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At first I wasn’t happy about leaving for a week to go to Gran’s, but then I got a load of Hadley’s tummy. Holy cow has ole girl gotten big. I’m not sharing a cabin with her this time since she’s married now, but I’m surprised to find that I like Remy. He’s very respectable, polite and kind to Hadley, so I have no reason not to like him.

This time I’m in my own cabin, which I don’t mind at all. I like having the peace and quiet to retreat to. After my first day there I lock myself in my room to call Eric. He’s not leaving to visit his family until tomorrow.

I just hope I’m not calling too late.

“Northman residence,” a male voice answers.

“Hello, Mr. Northman, is Eric home?” I ask politely.

“Yes, he’s just up in his room. I’ll get him,” he says.

“Thank you, sir.”

I hear him set the phone down and call out to Eric. It takes about fifteen seconds and a herd of elephants for Eric to get to the phone.

“Hey baby,” he says as soon as he picks it up.

“Hi,” I smile. “Guess who has her own cabin this time.”

“Really? And I’m not there to keep you warm.”

“I’ll have to figure out how to do it myself.”

I have a fire going in the fireplace, but he doesn’t need to know that.

“You can’t do the things I do to you by yourself,” he says.

“Not anymore,” I giggle. “I’m not that flexible.”

“And that’s a good thing. I wouldn’t want to be replaceable.”

“Not in a billion years,” I promise him. “So, are you excited about going to visit your family?”

“Not really. They’re pretty boring, and all my cousins suck.”

“That’s no good.”

“Mostly I’m just going to be a grump because I miss you,” he says.  “How’s everything there?”

“Alright so far. Hadley’s husband is wonderful, as far as I can tell. Jason isn’t being a creep to me like he usually is. Gran is doing well. I’m a little worried about Daddy. He’s been drinking a lot more than usual. He got in an argument with Mama after supper that got a little out of hand. Uncle Mike had to drag him outside to cool him off.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” he says. “Has he been on you again?”

“No, but it’s not likely with Gran around.”

“That’s one thing to be thankful for I suppose,” he sighs.

“I’m sure I’ll be fine. At this point Gran doesn’t consider me a child, but a young lady, and it’s wrong to hit women so she wouldn’t tolerate it in her house,” I tell him.

“I hate that we even have to worry about it.”

“Me too. But for what it’s worth, I’m safe in my cabin with the door locked and Daddy doesn’t have access to the spare keys so as long as I stay in here I’ll continue to be perfectly safe.”

“Good,” he says. “I can’t wait for the day we don’t have to worry about it anymore.”

“Likewise. Although I think Daddy knows that if he ever struck me in your presence he’d regret it for the rest of his life.”

“Yes he would.”

“Let’s talk about something else.”

“Okay, then let’s talk about what’s going to happen when we see each other again.”

“With your folks nearby? I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

“They’re in their bedroom packing,” he says.

“Ah ha. Well then… what did you have in mind?” I ask and curl up more on the couch.

“I was thinking a lot of kissing and then we take my dad’s car again and do those new things we enjoy so much.”

“That sounds like a great idea.”

“And if we have enough time, I was thinking ice cream.”

“We could get ice cream first,” I suggest.

“I really don’t want to cut into the time we have for the rest of it,” he says. “You know how much I like to do what I do to you.”

“Yes, you’ve made it clear how you feel about those things.”

“If you ever have a problem with it…”

“Only that I’m not getting it now,” I say slyly.

“I could say the same.”

“Next week, I promise.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” he says, and I can practically see the smile on his face.

I try to yawn quietly but I’m sure Eric hears me anyway.

“Sorry,” I apologize. “It’s been a long day. I’m going sledding tomorrow with Jason, Hadley and Remy, so that should be fun.”

Eric doesn’t know Hadley is pregnant. She asked me to keep it a secret, so I haven’t told a soul.

“That does sound fun,” he says. “You should get some sleep though.”

“That’s my plan. Drive safe tomorrow. Give me a call if you want,” I tell him. “If you can’t, I’ll just talk to you when you get home.”

