An Accidental Family

I want to express my gratitude for the positive response to and comments on the first part of this story. Being included in the Romance Hall of Fame alongside stories like

As You Wish

and

Dream Small

amazes me. Those are two of the finest stories I have ever read on this or any other site, and they are both well worth a read if you haven't done so already.

Like Part 1, this chapter is lengthy and, with apologies to JT and Jen stans, still doesn't have much sex in it. If you are new to this story, I have tried to provide enough context to read it independently; however, you'll likely want to revisit Part 1 to fully understand who everyone is and what they're about. This part picks up on Christmas Day, directly following Part 1.

Update:

Having completed the third and final part of this story and in preparation for potentially publishing all three parts together, I took the opportunity to address some grammatical and other issues present in the original published version.

CGN

An Accidental Family, Part 2

PROLOGUE

After the emotional highs of Christmas morning, the more mellow early afternoon was a welcome reprieve. Jason spent a few hours playing games on his new console while Jen, my mom, and I cleaned up and chatted. Jen and my mom got along like a proverbial house on fire, joking, laughing, and playfully teasing me. The teasing was more than made up for, however, by the contented smile on Jen's face, the glances we shared from across the room, and the gentle touches on my arms and shoulders as we passed close to each other.

By mid-afternoon, we had finished cleaning up, and I asked Jason if he wanted to join me in dropping off some presents for Lisa and her sisters. I hoped they were having a lovely Christmas. Surely, their uncle would make at least this one day special for the girls? Jason picked up his Santa hat and the bag of gifts while I grabbed a coffee for the road, and we hopped into my truck. As we drove, Jason seemed to be deep in thought.

"So, are you and my mom dating now?" he asked with his usual directness.

It seems Jen and I weren't as subtle around Jason as I had thought.

"Yeah, I suppose we are, though it's not like anything is official yet."

"Why not?" he asked, a bit perplexed. "You love her, and she loves you. Shouldn't you two be dating?"

It was easy to overlook that, despite Jason's taciturn nature and difficulties in picking up on social cues, he was still an incredibly perceptive young man. Or perhaps the connection between Jen and me was simply that obvious.

"Well, yes, probably. I love your mom, but you'll need to ask her if she loves me back."

"She does. She certainly does. She talks about you a lot, and it's mostly good stuff. Does this mean I can call you Dad now?"

This wasn't what I had envisioned us discussing when we began the drive, but I already knew the answer.

"Jason, that is for you and your mom to decide, but I would be honored to be called your dad."

"Okay. Thanks, Dad."

CHAPTER 1

Lisa's uncle's house was in a rough neighborhood on the far edge of town. The street it was on was paved at the corner but quickly transitioned to gravel and then dirt. It felt as if a city planner had intended for this to be a sleek, modern neighborhood but had given up in disgust when faced with the reality on the ground.

The house was a sad, sagging two-story rat trap with tarps on the roof and more plywood than glass in the windows. The front porch tilted precariously to the left like it had begun to collapse but gave up partway to the ground.

The uncle in question was the only relative willing or able to take Lisa and her younger sisters, Lucy and Bel (short for Isabel), in after their father had been sent to prison ten months earlier. Their uncle had no interest in the three girls but was terrified of his older brother, even in jail, so he treated the children like a nuisance that would eventually go away if he ignored them long enough. He spent most of his time stoned or drunk, leaving Lisa to raise her younger sisters by herself, for the most part, as best she could.

Lisa's sisters were only 6 and 4 years old, respectively, and they shared a small room on the second floor of the house. Lisa had her own room but slept on the floor between her sisters to keep them safe. She protected her sisters with a single-minded ferocity. She resisted any attempts to have them removed from her uncle's 'care,' as they would almost certainly be separated if that occurred. Families were always interested in fostering or adopting young girls; however, very few were willing to foster troubled teenagers.

We knocked a few times when we arrived, but there was no answer. Eventually, we let ourselves in. The front door might have had a lock, but it was rarely, if ever, used.

We called out to Lisa and her sisters, and the younger girls came running. They wore threadbare dresses and were clearly in need of a bath, yet they greeted us with joy and enthusiasm. They led us to the kitchen, where Lisa stood at the stove preparing a pot of macaroni and cheese. The younger girls eagerly showed us their Christmas presents: a new pack of crayons and some coloring placemats from a local chain restaurant.

