Scott was sure everyone had long since gone to bed, Mommy had told them that Santa wouldn't come if they were awake. As he stood at the top of the stairs though, hugging the bannister, he was certain he could hear someone laughing. He crept down the steps, avoiding the squeaky boards the best he could with his little legs. At the bottom he peaked around the corner, eyes widening in shock.
"Santa?" He whispered.
It was his mother's laugh he realised he had heard as her familiar hands wrapped over the big man's suit with another giggle, "Oh, Santa."
Lucy smiled softly as Jeff kissed the back of her neck having fastened her necklace.
“Are you sure you want to go to this?” He checked for the tenth time since taking the necklace from her hands a few minutes before, “I can just go with the boys and Val and…”
Lucy silenced him with a kiss as she turned on the vanity stool, “I’ll be fine,” She smiled as she rubbed her bump, “I didn’t spend three hours trying to find a dress for nothing.”
Jeff sighed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, hating how insistent she was that she was fine. It had been the same story with both John and Virgil, insisting nothing was wrong until the last minute.
He didn’t dare think about how it had almost cost her her life once.
“Da-ad,” A whine came from the doorway, making Jeff turn with a smile, “Hey Scotty.”
“Gramma said I’ve to wear my tie.” Scott held out a blue tie, “Can you please help Daddy?”
Jeff laughed softly and nodded as he knelt, taking the tie from his son and lifting up his collar, “Y’know, your Mom’s the best at tying ties.” Jeff told his eldest son.
Scott looked up with wide eyes to his mother, “Really!?”
Lucy laughed at her son’s wide eyes, knowing how much he thought of his father. She sighed and rubbed her belly, “Yeah, I had to teach him before our wedding.”
Scott frowned as he looked to her, his bright blue eyes scrutinizing as he looked her over in the same way his father always did. There was no doubt in her mind that he and Jeff had come from the same tree.
“Mommy, you look tired.” Scott stated, “Are you okay?”
Forcing a smile Lucy nodded, “Yeah, I’m fine sweet, it’s just the baby making me tired.”
Scott frowned again, “Can’t you tell the baby off?”
Jeff chuckled softly as he patted his eldest son’s shoulder, “It doesn’t quite work like that Kiddo.”
Standing, Lucy smiled to her son, “Is John ready?”
“Yeah, he’s lookin’ at the stars ‘gain.” Scott told her, “Why does he like the stars so much Mom?”
Jeff glanced to Lucy with a smile as they headed down the stairs, “Because when your Mom was pregnant with him she spent too much time looking at them.”
Scott paused on the step he was on, frowning as he tilted his head to the side, “So does that mean that Mom spent a lot of time lookin’ at airplanes before I was born?”
Lucy laughed, “Something like that.”
Jeff smiled to Lucy as he took her hand, she could tell from the look he was giving her that he was about to ask again if she was sure she was up for their evening out. She shook her head and squeezed his hand sharply, “If you ask me one more time, it’ll be you that needs to go to the hospital, not me.”
She looked around as Ruth came in, carrying Virgil in her arms, “Son, what have I told you about fussing over the poor woman?”
Jeff shifted uncomfortably as he looked to Lucy, knowing that he wouldn’t win now his mother was involved. He sighed and wrapped an arm around Lucy’s waist, “I know you both say not to worry, but…”
“The doctors said whatever happened with John, isn’t likely to happen again,” Ruth cut in as he trailed off, “Virgil here was fine, wasn’t he?”
Jeff huffed as he looked to the young boy in his mothers arms, “I suppose so.”
Lucy squeezed his hand, gentler this time, as the older boys came running in, “It’ll be fine.”
“Mom, Dad, let’s go!” Scott exclaimed, “The limo’s here!”
Lucy smiled and leant down to kiss Virgil’s hair, “You be a good boy for Grandma.”
“He’ll be no trouble at all,” Ruth murmured with a wave of her free hand, “Off you go now, before you’re late.”
Lucy looked to Scott and John, both all dressed up in their best suits, “Alright then, let’s go boys.”
