Chapter 25
December 25, 2006 (early morning)
"Daddy! Wake up! It's Christmas!!!"
Kevin rolled over but pretended to still be asleep. Jemma was standing at the side of his bed, poking him in the arm. He made a snoring sound.
"Daddy!!!"
It was all he could do to keep from laughing. She was trying so hard to be good, but she wanted to get downstairs. Aaron solved her problem for her.
"DADDY!!" he crowed, and launched himself onto the bed-landing squarely on Kevin's stomach.
"Aarrghhh!" Kevin's eyes flew open. "Aaron!! What are you doing???" he grinned.
"It's time to get up!" Aaron laughed. "Merry Christmas Daddy!"
Kevin grabbed him and wrestled him down onto the bed, tickling his ribs. "Merry Christmas to you too, you little monkey," he chuckled. Then he turned to Jemma and before she realized what was happening, he had her in the bed too. As his children shrieked with laughter, Rachel appeared at the doorway to the room.
"Do you know that it's five-thirty in the morning?" she grumbled, but she was smiling. "What is all this racket?"
"Merry Christmas Rachel!!" Jemma and Aaron chorused. Kevin looked up at her.
"Okay, kids. Scoot," he said. "Go see if Santa's been here." Two little bodies tumbled off the bed and out the door. "But don't touch anything yet," he called after them. Kevin continued to look up at Rachel. "Merry Christmas Rachel-again." A smile crept across his face as he took in her tousled hair and robe-clad body.
"Merry Christmas, and good morning," she smiled. There were excited shouts and squeals from downstairs. "I think Santa was here," she grinned.
"Let's go see," Kevin said.
"You go. I'll put up some coffee." This has to start somewhere she told herself. He's got to learn to be with them without me.
He looked unhappy. "No! Come with me now-start the coffee later."
"Kevin-now is your time to be with them. Enjoy them. These times are gone before you know it. I'll only be a minute. And I'll bring a camera. Okay?" She turned and left the room before he could protest any further.
He lay there for a moment before he moved. She was right-as usual. But she was wrong as well. She was important to the kids too. And she was important to him. Damn it! How do I let her know that? She's not just an employee anymore. She hasn't been for a long time, he realized. How did this get so complicated?
He pulled on a pair of jeans and threw his robe over them and headed toward the stairs. He could hear Jemma and Aaron calling for him and he smiled. And the smile broadened as he thought about the gift he had gotten for Rachel. I just have to find the right time to give it to her, he said to himself. He took the stairs down, two at a time, and swung into the living room where he was greeted by happy, excited shouts of 'Look what Santa brought me!'
* * *
At noon, Rachel came down the stairs, pulling on her jacket. The gifts for her family had been stowed into her car and she was ready to go. Kevin looked up from playing with Aaron and the new train set and got up to join her in the hallway. He looked her over. Boot-cut blue jeans over black, western-style boots, a white turtleneck and a charcoal gray blazer. G-d, he loved that look! She smiled up at him. "Sweater fits all right?" she asked.
"It's great," he grinned looking down at the intricate cabling on his chest. "I still can't figure out when you had time to make it." There was a pause.
"Well, I'm off," she smiled. "There's a list of what needs doing in the kitchen. What time to start the oven and what needs to go in first-stuff like that. Everything in the fridge is labeled. All you have to do is start taking things out according to the timetable. I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Okay," Kevin said hesitantly. He still hadn't given her his gift, and now wasn't the right time either-too rushed. This evening, he decided. "Have a good time with your folks. We'll manage."
"I know you will," Rachel smiled. Aaron suddenly appeared at Rachel's side. She crouched down and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "See you later, little man. Behave yourself."
"Yes, ma'am." He seemed very subdued all of a sudden, and he backed away from Rachel and leaned against Kevin's leg.
Kevin looked down at him and then swung him up into his arms. "What's the matter, Aaron?"
"Why is Rachel leaving?" Aaron whispered.
"We talked about this, son. Rachel is going to celebrate Christmas with her mom and dad-she'll be back later."
