“What are you two doing up so early?” I ask Devaney.
She and Chase are snuggled up on the couch in front of the fireplace.
“You know I can never sleep on the night before Christmas.”
“Which means, she keeps me awake.” Chase chuckles.
“We were also hoping to talk to you before everyone else got up.”
“What about?” I ask, taking a seat, trying not to freak out.
Why does she sound so serious? Why is Chase really down here with her? Oh God, she couldn’t be pregnant, could she?
“We brought the engagement ring with us but didn’t put it under the tree like you’d planned. Because, well …” She purses her lips and furrows her brow.
“Because we don’t think you should propose,” Chase finally says for her.
“We think you should propose. Just not today. It just doesn’t feel right, Dad,” Devaney explains. “Troy being in the hospital is obviously weighing heavy on her. She looked beat last night.”
“She was. I appreciate you guys bringing the ring, but I agree. I am not planning to propose today.”
“Oh, good,” Devaney says, looking relieved.
“Normally, we would go wake everyone up now, so we could open presents, but we’re not going to do that this year,” Chase says. “We want to let her sleep in.”
“Are you talking about me?” Jennifer says, scuffling into the room, a fluffy robe wrapped around her. “Because it’s Christmas morning, and I can’t wait to open presents!”
“Awesome!” Devaney says, jumping up. “Come on, Chase. We get to go jump on some beds!”
Jennifer sits next to me on the couch and gives me a kiss. “Merry Christmas, Danny.”
“Merry Christmas, Jenn—” The sound of my voice is drowned out by six happy children and two dogs rushing down the stairs.
“Santa was here!” Madden yells. “Santa was here!”
“I was afraid he wouldn’t know we switched houses,” Ryder agrees.
“We’re going to go let the puppies outside, and then we’ll open our stockings!” Devaney yells as she runs by.
Jennifer
Christmas morning is amazing. I’ve never celebrated quite like this before, and it’s fun to take part in their traditions. Opening stockings is a free-for-all. We see what’s in them at the same time and are allowed to eat our candy right away. Breakfast is put in the oven while presents are being passed out. Everyone sits in a circle and takes turns opening a gift. When you take off the wrapping paper, you wad it up and throw it across the room to either Phillip or Danny, who has a trash bag to keep things from getting too messy. Getting through all the gifts with this many people takes a lot of time, but I love being able to see everyone’s reactions. As soon as the food is ready, we take a break to eat and then start back at it.
It’s a wonderful time, and I try really hard to be fully in the moment, but I find myself distracted. I’m constantly checking my phone to see if there are any updates. At one point, I feign a bathroom break so that I can call the nurse on duty because I haven’t heard anything. She basically tells me that Troy’s condition remains unchanged.
Danny must notice because he pulls me aside after the gifts are all opened and the kids are playing with them. “You need to get back there, don’t you?”
I shake my head. “I don’t need to. Nothing has changed, but—”
“You feel like you should be there.”
“Yes,” I say, looking at the floor. “And I feel guilty about that. Seriously, Danny, this has been the best Christmas of my life.”
“Mixed with the worst,” he says, pushing my chin up and looking into my eyes. “Go get dressed, and we will head to the hospital.”
“We?”
“Yeah. You and me. We’re a team, remember?”
“Oh, no. It’s not fair to your kids for you not to be here.”
“I won’t be able to stay too long. The plan is to have Christmas dinner later this afternoon, and then we have to fly back. I have practice in the morning. But I do want to go with you, at least for a bit.”
“That’s really nice of you,” I say, brushing away tears.
When we arrive at the hospital, I realize it has undergone a transformation since I was last here. Paparazzi are out in full force. Troy’s fans have left a mass of signs, trinkets, and flowers outside the entrance. A few appear to be holding a candlelight vigil.
“Should we try to disguise ourselves or find another place to get dropped off?” I ask Danny. “It’s a bit of a circus.”
“Just take my hand. It will be okay,” he says sweetly.
We’re recognized the second we get out of the car. Reporters and fans call out my name.
“Jennifer, what can you tell us about Troy’s condition?”
“Jennifer, is it true that you have medical power of attorney?”
We keep walking.
Danny’s head is held high.
I try to do the same while keeping my emotions in check.
“Danny, are you jealous about Jennifer being here?”
Danny stops in his tracks and turns around. “Who asked that question?” he asks.
“Um, I did. People want to know,” a female reporter says.
“Sometimes, in life, we are called upon to do the right thing. Jennifer is doing the right thing, and I fully support her.”
Some hospital visitors are trying to get past the reporters who have gathered around us.
He moves to part the crowd for them and then says, “Please be respectful of the fact that Troy is not the only patient in this hospital. There’s really no need for any of you to be here. It’s Christmas. Go home and spend the day with your families. If there’s a change, Jennifer will post on her social media.”
He wraps an arm around me and shuttles me inside.
Troy looks about the same as he did when I left last night. An update from his doctors tells me that while there is no change in his condition, his body is struggling. They basically prep me for the worst while working toward the best.
And tell me that all we can do is wait.