Lisa's face looked tense. If you glanced quickly at her, you might have thought she was angry unless you noticed the bead of moisture leaking from the corner of her eye and the slight tremble in her left cheek. She was angry, but more than that, she was lonely, hurt, and ashamed. I had always believed the phrase 'my heart shattered' was just a metaphor, but I could feel a sudden, unbearable ache in my chest as I watched her prepare their meager meal. I wanted to pull her into a hug and take all three of them away from this.

"Merry Christmas, girls," I said, forcing a smile for Lucy and Bel. I felt compelled to say something, to do something. Anything at all.

"Where's your uncle?" I asked Lisa.

"He's out," was her only reply.

"On Christmas?" I asked, incredulous.

"He's out a lot," she said, unable to conceal the bitterness in her voice.

Just then, a man entered through the back door and into the kitchen. To say this man looked like a weasel would have been unfair. To weasels. Any self-respecting weasel would have taken one look at that scrawny, mean-looking pile of grease, sinew, and aggression and would have refused to be associated with him. Even weasels had their standards.

"Who the fuck are you?" the man asked. As he spoke, his eyes scanned Lisa up and down before darting away when he noticed the baseball bat resting within easy reach near the stove. Lisa eyed him warily, and the muscle in her cheek twitched uncontrollably.

"I'm JT, and this is Jason," I replied, reaching out to shake his hand.

"Dale," he replied, unsuccessfully trying to crush my hand before finally letting go and stepping back. I felt an instant and intense dislike for Dale and wanted to know what he was doing here, especially when Lisa's uncle wasn't home. As I pondered how to ask him who he was without raising the already palpable tension in the room, Jason broke the awkward silence.

"We're friends of Lisa and her sisters, and we've come to take them to Christmas dinner at my mom's place."

We were what now? With the benefit of hindsight, we should have planned for the girls to join us on Christmas Day, but Lisa had said they would be fine. If they came over now, there would only be leftovers for them to eat. However, we couldn't leave them alone with that predatory creep in the house, especially with only macaroni and cheese for Christmas dinner.

"Jason, why don't you and Lisa help the younger girls get ready while Dale and I have a brief chat?"

The younger girls dashed out of the room, with Lisa and Jason trailing behind, both glancing back to see what would happen. I spoke quietly to Dale once they were out of earshot.

"Dale, I don't know who you are or what you're doing in this house, but I always give folks the benefit of the doubt. I hope you're a good person who will treat the girls well. They've had a tough life, and they deserve the world. Just know that they are loved. Deeply loved."

Dale looked at me with a mix of contempt and disdain.

"Sure, they are so deeply loved that they are spending Christmas by themselves while living in a shit hole like this with druggies like me. Go sell your line of shit to someone who believes it. And you can keep your threats to yourself, tough guy; I am not fucking afraid of you. In fact, I want you the fuck out of this house. Now!"

He yelled the last part loudly enough for the girls to hear as they came running down the stairs and stood in the front entrance, eyes wide. I picked up Bel, whose tiny body was trembling, while Jason took Lucy's hand.

"Dale, it was nice meeting you. I hope you remember our conversation and have a wonderful Christmas," I said as we left the dilapidated building.

"Screw you," he mumbled as he watched us leave before turning to the fridge to grab a beer.

I was shaking with adrenaline from confronting Dale, and the worst part was that I knew he was right. I felt like a fraud for having enjoyed my Christmas morning with Jen and Jason while the girls suffered alone. I vowed this would be the last holiday they spent like this, and I would find a way to fix it, to make things right for them.

"Jason, please get the girls settled in the truck. I have a few calls to make."

Lisa stopped beside me on the way to the truck and spoke in a low voice so the younger girls couldn't hear, "Don't worry too much about Dale. He talks a big game, but he's terrified of our dad and wouldn't risk crossing him, even while he's in jail."

Perhaps that was true, but I had a sick feeling that Dale's life choices weren't always dictated by logic. Lisa clearly had her doubts as well, but she was putting on a brave face.

