Free Beginnings of the Heart by J. J. Nite Page A

would be some ultimatums, but I wasn’t confident enough to predict what those might be.
    .
    Christmas Eve we spent with both of our families. Cole’s parents always had a dinner early in the evening. They invited their family and enjoyed everyone’s company. I met a few of Cole‘s cousins and his aunts and uncles. It was more relaxed than I thought it would be.
    After dinner, we went back to my parents’ house. Their yearly holiday gathering included the neighbors and family who were close enough to make it.
    About ten houses from mine, Cole pulled over and turned the truck off. I looked at him with my head cocked to the side, wondering what he was doing.
    He gave me a little grin and reached under the seat. He handed me a little wrapped gift. “Merry Christmas, Morgan. I didn’t want to give this to you in front of anyone. I hope you like it.”
    I unwrapped and opened the little white box to find a small jewelry box. I opened it and found a charm in the shape of a baby’s booty. My eyes started to cloud with tears, and I looked up at Cole.
    â€œDo you like it? I thought it was appropriate, but if you would rather have…”
    â€œI love it.” I said, cutting him off. “I’m just a little emotional. Thank you.” I leaned in and gave him a kiss.
    I started to take my bracelet off so I could put the new charm on it, but I stopped when Cole put his hand on top of mine. I looked up at him questioningly.
    â€œI think you should wait to put it on until after we tell our parents about the baby. I don’t want there to be a confrontation because someone notices it.” Cole explained.
    â€œOkay. I’m still not sure I even want to tell anyone at all, but I know the impossibility of it. I just don’t want there to be any kind of… hard feelings, but I…” I couldn’t go on.
    Cole pulled me into his arms and kissed the top of my head. “I know you’re really nervous and you don’t want to tell your parents, but I really think it’ll be okay. And the sooner we tell them the better. Besides, what’s the worst they can do? Tell you we can’t see each other?” He pulled back to look me in the eyes, and I’m sure he saw the uncertainty there. “It won’t happen. You and this baby are my family, and no one is going to keep us apart.” he vowed.
    I heard the conviction in his voice and read the determination in his eyes. “You’re right. We are a family even if we don’t really look like a traditional one, and I know we need to tell them as soon as possible. I’m still going to be nervous, but I also know with you beside me, it will all work out somehow.”
    We kissed again with a feeling of renewed faith in each other. Too soon we pulled apart and Cole started the truck to drive the last few houses to mine.
    There weren’t a lot of cars parked on the street because most of the neighbors had walked. Cole parked and we walked up to the house hand in hand and entered the same way. No one immediately noticed our entrance so I slipped to my room and put the charm Cole had given to me under the socks in the top drawer.
    I slipped back out to the foyer where Cole was waiting for me. He had taken his jacket off, and my breath caught in my throat like always. You’d think I’d get used to it.
    He was wearing the navy blue sweater I had gotten him for Christmas. His eyes were so blue they seemed to leap out of his face and draw me in.
    He gave me a lazy grin, and I was finally able to tear my eyes from his and drew in a shaky breath. He put his arm around my shoulders and urged me forward into the living room where some of the guests were gathered.
    A few of the neighbors noticed our entrance and waved and said hello, but we otherwise went largely unnoticed, which was fine with me. But no one could ever escape the sharp eyes of Mrs. Tompkins, the most avid gossip in the town and quite