on the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me

 

Thanksgiving was a bit disappointing to Axton. Yeah, he missed his baby girl more than the thought he would, but he did his best not to bring Chili down. After all, he worked hard at the coffee shop feeding anyone who needed a free Thanksgiving meal. The bakery next door offered free day-old bread and treats to take home at the coffee shop. Actually, it was rewarding. There was no time for pity.

Then they had dinner that night with Dory and Cedric at their place. It was a quiet meal a lasagna that hit the spot. Seriously, they could have slept on the livingroom floor that night, but somehow they managed to get back to his place. And Chili stayed. He hadn't expected that.

Even so, he had to admit later he wondered if something was conceived that night. He didn't know what it was, but it left him more puzzled, perhaps even a little frightened.

"What if I'm a father again?" He said to Ollie while walking to the basketball court. Chili stayed with Carrie to bake gingerbread cookies. There was a chill in the air, but it made him quicker with the basketball.

"Axe, sometimes, I just don't know about you," Ollie shook his head with a grin.

"I'm not trying to be..you know, The Man, um..it's just..what if I do have another kid?" Axton looked at him as if he should have some knowledge of this. After all, Ollie's daughter was almost four.

"I get it," Ollie sighed a little sleepy-eyed. "You just keep going and enjoy every minute of it."

He pushed the ball to Axton and he made a layup.

"So how was Thanksgiving?" Axton looked back at Ollie with his hands on hips as if he was too tired to play another round so Axton dribbled.

"Oh, it felt awful long, actually." Ollie told him about the mess at Thanksgiving. It seemed his adopted mother's real daughters got into it and he'd never seen his adopted mom act that way. He shook his head, "And then..there was Gabby." He sighed as if it all made him nauseous. 

"What's going on with you two?" Axton squinted back thinking Ollie might be ill.

"I can't seem to say NO to  her," he sighed as if he was so mad at himself.

"Did you sleep with her?" Axton couldn't help but ask.

"NO." 

"Well, then what's the problem," Axton's lips curled up at the end. "You're holding you're ground."

"Oh, she wants to be with us all the time," Ollie looked sad about it. "I know this thing with..with her ex and her family has to be hard, but it's hard for me and Carrie, too. I just want to be a dad, you know. And I don't have time for her, right now."

He looked so sad. "Sure, in the beginning, it was great seeing her, and all, but..but...I don't know. I feel like I need to sneak away in the night ..and not tell her I moved, you know."

"Wow," Axton had never been in a predicament like that before. He loved being with Chili. He hoped Ollie found that again one day. "Maybe, maybe you need to introduce her to someone new."

"Like who?" Ollie was so serious then.

"I don't know, you're worst enemy," Axton cracked up.