Joey rolled over, wrapping her arm over his stomach and resting her hand on his chest. She sighed, content, and felt him hold her tight.
"They'll be in here in about five minutes," she said with a smile.
He nodded, "Of course, they love to wake us up at the crack of dawn to open Christmas presents. It's become tradition."
Joey smiled, "You started it. I saw Luke set his alarm for 4:30. So they will be in here in a minute."
"You think that if we lock the door, they will take a hint?"
Joey shook her head, "No. They will just stand out there and knock until we get up. Besides, it's tradition Pace."
He nodded, "Fine. But when they come in here, pretend to be asleep."
"You think they won't know we're faking?"
"No."
The door began to open and four little heads poked out to look into the bedroom. Pacey and Joey's eyes were closed and they all walked into the room. The two little girls stood next to their mother's side of the bed as Luke and Bo climbed on the bed. Luke poked his father and got nothing. Bo looked at him with a smile, "They're faking!"
Pacey grabbed both boys and pinned them down, "Got ya."
The two little girls laughed. Laura helped put Billie onto the bed as she climbed into her mother's lap, and Laura climbed onto the bed after her. Bo and Luke looked up at their father, "Can we go open our presents now?"
Pacey sighed, "Why should I let you? You woke us up."
Laura giggled, "You weren't asleep."
"I was too," he said with a smile.
Billie gurgled and played with her mother's hand. "Pacey...let them up."
He released them and let them sit up. Pacey nodded and climbed out of the bed, lifting Laura into his arms. They had four children. Luke and Bo were twin eight year old boys, and Joey swore that she wouldn't have another child. But when she found out she was pregnant with Laura, she was happy and a little afraid of the fact that they would have three children. Laura was attached to her father, and worshipped the ground he walked on, as she was sure Billie would do also. Billie was the baby. Only 11 months old, she was precious. She was a happy baby, and the only one that actually slept through the night, much to the relief of Pacey and Joey.
It had become a tradition that the boys would get up at 4:30 in the morning, wake up their sister, now sisters, and go wake their parents up to open presents. They always started from the youngest to the oldest, making the order Billie, Laura, Bo, Luke, Joey, Pacey. Pacey hated going last and tried to get out of it every year.
Pacey walked into the kitchen and turned the coffee pot on, then walked into the living room, sitting next to Joey as Luke and Bo passed out the presents. Pacey held out his hands to Billie and she climbed into his lap as Laura sat at his feet. "Daddy...where do you think Santa is now?"
"Bed."
"Where at?"
Bo sighed, "In the North Pole, silly."
"I'm not silly, am I Daddy?"
Pacey smiled, "No, you're beautiful."
Laura made a face at Bo. When all the presents were divided up, Joey helped Pacey unwrap Billie's presents as the two older boys looked on bored. "Can we please open ours now?"
"No. Wait your turn."
Billie clapped as she opened the last present, and Pacey kissed her on the top of her head. She snuggled into his chest as he held her tighter. "Laura's turn."
Laura ripped through the paper on all her presents, and her face grew brighter every time. Luke and Bo leaned against the couch and wished she would hurry. Laura smiled when she was on her last present, and began opening it very slowly to torture her two brothers. Luke and Bo both looked at their parents, begging for them to make her hurry.
“Mom!”
“Laura, sweetie, your brothers are going to burst if you don’t hurry.”
Laura smiled at them and opened it quicker and was so happy with the doll she’d wanted that she stood and hugged both her parents. Bo began ripping through his presents as Luke began complaining, “Why can’t we open ours at the same time? We’re twins.”
“But he was born before you.”
“No…we were pulled out of Mom’s tummy at the same time.”
Pacey smiled, “Not what the birth certificate says. So pipe down short stuff.”
Joey smiled, “You know, you may regret calling him that one day…I have a feeling he’s going to be huge.”
Pacey nodded, “I know.” Billie giggled in his lap, “Isn’t that right BJ.”
“Don’t call her that.”
“Her name is Billie Jean, why can’t I call her that?”
“Because…no initials. She’s Billie or Billie Jean. Pick one.”
