Everyone put their things in their bedrooms, waiting to unpack until later.  They met back in the living room, Justin standing in front of the TV like he was ready to hold a meeting.

“So, what’s the agenda?” Lynn laughed softly.

“Well, this place needs some decorating, little touches that are us.”  He looked at their parents.  “Did you guys bring what I asked you to?”  They all nodded.  “Good.  I thought it could be fun to decorate the cabin a bit.  Get into the holiday spirit a bit now that we’re up here.”

Their parents went back to their rooms, coming back with small boxes.  Each family had brought special ornaments that had meaning from over the years.  There were framed family pictures to be spread on tables and countertops.  Everyone took turns adding something to the tree.

Justin grabbed a small box, pulling the twins to his side.  “I got a special ornament made for our family.”  It had 3 little heads all together, one for each of the twins and one for Silas.  Above them was a star that connected the rest of the ornament to the string.  “The star is your angel baby brother or sister, the one we lost before Silas.  This way we have all of you together, now and always.”  

Mikayla fought back tears as she watched Barb and Joshy put the ornament on the tree, knowing they would never forget the baby they lost, that SIlas could never replace that part of their family, only add to it while still having that hole.  JC wrapped an arm around her, knowing she was getting emotional.  

She watched as JC grabbed a shoe box, bringing it back to her.  “Do any of these look familiar?”  Her eyes widened as she looked through the small boxes, memories flooding back to her of Christmases past.

“This is from our first Christmas together, when we decorated your place in Florida.  Josh, you really kept these?” she asked in surprise.

“I still have just about everything important from our time together, Kay.  I couldn’t part with any of it. I tried clearing you out of my life, but there were too many memories attached, and I couldn’t let them go.  I’m glad I didn't, because of where we are now.  I’d be kicking myself for not having them now to share with you again, to tell the twins stories.”

“What’s in the box, Daddy?” Barb asked as she ran over to JC and Mikayla.  

JC walked over to the tree, the family watching them.  “This is a special ornament from my family that I put on my tree every year.  Your mom and I would put it up on the tree, and I still put it up every year.  Memories of my family, memories with Mommy, the love that was there, will always be there.”  He put the ornament on the tree, looking at his parents and siblings.

He then pulled out a round blue ornament.  It had ‘Walt Disney World’ written on it, with the castle sitting on top.  “I got this when I took Mommy to Walt Disney World for our first Christmas together.  This joined the other ornaments I put up every year, so I would remember the good times we had together.”

Karen walked over with a small box.  “Your grandpa and I got this one so you can remember visiting us this summer.”  It was and ornament with Mickey ears, with music notes on the ears, 2016 on the cap part, and Fantasia wizard Mickey standing on top of the hat.  Barb helped Karen put it onto the tree, JC trying not to get emotional watching his mom and his daughter.

Justin looked at the tree.  “I think this part is done, but we have the rest of the house, we need some cookies baking, and we need some music!”  The family spread out around the house, adults decorating while the grandkids baked cookies with the grandmas.  Christmas music played over the stereo, everyone stopping in their tracks as a familiar song began.

“We just can't shake it, can we, C?” Justin laughed.

“Hey, we wrote one hell of a Christmas song,” JC chuckled back.  “The fact that it’s on the regular Christmas station playlist and not something Mikayla made up on Spotify…”

“You were what, 17 and 22, somewhere around that?” Mikayla asked.  “Yeah, not crazy talented at ALL…” she teased.

“It’s a cheesy Christmas song,” Justin chuckled. “The kids are dancing to it in the kitchen, so I’ll take that as the highest compliment.  Most of my stuff isn’t exactly kid friendly, so when my kids can listen to it and dance to it, especially knowing it’s me, and aren’t groaning to turn it off, it’s a win.”

“Cuz your kids HATE your music,” Mikayla laughed. “You know we get down to *NSYNC in the car…”

“When they’re with you.  When I’m around…”

“Well, that’s because it’s just weird.  I mean, who would expect Justin Timberlake to listen to *NSYNC with his kids?”

“I’ve had a dance party with the kids,” JC shrugged.  “Gave us something to bond over.  I knew they liked the songs, gave me a little nostalgia without having to actually go out on stage…”

“But would you blast it with them in the car?” Justin asked.

