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Tommy flew over the blaze, reading another water drop. It was literally the night before Christmas, and Tommy was fighting a five-alarm apartment fire. He glanced down at the photo taped to his dashboard and released a breath. There was no way he was going to miss Evie’s first Christmas. He would never forgive himself.
“Fire fighter pilot Kinard, come in?”
Tommy snapped out of his thoughts as dispatch came through his headset. “Go for Kinard.”
“Firefighter, additional ground support is needed.”
“Rodger dispatch. Returning to base.” Tommy got the green light to drop and immediately turned back toward Harbor.
Once back on the ground, Tommy shed his flight suit and dawned his turnouts. And rushed toward the truck waiting to take him back to the scene. Tommy took the time he had to pull his phone from his packet, he opened the texts he had received from Evan.
The first was a picture of Evan and Evie in their Christmas pajamas.
Evan- We love you dada, be safe. 😘
Evan had wrote. Tommy smiled; a small pang of guilt threatened to bubble over. He knew he should be there right now. His shift ended an hour ago. But they had gotten this call before end of shift, and he had to see it though.
Another text came through as Tommy was replying to the first. A video of Evan reading to Evie.
Evan- Didn’t want you to miss the tradition.
Tommy hit play on the video and Evan’s voice came through like a balm to his aching heart.
“Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house not a creature was stirring. Not even a mouse…”
Tommy listened to the short video over and over again. Smiling as Evie babbled along with Evan. As they pulled back up to the scene Tommy shot Evan a quick message in reply, so that Evan would know he was safe.
Tommy- I love you so much! I am sorry I’m not there right now, baby. Please give Evie kisses for me. I will be home for Christmas, my love. Good night. 😘
Tommy hoped out of the truck and got to work to put an end to the blazing flames in front of him.
Tommy was exhausted. All he wanted to do was go home grab his daughter and crawl into bed with his husband and hold his entire family close.
“Hey, Tommy you gonna jump in the shower?” Lucy asked as she passed by his locker.
“I think I’m just going to head home.” Lucy moved closer to where he stood, hearing the emotion in his voice.
“Hey, what’s up? Everything okay?”
Tommy shook his head trying to dismiss her. But when Lucy looked back at him and gave him her signature ‘Tell me now’ look, Tommy’s wall broke.
“It’s Evie’s first Christmas eve. And I was here. I know she won’t remember me not being there. But I wanted to be there. Evan and I have missed so much because of our jobs, I didn’t want to add this to the list.”
“Hey, you still have Christmas day with her, Tommy. You still have time to make Evie’s first Christmas as magical as she deserves. All she’s going to care about is when she wakes up in the morning is that you’re there. And when she smiles at you, you’ll know that you didn’t miss a thing.”
“I know. It’s just, Evan and I had a plan.”
“So get out of here. I’m going to take the showers if you aren’t. Merry Christmas Kinard.”
Tommy smiled and gathered the rest of his things. “Merry Christmas Lucy. Hey, keep an eye on your texts tomorrow.” He shouted at her as she walked away. Tommy smiled as Lucy waived her hand back at him in response. Grabbing his duffel he made his way to his truck.
“Call Evan” Tommy spoke into his hands free and waited for the phone to connect.
“You’ve reached Evan Kinard, if you’re not my husband, please text me.” Tommy smiled at the voice mail message.
“Hey, baby. It’s me. I’m on my way home.” Tommy sat in silence for a few seconds. “I fucking miss you both so much, Evan” Tommy said tears coming to his eyes. “I’m sorry I missed it baby. I’ll be home soon. If you get this before I get home, I love you so much, Evan Kinard.”
Tommy hung up the phone and continued his drive toward home. His heart was heavy with guilt, and he was trying to convince himself of Lucy’s words. He would be there; he is going to be there when Evie woke up on Christmas day. That’s what mattered. That his daughter would know he was there for this special first for her.
Tommy pulled into their driveway and smiled; Evan had turned off the timer, his argument being “Santa needed to be able to see Evie’s house.”
As he walked through the front door, it was the same inside. Every Christmas light that decorated their home was on. Tommy looked around him. It was a beautiful sight. Walking into the living room, Tommy stopped in his tracks. Curled up on the couch fast asleep were Evan and Evie, Tommy pulled his phone out needing to capture the moment. His entire heart in one picture.
