chapter one

Mmmmm. Warm. I don't want to get up, but I'm in someone else's house. I reach over to squeeze my teddy bear, but he's not there. Christmas Day and he's up before kids.

Christopher is sitting beneath the tree in flannel pajamas, his belly sticking out.

"What are you up to?" I ask.

He jumps. "Just adding a present or two."

"Hmmmm. Suspicious."

He pulls me onto his lap. I rub and pat his belly as I do every day, glad for our moment of privacy. He sighs, and pushes his belly out as far as it will go into my hands.

"Fatter?" he asks.

"Yes, baby." I kiss his cheek.

"Your mother is putting on her famous brunch in a few hours", I say.

"I can't pack myself at brunch", he explains, "After you went to bed, I got it from both my parents, my sister, and my brother."

"I must have really been out, how did I sleep through that?"

"You were", he says, "They didn't yell or anything, but they teased me and asked if something was wrong, why I'd let myself go, maybe a trip to the doctor, etc etc."

"I'm sorry you went through that", I say, and reach out a hand, helping pull him to his feet. He sits on the sofa.

"I wish she'd let you cook. She can't cook anyway", he says.

"Shhhhhhh", I command, "You can't say that about your momma, even when it's true. Especially if it's true. But...she did agree to let me help yesterday."

"Really?" he asks, surprised.

"Really. I figure I'll let her do her thing, and just do my own. How about some pumpkin pancakes with bananas foster syrup?"

"Oh God", he moans, "Please, I'm begging you, make that."

"With some pumpkin butter, infused with cloves and all spice and brown sugar. Orange spice cinnamon rolls with lots of frosting. Eggs benedict with green onion/cheddar biscuits and black pepper sage sausage gravy...crispy bacon, pecan and bourbon bread pudding..."

"If you beat her into the kitchen, you can just start cooking, pleeaassse..." he begs.

"Okay, okay, but it will be hours if I'm making half that. It's still really early, hon."

"It's okay. But I think I better eat something now so I don't seem to eat too much at brunch", he says.

"So you're eating twice?"

"I guess so....yeah."

I sigh. "If that's the most peaceful way to get through the weekend..."

"Come here, angel", he says, and pulls me on his lap. He's so soft and round and his tummy is sticking out of flannel pjs. Chubby cheeks on a handsome face smile at me. "I couldn't get through this without you."

"You'll never have to. Does your mother hate me as much as I presumed she would?" I ask.

"Actually the only mention of you was when she said she "can't believe Giselle isn't giving you hell for your weight"."

"Oh boy."

"If she only knew how hard you stuffed the food down my throat..." he jokes, kissing me.

Mmmmmmmmmm, warm soft...I can't think about anything except that that my teddy bear is in my arms, and he's still the best kisser I ever met.

"Presents!" We look up and his sister's kids come tearing into the room to open their presents.

I climb off his lap. Everybody gets up as his mother comes in.

"Merry Christmas! You guys open your presents and I'll start on Christmas breakfast" she shouts.

It's a habit, I do it every day, so I don't even register it, when he's standing and I come up behind him, pressing my breasts into his back, wrapping my arms around him, and patting and rubbing his belly, kissing his neck...

"Auntie Giselle thinks you're fat", Christopher's niece, Margaret, offers.

"Don't call her that, she's not your aunt...." His sister, Marcia, instructs.

It's going to be a long day.