"And you don't have to do this," Lisa continued. "I can take care of my sisters myself. We have mac and cheese for dinner if that bastard hasn't eaten it all. We don't want to intrude on your Christmas."

"I know, Lisa, but Jen, Jason, and I think of you girls as part of the family. I thought your uncle would look after you, at least on Christmas. I am so sorry I didn't take better care of you all."

"Taking care of my sisters is my responsibility, JT, not yours, and I can manage it perfectly well without any help from you or anyone else. I don't need your charity," Lisa said, beginning to look angry and defensive.

"I understand, Lisa. I know you can manage this on your own, but maybe you don't have to. Sometimes, it's good to have backup."

Lisa didn't seem convinced, but she climbed into the truck with her sisters. Once the kids were out of earshot, I quickly called Jen.

"Hey, Jen. Is my mom still with you?" I asked. After she confirmed, I explained what had happened and told them I would be bringing the girls over for Christmas dinner.

"I can take them around to see the Christmas lights for about an hour. Do you think you and Mom could whip something up for them at the last minute?"

They said they would see what they could come up with.

I had a thought and made a second call to Ted and Sue. I had been best friends with them since high school, and they were as kind and dependable as the day is long. If I were lucky, they might be able to make Christmas a little more special for the girls. The phone rang, and I heard Sue's voice,

"Ted's phone, what's up?"

"Sue, it's JT. Do you think Ted would be willing to dress up like Santa for an hour or two this evening?" A former offensive lineman, Ted certainly had the size (and now the girth) to pull off a credible Saint Nick.

"Merry Christmas to you too, JT," she laughed. "I'm not sure about the Santa thing, but we can certainly give it a try. Why? What's going on?"

I explained about the girls whom Ted and Sue had met several times and told them they were coming to our house for an impromptu Christmas dinner. Considering the year the girls have had, I thought they might appreciate a visit from Santa.

"You got it. Santa and his crazy helper will be there in an hour."

I felt guilty once I realized I hadn't even asked if they had other plans. However, they were the kind of people who'd drop anything to help friends or family.

For the next hour, we drove around town to admire the displays of lights and festive decorations. We stopped at the church so the girls could see the nativity crèche. They found the idea of a baby in a manger, surrounded by shepherds, angels, wise men, and donkeys, to be hilarious. It was wonderful to see them smile and laugh. They found it even funnier when I told them that the three wise men were named Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthazar. Lucy declared that when she grew up and got a cat, she would call it Balthazar.

When we arrived at the apartment, Jen and my mom had worked up an honest-to-goodness Christmas miracle. Mom had reached out to the Women's Guild at her church, who had, in turn, contacted their friends and families. By the time we got there, there were gifts for the girls under the tree, and Mom had repurposed our stockings, so there was now one each for Lisa, Lucy, and Bel. The leftovers from our Christmas lunch had been turned into an even bigger and better Christmas dinner, and there were even three types of dessert for the girls to enjoy.

The highlight of the evening was when Santa himself arrived alongside his little helper elf. I can't say that Ted looked all that much like the Santa you would see at a mall. His 6'5" frame was packed into a bright red sweater, and his balding head was topped with a classic Santa hat. Somewhere, Sue had tracked down a white beard that looked comically small on Ted's round face. But he played the part perfectly, laughing and entertaining the younger girls. Santa also brought his helper, Sue, dressed in a green sweater and green tights to help spread the holiday spirit. She had even found a bell, which she rang gleefully.

Lucy and Bel were ecstatic. They squealed and ran to Ted, jumping on his knees before he even had a chance to sit down. The look of pure joy on their faces was incredible as they babbled away to him. He asked them if they had been good this year and what they wanted for Christmas, and they whispered their wishes in his ear. I noticed a few tears escaping as Ted listened before he gave each of them a big hug.

While the younger girls were with Santa, I glanced at Lisa, who had a smile on her face for the first time all day. However, her smile was leavened by a profound sadness in her eyes.

"You can talk to Santa too if you'd like," I said to her softly. "Even big kids get to make wishes at Christmas."

Her eyes filled with tears as she looked at me and said in a soft voice, "I just need them to be safe." It was as if a dam had burst, and she began to sob.

