More Of You At Christmas (Book 3 of Christmas Series)

The Past Year

Harper’s POV 

   After we got married, I was the happiest woman on the planet. We all moved into the old bed and breakfast a few weeks after we got married. I got all the properties in Waco sold within three months, and Caleb was able to get a great offer on the house he had here in Weslaco. We made updates on the house like painting the kids’ rooms, building a backyard fence and putting a doggy door in for Daisy. We even set up a hangout spot in the backyard and an outdoor kitchen for Caleb when the weather was nice. 

   In mid-February, Janet and David came to see us and take care of the kids while Caleb and I went on a quick honeymoon. Caleb had suggested we go to the Bahamas for some fun on the beach but my morning sickness was still affecting me something terrible. Instead, we drove to New Orleans to soak up the culture, explore the city and relax. It was one of the best times we had shared together. 

   Being pregnant with twins was different for me. I went into the doctor's office for more visits than with any other pregnancy. Caleb was able to go with me at least once a month and enjoyed being able to see the babies grow. 

   By the time I was four months along, we found out that we were having two boys. I had been right about what I thought they were. Caleb was impressed and teased me by asking if I was a witch or something. I told him no, that I just knew what was going on inside my body. 

   We talked about names for the boys for the next three months and having issues finding the right names that we both wanted. I liked the names Lucas and River but Caleb made fun of them, letting me know that it was well suited for where we lived on the Rio Grande River and that everyone's favorite sour candy was Lucas. I hated the fact that he was right. Damn him! 

   During my pregnancy, Caleb never disappointed me. He talked to the twins every day, helped with the kids and did everything he possibly could to keep me happy and comfortable. I would have never known he was such a caring person if we had never seen one another again several Christmases ago. It still blew my mind that he was mine after all this time. 

   My hormones did go a little crazy during these nine months and I started a few stupid fights with him. Caleb talking about a new girl in the office had set me off one day. As soon as I assumed he was cheating on me, he quickly reassured me that he wasn’t. That he would never and that I was the only one he wanted in life. Make-up s*x with him was the hottest. 

   Archer, Reese, Ava and Olivia all get along amazingly still. You would think that they had been siblings all their lives with how well they get along. They helped around the house and helped each other with everything. How did we get so lucky with these kids? 

   Caleb’s work has been going well this year. There are days that he is late coming home because of an issue but I never fuss over it. It’s part of the job. I do get worried though, wondering if something bad has happened but he would let me know those things. There has been a surge in traffic coming over the border lately so he’s been really busy and really stressed. I felt bad for him and wondered if he ever questioned why he did his job. 

   I’ve thought about buying the bed and breakfast next door to run as a business recently. If the building stays up for sale for long enough I might just do it. Currently, I’m working on a new book series about horror romance. It’s a bit sadistic and it’s worrying Caleb about my mental status. I keep telling him it’s just a story and that I’m fine. 

   We updated my vehicle from the 4Runner to a Suburban. Caleb kept his truck that we used mostly when it was just us two or him going back and forth to work. 

   As I got further along with my pregnancy it got harder to move around. I thought being pregnant with one kid at eight and nine months was bad. Being pregnant with two at eight months was difficult. Caleb seemed to enjoy every minute of it until I started complaining all the time. 

   At night, I would sleep with a body pillow under my giant belly because of the weight. Caleb would sleep behind me with his hand on my stomach until he got too hot from being up against me. What can I say? While I’m pregnant, I’m warm. 

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Caleb’s POV 

   I could tell the day when Harper was going to give birth to the twins. She started having contractions early that morning even though she was only thirty-seven weeks pregnant. I called into work and stayed with her all day to make sure she wasn’t alone. 

   We called the nanny to handle the older kids for us that day. Harper had spent months looking for just the right person for the kids. She was picky but for good reason and she found an amazing person for them. Mrs. Shirley was like a grandmother to the kids. They love her and she loves them. 

   After I took the kids to school that morning, I stuck to Harper’s side as much as she would let me. Watching her work in her office was boring as hell though. She would hiss and cry in pain as contractions washed over her but she kept on working. Each time it happened I would get up and check on her. She called me a worrywart and I told her that I had a right to be.  

   At lunchtime, she got up from her desk and was walking into the kitchen to make us food. I was right behind her when her water broke. I quickly went into action and grabbed the hospital bag and picked her up in my arms. I got her into my truck and rushed her to the hospital. 

   I stood there in the delivery room and watched while my beautiful little wife pushed out our first son. Her grip on my hand was astounding and I couldn’t have been more in love with her at that moment. She is the strongest woman I know and I was right there to keep holding her hand as she pushed our second son out a few minutes later. As she did, she hemorrhaged and I freaked out. The doctor immediately had to take her to the OR to get her taken care of. My heart was racing in my chest and I couldn’t even think about losing her. 

   I was stuck not knowing what to do. I was torn in two. Do I go with her to the OR or do I stay with our two newborn sons? I looked down into her intense blue eyes and it’s like she read my mind as she stayed calm in the chaos. 

   “Stay with the boys. I’ll be fine,” she told me calmly with sweat all over her face making her hair stick to forehead.

   I tried to stay calm and not worry about her while I waited for the nurses to be done with the boys. Harper was my everything and we couldn’t lose her. I would go insane if I lost her. How the hell could I do this on my own?

   I was the first person to hold the boys after they were born. They were perfect at five pounds each. They were so tiny I was afraid I would drop them or even break them. They had Harper’s dark brown hair and my honey-colored eyes. Perfect mixtures of the two of us. 

   In the OR the doctor was able to get the bleeding of Harper’s uterus under control quickly. They also re-tied the tube that came loose that helped us get pregnant with the boys. I didn’t care about the tube getting tied again. I just cared about her being alright. Also, I had gotten a vasectomy months ago so we wouldn’t get pregnant again. Six kids were enough. 

   When everything was under control, Shirley brought the older kids up to the hospital to see us the first day. They got to meet their younger brothers, Torin and Kieran while Harper rested. We had such a full family and I felt so lucky to have them all. 

   The stay in the hospital lasted several days. Harper was healing fast which I was thankful for and the boys were healthy. I took time off of work to help her out around the house for the first week. She kept telling me that she could manage things but I didn’t want to chance it. I knew Shirley could help her but I felt like she needed me at the moment and I just needed her. 

   For the next four months, we had the twins in the bedroom with us since they weren’t sleeping through the night yet. This made it easier for Harper to breastfeed them but it meant we were putting our relationship on the back burner. We hadn’t attempted to have s*x in four months based on the twins being in the room with us, us being tired all the time, work and life in general. 

   She was doing amazing with all the kids, but I could tell she was overwhelmed even with Shirley helping her. The girls were playing soccer and she had somehow talked both of the boys into playing football in athletics this year in school. The boys did great with football and she was the model mom being at every game to support them, even away games. I couldn’t always be there but Shirley was there for home games that I couldn’t be at and the girls helped any other time. The girl’s games were in the same spot at the same time every Saturday so it was easier on her. Harper was an amazing mom and I couldn't ask for a better woman to be by my side. I just worried that she was doing too much.   

   During these past four months, I have noticed changes with Harper that have worried me. She had issues with her insomnia more and more, her appetite was all over the place and her mood could be all over the place too. I worried that she could be depressed for some reason but that was a touchy subject with her and I had no idea how to handle it. I hope family being in town for the holidays helps her and she starts to become more of herself. I don’t like seeing her like this and I don’t know what to do to help her.