I couldn’t breathe, and I didn’t know what was going on. Anika had been so weird all day, and if I thought back, she’d been weird for weeks. I’d thought it was just the stress of working in retail at Christmas time. She was always stressed at Christmas time, and I’d been busy with planning my Christmas Eve dinner, so what had I missed?

The material I pulled out of the Christmas wrapping was incredibly soft, and small. But then Anika started to cry—and Anika never cried—and my panic levels launched into the stratosphere.

I looked around the room as though it was on fire. Sean sat there with a teary smile rubbing her knee, and it was only Reed’s firm hand on my shoulder that kept me from running around the room like a flailing Muppet, screaming that the sky was falling.

“Breathe, Henry,” Reed whispered.

How could I breathe? How could he ask me to do something so impossible at a time like this? Jesus Christ, did he know me at all?

Or maybe his firm hand and gentle words meant that he knew me best.

Anika shook her head and wiped at her eyes. “Goddammit,” she said. “Fucking hormones.”

“Open it properly,” Sean said to me, nodding to the material I was now squeezing to death.

I somehow managed to do as he asked. I held up the white material to find it was a teeny tiny T-shirt. So tiny, in fact, it would fit a newborn baby.

On the front of the shirt was writing. ‘Ctrl+V.’

Control V.

And, it took a moment, like molasses in winter, but the penny eventually dropped. Like I was the slowest person on planet, it finally made sense.

Anika and Sean were both Ctrl+C.

A baby was Ctrl+V.

Copy, copy, paste.

Oh, my God.

“Really?” I squeaked.

Anika nodded and more tears fell.

“Really?” I asked louder. Anika sobbed and I threw my arms around her, with instant happy tears. “For real?”

“Oh, it’s real all right,” she mumbled into my shirt.

But then, before my excitement could go nuclear, it occurred to me that she was crying. I mean, we were both crying, but mine were happy tears. Hers were not. I pulled back so I could see her face. “Are we happy? Is this good news?”

Anika just cried some more, so I looked to Sean for an answer. He was teary too, but he nodded. “Yes. This is good news.”

“Then why are we crying?” I asked, crying.

“Because I can’t stop crying,” Anika said. “I cry at every little thing. If someone says hello and asks me how I’m doing, I cry. If a sad song comes on the radio, I cry. If a happy song comes on the radio, I cry. The six o’clock news, the ad on TV for a car because it has a puppy in it. Ugh, fucking puppies. I haven’t been able to watch an episode of Say Yes to the Dress in weeks.”

I gasped.

A flood of more tears. “I know, right! Because all I do is cry. I’ve even cried watching Honey Boo Boo.”

I didn’t want to mention that I cried watching Honey Boo Boo too. Though mine was more of a ‘weeping for humanity’ kind of thing.

“But we are having this baby, right?” I asked. “Am I going to be a guncle?”

Anika nodded, a hot mess of tears and snot, and I hugged her some more.

“You’re having a baby?” Reed asked. Sean nodded and Anika sobbed. Reed stood up and shook Sean’s hand. “Sorry. I didn’t get the Control-V thing.”

Sean laughed. “Yeah, sorry. Computer speak.” Sean was in IT, and it hadn’t occurred to me that Reed wouldn’t have caught on.

I pulled back from Anika and reached my hand out for Reed. He took it quickly. “Guncles again!”

“What’s a guncle?” Anika asked, confused and teary.

“Gay uncle,” I explained like she’d missed the obvious. Which she had, clearly, but she rolled her eyes when she got it. “I’m going to spoil you both rotten,” I told her seriously. “You know that, right?”

Now she laughed but then started to cry again. “I was so nervous to tell you.”

That stopped me. “Why?”

“Because I didn’t want to ruin your dinner party,” she sniffed.

“You would never,” I said gently. “You made it perfect.”

“I was late because I couldn’t stop crying and I wasn’t going to wear this shirt, then I was, then I wasn’t.” She waved her hand back and forth. “And… and… because…”

“Because what?”

“Because I have no clue what I’m doing. Chances are I’m going to be the world’s worst mother.”

Reed, Sean and I all spoke in unison. “No, you won’t.”

She started to cry again. Her mouth opened and closed a few times but no words came out. Just more tears and snot.

“Anika, honey,” I said, taking her hand in her lap. “You’ll be the world’s most kick-arse mother. How long have I known you?”

She wiped her nose with the back of her free hand. “Forever.”

“And has there ever been a time when you have not kicked arse? Is there anything you have ever undertaken and not succeeded at? You excel at everything you do. And this will be no different. You’re both going to be the best parents ever. And let’s face it, with me and Reed as the best guncles ever, this kid has it made.”

“Anika,” Reed said gently. “Can I let you in on a little secret?”

She nodded, seemingly with the tears under control for now. “Yeah.”