Evan, Evie and their unborn child though you wouldn’t be able to tell still with how loose Evan’s shirt was.
Reaching down Tommy carefully pulled his daughter up into his arms so as not to wake her. “What?” Evan asked confused at the loss of Evie from his arms.
“Shh, it’s okay baby. I got her.”
“Tommy?” Evan asked still more asleep than awake.
“No, your other husband.” Tommy joked. “Yes, its Tommy baby. Go to bed, I’ll be there shortly. Let me just get her to bed.”
Evan chuckled and stood up and wrapped his arms around Tommy as he made his way up stairs into Evie’s room. “Babe, you’re making this kind of hard.”
“Mmmm, I know something else that’s getting hard.”
“Whoa, hey, hey, hey, down boy. I have our daughter in my arms.”
“I want you, baby.” Evan whispered into Tommy’s ear.
“Not two seconds ago you were sound asleep on the couch.”
“And then I was woken up by my hot husband carry our daughter to bed in his strong arms. And what can I say, I’m pregnant.”
“I’m aware. I’m also aware, I’m your pregnancy craving” Tommy said, placing a gentle kiss on her cheek as he leaned over to lay Evie in her crib. Turning immediately to pull Evan into his arms Tommy kissed him. “Hi.”
“Hi. And just so you know, you’re not just my pregnancy craving. I’d crave you even without those added cravings.”
Tommy smiled and walked Evan back out of Evie’s room. “Well, that’s good to know. Because I crave and want you every day too.”
Evan laughed and pulled Tommy down on top of him as they fell back onto the bed. Tommy kissed Evan and they both moaned into it. When Tommy pulled back he smiled down at Evan, feeling the emotions that had been threatening to overtake him all night come back full force.
“Evan, I love you.”
Evan ran his fingers through Tommy’s hair, pulling him down for another kiss. “I love you too, Tommy.” Evan whispered just as their lips touched. Sending shock waves to Tommy’s heart.
“I probably shouldn’t be laying on you like this.” Tommy joked when they pulled apart.
“But I love when you lay on me like this.” Evan pouted.
“Here, how about you lay on me for now?” And before Evan could respond Tommy was rolling them so he was now on bottom, and Evan was settled on top. “That’s better.”
“Know what would be better? If you took my clothes off.”
Tommy chuckled as he let his hand wander up and under Evan’s shirt. “We’ll get to that baby; I’m not going to let your craving go unsatisfied.”
“Good. But babe, before we even get there, and I say this in the most loving way possible, you need to take a shower.”
Tommy laughed out loud and gently rolled Evan off of him. “That’s rude. I went a slaved at a literal fire tonight, and this is the homecoming I get? I thought you loved my manly smell, what happened?”
“You got me pregnant; you dick. Now I can’t even stand the smell of my own cologne.”
They were both laughing as Tommy stood up from the bed and moved to the bathroom. Starting the shower to heat up, he turned and went back into the doorway, watching Evan as he ran his hand over his belly. A small bump starting to form. Tommy smiled and moved back into the bedroom kneeling beside the bed, Tommy lifted Evan’s shirt and pulled the waste band of his pajama pants down only far enough to put his bump on full display.
Tommy leaned forward and placed his lips against his husbands stomach. “Hey there, this is your dad. I just wanted to say Merry Christmas eve, and we can’t wait to meet you.” Tommy heard a sniffle coming from Evan and smiled, leaning down to kiss his belly again, and Evan laced his fingers through Tommy’s hair scratching his scalp.
“Your daddy, big sister and I love you so much.” Tommy looked up at Evan and smiled. “Have you felt any movement yet?”
Evan shook his head. “Still too early.”
“That was one of my favorite parts of when you were pregnant with Evie. When I could feel her moving. It was amazing.”
“I agree.”
Tommy leaned forward and kissed Evan’s belly once more before pulling back and getting to his feet again. “Oh, before I forget, take it easy on your daddy. Your sister wasn’t always nice in there. Give him a break sometimes okay?”
Tommy kissed Evan again and walked back into the bathroom to take his shower. As he stood under the water he smiled to himself, the night hadn’t gone as he and Evan had planned. But he was here now. And like Lucy had said, that’s what mattered in the end. He’d be here when his baby girl woke up in the morning.