About The Gift of Love

by Cassidy Ryan
11 pages / 4000 words
Available file types - html, lit, pdf, prc

Casey and Josh's son, Noah, is so excited about Santa that he can hardly stand it. He's three, and it's the first Christmas where Noah really understands what's going on, so his two dads want to make it extra special for him. A letter to the big elf, a trip to meet Santa, and some toys will make Noah happy, but will bad news for Josh ruin the season for all of them?

Sample

My nose was blocked, my mouth dry, throat rough from having to breathe through my mouth. My chest was tight, lungs constricted. I fought my way through the fog of sleep, forced open heavy eyelids, gritty from too many nights chasing deadlines. A soft sound reached my ears, and I finally managed to pry my eyes open. For a moment everything was blurry; the vague outline of something that felt like it should be familiar, too close for my unfocused eyes to clearly make out. The sound again, a little louder this time. It touched some pleasure center in my brain and, as my eyes began to clear, I felt a smile tug at the corners of my mouth. The shape began to take form and my smile widened.

Straddling my chest, Noah removed his fingers from my nostrils and giggled.

“'Morning, Poppa. Daddy said you gotsta get up.” He bounced a couple of times and my rib cage protested.

“'Morning, Nibblet. I see you had breakfast already.” I picked a Froot Loop off the front of his pajamas.

Noah nodded and bounced a couple more times before clambering off me and lowering himself off the bed. I heard the shuffle of his footy pajamas as he headed for the door; then suddenly, it stopped I turned my head on the pillow and found him looking at me through wide eyes, his dark hair standing up in all directions.

“Poppa, how many sleeps 'til Santa?”

I had to think for a second, my head still a little fuzzy. “Uh, twelve--yeah, twelve more sleeps 'til Santa.”

His eyes glowing with barely contained excitement, he turned and rushed from the room.

“No running in the house, Noah.” I bit back a laugh when I heard him stop altogether before moving at a more sedate pace.

Reluctantly I pushed aside the covers and swung my legs over the side of the bed, wincing when my bare feet touched the hardwood floor.

“Fuck! We need to get a carpet in here. Or at least some footy pajamas.” I grabbed a blue toweling robe from the chair by the bed and pulled it on over my boxers as I headed downstairs.

The smell of coffee and toast tempted me as I entered the kitchen. The sight of Josh standing at the stove in boxer briefs and a baggy gray T-shirt, his hair standing on end -- much like Noah's -- tempted me even more.

I crossed the room, wrapped my arms around his lean waist, and nuzzled at his neck.

“Mmm, you smell even better than the coffee.”