“I’ll try to call,” he says. “I love you.”

“I love you, too. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” he says, and then hangs up.

I do the same and then go get ready for bed.

♥ ♥ ♥

The next morning it’s two days until Christmas and it’s obvious that Daddy’s not feeling well, but he’s also sneaking liquor into his coffee when he thinks no one is looking. After breakfast, he goes out to the lake with Jason, Remy and Uncle Mike. Our sledding trip has been pushed back thanks to the unexpected rise in temperature overnight melting a lot of the snow with the sun’s help.

So instead, Hadley and I are baking cookies while Gran, Aunt Linda and Mama are out doing last minute shopping for supper tomorrow and Christmas day. I’m rolling out dough for sugar cookies and Hadley is cutting out cookies for baking.

“So how’s married life?” I ask Hadley.

She and Remy have been married for two weeks.

“It’s wonderful,” she smiles. “I never thought I’d want to settle down and be a housewife, but it’s not so bad. Remy doesn’t expect me to stay at home forever if I don’t want to.”

“You’re going to be such a good mom, Had,” I tell her. “I’m happy you found a good husband.”

“I’m glad you have confidence in me,” she says, and rubs her hand over the swell of her stomach.

“Are you scared?” I ask her and reach for a star-shaped cookie cutter to start cutting out more cookies.

“Of course I am,” she says. “I have no idea how to be a mom. But Remy says I’ll be a natural at it since I’m so good at taking care of him.”

I smile at her and say, “You’ve always been the nurturing kind. You’re like a big sister to me. Being a mom is like being a big sister times ten.”

“I hope so. I think as long as I’m not like your mom I’ll be fine. I really don’t know how you live with them, Sookie.”

“I only go home when I have to.”

“At least you’ve found your Remy,” she smiles.

“I hope I have. I’ll be happy to get back home to him.”

“And you two still haven’t…” she trails off and wiggles her eyebrows at me.

“No, not yet. We aren’t going without, necessarily,” I drop my voice to a whisper. “But he’s still a virgin.”

“Have you done more?” she asks in an excited whisper.

I turn to take cookies out of the oven. “We’ve found ways to keep each other happy.”

I set the cookies on the stove to cool and put new trays in the oven.

“Sookie come on, it’s just me,” she says. “Spill!”

My cheeks flush a little as I return to the table. I’ve never talked about this sort of thing out loud in intimate detail before.

“Well, we… we started doing things with our mouths that we only used to do with our hands before,” I tell her. I don’t know if there are names for what we’ve been doing. I’m too embarrassed to look it up.

“You gave him a blowoff!”

“A what?” I ask with wide eyes.

“A blowoff,” she repeats. “When you use your mouth on him until he has his happy moment.”

“Is that what it’s called?”

And here I thought I was just being a creative problem solver.

“Yeah,” she giggles. “That’s what Remy told me it’s called. I’d done it before with another guy who told me about it, but I didn’t know what it was either.”

“Oh,” I laugh along with her. “Well I guess I’m glad I’m not the only one doing that.”

“And you said he does the same for you?” she asks.

I nod. “He was curious if I’d like it, too, so he tried some things.”

“And?”

“And I saw stars, Had. It was the most amazing thing.” I almost get the shivers just thinking about it.

“I wonder if I can get Remy to do that,” she says with wide eyes. “I mean it’s really that good?”

I nod emphatically. “It’s the most.”

“I’ll be sure to report back,” she grins.

“Good luck,” I giggle and reach for another ball of dough to roll out.

“I will tell you something though. The sex when you’re pregnant? It’s better than anything.”

“Really? I would think it would be uncomfortable.”

“You find the right positions,” she grins. “But I’m just so turned on, all the time. Remy’s more than happy to help me out though.”

“Good thing you’re already expecting then,” I giggle.

“No joke.”

I transfer the cookies on the tray to the cooling racks and get the ingredients together for the icing.

