32

Waking up on Christmas morning in Lucas' arms is the best feeling ever, the baby pressing on my bladder however, not so much. I try to move out of the bed and get to the bathroom before I pee myself, only to realize Lucas' arm keeping me hostage.

"Lucas, wake up." I say lightly slapping his cheek.

"No, I'm still tired." he says groaning.

"I have to pee."

"Then go pee." he says like it's the most obvious solution.

"I would, if there wasn't a freaking tree trunk holding me down.

"Oh, my bad, you can go now." he says lifting his arm off me. As quickly as I can, I bolt to the connected bathroom and take what feels like, the best pees I've ever taken. After I wash my hands I walk back into our room to see Lucas back to sleep.

"Lucas, get up." I say sitting on his back.

"Why? It's Christmas, I should be allowed to sleep in."

"Says who?"

"Me. Duh." he replies, his voice a little muffled because it's stuffed into his pillow.

"It's only 9:00" I tell him looking at the digital clock on the bedside table.

"Exactly." he says exasperated.

"Up, up, up, up, up." I chant while pushing my hands into his back, making him bounce up and down.

"No-o-o-o-o." he wines. While I was still trying to get him up properly, the bedroom door opens and his mother stands there with Jake in her arms.

"Good, you two are already up. Come on down for presents then breakfast." she says in a no nonsense tone.

"See, now you have to get up." I tell him smiling, getting off his back and stepping onto the cool hardwood floor. He turns and gives me a blank look.

"I'm not getting up because I have to, but because I want to." he tells me lifting the blanket off his legs, stretching.

"Yeah I'm sure that's why." I say sarcastically.

We both make way downstairs to the living room where everyone is, sitting on the couches or the floor with Danny and Cameron sitting on the floor right in front of the tree.

"Uncle Luke why did you take so long?" asks Cameron exasperated.

"Yeah, we've been waiting for you guys." adds in Danny, nodding his little blonde head.

"Sorry bud, but we're here now so you can start."

Hearing that they looked at their parents and John and Lisa for the "okay go", then started looking for the presents that had their name on it. There was a silent agreement to let them go first and have all the fun they wanted, then us adults exchange gifts.

An hour and a half and lots of wrapping paper and food later all of the gifts were open and everyone was thanking everyone for their gifts.

Thankfully everyone liked the gifts that I got, unfortunately because I didn't know Liz and Sean were going to be here I didn't get them any gifts.

Sean, Liz, Lucas and I were all in the kitchen talking while Lisa and John were in the living room with the kids.

"I really do feel bad about not getting you guys any gifts." I say sincerely .

"It's really no problem. You didn't know we were coming, we didn't know you were coming. No hard feelings." Sean smiles.

"All of this could've been avoided, if Lucas had told us in the first place." Liz says.

"Come on Liz, it really isn't that big of a deal. Think of it as a Christmas surprise."

"What a surprise it is."

"Well, do I get your seal of approval?" Lucas asks her hopefully.

She lets out a hum then replies. "I have to go check on the kids." she says walking out of the kitchen.

"I'm really sorry Jess, she's a little rough around the edges but she'll warm up once she gets to know you." Sean says following Liz.

"Jess I'm so sorry. I have no idea what's gotten into her.

"Lucas it's fine, really." I say trying to make him feel better, even though on the inside I'm an angry raging mess.

"No, Jess, it's not. It's not okay for her to talk to you like this, she has no right. You know what I'm going to talk to her now." he starts to get up to go after her.

"Lucas no, if she has a problem with me then I'll deal with it when the time comes, but for now let's just leave it alone and enjoy Christmas. Now help me up I'm stuck." I say trying to get off the chair, but failing profusely.

"Okay, but if she says anything else to you, I want you to tell me immediately." he says helping me to my feet.

"Alright, but I don't want to cause any problems between you guys."

"Look, she may be my older sister, but that doesn't matter. You are my girlfriend, my fiancée, and the mother of my children. I want you to be happy and comfortable around my family and if she is the reason that you aren't, tell me." He says holding me close. With a chaste kiss on the lips we walk into the living room where everyone else just started watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the cartoon version.

About half way through the movie my phone started vibrating from inside my pocket. I excuse myself and go into the foyer to answer.

"Hello?"

"Merry Christmas bestie! How are you?" Adriana's voice rings out.

"Hey, merry Christmas. I'm very pregnant but I'm good." I answer truthfully, "How are you?"

"Can't complain but that's not why I called."

"Aw, so you didn't call just to hear my voice?" I ask playfully.

"Ha ha very funny, but you'll never guess where I am right now."

"I don't know your apartment maybe?"

"Nope. I'm in New York." she tells me.

"Seriously? Well you have to come see me, actually at this point I'm not even asking, you're coming to see me."

"Yeah cause I was totally going to come to New York, and not visit my best friend." she says sarcastically.

"Yeah, whatever. Any ways I will text you the address and you come see me tomorrow?" I say.

"Of course."

"Okay, bye love you."

"Bye, love you too, mwah."

I walk back into the living room planning on sitting next to Lucas, only to find Liz's legs stretched over my spot.

"Liz, move your legs, Jess is back." Lucas tells her.

"But I'm comfortable."

I can see everyone sending concerned glances our way. Lucas is about to respond to her, but I cut him off.

"It's fine, I'm feeling a little tired anyways." I give a strained smile.

