Abby

Placing the last dish into the dishwasher, I shut it with my foot then run over to the laundry room to deposit the load of laundry I currently have in my hands. Throwing those in the machine and pressing the start button, I run over to the living room and clean up all the baby toys that are scattered around it.

Cursing when I check the time noticing that Chance should be here any minute I grumble my father's name when I think of why I am cleaning last minute. I had spent the entire morning over at his house, because he said there were some things he wanted to talk to me about. Turns out, he just wanted to tell me that he wasn't sure about going to the Christmas party that we practically created for him. It took me almost three hours to talk him into going and another forty minutes yelling at him for being so stubborn.

"Damn stubborn biker." Another grumble comes out of me as I make a bee line towards the kitchen to put away another random dish left out on the sofa.

Normally Chance and I are immaculately clean people, but these last few days of work and Adam have given us some time away from the house.

Placing the dish in the dishwasher, I lean down and grab a photo off the floor that must have fallen from fridge. Turning the picture over my body grows timid when I stare at my father and I a couple of years ago before Chance and I left for the nomad life. We traveled everywhere for about a year, only to come home when my father couldn't hide the inevitable any longer.

He had cancer, and he was dying.

My fingers move over the fullness of his cheeks and I almost lose it at how different he now looks. Dad's cancer is now in stage four and has recently been told he should no longer ride. It took some time for dad to let go of the bike, which is why he hasn't been around the compound lately. Speaking with Austin, Max, Shane and their better halves, Chance and I agreed that we should do a Christmas party this year. Dad would have no choice but to go and it would be another reason for all of us to get together with our extended families.

Austin complained.

Max joked.

Shane grumbled.

And Chance, being the ever amazing husband he is, simply laughed.

Then I called the girls, and everything was hence forth set in motion.

This would be an amazing Christmas, even if it's dad's last one.

"Abby?" My hand raises to my neck and I nearly jump out of my skin when Chance walks through the threshold of the kitchen.

"Fuck Chance, you scared me to death." He comes in with a weary look taking the photo from me and placing it back on the fridge under a bright red magnet.

"You alright babe?"

"What?" His hands go up and follow down my cheeks and it's then I realize I had been crying. Chance's eyes go from me over to the photo and everything must fall into place as he understands where my head was at. "Oh, yes, I'm alright."

"You sure?" Nodding my head, I lean my body into his and breath in the scent I love, the scent I have come to rely on since I was a little girl. The mixture of leather and the road. "Want to tell me where our son is?" I snicker as his hands start roaming around my body to my ass.

"About to wake up any moment now, so don't even try it." His shoulders slump at my news and I laugh when we hear the unmistakable sound of crying over the monitor.

"I'll get em'." He says walking upstairs to Adams's room.

Since having Adam, Chance has been everything to not only me but to our son. I was worried at first, that he may result back into his former self, hiding his true feeling behind anger and resentment. But instead he welcomed our new bundle of joy along with the new life Adam brought to us. He still has his moments, like this morning, when the holidays are approaching and he misses his loved ones, and on those days he will venture and seek them out, which normally consists of him going down to the cemetery where they are buried over an hour away.

When Chance's voice comes over the monitor, I take the opportunity to run around the house, sorting out last minute things, readying myself for Chance's Christmas gift. He has no idea what is about to happen and as anxious as I am about the whole thing, I'm even more nervous about having a dirty house in the mix of it all.

"Uh babe." I hear shouted from upstairs. "Can I get some help up here?" I giggle with the thought of the big badass biker Chance, needing help changing his sons diaper.

"Coming." One step at a time I make my way past all the Christmas d¨¦cor Candy helped me set up a few weeks ago and stop just before Adams' room. His name spelled in large wooden bright green letters lay still against his door as I pop my head in. "Heard you needed some help in here."

Chance smiles and turns his head towards me, his hands still on our grumpy from getting his diaper changed son. "You know I don't remember it being this hard."

"He's just getting to the point where he is wanting to crawl. Now starts the fighting phase. At least that's what Lyla told me when she was over yesterday and helped me change him." I shrug not exactly having all the answers for all things of a six month old baby.