Aaron looked into Rachel's eyes. "Promise?" he asked quietly.
She smiled brightly. "Of course!" She reached out and ruffled his hair. "I just want to make sure that my mom and dad have as good a Christmas as we've had here. Okay?"
"Okay-come back soon." He smiled at her and snuggled down in Kevin's arms.
"I will Aaron," she said as she picked up her car keys from the hallway table.
Jemma joined them at that point and grinned up at Rachel. "He thinks you have to be here all the time." Aaron leaned down to swat at her from his perch in Kevin's arms. Kevin caught his hands and chuckled as he kissed his cheek. "We'll help him so he doesn't miss you too much," Jemma volunteered.
"Thanks sweetie." Rachel smiled at her and gave her a quick kiss. "I'll see you all later," she said again and hurried out the door.
Aaron wiggled down from Kevin's arms and headed back toward his new train set. Kevin looked down at Jemma. "Jemma honey-when was the last time that Rachel had a day off?" he asked quietly.
Jemma looked puzzled. "What's 'a dayoff'?" she asked.
"You know-when she got to go do things without taking you and Aaron along. When she had somebody else stay with you-Aunt Tracy or Aunt Ellen or somebody-so she could have some time to herself. I know she hasn't since I've been home this time, but before that."
"I don't know. Rachel doesn't do stuff like that. She's always here-like a mommy." She paused and her face brightened. "Sometimes she lets Aaron go to Aunt Tracy's while I'm at school-you mean like that?"
Kevin smiled vaguely at Jemma. "Yeah-I guess like that. Thanks honey." There was a long pause. That can't be right, he was thinking. Can't ask a five-year-old a question like that. I'll check with Tim.He shook himself out of his thoughts and grinned down at Jemma. "Come on-I want to take another look at that belt buckle you gave me. Let's see if I can put it on this belt." He swung her up into the air and she crowed with laughter.
* * *
When Tim called to wish them Merry Christmas, Kevin did ask him. The answer stunned him. "Never?" he asked in disbelief. "What does her contract call for?"
"One day a week plus three holidays and two weeks vacation," Tim chuckled. "Didn't you read it?"
"I just thought it was being taken care of," Kevin said softly. "Did I pay her out for it?"
"Now how would I know that, Kev? You had Mac take care of all of that." He grinned into the phone and waved off Tracy's question. "But, to my knowledge, counselor, she hasn't taken any time off, nor has she been paid for same."
"How much time do I owe her?" Kevin groaned.
"Quick calculation?" I'd say about forty-eight days plus two weeks and two holidays." Tim paused. "You did give her today off, didn't you?"
"Yeah-well, sort of. She's at her parents' for the afternoon." There was a pause. "What the hell am I gonna do, Tim? I'm gone again after next week. Rehearsals and then tour. I guess she's just gonna have to get a big year-end bonus-I can't give her the time off now."
"Why the panic?" Tim asked. "Did she ask you about it?"
"No-but-" he hesitated.
"No. And she won't." Tim was suddenly serious. "She's not like that. Look-you'll have to do something, but don't worry about it. She's not going to throw the contract up in your face. I told you a long time ago that she was the best thing that ever happened to Jemma and Aaron. Now you understand."
* * *
"Hey, bro," Jerry said when Kevin called him and Ellen with Christmas wishes. "Need a baby sitter?" He chuckled. "Tim told me you kinda forgot about giving Rachel time off." He paused. "So-what did you get her for Christmas?"
"Not enough," Kevin mumbled. "Now that I know-."
"Well, did she like it at least?"
"I haven't given it to her yet-I haven't found the right time," he said defensively.
"The right time?" Jerry asked incredulously. "What the hell did you get her-a wardrobe from Victoria's Secret?"
"No!" he exclaimed. Then he added hesitantly, "I just-well, with the kids all over the place and then she was getting ready to go to her parents' house, and-"
"Whoa, Kev!" Jerry was grinning again. "Just how much did my kissing her yesterday bother you?" Silence. "You know-maybe it's time you took her off the payroll, bro." Jerry said quietly.
Chapter 26
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