"Babe, it's barely one o'clock." Lucas rebuttals.

"Yeah a mid-afternoon nap." I say turning around, heading toward the stairs.

As I walk up the stairs I hear Lisa scold Liz and hear Lucas follow me up the stairs.

It seems like this Christmas is going to be very eventful. While Lucas and I are settled, lying side by side, I hear the doorbell ring.

I wake up from my nap, with Lucas by my side, feeling rejuvenated and ready to take on the rest of the evening, no matter what comments Liz threw at me.

At least until I walked into the living room, that is.

There sat my father along with his new wife and children, laughing along with Lisa and John while their kids played with Danny and Cameron.

My steps stutter and I'm not quite sure how to react to him being here. Of course I knew he was coming to New York, but I didn't know he was coming here, today even. I am in absolutely no way prepared for this; I had thought that I had at least a day or two of preparation.

I finish walking down the stairs and look at Lucas, an accusatory look on my face.

"Did you call my dad here?" I ask deciding to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"Hear me out alright. I know that you already told him to come down to New York, and I just thought that other than his kids and wife he wouldn't have anyone else to celebrate with, so I called him and invited him by."

"Lucas, you had no right to do that. How did you even get his number?"

"I'm sorry alright, I just thought it would be better for you to do this surrounded by people who love you, and I just got it from your phone, you should really put a password on that by the way."

I was about to walk into the living room when I stopped dead in my tracks remembering something.

"Lucas, we have a slight problem."

"What's wrong? Are you okay? Does your stomach hurt? Do you need a doctor?" he asks in all seriousness.

"No I'm fine, it's just that I never actually got around to telling my dad that I'm pregnant and engaged."

"So, neither of your parents know that you're pregnant with twins, nor engaged to me."

Yeah pretty much, they only know that we're dating." I say guiltily.

"Well, this is gonna be a Christmas to tell the kids about."

"Yeah. If, we both survive to tell the tale."

"Don't be so dramatic."

"Trust me I'm not."

We both walked in to the living room, me hiding behind Lucas afraid of my dad's reaction once he sees me. Lucas abandoned me to go sit down, my dad stands up a smile on his face as he looks at me, as soon as his eyes reach my stomach it seems that his legs almost give out from beneath him.

"Hey dad, how ya doin'?" I ask trying to act normal.

He doesn't respond, staring at my expanded stomach in a seemed daze.

"Here, let me help you to your spot." Lucas stands up helping my dad back onto the couch.

"Hey dad, what's new?" I ask smiling awkwardly.

"Well let me think. Life's good and everything's normal, oh wait, MY DAUGHTER'S PREGNANT AND SHE DIDN'T EVEN BOTHER TO TELL ME! But other than that I'm good."

"Mark, let her explain first, yeah." his wife, Isabelle, tells him.

Thankfully he doesn't object and I start to speak.

"I didn't want to tell you because of many different reasons. For one, I was scared you would tell mom and she would freak, and when I got pregnant I hadn't spoken to you in so many years I didn't think that the first in forever from your estranged daughter was to tell you that she's pregnant. I didn't want you to be disappointed in me, I used to be your little girl you know, and now I'm all grown up and you have your own family and a new little girl. I don't know, I just didn't want you to feel like you had to help me or something." I shrug looking down at my hands. Sometime during this speech, everyone but Isabelle and Lucas left.

My dad lets out a sigh, running his hands over his face. "I think that this is about more than the pregnancy." Isabelle says when nobody speaks.

"I just want you to know that I never meant to make you feel that way. When you mother and I divorced, I thought that you would hate me or despise me because of what I did. You were already a legal adult when your mother and I divorced, I didn't think that you needed me anymore or wanted to need me anyways. Whenever you came by the house, you never said anything so I never thought anything was wrong. Then one day you just stopped showing up.

"I'm really sorry about that, but I just couldn't stand there and watch you play and have fun with your new family. It hurt me so much to see you doing all of the things with them, that you used to do with us. I couldn't do that to myself anymore." I can feel the sting of tears at the back of my head, Lucas' hand rubbing my back.

"Why didn't you just tell me that you felt this way? I wish that I would've known."

"What would I even say? 'Hey dad, I feel really neglected and hurt that you're spending time with your new family.' I couldn't say that."

"Well you still could have talked to me about it, tell me how you feel. The only way that I know you're okay is when your sister calls on the holidays and I have little to no contact with your mother."

"I think that there was a lot of miscommunication involved in this and it's really great that you guys are speaking to each other again." Isabelle speaks up.

"I know that I made a lot of mistakes in the past and present, but I really want to be in your life again." he walks over to me and grasps my hands.

"Dad you live al the way in California, keeping contact is going to be a little hard don't you think?"

"Well, Isabelle just got a work transfer to the New York location and she decided to take it so we will be much closer. We can even have family dinners. What do you say, can I be part of your life again?"

I think back to what Lucas said a while ago about wishing that his father was still in his life and that he would do anything to have him back. Thinking back to that moment, I remember how fortunate I am to have a father and that I'm luck to have him wan to be in my life again.

"Sure, we can work things out." I smile as he embraces me.

"This is such a cute moment." Isabelle says.

My dad lets go of me and Lucas give me a tissue to wipe my eyes. I hate crying so much, I blame the pregnancy hormones.

"Now that that's settled, let's talk about this pregnancy. Young man you and I are going to have a serious talk."