Page 23 of The Scrooge Effect

“It’s not your house,” I gritted out. “It’s our house.”

“Exactly, and as half my house, I get a say in what happens around here. You don’t get to spoil the mood and pretend that it’s totally fine.”

“I’m putting up the fucking tree. What more do you want?”

“I want you to be happy!” she snapped, tears filling her eyes. “I want to do more than survive this Christmas. I’m pregnant. I want to enjoy the season and not tiptoe around you all the time because I might set you off.”

“You can’t make me be happy by putting up all this shit. I have never and will never like Christmas. You can’t change that.”

“You could try⁠—”

“And you could try to understand that it’s never going to happen. Geez, Harper. When are you going to get it through your head? I hate this time of the year. I don’t want to put up a ten-foot tree. I don’t want garland hanging in my face everywhere, and I especially don’t want tinsel hanging off every branch,” I said, snatching the package that I knew she was just dying to use.

“So that’s it, right? You don’t like the season, so the rest of us have to be miserable right alongside you.”

“I never said that.”

“You’re behaving like you’re the only one who matters here. Look, I’m sorry that your life was miserable until you met me. I get it. I’m a hard act to compete with, but you can’t be selfish for the rest of your life because you’re no longer alone. It’s time you stepped up to the plate and started thinking about all those around you.”

“All I think about is you and the kids,” I said softly. “I worry constantly about making you all happy. I swear, I really do want that for you, but Harper…this isn’t something I can give you. As much as I want to, I just…can’t.”

I hated the devastation on her beautiful face. How she shrank into herself with every second that passed as she realized I could never truly give her what she wanted. Maybe I had been wrong when I ran after her during the first pregnancy.

She had started a new life for herself. She was making things work. I wanted her back so much that I would have given anything, but now, looking at how miserable I was making her, maybe I should have stayed away.

“I think I’ll go to bed,” she murmured.

“Wait—”

“I’m just tired. New pregnancy and all,” she forced a smile. “You’ll take care of the kids, won’t you?”

“Sure.”

“Good night,” she whispered, heading for the stairs.

God, I was a miserable bastard.

There had to be something I could do to make things right between us, and the only thing I could think of was putting up the damn tree. At least then she could actually decorate it.

So, in between feeding the kids and putting them to bed, I put up the damn tree, fluffing out the branches just as she liked. My arms were scratched to hell from the branches, and I even nearly poked my eye out a few times. But the damn thing was up, and there was nothing left for her to bitch at me for.

When I peeked into the room later that night, she was already fast asleep, no doubt exhausted from growing another human in her body. So, I shut the door and headed back downstairs to clean up. And when I was finished, I decided to stay there for the night so I didn’t wake her up.

Was I hiding?

Absolutely.

But I didn’t know any other way to keep from ruining the season for her.

Things were dicey over the next few days. I stayed away from home as much as possible, doing my best not to piss off my wife, but no matter how hard I tried, she always seemed to be irritated with me.

Which was why I was so happy when Cash called us in for an early meeting. I got out of the house and didn’t have to listen to the Christmas music as it blared.

“Hey! Got any idea what this is about?” I called out to Scottie Dog as I ran to catch up to him.

As he turned, I groaned at the stupid hat on his head. “Seriously? You’re an elf?”

“A very cute elf,” he grinned. “Quinn likes it on me. She said I look cheery.”