Jen and I held Lisa as she wept while Santa and his helper distracted the younger girls with some help from Jason and my mom. Once Lisa had cried herself out, Ted slipped away to my apartment to change into his civilian clothes. If the girls noticed that Ted looked suspiciously like Santa without his scraggly beard and that Santa's helper stayed around even after he left, they never mentioned it.

Later that evening, Jen and I spoke softly in the kitchen while the kids watched a movie. There was no way we would send the girls back to that house, at least not until their uncle returned home. As we talked, Ted came over to join us. With an uncharacteristically bleak expression, he shared the girls' Christmas wishes.

Bel asked for a mom and dad to help care for them so Lisa wouldn't be sad all the time. Lucy asked for a lunch each day to bring to school so she could feed Bel when her tummy hurt. JT, please tell me you have a plan to help these girls. We need to fix this.

I felt overwhelmed. The problems the girls were facing seemed far beyond my knowledge or capabilities. These girls needed a home and a family. They needed stability and love. How was I going to fix this? What was I going to do?

As I felt the edge of panic beginning to set in, Jen squeezed my hand. I looked up, and she held my gaze while offering me a small smile.

"We will figure this out together. First, we'll figure out where everyone is sleeping tonight. Then, we will figure out breakfast in the morning. Next, we will put together a roster of adults to check in on the girls every morning and evening until we can get them into a safe, permanent home. I'll consult with the lawyers I work for on Monday about how to get that process started."

Looking at the younger girls snuggled up on either side of Jason and Lisa, Jen continued, "You did good today. Maybe we should have guessed how difficult things would be at their house, but how could we have known? Who abandons their nieces on Christmas Day? You turned what could have been a miserable day for those girls into a positive memory. They even got to see Santa. You did that, JT."

"We did that," I corrected her. "We make a pretty good team."

CHAPTER 2

Settling everyone in between the two apartments took some doing. In the end, I gave Jason my bed while I slept on the couch. Jen wanted the younger girls to sleep in her bed with Lisa in Jason's room, but Lisa insisted she would feel more comfortable on the couch, so the younger girls ended up sleeping in Jason's room instead. By morning, the younger girls were on either side of Jen in her bed, holding her so tightly that she could barely turn over. I peeked in at them before Jason, Lisa, and I went out for a run, and Jen had her arms wrapped protectively around our girls.

At some point during the night, as I lay tossing and turning, "the" girls became "our" girls, even though Jen and I had officially been together for less than a day. In my head and, more importantly, in my heart, they were now "our" girls, and that's how they would stay.

Later that morning, Jen and I sat down to talk with Lisa while Jason showed Lucy and Bel how to play video games. They didn't make much progress in the games they tried, but there was plenty of giggling, squeaking, and squealing, which suggested that they sure had fun trying.

We asked Lisa what we could do to help with their living situation, but she was adamant that we not involve Child Protective Services. The last time CPS was called, before their mother was killed and their father went to jail, the three of them had been placed in temporary care, and it had gone very badly.

We asked her about Dale, and she said that he had moved into the spare room of her uncle's house earlier that month. She knew he was trouble, but her uncle mostly kept him in line, at least when he was home and sober.

In the end, we reluctantly agreed to bring our girls back to their uncle's house once he returned from his Christmas hiatus. We spoke with Ted, Sue, my mom, and some other friends. It was decided that an adult would check in on them each morning and bring them lunch for school when they did. I also bought a cellphone for Lisa and told her to call me anytime for anything, assuring her that I would drop everything and come if they needed me. Lisa had never owned a phone before and thought it was too expensive to be wasted on her, but I insisted.

Over the next few weeks, Jen and I talked at length about finding a safer home for our girls. Clearly, they couldn't stay at their uncle's place much longer, but we were struggling to find a better option.

It seemed too soon for Jen and me to consider getting a larger place together when we hadn't even been on our first actual date yet. However, it also wasn't realistic to try and make a home for our girls in our two small apartments. With Jen's credit card debt—a parting gift from her ex-husband Bill—she couldn't rent a bigger place alone. Even if I could find a suitable apartment, there was little chance they would place three young girls with a bachelor like me. We vowed to keep searching for a solution and do everything in our power to keep our girls safe.