“What are you thinking about?” Amanda asked me in a sleepy voice.

I smiled and said, “You.”

She looked up at me and put her chin on my chest and smiled. “Me? What about me?”

“You know…the usual stuff. How much I love you. How wonderful of a mother you are. How you’re such an amazing wife. How you love me and believe in me. How you never gave up on me and walked away when I gave you so many reasons to.” My voice cracked at the end and I closed my eyes to keep myself from crying like the pussy I was.

She slowly got up and crawled on top of me. I put my hands on her hips and looked at her beautiful face.

“Do you know why I’m all those things?” she asked as I shook my head.

“Because of your love and because you believe in me. I couldn’t imagine my life without you in it, Brad. I wouldn’t ever want to. I love you so much. Please don’t ever doubt that or doubt our love.”

I sat up and put my hand behind her neck as I began to bring her lips to mine.

“I never would. Ever.”

I opened my eyes, stretched and smiled. I’d never felt so wonderful in my life. I smiled as I thought about last night in Gunner and Ellie’s barn. I brought my fingers up to my lips and gently ran them back and forth over my still kiss-swollen lips.

I looked to my left and Brad was gone. I sat up and glanced over at the portable crib and Maegan was not in there. I slowly got out of bed and made my way into the bathroom. I let out a gasp as I saw the vase of roses sitting on the sink. I quickly looked all around me and laughed.

“How?” I said as I walked up and smelled them. I brushed my teeth and changed as I made my way downstairs. I heard Ellie and Brad talking in the kitchen. When I walked into the kitchen, they both stopped talking as they looked at me with big goofy-ass grins on their faces. I looked at both girls sitting in high chairs eating. I couldn’t help but smile at the sight.

“Merry Christmas sleepy head!” Ellie said as she walked over to me and gave me a hug.

I hugged her back and looked at the stove. “Jesus, what time did you get up? I’ve never seen so many things cooking at one time!”

Ellie looked back at the stove and laughed. “Gunner wanted to have a big ole Southern Christmas breakfast. Everyone should be showing up any second!”

I looked around and saw biscuits, gravy, blueberry muffins, sausage and egg casserole, glazed apples, French toast, pancakes, bacon, grits and ham, and even more items were in both ovens.

“Holy hell. What time did you wake up? Why didn’t you wake me up to help?” I asked. I finally noticed Brad wearing a Christmas apron.

“I got up at five and then Brad came down and ran an errand and came back and helped.”

I peeked over at my husband, who was mixing something in a bowl. He winked at me and smiled.

“The flowers?” I asked.

“Did you like them?” he asked, with that smile that melts my heart.

I walked over and gave him a kiss and whispered against his lips, “Yes. I loved them. Thank you.”

“Merry Christmas, pumpkin,” he said with a wink.

“Merry Christmas, Brad.”

I turned to Alex and Maegan and clapped my hands and smiled. “Merry Christmas to two of the most beautiful girls in the whole world!”

They both laughed and Maegan smeared more oatmeal in her hair as Alex shoveled in her oatmeal. I couldn’t help but laugh.

Before I knew it, the house was filled. The guys all had the kids while the girls all got breakfast ready. I’d never laughed so hard in my life. Every now and then I would peek out and check on the guys. Brad looked like he was walking on cloud nine. If I didn’t know any better, I would think he had the same pregnancy glow I did.

“So? How was last night?” Heather asked, while Ari wiggled her eyebrows up and down.

I leaned against the counter and fanned myself as they all started laughing. “I’m telling you, pregnancy sex is the best kind of sex. They need to bottle that shit up and sell it,” Ari said as she pulled more biscuits out of the oven.

Emma, Sharon, and Grace were setting the table in the formal dinning room and the breakfast area. Emma was walking through the kitchen as she said, “It sure is the best kind of sex.”

We all stopped talking and just looked at her. When she rounded the corner, we all snapped our heads over to look at Ellie. She smiled and held up her hands and laughed. “Hey…don’t look at me.”

Ari busted out laughing and then whispered, “I’m telling y’all…I totally think Emma and Garrett still sneak off and get them some in the barn.”

“Oh God! Please, Ari, don’t even go there,” Ellie said as she attempted to clear the image from her head.

We all sat down and started breakfast. There was so many conversations going on I couldn’t help but sit back and just enjoy it all. I looked around at everyone, eating, laughing, telling jokes and reminiscing on Christmases past.

Gunner stood up and got everyone’s attention, “Okay, first, thank you to my beautiful bride and all the ladies who whipped up this amazing breakfast. I’ve never seen so much food in my life.” Everyone agreed and Ellie thanked everyone for pitching in and helping.

“Now, let’s all head into the family room and do what we’ve all been waiting for…open Christmas presents for the kids!”

Everyone laughed and started to stand up.

“Clean-up duty is on the guys, and I vote for taking care of it after a bit of fun,” Gunner called out.

Jeff, Josh and Brad all agreed as we made our way into the family room.

I sat down on the floor over by the fireplace and Brad sat down next to me and put Maegan in his lap. The Christmas music in the background added just the perfect touch to the whole scene.

Gunner and Ellie had a huge seven-and-a-half foot live Christmas tree that was decorated in all silver, white and red ornaments with white lights. It was breathtaking. There was a smaller tree in the formal living room that had all their “fun” ornaments on it. Ellie smiled when she said that would be the tree the kids would decorate, but the main tree would always be her tree. Gunner rolled his eyes and brought her in for a kiss.

I laughed because Brad and I had a hodge-podge of a tree. It was covered in ornaments from both our childhoods and ornaments from trips we had taken. Everywhere we went, we tried to find an ornament for our collection.

“Ellie would pass out if she saw our tree!” Brad whispered.

I giggled and said, “And just think if she knew we had multicolored lights on it.”

Brad tossed his head back and laughed.

I wasn’t sure how we kept order with all the presents being passed around. Luke was probably having the most fun with ripping open his and Grace’s gifts. Gunner was walking around with a large trash bag collecting all the wrapping paper, while Alex attempted to help him.

Maegan was sitting in a walker that Ellie, Heather and Ari bought her. She was mesmerized by it. Brad leaned over and said, “Damn…we can put Meg in that and sneak in a little play time!”

I nodded my head and smiled.

By the time the guys had made their way back to the dining room and kitchen, I was holding a sleeping Maegan.

“Ells, I’m going to go upstairs and put Maegan down.”

Ellie nodded her head and winked at me.

Right after I put Maegan in the portable crib, I felt someone put his hands on my hips. I jumped and spun around. I didn’t even have time to think before Brad’s lips were on mine. He began reaching up under my shirt with one hand as he tried unbuttoning my jeans with his other hand.

I pushed him away and looked at him. “Brad! What in the world are you doing? Everyone is downstairs.”