“You know Eric’s mom asked me if I like opals. I thought it was strange, but then Eric told me there’s some family ring she wants to pass onto him to give to the girl he wants to marry,” I tell Hadley.

“Oh my goodness,” she says with a smile. “Do you think he’s going to propose?”

“We talked about it some, but I wouldn’t say we made a decision. I think he might, though.”

“That would be so amazing. I’m so happy for you, Sookie.”

“Thank you. I can’t wait for you to meet him. I think you’ll love him.”

“If I didn’t have Remy I might have wanted to take him for myself.”

“I’d fight you for him. I’d pull all your hair right out if I had to.”

“He’s that good, huh?”

“I don’t think I could dream up a more perfect boy.”

“From what Gran says, he’s head over heels for you and handsome as they come, too.”

“You have no idea,” I smile. “He’s got the prettiest blue eyes and these thick, dark eyelashes and he’s so tall I could climb him like a tree.”

“And I’ll bet you do,” she grins.

“Sometimes,” I admit.

“I can’t wait for you two to have sex,” she says.

I laugh at that.

“That makes three of us,” I say. Maybe four, counting Helen, which is a wee bit creepy.

“It’ll happen before you know it. And then it won’t stop.”

“I bet you’re right.”

“Hot girl like you? Who wouldn’t want to do it with you again and again?”

“Hadley Jane!”

“What?” she laughs.

“You hush with that.”

“I’m just being observant,” she shrugs.

We get to talking about how Hadley wants to decorate a room for the baby and that sort of thing. When Jason, Remy and Uncle Mike get back, Daddy’s not with them.

“Where’s Daddy?” I ask.

“He’s not feeling well,” Uncle Mike says.

After he leaves the room Remy says, “He’s three sheets.”

Oh wonderful.

“He just got a little seasick,” Jason waves Remy off, but he knows as well as I do that Daddy doesn’t get seasick.

“Drink too much whiskey and that’s what happens,” I say to my brother.

Jason gives me a dirty look and then leaves the lodge.

“Give me some sugar, Remy,” Hadley smiles at her husband.

“Yes, ma’am,” he says and dips her back dramatically when he kisses her.

“Ya’ll are going to give me cavities if you don’t cut that out,” I warn them.

“Just you wait, Sookie,” Hadley giggles.

“I’m gonna go clean up,” Remy says and gives Hadley a smack on the behind.

She lets out a little giggle and goes back to what she was doing. I shake my head at the two of them and do the same. With any luck, we’ll be all cleaned up before Gran, Mama and Aunt Linda get back to start on supper.

EPOV

Being around my family is pretty boring. My uncles are a lot like my dad, so they all have a lot of fun together, but most of my cousins are younger than me. I spend a lot of the time with my nose in a book wishing there was a way to have Sookie with me.

On the morning of Christmas Eve, my mother pulls me aside and gives me a little box.

“What’s this?” I ask. “We don’t do gifts until the morning.”

“I didn’t want to give this to you in front of everyone and cause a fuss,” she says. “Open it.”

I open the little box and find the opal ring my mother had told me about. It’s beautiful with an opal stone in the center, and two smaller diamonds on either side of it.

“I want you to give this ring to the girl you love when you ask her to marry you,” she says. “I think it goes without saying that I hope that girl is Sookie.”

I smile and say, “I hope that girl is Sookie, too. I just don’t think right now is the right time to ask.”

“I should hope not! You’re still in school,” she laughs. “But as soon as that’s done, don’t be shy about asking. Whenever you’re ready really, but don’t lose that girl, Eric.”

“I won’t,” I say. “Thank you, Mom.”

She gives me a hug and says, “You’re welcome, sweetheart.”

I take the ring up to the room I’m staying in and put it away in my suitcase with a smile. I love the ring, and I can see Sookie loving it too. I want to speak to her, and everyone is about to go over to the hall we’re using for our big family dinner to set it up. No one has a house big enough for all of us, so it’s always been easier to just rent to community center and do everything there.

