The Love We Choose

Chapter 31

Huan pushed the button on the Brooklyn Brownstone's front-door and patiently waited for someone to let him into Casa de la Gutierrez. While he looked out over the moderately busy street bustling full of people enjoying one of the last pre-Christmas weekends of the year with a smile on his face, he thought about Lynne's threatening text that brought him there. It simply said, "if you expect me to be your date to the stuffed-shirt gala next Friday, I expect you to help me babysit today. I know you have tomorrow off as well. I need you at Elisa and Javier's place as soon as you can make it."

Lynne had been much more demanding in her request than Huan had been when he asked her to accompany him to the hospital's gala. He remembered the phone call they had had about it about a month ago.

"What?" She had asked gruffly when she answered the phone.

"Well hello to you too, Lyndy."

"Sorry, Huan. I'm just sitting here trying to figure out why people don't know how to check their work before sending it to me heavy laden with mistakes."

"I can't answer that for you. My question for you is, why are you at work, at 8 am on a Sunday? This stress is not good for you. You should be resting, Lynne. Or else making your lists for Christmas shopping."

"You know I've had my Christmas shopping list since about June, why would I leave that to the last days before the holiday? I'm literally just waiting to find out who I have for my family's secret Santa exchange. All my other gifts have been purchased. Anyway, I'll rest once this report is done."

"Lyndy, for once I know more than you do on this subject. It is imperative for you and the baby that you actually relax. We don't need anything to affect your blood pressure."

Lynne angrily responded, her tone icy, "stop trying to tell me what to do, Huan. I know my own body better than you do. Just because you got me pregnant doesn't mean you have the right to tell me what to do. I have a job and work I need to finish in order to provide for the baby I'm carrying. Now, why are you calling me anyway?!" She snapped at him.

"I was invited to the hospital's End of the Year Black Tie Gala the Friday before Christmas and I thought I would have more fun if you would come with me. But I don't know if you'd want to go to a fancy party with someone who feels like they are ordering you around. I guess I'll go by myself."

"Oh." Her swift change in tone was notable. Huan could almost visualize her massaging her temples as he heard her take a few audible deep breaths before she responded. "I'm sorry, Huan. I've been a little short with everyone this week. You do not deserve my attitude when you are just concerned about me. It's probably a side effect of what I've been calling 'whenever-sickness.'"

"Whenever sickness?"

"Yeah. You know. Some doctor, probably a man, no offense, named it morning sickness, but they are extremely wrong on that account. It hits me morning, noon, and night in the past few weeks. You saw it when I was at your place."

"Sorry about that Lyndy."

"Eh, it's not your fault. Wait, it's only partially your fault. But the other half is my own doing." She paused. "What are the particulars for this shin-dig?"

"I knew you'd come around. It's the Friday before Christmas at seven. I know you're heading over to your parents' for Christmas Eve Saturday evening. And I'm working Christmas Day, so we can have a sleepover and do our Christmas on Saturday morning. Is that ok?"

"You're working on Christmas? Didn't you do Thanksgiving already? I thought this would be your holiday off," she asked, confused. "I was gonna ask you to come with me to my parents for Christmas so we could rip the band-aid off," she trailed off, pausing her fingers on her keyboard.

"Shit! I wish you told me this idea before I swapped with Dr. Rollins. I did it so next year I would have off for the baby's first Christmas."

Lynne couldn't get mad at him for his forward planning. It was heartwarming that he was already thinking about their child's first Christmas. "It's fine. Alright, I'll be there. But we have to tell our families soon. I'm going to start showing soon. We can't put this off forever."

"You said after Lunar New Year. That's still the plan."

It was this conversation that led Huan to book it over to the Guttierrez house. He knew Lynne. She wouldn't be asking...rather demanding him for help if she didn't subconsciously feel that she truly needed it. Mood swings plus fatigue plus four children ranging in age from two and a half to thirteen, would not make for an easy weekend for her. There was a wide variance in how to keep all four of Elisa and Javier's children occupied so any extra hands would be helpful. But he didn't mind, he loved hanging out with the little Guttierezes. They were always full of so much energy. A creak and whoosh of warm air behind him brought him back to reality when he saw Javi Jr. open the door.

'Uncle Huan!' Javier Jr. signed as he opened the door. 'What are you doing here?' Javier Jr. was the oldest of the mini-Guttierrez siblings, he was a perfect cross between his parents. Blessed with his mother's coloring and eyes with his father's angular features, he would one day be breaking hearts everywhere. Although he was only thirteen years old, he was almost the same height as Lynne.

'Well a little birdie told me your aunt Lynne was watching you guys. And I thought I'd drop by and give her a hand,' Huan signed back, then ruffled the young boy's short-cropped, jet black hair and entered the Brooklyn Brownstone. 'Where is she?' He asked as he took off his jacket and shoes and put them away.

'It's bath time for Micha. So we're playing Mario Kart.'  He gestured to the living room where Huan heard loud squeals and giggles.

Walking into the room he saw Elisa's two middle children, Josefina and Hannah, sitting on the floor in front of the rough-hewn coffee table with their game controls.  Their faces were lit up by a combination of multicolor Christmas lights hanging around the room and off the tree as well as the light bouncing off the television screen.  Both the little girls' faces lit up when they saw Huan enter the room. Running up to Huan, Hannah launched herself into his arms to give him a hug. "Uncle Huan!!!" She squealed at the top of her lungs as he caught her and wrapped his arms around her.

"Hey Hannah-banana, how are you doing?" He asked as he squeezed her and put her back down on the floor.

"I'm good. Feena and I keep trying to beat Junior, but we just can't," she said and signed at the same time.

Josefina came up beside her and nodded her head in agreement before giving Huan a hug. 'We need you to crush him for us,' the older girl told Huan, putting heavy emphasis on the sign for crush and imploring him with her big round eyes. She held out the controller for him to take.

Unable to deny a request from the sweet little girl, he got comfortable with the kids on the floor. Josefina plopped the controller into his hands and they started playing.  

A/N: Hi there lovelies! Let me know what you think. Like, comment, and share with your buds!