“I come from a huge family, as you know. My brother and sisters all have kids, my cousins have kids, and I’m pretty sure some of their kids have kids. And you know what? All of them say they have no clue what they’re doing. There’s no instruction manual, and no one’s perfect, but we’ll be with you and Sean every step of the way.”

Anika started to cry again and this time Sean couldn’t take it anymore. He pulled her into his lap and tucked her into his neck, and she went eagerly. He patted down her hair and rubbed her back, and she held onto him so tight. I’d never seen her so vulnerable. “I’ve told her all of this,” Sean said to us. He took some deep breaths, which she clearly found soothing because she stopped crying. He murmured to her, “You okay?”

Anika nodded. “Feel stupid.”

“Awww, don’t feel stupid,” I said.

“No, please,” Reed said, “if you want to compare stupids, I’m the one who didn’t get the copy, copy, paste thing.”

Now Anika laughed and she sat up, wiping her face. “I’m a mess.”

“You’re beautiful,” Sean said, wiping her cheeks and looking at her like she’d hung the moon. He loved her so damn much it made my heart swell and my eyes water. Then Sean whispered to her, “Feel better now you’ve told him?”

Anika nodded and let out a whopping big shuddery sigh. “I do. I hated keeping it from you”—she looked at me—“but the doctors said it’s not really advisable to tell people until twelve weeks. I wanted to tell you so bad, Henry.” She frowned and got all teary again but shook her head. “Ugh, enough tears! Fucking hormones.”

“Twelve weeks?” I asked. “When’s the due date?”

“July eighth.”

“Oooooh,” I crooned. “Winter baby. I can just picture it now: cute beanies and booties, soft blankets and teddy bears.”

Reed laughed and pulled me against his side. “I’ll try to keep him reined in as much as possible, but I can’t promise anything.”

Everyone smiled and a silence fell over us as we took in the moment.

“Everything changes from here on in,” Anika said. She still sat on Sean’s lap, his arm around her waist. “Nothing will ever be the same.”

I patted her knee. “Everything just got a whole lot more wonderful, if you ask me.”

She nodded and fanned her face to stem more tears. “I know! I’m scared as hell but it’s a good thing, yes?”

“It’s a very good thing,” I whispered.

Reed leaned down and kissed my head. “It’s an incredible thing.”

Anika yawned, which became a groan. “God, I swear. I’m a mess. Emotional, tired, and hungry, that’s all I am these days.”

“Sounds like me,” I said. “On any given day.”

Anika laughed but then Sean yawned, then Reed did, then I did too.

Contagious bastards.

“Okay, well, I better get this girl home,” Sean said, still looking at Anika like she was the most precious thing in the world.

She nodded and I stood and helped her to her feet. Then, because I hadn’t hugged her yet, I pulled her into a crushing embrace. “Love you, Anika.”

“Love you, Henry.”

I pulled back and sighed. “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas,” she replied. “Will you call me tomorrow?”

“Of course I will.”

“Anika,” Reed deadpanned. “You know he’s going to call you every day, a dozen times, until July eighth, just to check on you.”

She nodded and got all teary again. “I know. That’s why I love him.”

Now I got all teary. I put my hand on Sean’s shoulder and said, “Okay, take her home before I start to blubber. And congratulations, both of you.”

Sean surprised me with a hug, then he hugged Reed, and Anika did too. We waved them goodbye and when I closed the door, I leaned against it and sighed. “We’re going to be uncles again.”

Reed put his hands to my face and gave me a soft kiss. “You are going to take spoiling to a whole new level, aren’t you?”

“There may be tiers of levels. I should get a planner.”

He chuckled. “Poor Anika. She’s a mess right now.”

“She’ll be fine. Believe me, I know. I live in a constant state of emotional, tired and hungry.”

Reed pressed me against the door. “Maybe you’re pregnant.”

I snorted, but my witty comeback died when my brain short-circuited because he ran his nose across my ear. “Maybe,” I said, breathily. “Maybe we should just keep trying to get pregnant forever.”

He chuckled and kissed me. “I was going to suggest we clean up the kitchen tonight but I think this whole making-babies thing sounds a whole lot more fun.”

I could tell by his hardening dick pressing against my belly just how much fun he thought it was. “You can make babies with me as much as you like.”

He spoke against my lips, keeping me pressed against the door. “You know I’m competitive, right?”

How could I forget? Beating his own personal best at everything he did was a daily thing. “Oh, yeah.”

“Just so you know, there will be multiple tries. Can’t let Santa win tonight. He only comes once, right?”

I chuckled and palmed his erection. “Mmm, so we’re trying for twins?”

He laughed and, taking my hand, led me to the bedroom. He turned to face me and even in the darkened room, I could see the heat in his eyes. And, like always, he knew exactly what I needed. Earlier this morning over the dining table, I needed fast and hard, and now I needed slow and tender.

