Wishing for Her: Turns in Love Holiday Short

Turns in Love Holidays!
Brian Taylor loves his wife, Denise, and wants to make sure she knows she comes first. With the holidays around the corner, another girl stays on his mind: his daughter. All he wants is to see her for Christmas. It’ll take a wish and a prayer for Denise to allow it.
Family means everything to Brian. Each member. Not just the ones under his roof. He only wishes his wife could understand.

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Sample

Brian

“Say cheese!” the photographer instructed.

We all sat on the floor for the hundredth pose. Layla finally settled on my lap after running a handful of laps around us. Dylan chilled in Denise’s arms. “Cheese!”

“That’s a good one.” The young girl grinned at her camera before standing. “Okay, I think that’s a wrap. Let me load these and we can take a look.”

I rose to my feet first, then took Dylan from my wife and helped her up. “Now, that wasn’t so bad. I thought for sure your son would cut up. It’s time for him to eat.” She got him back from me.

Layla hugged my leg as we walked from the small area we had occupied for the past half-hour. Christmas photos were a big deal for me as a kid. So, with my own, I wanted to take them every year. The first two years didn’t work out as planned, but this time we made it. Denise left us to change Dylan’s diaper in the bathroom while Layla and I sat in our designated chairs to review the photos. 

Twenty minutes later, I paid for our package filled with the shots we chose, and we headed out for lunch to wait for them to print. 

As soon as the hostess led us to a booth at the restaurant across the street, Dylan abruptly reminded his mother of his hunger. The blessing of my boy behaving like an angel for the photoshoot dwindled into a few loud cries. Denise prepared herself to breastfeed him at the table. Once her cover did its job, I handed him over. The rest of us practiced more patience until the waiter appeared. 

Days like this reminded me of how blessed I was. In all the pain I caused the woman sitting across from me, she still loved me. Not one day passed without me thanking God and my wife for giving me what I didn’t deserve. A second chance.

Layla colored her menu while her mother peered down at Dylan with a smile that warmed me to my core. Pure bliss. I watched her so long that I didn’t notice her meeting my gaze. 

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Her eyes lit up, accompanying her grin.

“Do you know how beautiful you are?” Denise’s regard fell to the table, holding back an ear-to-ear flash of those pearly whites. “For real, babe. Just sitting there feeding our son, you’re stunning. The most gorgeous woman God ever created. Inside and out.”

Letting her smile shine through, she tilted her head. “You always say that.”

“And I always mean it too. You gave me everything every man dream of and I can’t ever thank you enough.” 

“Hey, if memory serves me right, you put these babies in me.” We chuckled at her, whispering like Layla understood any of it. 

“And I’d do it again. The day’s still young.” 

“Boy, shut up.”

The waiter walked over and took our order. Dylan finished his lunch before we received ours. Jealousy flowed through me for a second. His meal came packaged in one of my favorite places in the world. But they belonged to him for now. Denise wouldn’t let me near her breasts. Like I’d contaminate our son’s food supply or something. 

On Dylan’s first birthday, his dad would take claim over them again. I made eye contact with him to make sure he read my mind. He looked away after sending me a baby smirk. I took that as our understanding. 

Lunch lasted about an hour, so we did a round at the mall before heading back to the photography studio to pick up the prints. They came out perfect. Plus, the package included Christmas cards. Denise insisted on sending out cards to everyone she knew. 

The Taylor family slowly but surely got into the groove of the holidays. Thanksgiving came faster than we could prepare. Mom and Patti handled all the food. Denise and I were still transitioning to our son. She had a rough pregnancy this time around. So, it took us a little more time to adjust once he finally arrived. 

Becoming a dad to another little person filled my heart with a love I had no idea could increase. Having a son to pass our family name down to, eventually, play football with, go to games, and do all the things I didn’t have a dad around for hit me differently. I loved my daughters too. But to one day share things with him about being a good man excited me. 

Denise was a little down that we hadn’t caught up with the season. Our fall decor still beautified the house as she’d say. She loved decorating for the holidays. I didn’t care either way. To me, we only needed a tree for Christmas.

“Keep your eyes on the road.” My wife giggled at my roving eyes. 

“I can’t help it. You got ‘em sitting up all in my peripheral.”

She laughed and smacked my hand away when I tried to get a feel. “I’ma knock you out. Drive the car!”

“As long as you promise to do a little riding later.”

“You’d better stop.”

“Only one way to make me.”

Denise rolled her eyes while adjusting the top of her dress. I didn’t know why she tried to cover up. We took pictures with her goodies taking all the attention. Baby weight plumped her up in all the right places. No matter how much she complained about it, I loved every added ounce.

A text came through on my phone. The car read it aloud. “New message from Evan. Ava enjoying her birthday gift. Video attached.”

My chest immediately tightened. The sweater’s collar felt smaller causing my temperature to rise a few degrees. Dee shifted around in her seat, facing away from me. Dammit.

The one time I forgot to disconnect my phone from the car, it had to read that text. We had a good day. I didn’t need any setbacks. We’d come so far.

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