After letting Mom know that I want to call Sookie, she says it’s alright if I stay behind. I wait until they’ve all gone, and then go to the phone in my uncle’s study. I dial the number and wait for someone to answer.

“Crystal Shores Resort, this is Mike,” a man answers.

“Hello Mike,” I say. “I’m looking to speak with Sookie Stackhouse. Is she available?”

“One moment please,” he says and then there are muffled voices on the other end of the line. When he comes back he says, “It’ll be a minute. Things are a bit crazy here just now. Are you the boyfriend?”

“Yes sir, I’m Eric,” I say.

“She’ll be on in a minute,” Mike says and then I hear him set the phone down.

I can hear people talking but can’t make out what they’re saying. It takes a little more than a minute for Sookie to get to the phone.

“Eric?” Sookie sounds almost frantic.

“Yeah, it’s me,” I say. “What’s going on?”

“There’s been an accident,” she says in a wavering voice and then she starts to sniffle.

“What do you mean? Is everyone alright?” I ask, sitting a little straighter.

“No,” she squeaks out and then starts to cry.

“Sookie… what happened?”

I hate it when she cries normally, but she sounds almost distraught.

“Shhh… Sookie, I’ll tell him,” a woman’s voice takes over. “Hi, Eric? This is Sookie’s cousin, Hadley.”

“Hello, Hadley,” I say. “What happened? Is Sookie okay?”

“In a manner of speaking,” she says. “There was an accident last night with Aunt Michelle and Uncle Corbett. The police said Uncle Corbett lost control of the car on an icy road. They went off the road and hit a tree. They both passed last night.”

My heart sinks. Even if Sookie didn’t have a great relationship with her folks, losing them like this is awful. All I want in this moment is to be there with her, and I can’t.

“I… I don’t know what to say,” I say. “I’m so sorry this happened.”

“So am I,” Hadley says, and then there are more indecipherable whispers. “It was nice talking to you Eric. Here’s Sookie again.”

“Thanks, Hadley,” I say, and I hear the phone change hands again. “Sookie?”

“They’re really gone,” Sookie says in disbelief. “I feel like I’m dreaming, but I know I’m not.”

“I’m so sorry, baby,” I say. “I wish I could be there with you right now.”

“I wish you could, too,” she sniffles. “We can’t even start with planning the funeral until the day after Christmas. Gran, Aunt Linda and Uncle Mike are going to see to the arrangements. My parents will be buried out here. I think the funeral will probably be on Monday since the church won’t do funerals on Sunday.”

“Maybe I can get my parents to leave early. We can come straight there,” I say.

“That’s sweet of you, Eric, but I can’t… you should be with your family. I’ll be okay,” she says in the least convincing tone ever.

“You need me more than they do right now,” I say. “I’ll do everything I can to get there.”

Sookie sighs heavily and then to someone else says, “Yes, I’ll be off in a minute. I will, Gran. I know. Sure, I’ll tell him.” I can’t tell what Gran is saying on her end but then Sookie returns her focus to me. “Sorry about that. Gran needs the phone so I only have a minute. She asked me to tell you that if you think you might come up for the funeral there’ll be a cabin waiting for you free of charge.”

“Okay, I’ll let my parents know,” I say. “I love you, Sookie.”

“I love you too. I’ll talk to you soon,” she says.

“Okay,” I say, and then Sookie hangs up the phone.

At first I just sit there a moment, unsure of how to feel. I hate that even a small part of me feels relieved that her father won’t be around to hit her again. I can’t imagine what Sookie’s feeling right now.

I put on my shoes and walk over to the community center. It’s only a few blocks from my uncle’s house. All of my family is there getting things set up and ready for tomorrow. I find my parents in the crowd and tell them I need to talk. They can both tell it’s serious, so they go outside with me.

As soon as I tell them what happened they agree that we need to get there to be there for Sookie. Dad says we’ll leave the morning after Christmas and drive straight there. I’m relieved they understand how important it is for me to be there for Sookie.

