"Can't you guys come? Christmas is meant to be a family gathering, after all." Harper asked.

"I wish we could." Scarlett, her sister, answered from the other end.

It was Christmas and yet, Scarlett wasn't with her. But, it couldn't be helped. Her child caught a cold yesterday and he needed care. It wasn't really okay for him to travel in this heavy snowfall. Harper's house was itself completely covered in snow.

"Why don't you see the brighter side? You get to celebrate Christmas with your Ian." Harper could imagine her sister winking at her while saying this.

"Nothing is special without you guys." She answered shyly.

"But I am so relieved he's gonna be there for you. Holidays are so tough especially when you're to celebrate for the people who are not even watching." Scarlett chuckled on the other side and Harper got a smile on her face without even noticing.

Ian was her first and long term boyfriend for the last ten years. Now, they were even thinking of marriage. But it wasn't just the two of them now... Someone was going to join them soon.

In a way, this was going to be their first Christmas. In case, you've already guessed, Harper was pregnant with Ian' child or children... She was already in her second trimester and they were expecting twins. The joy of becoming a mother for nothing less than watching a miracle unfold before your very own eyes.

"Ian would be coming anytime now. So I'll hang up. If you need anything, you will give me a ring okay?"

"Yeah... Who's there for me if not you." Harper reassured her.

"Merry Christmas. Please take care of... Everything. Got it?"

"Merry Christmas. You know I will... Take care of yourself and the people around you." Harper smiled before hanging up.

After ending the call, she went near the mantel to check if everything was okay. Her Christmas tree was put near the bookshelf beside the mantle. There were so many wonderful ways to make her Christmas tree come to life. She liked to stray away from colors, when it came to decor. While the ornaments may vary each year, the real pine cones and neutral color scheme in golds, taupes, and creams stayed consistent. This timeless tree incorporated classic touches like red balls and plaid accents, as well as natural elements like a dried citrus garland and a stunning rattan star topper. It had been dressed up with vintage glass bead garlands, cross-stitched ornaments, and velvet tinsels both as a topper and on pastel-wrapped presents. She had invested so much time to prepare it... She wondered if Ian will like it.

She hadn't yet lighted the wood in the chimney's fireplace so the house was a bit cold but, it was okay as Ian would be coming soon, she thought. She tightened the knit scarf around her neck and went towards kitchen to prepare some warm drinks for both of them. She was going to make Marshmallow Snowman Hot Chocolate for him. It's such a fun idea for the holidays and SO easy to make!

She made his drink and just had to make the snowman now.  After making everything, she placed them in mug and watched her snowman relax in his hot cocoa bath. It was such a cute sight.

And since, she couldn't eat too much of cocoa, she was going to prepare herself a hot chocolate drink. Nobody can beat a steaming hot cup of creamy hot chocolate on a cold winters day.

She was looking at her hard work, when the doorbell rang. She made her way to the front door where a huge "8" shaped wreath was hanging. Christmas wreaths are constructed of evergreens to represent everlasting life brought through Jesus and the circular shape of the wreath represents God, with no beginning and no end, thus, they were an important part of the festival.

"Hey..." Ian proceeded to hug her as soon as she opened the door.
_______________________

They had already enjoyed their drinks and were going to reheat the food, when Ian suddenly stopped her asking her to sit for he had to talk.

"Why are you silent? I'm sitting here for the last three minutes now..." Harper complained.

"The thing is... I've thought about it. Trust me, I did. I don't think I can handle having kids... Our life together is about us and us alone. We'll be financially better off than most parents we know and we'll have the freedom to do whatever we want to do, whenever we’d like to do it. We can be selfish, and you know what? It’s great. We don’t need children to live a fulfilling life." He finished without taking a break.

"Wait... I ... I think I asked you about this... When... When I came to know... I'm... I'm..." Harper stuttered.

"Calm down Harper. I didn't really want to do this... In the majority of cases, when you've children, you sign up for eighteen plus years of financial strain and struggle. Just like most things in life, at first, everything will be great. Almost every new parent loves the first year or two of being a parent. It’s when the grind starts setting in that things begin to change."

"But why are you telling me this NOW? Didn't we talk about this...?" Harper almost shouted.

"I just... My needs will gradually get put on the back burner because this relationship will no longer about me and you, it’s now about these children and their mother. I'll almost always come third and it'll put a strain on our relationship. Sexual intimacy will inevitably decline as it does in any long term relationship but it'll happen even quicker with children in the mix because the time and energy just isn’t there anymore. Let’s also not forget about the teenaged years when they'll start thinking they know best and start to rebel or the fact that kids these days no longer move out. It's not uncommon for parents to have adult children living with them well into their late twenties. Living expenses are higher than they’ve ever been and kids act far more entitled then they ever have. So... I just..." Ian at this point, wasn't even listening to her.

"But..."

"Also, as a man, let’s just hope our relationship stays healthy because if I get divorced or split up, I'll become a puppet if I want to be in the children’s life. Women use their children as pawns. Women can try to justify it all they want but it’s disgusting and it happens far too often. Most custody agreements prevent mothers from not letting their exes see their children. However, this doesn’t prevent women for making their exes life very tough, both mentally and financially. As a man, I must acknowledge the fact that this will likely be the outcome should our relationship fail. Women have everything to gain and nothing to lose. I'm not essentially saying you're like that but..."

"You're..."

"At the end of the day, I must really think about what makes ME happy in life. I can’t allow myself to be pressured into having children just because that’s what you want or because it is what all of your friends are doing. We won't have time and money for hobbies. We won't have the time and energy to be romantic. We won't have the extra money to save for a healthy retirement. Our future won't be the only future we"ll have to worry about..."

"JUST SHUT UP IAN. I'm witnessing you go on and on about MY CHILDREN and ME as if you've gone into the future and seen everything. When you’re in a HEALTHY relationship, you don't back out after coming this far. Sure, there are bumps in the roads, but you make decisions together, openly discuss any problems that arise, and genuinely enjoy each other’s company. But no? We talked about this when I told you I'm pregnant but you didn't remember these alpha male points then... You don't want kids and a wife who comes to you for expenses right? Well, good news. This soon-to-be wife of yours doesn't want a man like YOU in HER CHILDREN' life. GET OUT OF MY HOUSE." Harper pointed her fingers towards the door.

"Harper... I..."

"Get out. I said GET OUT." Harper almost pushed him to the door. Before leaving, he grabbed Harper to say his point once again but Harper removed his hand. In a hurry, Ian pushed Harper and she fell on stomach.

"I..."

"LEAVE." Harper grabbed her stomach and while wincing in pain shouted at him. And he left...
_______________________

"Why you...." Scarlett rushed to her sister's side when she regained consciousness.

"Thankfully there's nothing to worry. The fall didn't harm the children or you. But, what could've happened if we didn't try to surprise you..."

"Thanks Scarlett... This was a faulty Christmas for ... Us." Harper touched her abdomen and sighed.
_________________________

Number of words : 1500
_________________________