He didn’t disappoint.

Twenty minutes later, I was naked in the middle of the bed and he was kneeling between my thighs. I was panting, riding out the aftershocks as he licked his lips after swallowing my first orgasm. I was slick and wanting, desperate to have him inside me. He lifted my legs to my chest, leaned over me so he could kiss me while he slid into me, thick and hot, breaching and perfect.

I sucked back a breath as he pushed in, and he froze. “You okay?” he asked. He always asked.

“So much better,” I panted, “than okay.”

He grinned wickedly. “You love my cock inside you after you come, don’t you?”

I moaned without shame. Jesus. It felt like he was rearranging my internal organs with his dick. “God, yes.”

He rolled his hips into me and let out a moan, somewhere from deep in his throat. His eyes closed and his jaw bulged. “Oh, Henry,” he whispered.

“Reed,” I replied, my voice just a breath. He loved it when I said his name.

He moaned again and thrust sharply into me. I cried out at the immensity of it, of him, of his love, of the perfection of it all. And he slid his arms under me, holding me tight, as he thrust and pushed, sliding in and out, finding home and heaven with every pass.

He made love to me, slow and gentle, with deep kisses and tender touches, until he couldn’t hold back any longer and when he strung out taut, pushing longer and harder inside me than he’d ever done, he cried out. I held onto him as he rode out his orgasm, pulsing inside me as he came.

It was the most beautiful thing in the world.

He collapsed on top of me and I traced lazy circles on his back and whispered sweet nothings in his ear while our breathing simmered. “Ho, ho, ho,” he mumbled into my neck.

I kissed his shoulder. “You can call me your slut once, but three times is a bit much.”

His whole body rocked with quiet laughter. “Merry Christmas, Henry.”

“Merry Christmas.”

I made no attempt to move, but Reed slowly slipped out of me then rolled us over onto our sides. He scooped me back up into his strong arms, where I fit just so, and kissed the side of my head. “Well, that was baby one.”

I snorted. “When are you up for baby two?”

“Give me twenty minutes.”

“Want your Christmas present early?”

“You just gave it to me.”

I kissed his collarbone. “You can have that any day of the year. Twice a day if you want.”

He breathed in deep, a contented sound, and squeezed me as he exhaled. “Sounds like a plan.”

“So, do you want it now?”

“You don’t want to wait till morning?”

“Nope.”

“You won’t let me snooze here for twenty minutes, will you?”

I snorted again and wiggled my way out of his hold. I went to our walk-in wardrobe where I had his present hidden and quickly slid back into bed. Reed was on his back now, watching me, and he was grinning until I put the small box on his chest. It was pretty obviously a jewellery box.

Serious now, he sat up, and I pulled the sheets up to our hips. “Henry,” he whispered, turning the box over in his hand. The way he said my name made my skin all warm, like he’d found God or something.

“Open it.”

“Can you turn the light on?” he asked.

I stretched over and bumped the touch lamp, illuminating the room in a soft glow. Reed opened the box to reveal the black ring nestled inside and his breath caught, but I could see the slight look of confusion there too.

“I didn’t think it was fair that only I wore a ring,” I started to explain. “And I know you can’t wear one at work, because of the equipment and the barbells and that stuff, but this is a special ring. It’s one of those silicone ones that is kind of squishy so the metal dumbbells and barbells won’t flatten it, or rip your finger off should it get caught.”

Reed’s face shot up, his eyes imploring and so full of love. He swallowed hard. “Oh Henry, it’s perfect. It’s so very perfect.” He tried to take it out of the box but his fingers were shaking and he fumbled.

“Here, let me.” I took the ring out and tossed the box somewhere over my shoulder. He held out his left hand and I put the ring to his fingertip, and stopped. I looked him right in the eye, my voice soft but sure. “Reed, will you do me the incredible honour of becoming my husband?”

His chin wobbled and his eyes glistened in the dim light. He nodded. “Yes. Forever and always, Henry.”

I slid the ring on his finger and he crushed his mouth to mine, leaning me back down on the bed. He covered his body with mine once more, never breaking the kiss.

He didn’t need twenty minutes to recover. He set a new personal best record for the number of babies we tried to make that night. There was a good chance I’d be meeting our families for Christmas with a limp, but I couldn’t seem to care.

At one point, Reed had me face down on the bed and was lying on top of me, filling me so completely, and I happened to laugh.

He stilled. “What’s so funny?”

“Just imagining if I were Rudolf and you were Santa, how bright my nose would be glowing right now.”

Reed snorted into the back of my neck, then thrust really fucking deep and hard, making me moan like a ho, ho, ho.

I laughed again and he rammed back into me, turning my laughter into something else. Yep, I’d definitely have a limp tomorrow…

Merry Christmas to me.