181 - Christmas

181 - Christmas
Stitch has it right, Ohana means family and family means no one gets left behind. Even if it’s just in memory, they stay with us. – Alana

For the first time in her life, Priscilla was not spending Christmas Eve with Camille. As they were on the video call, her friend pointed out that this was her second Christmas without Priscilla.

“My first Christmas, you weren’t born yet. So, technically, this is my second Christmas without you.”

“This little one,” Priscilla placed a hand on her growing belly, “is waiting for her other BFF. When is she going to have a CBFF?”

“CBFF?” Camille laughed.

“Chocolate Best Friend Forever!” She declared and was surrounded by amused laughter from both the computer and the three men in the room.

Porthos leaned over and kissed her temple, “We’re probably talking more of a milk chocolate or a caramel.”

Smiling at him, she leaned over and gave him a light kiss.

“Okay, am I the only one that’s still a little weirded out by them being together?” Aramis asked from the screen. Athos and his new family were spending Christmas at Aramis and Meagan’s house over on the new cul-de-sac. The house for Athos and Michelle would be the next one to be built, making the needed accommodations for her younger brothers.

Once again, Priscilla found herself wondering if she had handled the situation with Leo the right way. While she had been fighting for her life, struggling to survive, her friend’s grandparents had died of Covid complications. Celt’s law firm helped Athos and Michelle to get custody of the two boys. As a way of proving stability, they got married with a promise to have a Saints wedding after Camille came home.

Geo seemed to sense her beginning to spiral. He reached over and linked his hand with hers. Leaning across Porthos, she gave him a light kiss too. Not wanting any of her men to feel left out, she turned her head and kissed her own husband.

“What part?” Camille laughed. “Her and him, times three. Him and him. Or them as a whole?”

“Damn it, girl!” Aramis objected as all his friends laughed at him.

“Hey, we could always discuss Camille and her dark chocolate,” Porthos offered.

“She is a brat,” Athos said with a laugh and Aramis shoved him out of the screen.

“Meagan,” Porthos grinned, “did your husband ever figure out the appropriate placement of the hands?” He held his hands up around his face as if he was going to eat pussy.

Aramis flipped him off as she laughed. Their newborn started fussing and she moved off screen. A moment later, she returned with the little boy trying to latch onto her nipple. Shifting her shirt so that he could feed, she sat back down on Aramis’ lap.

“In a few more weeks, I’ll give him an oral exam again.”

Tipping her head up, he gave her a kiss, “I’ll keep watching the instruction videos.”

“Hey, how was your home birth?” Priscilla asked.

“I agree with Tammy,” Meagan said. “Someone did a lot of work to make pain meds that you can take during delivery and damn it, they should be used.”

“Zero of five stars,” Aramis added, “do not recommend.”

Several kids squealed outside the office, and they heard various parents yelling at their kids and each other as they all made their way in from the pool. Priscilla and her men promised to go over to Aramis’ house Christmas afternoon. They all spoke for a few more minutes before signing off the call.

She was closing the computer when there was a knock on the door and Molly stuck his head inside. Denver helped her to stand up, and Geo held her hips until she felt steady on her feet. Her baby bump was just big enough that her balance was off.

Glancing at her dad, Priscilla admitted, “We heard everyone, assumed it was time to call it a night.”

Porthos placed an arm around her shoulder and a kiss on the top of her head as they walked to the Christmas room. Colton had already started to hand out the presents and handed Molly two small boxes as he passed. Priscilla smiled because she knew what was in both lingerie boxes.

She sat on the couch between Denver and Geo with Porthos sitting on the floor, resting his back against her legs. Watching her dad open the first box, she smiled when her cousin handed her a box with medical tape on it. She was not surprised to see that it was from Patch.

Leaning over, Molly kissed Noel, and they had a quiet conversation as she blushed. Priscilla thought about how nervous the other woman had been when she had posed in nothing but Molly’s club cut. Although she had already taken one set of pictures, Priscilla knew that when her belly was bigger, she would do them again.

“Don’t ever be ashamed of your tiger stripes.” Alana advised her as she helped Mia’s youngest open his present.

After Molly opened the second box he turned and kissed Case. Priscilla was only partially watching her dad and all his pretties. Colton handed each of her men a box. Geo was holding Chance’s son, Michael, and her sister, Jordyn, had plopped down in Porthos’ lap with her newest baby doll.

Denver placed the bow on Jordyn’s head, and she stood up to help him tear the paper. Priscilla could not help but think that they were going to be good daddies. Porthos helped the toddler to stand as she helped Denver take the lid off.

“What the hell is this?”

Priscilla was trying hard to contain her laughter as he pulled a large hoodie out of the box.

“I wanted to get you something that you didn’t have,” she grinned.

“I used to have a hoodie like this,” he laid the Army hodie across his chest. Seeing the bleach stain on the right cuff, his eyes widened. “Wait! This is my hoodie!”

Rubbing a hand over her growing belly, she informed him, “I’m going to want that back in a few months.”

Geo handed his younger cousin back to his mom and then he was also opening his box. Porthos pulled Jordyn back to him and she helped him open his box. As Geo pulled out his USMC Devil Dog hoodie and Porthos found his military police hoodie, Denver had discovered the other half of the present.

“Doll…”

He held two framed black and white pictures in his hands. The first was Priscilla in nothing but his club cut, and the second was her in his BDU jacket. Seeing what he had, the other two moved the tissue paper under their hoodies to find similar pictures.

“Angel, there is no doubt about it,” Geo said holding the picture of her in his class A jacket so that the other two could see it, “the Marines dress blues has never looked better.”

My darling readers, I am taking a 4-generation girls cruise next week with my mom, sister, favorite niece and her little bit. I’ll be back in May to finish Priscilla. Much Love, Amy