Page 2 of Even More Christmas Magic and Romance (Holiday Hiccups #3)

Two

I LEANED AGAINST the kitchen counter and stared out the back window.

Snow, that heavenly stuff that transforms everything, was falling outside.

A great multitude of fluff filled the air and settled on bare tree limbs and evergreens.

Each flake’s touch was gentle and quiet, as light as one’s breath.

Yet, in spite of the airy nature of the downfall, it could make the world look magical.

When I went to the stove and turned on the kettle, my thoughts returned to early morning, around five o’clock.

I was still in my warm bed, and I woke up briefly.

Stanley was next to me, holding me close, his hand on my belly, on our unborn baby.

It was a magical moment, like the falling snow.

So quiet, so peaceful and yet, so full of love.

I went back to sleep, but Stanley didn’t.

He often gets up very early. As a turnaround consultant who advises businesses in financial distress, he can usually work from home.

Today, he’s already put in a number of hours.

Straightening up the garage is his way of getting away from work for a while.

I’m taking time off from my job as a real estate agent.

The holidays aren’t that busy, and I wanted to spend time at home.

I turned off the whistling kettle at the same time that Stanley came into the kitchen.

He had our little friend with him. Ben, our spunky Bichon Frisé dog, was quick to run over to me, demanding to be picked up.

How could I resist giving in to his wants?

He’s been our baby ever since Stanley gave him to me last Christmas.

We recently celebrated Ben’s first birthday with a special doggy cake my Mom made.

Stanley eyed my technique for picking up Ben.

According to articles we’d both read, I was supposed to lift with my legs and not strain my back.

My husband’s clear concern was nice, but I felt my feathers getting slightly ruffled.

For goodness sake, even though I'm pregnant, I can pick up my twelve pound dog. As soon as I noticed my irritation, I reminded myself of my earlier rule of behavior. I couldn’t let my feelings affect my attitude.

I must have performed the “lift” movement correctly because Stanley’s face instantly brightened with a big smile. He also made an announcement.

“Good news, we have room to get in and out of the cars again,” he said with a sigh. “However, I had to stack some of the boxes along the walls. I think they’re stable, but be careful anyway.”

I could hear that twinge of concern in his tone. “Stanley, please, you worry too much. Just because I’m pregnant, it doesn’t mean I have to watch everything I do.”

Stanley let out another sigh and went over to the kitchen table. He pulled out a chair and sat down. “Sorry, I don’t mean to be like this.”

I put Ben down and joined Stanley. “Honey, what’s going on? As the weeks go by, you seem to be getting more and more anxious. Can we talk about what’s troubling you?”

Stanley sat back and tried to smile again, but this time I could see it was forced. “It’s nothing. I’m fine. Really.”

Before we were expecting a baby, Stanley was one of those people who rarely got upset.

Because of his patient attitude, I had room to explore my own feelings and come to grips with a lot of grievances I hadn’t resolved.

However, the impending birth of our child seemed to be Stanley’s Achilles heel, and I wanted to know what he wasn’t telling me.

I reached out and took his hand. “Stanley Bickerman, you are not fine. So, please, tell me what’s going on. ”

Stanley let out the breath he seemed to be holding. “I recently remembered something from childhood, but I didn’t want to say anything.”

I squeezed his hand. “Go on,” I insisted.

“I’m an only child, but my parents wanted a big family. And even though I was still very young, I was excited about having brothers and sisters. It’s just that my mom had problems during her pregnancies. None of the babies she carried survived.”

I felt an immediate lump in my throat. “I’m so sorry. That must have been a very difficult time for all of you.”

Stanley shrugged. “It’s strange, but I didn’t think about any of it until I had a nightmare a few weeks ago.”

I got up and put Stanley’s hand on my belly. “Listen you, our baby is fine, and I’m fine. Except for a few raging hormones, I’m very lucky. According to my mom, we Bentley women have done just fine having babies.”

Stanley got up, stood behind me and hugged me. His hands carefully cradled my baby bump as he kissed my cheek. “Are you sure there’s not something you want to tell me?”

I laughed. “Stanley, if there’s anything going on, I’m not the type to suffer quietly. So have a little faith in me and in the process, okay?”

Stanley kissed my cheek again. “Okay.”

“However—” I blurted out. “There is one thing—”

Stanley released me and jumped back. “What is it? Tell me what’s wrong?”

I turned to face him. “Will you please relax. I was just going to ask you to help me stay calm these next few weeks.”

“Gloria, are you afraid of losing the baby?”

“No! I just don’t want our child born on Christmas day. And I figure that staying stress free will safeguard his or her birthday.”

“I don’t understand. What’s Christmas got to do with safeguarding a child’s birthday?”

I stepped back and put my hands on my generous hips. Along with my belly, other parts of my body have gotten bigger. But I had to forget about my hips and address Stanley’s ignorance. “I can’t believe you’ve never noticed what happens to people who are born on Christmas.”

Stanley’s blue probing eyes met my questioning, green ones. “I’m all ears. What happens?” he asked.

I was so dumbstruck by Stanley’s inability to understand the obvious that I had to sit down at the table again. “Unbelievable,” I muttered.

Stanley blinked back, but I could tell he didn’t have a clue. “Gloria, talk to me. I want to help you with something you clearly feel is important. But I can’t do that if you don’t explain what’s going on.”

At first, I couldn’t speak. I was too surprised by our exchange. Finally, I gave Stanley my most understanding look. “Never mind, honey.”

Stanley scratched his head and sighed for the third time. “Would you like some lunch?” he asked in a hopeful tone.

I nodded. “Thank you. That would be great.”

Stanley nodded back and went to the refrigerator to get out some salad and sandwich fixings.

I watched him as I let my feelings settle in. I even smiled when he glanced my way. All the while, my mind was working feverishly. I found it quite alarming that my husband, the father of our child, was lacking in a way I’d never noticed before. What else didn’t he have a clue about?

Luckily, I remembered my promise to myself not to get upset. That meant I had to accept Stanley’s limitations. If he couldn’t provide simple need-to-know facts for our child, I’d pick up the slack. Hopefully, I’ll be smart and capable enough to make up for any of his deficiencies.