A Beaumont Family Christmas (Beaumont 5.60)

“Dad, are you going to stand there all morning?” Noah’s voice brings me out of my reverie and to the present. He’s sitting on the couch, with his wife and best friend curled into his side. Elle is sitting next to them. Nola’s sitting on the last cushion, and Quinn is on the floor in front of his future wife. Katelyn and Harrison sit together on one of two love seats, with baby Oliver nestled in the middle. Jimmy and Jenna claimed the couch closest to the fireplace. Jenna’s cold. Betty Paige, Eden, and Mack are on the floor, anxiously waiting for their presents. And my wife, the love of my life and the reason I am who I am, is patting the spot next to her. I push myself off the doorjamb and make my way toward her.

“Merry Christmas,” I say as I sit down and kiss her just below her ear.

“Merry Christmas to you.”

If I could meet and fall in love with her all over again, I would do it in a heartbeat. She’s the best thing to ever happen to me, and I hate that I let her down for ten years of her life. I’ll never stop trying to make up for what I put her through.

“Is it presents time?” Betty Paige asks. I have a feeling everyone is waiting, and not so patiently.

“JD, you’re up first,” Harrison says. JD stands and puts his Santa hat on. He tries to laugh like Santa while leaning back and holding his non-existent belly. The dude is skinny, always has been.

“I think you need to eat a sandwich, Santa,” I blurt out. Everyone erupts with laughter, except for Jenna.

“He’s perfect,” she says.

“Thanks, wifey,” JD replies. He crouches down and picks up the first package. It goes to Quinn. We thought about waiting for everyone to open their gift but realized we would be here forever, although that’s not necessarily a bad thing. JD continues to pass out presents and then hands the Santa duties off to Harrison, who continues. By the time it’s my turn, I’m down on all fours, under the tree, pulling out the last of the gifts.

Wrapping paper covers the floor, and boxes continue to stack on top of each other. Each of us has made a pile of our things along the wall to keep our space as clutter-free as possible. I come across a box with my name on it and do a double-take when I see who it’s from. I glance at Mack, who’s looking at the floor. I rip away the paper and open the box. Inside is a framed picture of Betty Paige and me. I’m crouched down and looking up at her, and her hand is on my cheek.

“Where did you get this?” I ask Mack.

“I took it,” he says. “I didn’t know how to thank you for . . .” he stops talking and takes a deep breath. “I thought you’d like it.”

“I love it. Do you like photography?”

Mack nods. “I do.”

“Do you have a camera?”

“Yes, it’s not great, but it works. I’m saving to buy a new one.”

I nod and turn my attention back to the picture. Candid shots like this mean more to me than the family posed photo. The image captures so much more. “This is amazing, Mack. Thank you.” I stand and go to him. I hold my hand out, waiting for him to shake my hand, but when he sets his hand into mine, I pull him up instead and into my arms. “Truly an amazing gift. When we get back to Beaumont, remind me to show you some of the equipment I have, and we’ll see what kind of pictures you can take.”

“I’d like that, sir.”

Mack and I have had a moment, one I never expected. When I let the boy go, I hand Josie’s the frame. Tears form in her eyes almost instantly, but she wipes them away before anyone other than me can see them.

“I told you he’d love it,” I hear Betty Paige say to Mack. She’s right, I do.

With all the presents opened, and most of them put away, the wives head into the kitchen to start dinner, and the husbands clean. The kids got off easy, in my opinion, and head out to the slopes.

“Eden sure likes to snowboard,” I say to JD.

“Yeah, she does, although I hope she doesn’t give up surfing. This cold, wet shit ain’t for me.”

Harrison laughs. “You have it so easy.” He slaps his hand down on JD’s shoulder, who scoffs.

“You’re an arse,” he says to Harrison. “Bringing a baby home for Christmas. You have all the clocks going tick-tock, tick-tock.”

“Not ours,” I say. “JoJo and I are done having kids.”

“Except now you have Mack,” Harrison says.

I shake my head slowly. “Nick will be back by New Year’s, and things will be back to normal. I’ll go back to being the dad who loathes any boy who looks at my daughter.”

“Except you like the kid,” JD says. He’s right, I do, and I

’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not.