The Life We Share

A Christmas Special

"Nikolai!" I snap yanking the sheet off my bed as something tumbled down the stairs. Huffing I move toward the noise the pitbull boxer mix sits at the bottom of the steps wagging his tail. "Goddamn it Nikolai!" I snap at him as he chops down on one of the wooden Christmas tree figures I'd just put on the end table in the hallway. The two month old puppy dashed into the living room. "Claire!" I call for Claire to come and get her damn dog. "Claire come get your damn dog!"

"Nikolai!" Seven year old Claire comes darting last the stairs in the directions Nikolai went. Huffing I turn back toward the bed room to find Antonia already putting a new fitted sheet on the bed.

"Thank you Antonia."

"Of course madame."

"Please stop calling me that." I push the bob cut style hair behind my ear.

"You really shouldn't be worrying bout things like this, not while pregnant."

"Oh please." I sigh rolling the sheet around my hands before dropping it into the dirty clothes. "I can do the easy things yet."

"Everleigh just went down for a nap." I nod simply before heading toward the steps when Chris comes dashing past me.

"Sorry mamma!" He shouts jumping off the last three stairs before flinging open the front door, running outside to dump out his test tube full of ants.

"Christopher Nikolas Leto what are you doing?" I ask leaning on the door.

"Nothing bad I promise."

"What'd I tell you about bringing bugs in the house?"

"I didn't lose anything this time. Promise."

"Keep your bug experiments outside." I say forcefully.

"Yes mamma."

"Thank you." I turn back into the house to find Claire scratching Nikolai on the living room floor. "What kind of mess did he make this time?"

"Just bit off a few ornaments came off. I'll put them back on."

"Control him please." I point to the playful puppy before he comes charging at me, weaving between my legs to shoot out the front door, Claire following after him. Huffing again I go into the kitchen, the baby kicking me in the liver I'm sure. "Ow." I hiss rubbing the area where he'd just kicked me.

"Mamma." Chris comes in to sit at the white marble counter.

"Yeah babe?" I take a drink from the protein shake making me cringe.

"Can we stay with you this year for Christmas?"

"Mom has you this year."

"I know, but with the new baby coming soon, I want to stay with you guys."

"Aw Chris baby that's sweet, but that's something you have to talk to daddy about."

"Okay." He looks at me tiredly before getting off the chair. I finish the shake before going back up to get Everleigh.

"Everleigh Anastasia Leto." I sigh when she looks at me laughing as she chews on her toe.

"Mamma." She pulls herself up on the side of the crib jumping up and down.

"Hello beautiful."

"Dada."

"Daddy's not home."

"Dada. Dada."

"Alright miss." I shake her around gently making her laugh before blowing raspberries in her cheeks. She screeches, tilting her head to stop my assault on her soft porcelain cheeks. "Don't you love your mommy? Huh?" I blow a few more raspberries on her cheeks before laying her on her changing table. I change her diaper putting her in a pull-up before bringing her down stairs. I set her in an area blocked off by baby gates which she absolutely hates, the second I step away from her she starts screaming. I was used to her veins stuck up my butt when Jay wasn't home, but I'm too tired today. I'd promised jay I wouldn't go out with the kids to get the tree without him but I just wanted to get it so we could decorate it. I'd spent the morning pulling the Christmas stuff out of the attic with Jason and Antonia, slowly starting to decorate from the top down, but with a two year old, a two month old puppy, and being thirty five weeks pregnant I was rudely mistaken to think I'd get anything done. One thing I did get done was Xander's nursery which took nearly three months to complete. "Mommy's right here Ever." I reassure her standing over top the playpen. "I'm not leaving you." Sobbing she reaches for me, but I don't pick her up. "You're fine." I argue even though everything in my body screamed for me to pick her up and coddle the sweet baby girl at my feet. "Your father has you so spoiled." I huff backing away from her a bit. She has to learn to self soothe. I repeat in my head. She'll get over it, everyone has to do it. It causes me physical pain to walk away from her while she's screaming like that, but when the new baby comes I can run to her when she doesn't need me. I'd been trying to self soothe for about a month now when Jay wasn't home because god forbid I do it when he is home he ignores me and goes to her. She'll never learn if I go to her.