“No, I suppose not.  Maybe when they’re older to punish them for something,” JC smiled.

“Enough, you’re ruining this moment for me,” Mikayla sighed.  “Just gonna focus on the kids dancing in the kitchen.”

Soon the smell of cookies baking filled the house, decorations spread throughout the house and everyone was settling in.  The grandmas insisted on making dinner, despite the rest of the adults saying they would cook.  “You’re wanting to make all the food on Christmas, that’s just 2 days away.  Let us cook,” Heather had suggested.  The grandmas were having none of it.  Each woman made a family recipe, from enchiladas to fried chicken to gourmet macaroni and cheese.  There was enough to feed an army, and between the 19 of them that were over a year old, they just about ate it all.  

They all crowded into the living room to watch Christnmas movies and keep the holiday feeling going.  Slowly, various family members got up and returned with more boxes.

“What’s going on?” Mikayla asked nervously.

“Just thought we’d take you guys on a trip down memory lane.  Stuff the kids hadn’t seen before, but are old enough to see and understand what they’re watching,” Lynn answered.

“They brought home videos,” JC gasped quietly.  “Justin, run…”

“I’m just gonna hide under the blanket when they show my home movies…” Mikayla said.

“I’m staying put, I wanna see little Mikayla,” Justin chuckled.

“You see her every day, walking around like she owns the place,” Mikayla laughed, gesturing to Barb.

“You know what I mean,” Justin said, giving her a playful nudge with his shoulder.

They spent the next few hours going between family home videos of Christmases long past.  Memories with their grandparents that had been all but forgotten, the kids laughing at funny things their younger parents did on camera.  

One by one, the kids started to fall asleep, being carried up to the bunkroom by their parents, Miranda having her boys walk up on their own.  A silence filled the room, uncertainty of what was going to transpire next.  Justin, JC, and Mikayla were nervous about Roy and Karen’s reactions to the news about the wedding.

“Sarah, I think we can let them hash this all out without us,” Miranda said, pulling her down the hall towards the bedrooms and away from the potentially awkward conversation.

“Ok Dad, let me have it,” JC sighed.  “Tell me I’m being stupid, irresponsible, whatever, for agreeing to any and all of this.”

“We love Mikayla, you know that,” Karen said softly.  “It was so good to have you all at our house, it brought back a lot of memories I thought had long since passed.  Seeing Josh with Justin again, seeing Josh with Mikayla, two people that have brought him immense joy, but also some heartbreak.  We just wish we’d known sooner.”

“We don’t exactly understand what’s going on, nor do we need the finer details, but for you not to tell us, Josh…” Roy sighed.

“I wanted to tell you in person.  I know it’s not legal, but I’m getting married, kinda.  Something I don’t think any of us saw as a possibility, not within the last 5 years or so.  I thought that chance was over and done with, yet here I am meeting with vendors for food, flowers, suits…”

“Where is this wedding going to be?  Who is officiating?” Roy asked.

“Ummm, not sure on the last part, since it’s not a real wedding.  But it’ll be at Justin and Mikayla’s home in Montana that they’re building.”

“It’ll give us privacy, and the vendors think it’s all for Justin and I, so it’ll be like an actual wedding.  I’d tell them what it really is, still a wedding, but… I want this whole thing to be positive.  This could honestly blow up in our face if word gets out I’m planning a wedding to anyone that isn't Justin.”

“So let’s make it what we say it is,” JC suggested.  “Make it a vow renewal.  You two renew your vows to each other, and we make ours to each other.  We’re doing the reception at that clubhouse you showed me, so any pictures will have Justin in a tux anyway, we just make sure our friends that take pictures only post of you two.”

“Josh, this was meant to be about us, not Justin and I.”

“C, we can make this work to celebrate you two.  I know it doesn't make much sense, but…”

“It makes more sense to make it about you two.  Maybe our thing can be literally just family.”

‘That’s pretty much who it’ll be anyway."

“I hope we can come,” Karen sighed.  “Not that we don’t want to, but given things…”

“Mom, don’t, not now,” JC interrupted.

“Justin, I think we need to discuss…” Lynn started.

“No.  We can make this work, Mama,” Justin replied.

“What’s going on?” Mikayla wondered.  “I feel like there’s something I don’t know…”

Justin and JC both looked at Mikayla.  “Dad’s not doing well.”