• Frozen rain came down in puffy clumps and littered the ground in a blanket of white. It had been at it for at least four hours now. The first snowfall of the year had come on Christmas Eve when everyone was trying to fit into the large two-story house for a party. The people who had put it all together and thrown it had yet to even appear. People mingled with friends they hadn’t seen in many months to even years talking about life in general. Many silly rumors had begun to float around the group of people as to what the couple were off doing.

    Upstairs in a room where unicorns and faeries adorned the walls, a woman stood at a changing table where two wiggling legs and toes waved in front of her. A smile slipped onto her lips as she watched the infant in front of her chew on her fingers as drool dribbled from her bottom lip. Placing her hands at the underarms of the baby, she stood the child up against her so that she could finish changing her for bed. The creak of the door gave away to another person entering the room. “Cassie, people are already here.” It was a husky, male voice that was already lined with exhaustion. “Is she ready for bed.” As Cassie turned around, she faced the man she had loved for many years now. Placing the infant on her hip, she gave him a short nod and swiftly moved to the rocker they had placed in the room.

    He watched her sit down and smiled as she began to feed their young daughter before bed. He had already placed their oldest child to bed with his favourite teddy and nightlight on. She undid the small tie to the front of her cocktail dress and unclasped the bra that held her full breast. His eyes refused to leave the sight before him as his young-est baby greedily latched onto the n****e and fed. As Cassie looked up at him, she gave him a soft smile. “Did it take long to get Liam to sleep?” She questioned him softly.

    A smile from him told her that it took only minutes before their boy was fast asleep with thumb in his mouth and teddy under his arm. He moved over to the rocking chair she was swinging in with their infant and placed a kiss to her head before whispering a soft ‘I love you’. She stopped rocking so that he could as well place a kiss to the girl’s head. “I’m going to go downstairs and mingle for a bit. Come find me when Evie’s asleep?” With a small nod of confirmation and a kiss to her lips, Cassie was left to tend to small Evie until she fell asleep.

    It didn’t take long for the baby to fall into slumber and Cassie was downstairs in minutes. Unable to find her husband, she went off to look for people she hadn’t talked to in a while. Talking with a few friends from high school, Cassie was quickly pulled away by her mother who had also come to the party. “Where’s Daddy?” She asked her mother. A small frown let Cassie know he wasn’t doing as well as she thought he would be this evening. “Is it getting worse?” She asked her mother, referring to the chest pains her father had complained about last time she was at the house with the children. Her mother’s frown increased some as small tears beaded in the corners of her eyes. Cassie took her mother in her arms much like had done with Liam when he scraped his knee and began to whimper and cry. Pushing past people, Cassie took hr mother into the dining room where no one had taken over yet and sat them both down on the small leather love-seat. Grabbing a tissue, she handed it to her mother and held tightly onto her other hand.

    “Cassandra, your father is getting old. Things like this happen.” To Cassie, it seemed like her mother was trying to convince herself more than her daughter. “The doctors say he might not live till seventy-five.” She nodded in understanding before she brought her mother into a long hug. She could feel the beads of hot liquid sting her own eyes and knew it wouldn’t be long before she would start crying as well. While Cassandra and her father bonked heads and fought on more occasions that she could ever count, Cassie did love her father and hearing that he was suffering couldn’t help but bring her to tears. “I haven’t told Shane, yet.” Her mother said softly. Her younger brother; Shane. He was here tonight, at the house with his girlfriend. Unable to speak – or even trust her voice for that matter – Cassie just nodded her understanding and gave her mother a hug before she heard someone walk in. As she and her mother looked up, she noticed her mother’s features lighten a bit as she saw two men. It was Cassie’s brother and husband. “Hey buddy,” she said, addressing her son. “And Brandon. How are the both of you?”

    Both men smiled before Shane spoke. “I’m doing alright, Mom.” Cassie brushed her lips to her mother’s cheek before standing and taking Brandon by the arm and leaving, feeling her mother needed to talk to Shane before it was too hard to. She could hear the first words of the beginning to the long conversation between her mother and brother before the swinging door closed completely and silence was left and only to be quickly replaced with the sounds of chatter amongst many of their guests and friends.

    Cassie could feel Brandon’s eyes on her as she led him into a different room. She could feel the worry emanating from his body for her. She had told him just a few nights ago about her father’s condition and ended up breaking down crying over it. He had lovingly caressed her frame and held her close to him, telling her that things were going to be alright and nothing was going to happen. Oh, did she now have things to tell him. Daddy’s not alright. She had told him. He’s going to the doctors and they’re going to see what’s wrong. She had continued on. And all the while, he held her, listening to her hurting story. Closing the door to the pantry, she looked up at him. “Cass. Are you alright, sweetie?” She heard his voice, but it just seemed distant. Her thoughts were elsewhere. They weren’t here at the party. They were with her father, trying to will him to keep breathing so that he could see his third granddaughter’s first; second; third birthdays. But she, sadly, knew in her heart he probably wouldn’t. And Liam loved his grandfather – how could he lose him. She knew what it was like to lose someone close to you. Cassandra knew all too well. “Cassie. Cassandra?” She heard Brandon calling to her.

