16. Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

Stanley

Christmas Day

“Jobe, Daddy Stanley! Wake up. It’s Christmas day!”

“Sweet boy, it’s not nice to bang on someone’s door like that.”

“But, Daddy, I’m so excited. They need to get up.”

That was the conversation Jobe and I woke to taking place on the other side of our bedroom door. It was hard to get mad at the intrusion when it was cute as hell.

“Is it too late to hide?” Jobe whispered. “I’m gonna need a vat of coffee to get through this day.”

“Merry Christmas, my love. Daddy already hooked you up. I had a feeling this might happen and preloaded the coffee machine for you.”

Jobe opened one eye and stared up at me. “Now there are a million and one reasons why I love you. Merry Christmas, Daddy.”

“Merry Christmas, my love,” I snagged my morning kiss. “Let’s put on our matching jammies—fun idea, by the way—and start the caffeine-infused IVs.”

We dressed and no sooner had we opened the bedroom door when Beck came barreling down the hall and straight into Jobe. Thankfully I was behind him and braced them so they didn’t hit the tile floor.

“Sorry, Jobe, but Merry Christmas!”

“Merry Christmas, Beck. Merry Christmas, Daddy Crispin,” Jobe said to my friend who stood nearby, smiling fondly and shaking his head at his silly boy.

“Merry Christmas. Beck, you’ve got to work on your delivery,” Crispin said, “had Stanley not been there you and Jobe could’ve been hurt.”

“Sorry, Daddy, but this is a big, like beyond huge, totally ginormous day! It’s Christmas and I’m not spending it alone.”

Crispin and I made eye contact, both likely thinking the same thing.

“It’s okay,” I assured Beck. “Why don’t we make some cocoa while breakfast heats up.”

“One step ahead of you, my friend. This one,” he squeezed Beck tightly, “had me up before the sun.”

“Jobe, the stockings are full. Santa came!” Beck cheered.

Glad Jobe and I snuck out to do that last night before we rang in our first Christmas between the sheets promptly at midnight.

Beck grabbed my hand and did his best to drag me down the hall. “Daddy Stanley, how do you turn the music on?” I opened the app on my phone and hooked him up. “So cool. Thank you!” The excited elf danced off toward the tree.

“He’s not going to last much longer,” Crispin whispered to me as he dropped a few marshmallows on top of Beck’s hot chocolate.

“It would appear that way. Let me pop breakfast into the oven to heat up then we can at least get the stockings done.” I set the oven to preheat and pulled the tray of prepared omelets and hash browns from the fridge. The caterers said they only needed about twenty minutes to heat up and melt the cheese inside.

Jobe and I fixed our coffees and followed Crispin into the living room. Beck currently sat cross-legged in front of the tree staring expectantly at it. Was he summoning the presents to come to him? Crispin and Jobe both snapped a couple of pictures before Beck realized we were there.

“You guys scared me.”

“Sorry, sweet boy. Here’s your cocoa.”

“Thank you, Daddy.”

Crispin sat in the chair nearest the tree and Beck slid back against his legs and sipped his cocoa. Jobe removed the stockings from their hooks and passed them out.

To simplify things, or to get at his stash faster, Beck dumped the entire contents on the floor and sifted through them.

“Cars! Oh, gum. A candy bar, Santa’s coal gum. That had to be from Jobe.” Jobe snickered beside me. “Crayons and a little bunny stuffy. Thanks, Santa!”

“You’re welcome,” the three of us said in unison.

“Daddy, what are these keys for?” Jobe held up the keychain I’d slipped in there.

“Well, one is to the condo door and the other is to your last surprise.” He eyed me curiously.

“Okayyyy. Wait. You gave me a key to your place?”

Sweat beaded on my forehead, my pits sweated, and my mouth nearly failed me as our friends watched wide-eyed and curious. Was it hot in here or was it just me?

