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Casey sniffled for the third time in as many minutes. She was curled into the corner of the couch, snuggled next to Olivia, who was clutching a red-plaid throw pillow like it was a life preserver.
“It’s all right to be emotional,” Olivia consoled, her own eyes glossy. “It’s just… that time of year.”
Casey let out a little laugh. “I know,” she sighed. “I get that, but I also have to admit that we’re being completely ridiculous.”
Olivia nodded with utter sincerity. “Completely ridiculous.”
“I mean, I cried over a stupid Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer commercial!” Casey laughed, though there may have been tears as well.
Olivia gasped – borderline offended. “Crying over that commercial is one hundred percent valid. Did you see the Land of the Misfit Toys? That whole island is just an emotional trauma wasteland decorated wth bows and glitter. I’ve been crying over it for decades!”
“Yes,” Casey smiled, “But this year... is worse.”
“Oh! It’s so much worse,” Olivia agreed, sobbing. The two women collapsed into each other, arms wrapped tight. They were two blubbering messes under a red fleece blanket lit up by the glow of a perfectly decorated tree.
In the kitchen, Tobias and Bryce exchanged sympathetic looks over mugs of steaming tea.
“Oh, boy,” Bryce muttered.
Tobias slowly stirred his hot chocolate. “We have officially entered the danger zone, my friend.”
“Entered?” Bryce asked, eyes wide. “When did we leave it?”
They worked in silence after that—tea bags steeping, cocoa steaming, chocolate chip cookies stacked high on holiday plates. They fell into a familiar rhythm - after all, they had both seen this show before.
Bryce shook his head good-naturedly. “You realize they’re going to be like this all month, right?”
“Yep!” Tobias grinned. “And we’re going to love them every second of it.”
Bryce snorted. “Yeah. We’re whipped – totally, and completely – whipped!”
They carried the mugs and plates into the living room, holding them out before themselves like peace offerings.
Olivia looked up first, tears in her eyes. “Oh my goodness! You made us tea? And cookies!” Her voice wobbled. “That’s so sweet.”
Casey accepted the treats as Tobias sat at her side, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. But then, she squinted at him over the rim of her mug. “You two were making fun of us... weren’t you?”
Tobias’s face reddened brighter than Rudolph’s nose – caught!
“Only in the most loving, deeply enamoured, totally obsessed with you way possible,” he said, leaning over to kiss her temple.
“He’s right," Bryce grinned. "You know we worship the ground our semi-emotionally unstable queens walk on.”
They all settled in—Bryce at Olivia’s side, Tobias pulling Casey closer. She exhaled, her hand drifting reflectively to her stomach.
“Are you just being so sweet because – well – you know – we’re having your babies?”
Tobias snorted. “Casey – seriously?” He rested his hand protectively over hers. “I adored the hell out of you long before you decided to grow a whole human... and I’m going to adore you long after you’re done.”
“Same,” Bryce said, placing a kiss on Olivia’s huge bump. “But right now?” He looked between the women. “Right now we’re both in love with you about a thousand times more.”
The room went still – then Casey and Olivia stared at each other.
“You—?” Casey breathed.
“You too?” Olivia whispered.
Then they both burst into tears simultaneously, clutching each other’s hands as their partners held them close, giving each other eyes over the weeping women’s shoulders for moral support.
After the chaos settled and the hugs and gentle belly rubs tapered off, Olivia leaned back against Bryce’s chest, staring at the tree.
“I can’t believe that we'll be celebrating our next Christmas with our little ones."
Tobias tightened his arm around Casey, and Bryce kissed Olivia’s hair. The tree lights somehow felt warmer, matching the glow on the four friends’ faces.
Next year, there would be more stockings to fill, lots of midnight feedings, and so much more chaos – and they couldn’t wait. There was one thing they were all sure of - life couldn’t be more perfect than it was right now.