Pacey smiled, “I get to name the next kid we have.”
Joey sighed, “If you name him or her Beta, I will kill you.”
Pacey rolled his eyes as he laughed, “I was joking when I said that.”
“You were not.”
“I was eighteen and messing with you. If you remember correctly that came right after you told me you hated me and never wanted to have my children.”
She sighed, “Yeah. I really hold out on my threats huh?”
He smiled, “I’m kind of happy you didn’t.”
Pacey noticed that she didn’t say she wouldn’t have another one. He just didn’t say anything to her about it in front of the children. He remembered the reaction when he told them about Billie. They weren’t all that happy. Bo and Luke said they didn’t want another sister and Laura cried because she thought they didn’t want her anymore. Pacey assured her that they would always want her. She was their ‘princess’.
Laura climbed onto the couch between Joey and Pacey and rested her head against his arm. Joey brushed her dark hair away from her face and kissed he side of her head. “You are so cute,” she said with a smile.
Laura smiled up at her as they turned to watch Luke’s face turn green with envy over the present Bo had just opened. Little did he know he had the same thing, except in a different color. Bo finally finished his opening his presents and it wasn’t long until Luke had finished his, and the two boys were oblivious to everything around them. Laura and Billie had both fallen back to sleep, and Joey picked Laura up and carried her upstairs as Pacey carried Billie behind her. They put them back in bed and walked into the hallway, their own yawns escaping their lips.
“Luke!” Joey called.
Luke ran to the bottom of the stairs, “Yeah?”
“You and Bo behave. Billie and Laura are sleeping again and your dad and I are headed back to bed.”
He nodded and went back into the living room. Joey soon joined Pacey in their bedroom and found him already laying in the bed. She climbed in on her side and snuggled next to him, her fingers playing with the white t-shirt he was wearing.
Pacey smiled down at her head, “How long until they come bother us?”
Joey yawned again and stretched her leg over his hips, “About three hours. Luke and Bo will watch the Grinch…which will give us time to sleep…”
“And Billie will sleep until about seven…”
“Yeah. So we are good.”
Pacey smiled as he heard Joey’s breathing deepen, and found that she was soon asleep. It had been like this since Luke and Bo were old enough to understand the concept of Santa and presents. They would wake up before the sun rises, wake up their sister, coming barging into their room, and shake them awake no matter how much they complained. Everyone would open their presents, except their parents, and then the girls would go back to sleep, and Joey and Pacey would end up back in bed. Around ten they would all get dressed and head to Bessie’s to eat a huge meal and open more presents. They would then leave there, make a stop at Gail’s to let them see the kids she refers to as her grandkids, and no one argues with that. Then they will come back to the house, the kids will go to bed, and Pacey and Joey will give their gifts to one another. That’s Joey’s favorite part.
* * * * * * * * * *
The bedroom door opened as Laura and Billie made their way inside. Joey opened her eyes, having become a light sleeper since she had children. Billie reached for her mother and she pulled her into the bed. Laura climbed onto the bed and lay next to her father. He opened his eyes and smiled. Billie was sitting up and clapping her hands, wanting attention from one of them. Pacey rubbed her fuzzy head, “dadda”. Joey and Pacey both went wide eyed and sat up in the bed.
“Did she just say…”
“…She just said…”
“She said dadda. I can say it.”
Pacey smiled at Laura. He loved her. He hated that she thought they could ever stop loving her just because of Billie. “I know you can. And it’s music to my ears. But she just said her first word.”
“What was my first word?”
“Bo.”
“Bo? Why would I say Bo?”
Joey smiled, “Because you loved Bo and he loved you. You were attached to the hip.”
“Ew. I don’t like Bo.”
“Yes you do. You may not like Bo, but you love him.”
Laura poked up her nose, “I do not.” Pacey kissed the top of her head.
Joey sighed, “And to think we’re having another one…”
Pacey looked over at her with wide eyes, “Another…one. Are you serious?”
Joey sighed and nodded, “Another one.”
“Another one what?”
Joey looked at Pacey and smiled, “Another baby.”
