I thought I was done with this story. But a second chapter decided to worm it's way out of me so here it is…

Anna Bates couldn't help but frown as she brought all the coats and winter gear out of the front closet. It had been a couple of years since she'd properly gone through everything and it was long past time to reorganize it. She dumped everything onto the living room floor and began to go through the many coats, jackets and scarves that were piled up. She made a mental note to buy Robert, their 10 year old son a new winter coat as it looked like everything that was his in the closet was too small. After hanging the remaining jackets and coats up properly, she turned to the hats, scarves, and mittens that were now piled onto the couch.

"How in heaven's name do three people have that many hats and mittens?" John asked, he stopped in the middle of the room, next to a pile of hangers that had seen better days.

"Because I have no control when I see pretty yarn and a pattern in Robbie's size." Anna responded, smirking. "At least he appreciates the things I knit him, the women at my knitting group say a boy like Robbie is rare."

"He gets it from his father, I still have the scarf you knitted for me when we got married." Anna glanced at the pile of scarves, she could see the Grey cable poking out of the brightly coloured scarves Robbie liked. "Although to be fair, that was only five or six years ago, right?" John teased.

"Fifteen this Christmas,"Anna corrected, laughing.

"If it won't evoke the sweater curse, I'd love a new one." John said he stepped around a box of brightly colored (but too small for Robbie) hats and mittens. He bent to kiss her and Anna hummed as the kiss ended.

"To be honest, I think the sweater curse only applies to those who aren't married." Anna laughed, "I'll see what yarn and patterns I have that match."

John squeezed her hand, looked at her like she was the one responsible for making the sun rise every morning and then left to go pick up Robbie from football. After getting everything put away properly and the bags for the shelter put in the back of her car, Anna went to her rocking chair and flipped through a pattern book. John knew how much effort and time it took to knit a scarf so he hadn't asked for one except if he was teasing. But he did need a new scarf, and she'd noticed both of her husband's hats looked like they'd seen better days. She quickly cast on and was in the middle of the 2nd row when Robbie barreled into the house.

"How was football?" Anna asked, she looked up from her project.

"I made a new friend!" Robbie's hazel eyes sparkled. "His name is Michael and he liked the socks I was wearing!" Anna saw that her son was wearing the white and green striped socks she'd finished the week before. "He doesn't have a mummy to knit him things….." Robbie hinted.

"I'll have to ask his mother if she is okay with me knitting Michael something."

"He doesn't have a Mummy or Daddy at all, there was a car crash. Michael lives with his Granny and Grand-Dad."

"Once I'm done with the hat and scarf for your dad, I'll start on a few things for Michael."

Robbie grinned and dashed into his room. John came in a few seconds later, dropping the football odds and ends that Robbie had left in the car.

"Did he tell you about his new friend?"

Anna smiled as she continued to knit on the hat. "Yes, and when I'm done with this project I'll be making some things for him."

Several months passed, Michael became an almost daily fixture at their house. Anna continued to knit, something she found extremely relaxing and still found enjoyment in. Anna loved knitting for Michael, who like Robbie loved to wear the hand knitted hats, scarves and mittens that she knitted. It was almost like having two children to knit for, and Anna tried not to think about the fact that she and John had wanted to have more children then just Robbie.

The scarf and hats for John were folded in the bottom drawer of her dresser. Anna wasn't sure why she hadn't given them to her husband when she finished the projects. Did she believe in the sweater curse after all? Was she, in some way worried that something would happen to hers and John's relationship if she were to give him the item's she'd made?

Some of the women in her knitting group hadn't even heard of the sweater curse and she hadn't believed it herself when she'd first heard it. But the items remained folded in the bottom drawer of her dresser.

Christmas crept closer and Anna decided she would wrap up the hats and scarf and give them to her husband for Christmas. She cast on a pair of gloves to make up for the fact that her husband was wearing a threadbare scarf and hat to work every day.

She realized she had a secret and there was a twinkle in her eyes as she cast on another hat, this time one too small for her husband.

Christmas was only days away and Anna began to wrap John's presents. She set each gift under the tree along with a new gift. It was something she had knitted years before, when Robbie was much younger. She smiled as she knew how much he would love each of the handmade gifts.

Christmas day dawned and Robbie had fun unwrapping everything with his name on it and throwing the paper around the living room. Anna pulled out the special present last and handed it to John. "Last present." She smiled.

John felt the package before speaking "Something soft, maybe another hat or scarf?"

"It's too big." Robbie said. "Unless it's a hat for a giant."

Anna laughed. "This is something much smaller then a hat for a giant."

John opened the gift, his brow furrowing as he took in the pastel colors. "It's much too small for our bed." He opened the blanket, the hat and booties fell out, he didn't see them. Robbie dove down to the ground and picked them up. But John wasn't paying attention to his son. "It's too small for Robbie's bed," he murmured. "Is this a couch blanket?" he asked, holding it up to the blanket that was draped on the back of their couch. But he shook his head, as he saw that it was much smaller then the throw.

"Dad look," Robbie spoke now. He held up the booties. "Little slippers, like the ones mum makes me, but they're too small."

Anna heard John suck in his breath as he turned to her. "Anna…." he breathed.

Anna's eyes filled with tears. "Yes John." She couldn't stop smiling. "I'm due in June."

John tossed the blanket in Robbie's direction and pulled Anna in for a hug."You're sure?"

"I actually made my doctor give me an ultrasound before I believed the test results." Anna laughed. "I'm sure."

"Sure of what Mum?" Robbie asked.

"I'm going to have a baby." Anna said. She sniffled and wiped a tear that was falling.

"I'm beginning to think this sweater curse doesn't even exist." John said.

Anna laughed at that. "I think it's just a superstition that some people exaggerate."

John pulled Anna closer, for a kiss. "This is the best Christmas." he said quietly when it ended.

Anna nodded in agreement, having her family here with her, made this the best Christmas ever.

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