I walk closer to the bed and peer down at my son whose face is red from getting frustrated with his father. "It's alright sweet boy. Mama's here." I whisper, kissing his head, saying the same thing I say to him every night as he falls asleep.

Adam was born prematurely, scaring both Chance and myself, but looking at him now, you would never think it. He's a solid chunky boy with the biggest grin that could melt a snowman in a blizzard. Everyone says he looks just like me and that they could see my mother as well, but in my eyes he is his father's son. Even his scowls when I take away his bottle reminds me of Chance.

"Think he's hungry." I state as I finish up his diaper.

"I'll feed him." Chance says taking our son in his arms holding him tightly to his chest. Another worry I had was that Chance would be overprotective of Adam's safety. I would understand if he was, losing a child can only make you hyper aware of all the dangers in the world, but Chance is simply perfect with our boy.

We reach the kitchen where Chance sets Adam down in his highchair and begins to feed him the mixture of strawberries and bananas Adam constantly craves. "So, are you excited for tomorrow?"

I sit beside them at our dining table and nod my head eagerly, causing a chuckle to rise from Chance. "I am. It's nice to have a break from work too."

"Have you told all your clients that you won't be available until after the holidays?"

"Yes. Mrs. Jameson wasn't too thrilled, but I promised her a discount since she's been waiting for some time now." My web design business has blossomed. I have well over thirty clients now and more waiting. I Debated whether I would close up my shop for a few days so that I could enjoy Christmas with my family but in the end, and a very persuasive Candy yelling at me about Christmas traditions, I decided to temporarily close up until New Years.

Before Chance could say more, the doorbell rings, startling me and making me want punch myself for forgetting about his surprise. Nerves shoot out against my skin, creating goosebumps to line down my arms as Chance eyes me then stands to walk over towards the door. Grabbing Adam, I walk over behind Chance just as the door opens.

"Mom? Dad?" Chance's shocked and unsteady voice comes through the hardwood and I peer around to spot the two people I had invited over to spend the next few days with us. "What are you doing here?"

"Ryan." His mother gasps holding her hand to her mouth as tears align along the edges of her brown eyes. Her arms reach out and clutch her son's shirt as Chance meets her halfway hugging her tightly to his body. His father joins them holding them both tight into his embrace.

When they finally release each other, I take them both in, marveling at how much Chance looks like his parents. His father's body is much like his, tall and muscular with dark brown eyes and his mother carries his nose and full lips.

"How did you guys know where I lived?" Chance asks, his hands still around his mother's body, his father now a step back.

"Your wonderful wife. She had called us and told us to come over. Said it was a surprise for you. Oh, you look so different now my boy." Her hands go up and cradle her son's face. Chance turns to me giving me a confused expression and I look deeper for any hints of anger, seeing how it was the last thing I wanted.

"Abby?"

"I can tell you have been thinking of them lately. Since we've had Adam, I could tell it was something you would eventually want but never knew how to initiate. I thought if I gave you a push you would find your way back to them."

Chance walks over, staring at me with love and pride. His arms go around mine as he leans down to kiss me only to be pushed away by a squashed Adam.

"Abby, thank you for inviting us." His father says causing Chance to turn around.

"I suppose I should introduce you all." There is a hint of humor in Chance's voice that I adore. I nod my head and turn to his parents. "Abby these are my parents, Joan and Don Malone. Mom, Dad, this is my wife Abbyand my son Adam."

Joan's eyes glaze over my arms as she takes in her grandson for the very first time. After Chance went nomad last year, he had called his parents and rekindled with them, but I could tell he wanted to see them again. Looking at her face now as she walks over and takes Adam from me, holding him tightly in her grasp, I'm glad I made that phone call.

"He's perfect son." Don says walking over to kiss Adam's cheek. "Looks just like" The room grows silent as the dread of our reality comes rushing in. I sneak a glance at Chance but smile when I see a proud look on his face. He wipes his tears, then leans over and holds me to his body.

"He is perfect dad. And he looks just like his big sister."

Looking back down at me I marvel in the man I call my husband. His strength is remarkable and as I lean further and kiss his sweet lips, I send out a prayer to Ava and Laurie, for bringing me this man.

"Merry Christmas Chance."

"Merry Christmas Abby and thank you."