    Looking up at him, she softly let a smile through before it fell back into a frown. “There’s something I need to tell you.” She started. Sitting them both down on a chair, she sat on his lap and looked down at him. “Daddy’s getting worse.” She stopped and watched his expression. His face just seemed to fall. Looking away, Cassie continued. “He went to the doctors yesterday. Mum told me that they think he won’t live till seventy-five.” Sorrow brought his face to look much like a kicked puppy and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his chest. “Liam is going to be upset.” She spoke up again, her words in a matter-of-fact tone. “I know what it’s like to lose someone that close to you. It hurts. A lot.” Shushing her, Brandon just continued to rock them back and forth much like she had done to Evie earlier in the night.

    She didn’t know how long they had stayed there like that. Nor did she know when they got up and joined everyone else. Cassie saw her mother with Shane and his girlfriend. She saw her long-time friend Autumn with her fiancé. Many friends that she had graduated with had showed up with lovers, spouses, and friends. Some had even brought their teenage children she had come to love as her own. Feeling his warm lips on her forehead, she felt Brandon’s presence leave off for some friends he had invited as she went her own way to find friends she had asked to come.

    As Cassie said her farewells to one friend, she moved across the room to get into the kitchen. Grabbing a glass from the dish rack, she poured a glass of water. Drinking half of the glass, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning around, her eyes went wide and placed the glass on the counter before embracing the friend who had tapped her shoulder. “Dana. How are you?” She questioned her close friend. At the response, she learned what was going on in her friend’s life. After having her baby boy, her and her boyfriend had split up and she was now living with a friend in an apartment with her sixteen-year-old son. As the girls caught up, she moved back to the living room where Cassie got to meet the young boy she had heard about. He looked a lot like his mother with her sandy brown hair and hazel-green eyes. He wasn’t too tall – as Cassie remembered that his father hadn’t been all that short, but definitely not tall either. With another embrace to her friend, they began talking about Cassandra’s two children. “William is going to be six next spring and Evangeline is going to be one in June.”

    She watched as Dana looked at the pictures of the kids both Brandon and Cassie hung around the house. “They’re both beautiful, Cass.” The two long-time friends spoke about everything up until it was time for the small dinner Brandon had made to be served. As people got up, they waited in line to gather the roast that had been cooking all day. Cassie took her own plate and filled it with much of the veggies that were set aside along with a salad and rolls. Feeling a hand go to her hip, she turned – her long, curly hair bouncing to the side – to look and see who was there. Brandon placed a tender kiss to her cheek before whispering in her ear that the baby had woken up.

    “I’ll go check on her.” She muttered back to him and handed him her plate. Making her way upstairs, she checked the clock. Nine. Quickly ascending the stairs, she made her way to the nursery to check on her little one. “Evangeline, what’s the matter baby?” She spoke the words affectionately to her littlest angel while walking past the door frame. Closing the door, she moved to the bassinet her daughter slept in. Peering inside, she saw her baby girl wriggling in discomfort. Picking her up, Cassandra held her soothingly as she made her way back over to the rocking chair. “Tell Mummy what’s wrong, honey.” Cassie patted the girl’s bottom to see if it might be her diaper. It was dry and wasn’t squishy. She rubbed Evangeline’s tummy and patted softly at her back, seeing if it was her stomach that was upset of if she needed a burping. The small child still whimpered and whined as she moved around. Untying the cocktail dress once more, she unclasped the front of her bra before bringing the infant to her breast. The girl latched on but quickly pulled away.

    With a sigh, Cassandra clasped her bra and tugged at the drawstrings on the dress before she sat Evangeline up with her hand as support. Standing up, Cassie crossed the room, turned off the lights and closed the door. Checking on her son before going downstairs, she saw that he was fast asleep – thumb in mouth and teddy snuggly under his head. Closing his door, she made her way down the steps to the bottom floor to find Brandon. Finding him with one of his friends, she came up to the two men with a smile on her face. Seeing the little baby attached to her hip, Brandon’s eyes grew confused. “Is something wrong, love?” He questioned. Cassandra just shook her head and bounced the baby on her hip to keep her from causing a ruckus and disturb the party. She waited until he was finished talking with his friend about whatever it was they had been talking about before she interrupted them to drag Brandon off.

    When she bid an adieu to Brandon’s friend, she snagged him by the arm and brought him to the kitchen once more. His eyes watched her, looking to see if he could find anything off with her. Once the last few people who were grabbing their dinners – some saying hello to the little baby – she began speaking. “She wouldn’t fall back asleep.” She stated softly as Evie began to play with her mother’s golden necklace. “She’s not wet, she’s not hungry. I think she knew there were people down here and wanted to join in on the fun” The smirk on Brandon’s face gave in to amusement and the worry vanished. Cassandra smiled when he placed a kiss to her forehead and took the baby, saying something about trying to get her to sleep. With a nod, Cassie stood and went in search of her dinner to eat.

