A Healing Touch

Ana smiled as she walked into the airport. The guys were coming home today and she had news for Johnny. She and five year old Kaila had gone to visit him on the road a six weeks prior and she couldn’t wait to tell him the news. Beside her Kaila was holding her hand and Willa was holding two year old Christopher on her hip and had a hand on her seven month pregnant stomach. She was as excited as Ana for the guys to be coming home. Michelle was holding Heather her one year old as she waited for her husband with the others and glanced to where five month pregnant Leana was holding Megan and JB’s son Daniel. Megan was beside her with her daughter Ashton. She was so far the only one to have twins. Gena was with them as well Baby Aubriegh in her carrier and two year old James on her lap. She was sitting while everyone else paced.

Matt was the first off the plane and when he spotted his son and wife. He smiled as the guys followed him. JB had flown back with them instead of earlier with the crew because had been helping Matt get the right Christmas present for his wife, well all the guys for that matter. Matt took his son and kissed his wife gently to a chorus of aww’s from the pregnant females around them.

“Daddy…” And Christopher hugged his father and Matt smiled at him.

“He’s worse than me and Jimmy put together by the way honey.” Willa told her husband. He raised an eyebrow then looked at his son.

“What’s mommy talking about Chris?” The child grinned and suddenly Matt knew.

“Cause I scared mamaw and papaw when I threw my toy across the room.”

“Willa…” He was looking at her in disbelief. He had known it was a possibility, but this was too much.

“Don’t ask me but uhm yeah you’re parents we’re babysitting while I was at work and yeah…”

“When did it start?”

“Last week.”

“What started last week?” Brian asked as he took Heather from Michelle.

“Chris’ ‘gifts’” Willa responded and the group headed out as father’s took children and mothers if their was a second child took it. They were all headed out the door and grins were on faces as they headed home.

Two days later on Christmas Eve everyone was sitting around Ana and Johnny’s tree as Kaila slowly read The Night Before Christmas with the help of her stepfather and it was sweet to watch. Johnny had adopted her and Kaila had taken on his last name and she loved him more than anything else in the world, other than her mom and the baby that was on the way. She couldn’t wait to be a big sister. There were other things that she couldn’t wait for either such as Christmas day, but that was every little kid that night.

The next morning Matt woke up to something hitting him in the head and sighed as he grabbed one of the drumsticks Jimmy had given Chris for Christmas the night before and looked around for his son. One would think he would find it odd his son not holding the thing but he had learned a long time ago to not think twice about any weird shit. He looked up and saw Chris standing in the doorway grinning as his parents shook their heads and looked at one another as they sat up in bed. They were each holding one of Jimmy’s old drumsticks.

Matt picked his son up and waited on his wife to get out of bed and use the bathroom. Once she was done she followed her son and husband downstairs and to the Christmas tree. Matt held Willa close as Chris ripped into one present after another. Matt got up when the door bell sounded and laughed a moment later as he lead Megan and JB into the house. Each holding one of the twins. Ana and Johnny and Kaila had shown up as well. After all they were all family, one way or another. And all their kids were going to grow up knowing a strange life. Things would never be normal around any of their households that was for sure. The only difference being Megan and JB’s kids wouldn’t grow up with the gifts that the other children had or would have.

Over the next several months they all stayed home because Willa was due in March and when she had baby Maria smiles were on everyone’s faces and Willa could’ve sworn that day she had like when she had given birth to Chris, seen Val’s smiling face. Matt held his daughter for the first time and smiled down at the little girl. His wife smiled on at him and Chris climbed up into her hospital bed making it too much for Matt’s parents to handle and they finally smiled as they realized that no matter what Willa was part of the family and very much staying that way. It no longer mattered how they had gotten married or when, or that she and Chris and possibly baby Marie were all gifted, they all loved the same way and it showed through that day as Willa and Matt’s eyes met over their children. A smile that said it was forever. And none of it would’ve happened if Ana hadn’t have moved to Huntington Beach.

Ana had long since gotten her dream of taking Kaila somewhere that had snow for Christmas, as the year before those that could had flown out to Indiana and joined the guys for Christmas, and now all she wanted was her children to have a life she never had. One of happiness and joy, not full of the dangerous streets of New Orleans or the haunting nights she had spent alone while her mom and dad worked. Or the divorce her parents had gotten when she older. She and Johnny were going to show that no matter what you could make it through anything. After all you overcome a curse and prove that love is stronger than any gift one could have then you knew it was true and forever.

Laughter filled their days as they all continued to be friends and share the highs and lows of raising children, gifted or not together. Everything was at peace and that was how it was meant to stay. After all it only took one woman to set things in motion and it was all due to her belief that she could help once she knew what the hell was going on. And the fact that those around her believed in her as well as one another.