“Another one?! But you just had Billie!”
“You don’t want another brother or sister?”
She shook her head, “No!”
Pacey pulled Laura into his arms, “Princess…” Joey picked Billie up into her arms and walked downstairs. She knew if anyone could make Laura open up to the idea, it was Pacey.
“Princess, you know we love you…”
“But I don’t want another brother…or sister.”
“Why not?”
“Cause…”
“Cause why?”
“Cause Luke said that if you had another girl, you will send me away cause I’m the oldest.”
“That would never happen. You are my angel. Why would I sent you away?”
She shrugged, and wiped her eyes, “Cause Luke said…”
“If Luke doesn’t stop telling you things like that we will send him to live with Aunty Gail.”
“Her house smells funny.”
Pacey laughed, “So do you think he wants to tell you any more lies?”
She shook her head, “No.”
“No. We love you and I would do anything in the world to make you know that. Understand?” he asked with a smile.
She nodded and clung to him as he climbed out of bed and walked downstairs to find Joey in the kitchen drinking a cup of coffee and Billie in her highchair. Luke and Bo were sleeping in the living room, and Pacey smiled. “It’s amazing. They’re quite.”
Joey smiled at Laura, “Are you okay?”
Laura nodded, “Yeah. I want another sister. Brothers are mean.”
Joey laughed, “I guess they are.”
Pacey put Laura down and walked over to Joey, “I figured out what the problem was.”
“What?”
“Luke told her we were going to get rid of her if you had another girl.”
“That little…”
“Rascal…”
“Yeah…something like that. I swear…every day he reminds me more and more of you.”
Pacey smiled, “I would never tell one of my sisters that. They used to tell me, however, that I was adopted.”
Joey laughed and poured a bowl of cereal for Laura. “I remember them making you cry because they told you that.”
Laura’s eyes went wide, “Daddy, you cried?!”
“Yeah. I do know how to cry, Laura.”
“I’ve never seen you.”
“I know. I cried when you were born.”
“Why?”
He kissed the top of her head, “Because I was so happy to have you.”
“I had her…you just kept screaming ‘push’.”
Pacey rolled his eyes and sat next to his daughter. Joey turned on the radio in the kitchen and smiled at her daughter as she started to hum to the song.
Christmas, Christmas time is near
Time for toys and time for cheer
We've been good, but we can't last
Hurry Christmas, hurry fast
Want a plane that loops the loop
Me, I want a hula hoop
We can hardly stand the wait
Please Christmas, don't be late.
Okay fellas get ready.
That was very good, Simon.
-Naturally.
Very good Theodore.
-Ahhh.
Ah, Alvin, you were a little flat, watch it.
Ah, Alvin. Alvin. ALVIN!
-OKAY.
Want a plane that loops the loop
I still want a hula hoop
We can hardly stand the wait
Please Christmas, don't be late.
We can hardly stand the wait
Please Christmas, don't be late.
Joey smiled as the two boys walked into the kitchen and sat at the table with their two sisters. Laura smiled at them, “I know a secret.”
Pacey smiled at Joey, “No you don’t,” Bo said with a smile.
“Yes I do.”
“You don’t know any secrets.”
“Yes she does,” Joey said with a smile.
They both looked up at their mother as she sat their cereal in front of them. “How does she know a secret?”
She smiled, “She just does.”
“Can I tell ‘em Mom?” she asked with a smile.
Pacey patted her on the head, “Yeah.”
Laura smiled as she told her brothers and they both groaned. “Another one?”
“Is it a boy this time.”
“Are you sure you want it to be a boy? We have to get rid of the oldest boy if it is.”
Luke’s eyes went wide, “No we don’t!”
“Yes we do. Right Jo.”
Joey didn’t say anything, just smiled. She knew that the baby next year would only add to the joy of Christmas. Pacey smiled at the two boys, “Ho, ho, ho, do you like our Christmas joke?” They shook their heads, “And if you tell your sister again that we are shipping her off somewhere, I will Fed-ex both of you to Antarctica.”
Joey laughed.