“I’ve watched you slowly move your things in over the last few weeks, and I just thought that maybe it was time you moved it all in. At once.” Did I stutter or sound unsure? Jobe would surely nail me to the cross if I had.

“Hmm, I’m not so sure. Let me think about it while you finish with your stocking.”

Fuck.

Total and complete humiliation.

I didn’t dare make eye contact with anyone. Surely the pain of rejection was reflected in them. I couldn’t tell you what I pulled from the stocking as I set each piece aside. Until I got to the last trinket.

“What’s this?” I opened the rectangle container that would normally hold a ring but instead held a folded note.

When I finally glanced up, there was Jobe down on bended knee. Tears fell from both our eyes as I reached for my boy and lifted him onto my lap.

“Jobe, I’m the luckiest man in the world because I got my forever boy for Christmas. I love you and nothing would make me happier than to marry you.”

“So that’s a yes?” he sniffled.

“My love, that’s the biggest yes I could ever give you.”

Beck cheered and Crispin clapped but all that I cared about was the boy in my arms and his lips that were currently pressed to mine.

“Is the food done, Daddy Stanley? I want to eat so we can get to the prezzies.”

Jobe laughed. “Let’s feed him before his head explodes.”

“Wait, let’s take a couple pictures of the four of us in front of the tree,” Crispin suggested.

“What, without Jobe’s hair perfectly coiffed?” Beck blurted out.

“Coiffed?” Crispin questioned.

Beck shrugged. “His words, not mine.”

“Ugh, I guess I can take one for the team, but I better not find them on the internet. I have a reputation to uphold after all.”

“You used to, you mean.” I pinched my sassy boy’s bottom, and he yelped. “Hop up, let’s get to snapping.”

Enjoying our food wasn’t happening now while watching Beck inhale his then ask every twenty seconds, “Are you done yet?”

Had I not known Beck as well as I did I’d fear a temper tantrum was on the horizon.

“Deep breath, sweet boy. Let them swallow their food first,” Crispin pleaded with his boy, but we were pretty much done eating.

“I nominate Crispin to play Santa and Beck to be his elf.” There, that should keep the boy in check for a bit.

“Ready, Beck?”

“Yes, Daddy.”

“This first one is for Jobe.” Crispin handed the gifts to Beck and he passed them out, building a pile for them on the side of the couch where they’d been sitting. Once they were done we all dug in.

“Bunny slippers! Thanks, Jobe and Daddy Stanley!”

“Sorry you don’t have much to open, Jobe, but there’s a reason for that.” His only gifts were from Crispin and Beck because all of mine were in his special room.

“Daddy, you got Goldie a new tank. You love Goldie, too!”

Jobe swirled the keyring around his finger. “I’m banking on it, Daddy. Besides, this is a lot of fun watching how excited Beck gets.”

“Real funny, Jobe. A bunny backpack with a leash.” Beck wasn’t too thrilled though he did start loading it with toys he’d opened.

“That’s actually a gift for me for the next time we go shopping together.” Beck wadded up some paper and threw it at Jobe. “You missed.”

“Stuffies!” It was fun how Beck announced every gift as he opened it.

Jobe bought me some new clothes, a new ergonomic desk chair and he had a picture of us he’d taken blown up and framed. I loved it all, most of all the proposal.

“Oh, sweet boy, did you make this picture frame for Daddy?” Crispin ran his fingers along the glittery seashell frame and Jobe cringed beside me. Likely had a flashback of that glittery nightmare. “And the stepping stones are perfect for the garden.”

“I did, Daddy. I made all your gifts.”

“And I love them just like I love you.”

“You-you really love me?”

My heart fell as those words spilled from Beck.

“More than anyone in this world, sweet boy.”

Beck burst into tears and slid onto Crispin’s lap. “I love you so much, Daddy. Two lucky boys found their Daddies for Christmas.”

“Yes, we did, Beck.”

“Ready for your surprise, Jobe?”

He shook the keys. “Yes I am. Lead the way.”