    Quickly eating, she finished the salad by the time Brandon came back from upstairs. Finding she’d been spotted, she stood up to meet him half way. Before she could speak, he placed a kiss on her lips before replying to her unanswered question. “She just wanted Daddy.” His voice sounded a bit smug, but Cassie just let it pass. Standing there in his arms, she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. His voice came out in a muffled tone through her shoulder as he asked her if now was a good time for present exchanging. Cassandra just nodded, reluctantly pulling away from him.

    Despite not inviting many people, once they got everyone in the same room with each other, their living room looked small. Sitting on one of the loveseats with Brandon, Cassie looked around at everyone they’d invited. Dana with her son; Cassie’s mother; Brandon’s father; Autumn and her fiancé; Shane with his girlfriend; a couple of friends from each workplace with their small families or lovers; and only a couple close friends who were either still single or were on their way to getting married. Cassie listened to Brandon speak as he passed around a gift or two for friends and family. She looked down at him as he kneeled underneath their tree to collect presents for all of the people they had invited. She couldn’t help but always stare at him. He was finally hers and hers alone. Just like she was to him.

    Cassie was pulled from her thoughts when she was pushed into the stomach with a rather large present. Looking down at it, she noticed it was from Dana. She promptly opened it to find a black box. It was ceramic and much like the one she had received many years earlier for a Christmas or a birthday from Dana. Looking at the cover, she found it to have a faerie much like her other one. She quickly thanked her friend before another present was shoved her way. Looking for the tag, Cassie found it to be from her mother. Leaning over, she patted Brandon on the back, softly speaking to him so only he heard. “I’m going to open Mum’s tomorrow when her and Daddy come over. Hopefully he’ll be well enough for us to see him.” With a nod, Brandon took the gift and exchanged it with another that was from a friend from work. Inside had been a warm, fleece sweater. In the corner her name had been sewn into it. She had come to find that her friend had knitted it for her. Giving thanks once more to another, she placed it to the side so she wouldn’t forget it when she and Brandon retired for the night and went to bed.

    It seemed like forever till she finally got to the last present. It was from Brandon. Looking up at him, she was about to protest and tell him she would open it like all her other presents from him tomorrow but he quickly caught the complaint with a kiss, whispering against her lips. “Open it. I just need you to open this one.” Sighing in defeat, she took the small package once more and looked at it. It seemed heavy enough to be a paperweight. Cassie carefully peeled away the shiny Christmas paper that gave away to tissue paper. With a grumbled objection, she continued to unwrap it. The eyes of everyone in the room was making her nervous and her hands ached from unwrapping so many present already that night. When the lightly colored paper fell apart, inside revealed what looked to be a handcrafted leopard. It wasn’t perfect but it was absolutely beautiful. “I found something in a store that was made out of glass. It looked amazing but I felt that it would be safer if it was wood than glass.” She heard him speak, sounding almost as if he needed to explain himself for the messiness of the craftsmanship.

    Brushing a stray tear from her cheek, Cassandra looked up at Brandon. “Thank you, sweetie. It’s so pretty.” Cassandra couldn’t help but stare at the lovely figurine of the white snow leopard. His fur was all white except for his deep black and brown stripes. As she hugged her lover – her husband, and her best friend – to her delicate frame, the warm salty liquid began to sting in her eyes and tears soon clouded her vision, obscuring the animal from her view. It had had soft green eyes like her, she remembered. At that moment as she cried in his arms, no one was there. To her, the house was devoid of everyone else except their family of five. Her breath hitched as she remembered that small detail. It was going to be his present for the night. Pulling away from him, Cassandra moved back to sit on the short couch – the leopard securely placed in her lap – and brought Brandon closer. “The biggest present I have for you isn’t something you can unwrap. At least not yet anyways.” Cassie brought her deep jade gaze to meet his chocolate one. They looked confused, full of wonder she thought. “It can’t be unwrapped for another eight months.” Again, she stopped and looked at him to find anything that hinted at his knowledge. When she couldn’t find anything, Cassie continued on. “I found out I was pregnant just a…” Unable to finish her sentence, Brandon lifted her into the air and twirled her. His joy spilled out across the room as many people began talking about the confession they had heard.


    Epilogue
    With everyone finally out of the house, presents nestled under the tree for the next slice of daybreak, children tucked snuggly in their beds, and now curled up next to each other in their own bed, Brandon laid down as his wife sat up with a smile gleaming over her features. He looked so content with his cheek resting against her still small tummy that was to expand in the upcoming months. “Are you happy?” She asked him softly. His gaze shot up to hers and for only a moment, brown connected with green.

    His face was devoid of all humour as he nodded. “Of course I am, love.” He rubbed his hand over her stomach and placed a lingering kiss on it before looked back up at her. “I’m here, with you. I’m in bed snuggling with the one girl I love most – with Evangeline a very close second. I get the news of being a father once more only to add onto our growing family.” He stopped and Cassie was afraid of what he was going to say if he had continued. He looked like he was giving his words a bit more thought before he resumed talking. “No, Cassandra. I’m not happy. I’m more than happy. I’m elated… ecstatic that I get to spend the rest of my days with you as my wife.”