Lauren walked over to where Julia sat, a decidedly rumpled looking nephew in each hand. She looked at Noah and Justin expectantly, and for the first time that evening both of the boys looked subdued.
“Now, what did you want to tell your mother?” she asked both of them in a voice that no one would ever dare disobey.
One by one the twins climbed up next to their mother on the sofa, snuggling up against her. With their dark hair and adorable features, they both looked exactly like their father, except that they had Julia’s green eyes instead of Nathan’s blue ones.
“We’re sorry we were bad, Mommy,” Noah told her with a disarming smile.
Justin rested his head against Julia’s stomach as he gave her a ferocious little hug. “We love you, Mommy,” he murmured in his most precious little boy voice.
Predictably, Julia’s eyes grew misty as each of her twin terrors gave her a sweet kiss on the cheek and she cuddled both of them to her fiercely. “I love you, too, my babies,” she whispered. “Even when you drive me to the brink of insanity.”
Lauren gave her sister a knowing wink. “Well, they’ve sure learned how to butter Mommy up, haven’t they? And I’m betting that Daddy has been teaching them the fine art of bullshitting ever since they learned how to talk.”
“Not at all,” retorted Nathan as he refilled Lauren’s and then Ben’s champagne flute. “Because it was pretty much second nature to them already. I haven’t had to teach them a thing.”
Julia eyed the bottle of champagne longingly. “I think that’s why they’ve been more difficult than usual to deal with – I’ve had to give up alcohol. Nathan, can’t I have one tiny sip? Please?”
But it was Lauren who shook her head firmly. “Nope. No way, baby sis. If I had to give up booze for my entire pregnancy, then you can, too. And believe me, it was way harder for me than it ever was for you.”
Ben nodded in agreement. “And as hormonal as someone got during that time, believe me, I was constantly tempted to let her have a shot of tequila or a beer to calm her down. Especially since she refused to give up caffeine.”
Lauren’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Hey, I got the bit about how alcohol is bad for fetuses and resisted the temptation. But as much as I adore my girls, nothing gets between me and my morning coffee.”
Natalie gave the call to dinner just a few minutes later, and the entire family – including Malcolm and his partner Talia - gathered around the festively set table where they had already enjoyed so many wonderful meals together over the past few years. Robert and Natalie were thrilled to see not only both of their daughters happily married and with children of their own, but that Maddy and James had been reunited after so many sad and lonely years apart.
Robert’s toast reflected those very same emotions. “A very merry Christmas to everyone here,” he began. “Natalie and I have always felt that family is the most precious gift any of us can ever hope to receive, and she and I have been very blessed to have such wonderful children, grandchildren, siblings, and in-laws. God bless all of you, and may Santa Claus bring everyone exactly what they asked for. Even if two of us at this table have been more than a little naughty this year.”
Noah and Justin exchanged a worried look, until their father chuckled and ruffled their dark hair. “Relax, boys,” Nathan assured them. “Santa just heard you tell Mommy that you were sorry, so he’ll be sure to bring what you asked him for.”
“He will,” added Lauren in a stern voice, “so long as both of you eat all the nice things Grandma worked so hard to make for all of us tonight. And you have to be on your best behavior for the rest of the night. Promise?”
The boys nodded enthusiastically, and began to tuck into the soup that Natalie was serving as a first course. Nathan exchanged a knowing look with Ben and chuckled.
“I think we ought to ship the boys to you for a month or so,” he joked. “Lauren will whip them into shape in no time. In fact, you can start a new business – call it Baby Boot Camp.”
Ben grinned at his wife and brought her hand to his lips. “Well, her methods certainly worked with me. I knew the minute we met that she didn’t mess around, and that if I didn’t go along with whatever she said there would be consequences.”
“Nah, that’s not the reason why,” said Lauren in dismissal. She leaned over and whispered in Ben’s ear wickedly, “You were just afraid you wouldn’t get laid if you disagreed with me. What you didn’t know was that I would have done you no matter what.”
He sighed dramatically. “Now she tells me!”
***
It was several hours later when Ben pulled into the driveway of the cabin, which Lauren had jokingly told him was now way too large to merit that term. It was an official house now, she’d insisted, while he had gently replied that no matter the size, shape, or classification, it would always simply be home.
He and Lauren each carried a sleeping twin inside, and while she tucked them both up into their beds he went back outside to cart in all of the new toys and other gifts the girls had received earlier that night. As usual, the cabin – correction, house – was in a bit of chaos, though Lauren had made more of an effort since the twins’ arrival to keep things neat. And since they were hosting Christmas dinner tomorrow, the place was about as tidy as he’d ever seen it.
He plugged in the tree lights, gazing fondly at the variety of ornaments he and Lauren had collected during their travels over the years. But his favorites would always be the photo ornaments that Lauren had made, including ones that commemorated their wedding, the twins’ baby pictures, and one of the four of them taken during a trip to the Grand Canyon in late October that they had included with this year’s holiday card.
His gaze moved away from the gaily bedecked Christmas tree to the wall where they had made a huge photo collage – pictures from their trips, wedding, outings with the girls, and some just because. One of the very first photos they had hung here had been the black and white profile shot Lauren had taken of him all those years ago, and that Robert had returned to her as part of their wedding gift. Lauren had rather sheepishly confessed that she’d sold a dozen others in the series, and had half-seriously offered to split the royalties with him.
But Ben had just laughed at the thought, and told her instead, “I can think of other ways besides money that you can make it up to me.” And she had proceeded to do just that – for the next several months, in fact.
“Whatcha looking at, Blue Eyes?” she drawled lazily, her arms sliding about him from behind as she rested her cheek against his back.
He smiled as he placed his hands over hers, giving them a squeeze. “At the Loner photo. Some of your best work, sweetheart.”
She snuggled up against his side then, her arms wrapped around his waist. “I always thought so. At least until Daisy and Summer came along, that is. Our girls are absolutely the finest thing either of us have ever produced.”
Ben kissed the top of her head affectionately. “I agree wholeheartedly. And my three girls are easily my most cherished treasures.”
“Even more than the Ducati?” she teased. She had gladly handed him the keys to the powerful motorcycle when he’d moved in here with her four years ago. Technically they shared the bike but Ben used it a great deal more than she did these days.
“Not even close,” he assured her. “I love you, Lauren, and I will love and protect and adore you and our girls for the rest of my life. I never thought I’d have all of this, you know – a wife, kids, the greatest house in the entire world. A family. Your dad was right when he made that toast tonight – family is unquestionably the most precious gift any of us can ever hope to receive. And I’ve been blessed to receive the greatest gifts of all. No man could ever possibly want more than what I already have.”