♥ ♥ ♥

It’s a long drive to the resort, and my parents are great about making our stops quick. I know that when we get there I’ll likely not have much to do, but even if all I can do is hold Sookie’s hand, it’ll be worth it.

When we get there my dad drives up to the lodge and we all get out. There are several cars up there, and when we step inside there are people everywhere. I’m assuming it’s Sookie’s extended family. We aren’t standing in the entry hall long when a young blonde woman who seems to be pregnant walks up to us. She’s got a wedding ring on, and I’m going to guess that this is Hadley, though Sookie never told me she was expecting a baby.

“Are you the Northmans?” she asks.

“Yes, dear,” Mom answers with a warm smile.

“Great to finally meet you. I’m Hadley Savoy, Sookie’s cousin,” she says, and shakes all of our hands. “If you’ll come with me, I’m supposed to take you to see her and Gran.”

She turns and leads us through the house to a room I’d never been in before. It’s a small office type of room with the walls lined with bookshelves. There’s a desk and two couches, and sitting on one of them is Sookie and her Grandmother.

“Sookie, Gran?” Hadley says, and they turn their heads.

“Hi,” I smile at Sookie.

She launches herself off the couch and practically jumps on me before bursting into tears again.

“Hello,” Mrs. Stackhouse says as she stands up and comes over to hug each of my parents. “Thank you for coming.”

I completely tune everyone out once I have Sookie in my arms. She’s sobbing so hard she’s shaking, and all I can do is rub her back and tell her everything will be okay even though I don’t really know if that’s true. I’ve never lost a parent before, and hopefully I won’t anytime soon.

I’m not totally sure how long we stand there before I realize that we’re alone in the room. Maybe Gran went to get my parents keys to the cabin we’ll be in. Or maybe they just wanted to give us some privacy. I pull back and when Sookie looks up at me I wipe her tears away.

“I’m so sorry,” I tell her.

“I’m so happy you’re here,” she says, and manages a small smile.

“I got here as fast as I could,” I smile back.

“Thank you,” she says. Sookie presses her face against my chest again and holds onto me tightly.

“Are you alright?”

“Honestly, I don’t know,” she says as she lifts her face. Sookie looks around me like she’s checking to make sure we’re alone. “There are things I want to say but I don’t want anyone to overhear me.”

“We can talk later if you want,” I say.

Sookie nods and says, “Let’s go see where your cabin is. I’m not sure which one Gran’s putting you in.”

“Okay,” I say, and lean down to give her a quick kiss.

Her lips linger against mine for a few seconds before she pulls back and takes my hand to lead me out of the room. We find my parents with her grandmother in the kitchen. They’re sitting at the table in there drinking coffee with two other adults.

“Gran, would you like for me to show Eric and his parents to their cabin?” Sookie asks.

“You can show Eric if you’d like. We’ll let Helen and James finish their coffee first,” Mrs. Stackhouse says.

Sookie lets go of my hand and to my parents she says, “Thank you both for coming. It means a lot to me that you’re here.”

“You don’t have to thank us, darling,” Mom tells her, and gets up to give her a hug. “If you need anything at all you come to us, okay?”

Sookie nods and hugs Mom tightly. “Thank you,” she whispers.

Dad gets up and hugs her when Mom releases her, and says, “You’re welcome in our home anytime.”

“Thank you,” Sookie says again.

“Sookie, put them in cabin seven,” Gran says to her and Sookie looks surprised.

“Yes, Gran,” Sookie says, and then looks to me. “Do you want to see the cabin?”

“Yeah,” I say, and take her hand again. When we’re out of the room I ask her why she looked surprised.

“Because my cabin is right next to yours,” she says quietly and goes to get her coat.

“Oh,” I say. “That’s a good thing, right? I can come over in the morning and make you breakfast.”

“You cook?” Sookie looks surprised again.

“No…” I say. “But I can try?”

“I don’t think we need a house fire on top of everything else.” Sookie pats my chest. “Come on, I’ll show you where your cabin is.”

“Yes ma’am,” I smile, and follow her out.

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