Cole ruffling the kids’ hair. Bentley didn’t have
much after he’d rubbed it all off , but it was so soft and wispy and as
blonde as mine and his sister’s.
Cole stood up, taking the tray and putting it
down on the end table. “Everleigh, yours are the ones in the purple
paper,” he said while he got Bentley out of the Jumperoo and gave
him his bottle.
“Can I open them now?”
“Of course,” he replied, holding his hand out
for me. I lowered myself to the carpet and snuggled to Cole’s
side.
“Which one do you want to open first?” I
asked her.
She flopped to the floor and looked around
overwhelmed. “Um… I don’t know. Which is the best one?”
“Everleigh…”
“I know, I know,
hit.
“How about I change Bentley, then go
downstairs and get ready?” I said.
“Yes!” Everleigh shrieked. I thought that
would get her seal of approval. “Merry Christmas, Bentley.”
“First Christmas,” Cole added. “Everleigh,
let me up so I can pee before we go down.”
“Don’t wanna, Daddy,” she replied.
I left them to it, smiling to
myself and changed Bentley so we could get our Christmas started. He watched
me, cooing as I changed his nappy and popped his elf themed baby
grow back up.
“Are you ready to open your presents?” I
said, kissing his button nose. He smiled in return, his two little
teeth just visible from his bottom gum. He was such a happy baby
and slept better than his sister, even now.
I picked him back up and perched
him o n my
hip. “We’re going down now. I’ll call you in a minute.”
Everleigh squealed in
response , but
Cole said, “Okay.”
“ Look, Bentley, presents!”
I pointed to the piles and piles of gifts but of course he wasn’t
at all interested. Instead , I put him in his Jumperoo and flicked
the tree lights on. That was when he took notice. He kicked with
his legs, making himself bounce.
Our decorations were all the colours of the
rainbow because when you’re five sticking to one or two wasn’t
happening.
“ That’s all you’re going
to be excited about this year, huh,” I said, bending down and
kissing his check. Turning my head so I wouldn’t deafen him, I
shouted, “Okay, we’re ready for you!”
Everleigh’s footsteps thudded
down the stairs , and I heard Cole laughing as he came down after
her.
“Wow!” she shouted, eyes popping as she
looked around in awe. Bentley bounced harder, arms flailing. She
always got him worked up. It was cute until it happened too close
to bedtime.
“ I think she’s excited,”
Cole said dryly, leaning against the doorframe in just a pair of
joggers. Merry Christmas to me! I made no attempt to hide my ogling of my
husband’s toned, muscular chest.
He lifted an eyebrow and smirked. I shrugged.
Cole walked over, gave me a kiss and bent down to see Bentley.
“ I’ll make hot chocolates
and Bentley’s milk , and then we can get unwrapping,” I said, leaving
Cole and Everleigh to pull funny faces at Bentley. They all made my
heart swell.
I dashed into the kitchen,
filled the kettle up and switched it on. Our whole house was
decorated in hundreds of fairy lights .
It felt so cosy I wanted to leave
them up all year round, but Cole was dead against the
idea.
As the kettle boiled, I looked
over in the mirror that stretched the entire length of the wall on
the dining area side. Since I’d spoken up a nd told the truth about what had
happened to me, I looked so much more alive. Even I noticed
the colour in my cheeks and spark in my
eyes.
Warmth hugged me, squeezing my
heart. The feeling of complete bliss wasn’t constant, I still had
bad days , but
that feeling was more often than the days I cried or reflected on
the awful things I’d been through. It was a battle that I
now knew I was going to continue winning. My family were the best
prize.
I made the hot chocolate and
milk and carried them in on a Santa-themed tray. “Here we go,” I
said, laughing at Cole ruffling the kids’ hair. Bentley didn’t have
much after he’d rubbed it all off , but it was so soft and wispy and as
blonde as mine and his sister’s.
Cole stood up, taking the tray and putting it
down on the end table. “Everleigh, yours are the ones in the purple
paper,” he said while he got Bentley out of the Jumperoo and gave
him his bottle.
“Can I open them now?”
“Of course,” he replied, holding his hand out
for me. I lowered myself to the carpet and snuggled to Cole’s
side.
“Which one do you want to open first?” I
asked her.
She flopped to the floor and looked around
overwhelmed. “Um… I don’t know. Which is the best one?”
“Everleigh…”
“I know, I know,
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