HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Disclaimer : Not mine Not mine.
Chapter 3: Christmas Morning
Despite going to bed late the previous night, Alex was awake early the next morning. After stretching, and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he climbed out of his crib, and turned back to it, getting Paddy, and Bink out, then ran out of his room toward the stairs. To him this was just any other old morning, the idea of Christmas and presents was something he wasn’t really ready for. At the top of the stairs he looked down, and his eyes grew very big. Under the tree and out from it were lots of presents, and while he wasn’t sure about Christmas, he knew from various times during the past year presents meant good things. He turned from the stairs, and ran into the hall, and down to his parents room which was on the end, and pushed open the door.
“Mummy daddy lots presents up now,” he yelled running to Rick’s side of the bed. His yell woke both of them, and Rick gave Evelyn a quick good moring kiss before he turned and lifted Alex onto their bed.
“Up daddy up mummy, got get Alex presents,” he said bouncing on Rick’s chest.
“All right buddy lets go see what St. Nick left you,” Rick said, as he sat up and then quickly cradled Alex in his arms and nibbled under his chin which always brought laughter.
“Top daddy got go see presents,” he said, as he laughed. Rick let him sit up, then once again held him cradled and nibbled his belly this time.
“All right you two, lets go downstairs and see what we have,” Evelyn said, excited to share this Christmas with Alex. He was older, and things would mean more to him this year, than it had the previous two. Once Rick put Alex down, he ran to Evelyn and took her hand.
“Come on mummy go see it,” he said tugging at her hand.
“We need to wait for daddy,” she responded, lifting him into her arms. He gave her a hug and a kiss, and rubbed his nose to hers.
“Daddy is ready,” Rick said, and they all headed downstairs.
The first order of business, before the presents were opened, was to light up the candles on the tree, and Alex got to help hold a candle with his mum and lit most of them. Outside the world had been transformed into a winter wonderland, and Rick at least decided at some point they should all go out for a walk. Once the candles had been lit, Evelyn set Alex down and he frowned.
“What is it baby?” she asked.
“Got get Unca John,” he said, then ran off behind the stairs, and off to the right, to the other part of the house. When he arrived, the door was open and he ran in without warning.
“Unca John up got presents, St Nicus commed,” Alex informed. Usually Jonathan grumbled and groaned, however, ths was a special time, and he sat up smiling.
“Did you get lots of presents?” he asked as he climbed out of bed, and went to his closet where he got his robe.
“Lots all for Alex,” he said. As soon as Jonathan was ready, Alex pulled him along, and in a moment they arrived back in the parlor. Rick and Evelyn were on the sofa snuggling under a warm blanket, and a fire was going to ward off the chill.
“Open now,” Alex said. Evelyn smiled as Rick got up, and settled on the floor by the tree, and picked out a fairly large present and gave it to his son. Alex sat down and worked at the paper then ripped into it.
“Oh Look. Daddy mummy got a train,” Alex squealed. He had gotten a train set, one with wooden tracks, and little props like trees and people.
“I open it play,” Alex said. Evelyn, and Jonathan joined them on the floor.
“Why don’t you open more presents and mummy will set this up,” Evie said. She tried to get the box open, but it was sealed, so Rick gave her his butterfly knife, then handed Alex another present. Again he ripped into the package and found a box of blocks of various shapes and colors, that came in a little wagon for him to pull around. Rick found a present for Jonathan, and had Alex give that to him. Alex did so and sat on his lap.
“All right partner lets see what St. Nick got for me,” Jonathan said. He unwrapped the present a little less quickly than Alex, then opened a box finding in it a lounging Jacket.
“Oh yes,” he said holding it up.
“It not a toy,” Alex said frowning.
“No, but I’ll play with yours.” Alex nodded, and went back to his daddy who gave him a present for Evelyn. Again, when he went to her he settled in her lap, and watched her open the flat box. Inside was a velvet box, and Evelyn shot Rick a look, the opened it and gasped.
“Oh it’s beautiful,” she said. It was a gold snake bracelet that she could wrap around her arm. First she hugged Alex, then scooted next to Rick and they shared a kiss.
“Oh Pease,” Alex said, mocking his Uncle John, and that got laughter from everyone.
By lunch all the paper, and boxes had been picked up, and put away, and now, while Evelyn fixed leftovers from the party, Rick and Jonathan helped Alex build a town for his train set. While they did that, Alex was settled on the floor making his train go around the track that Evelyn had build. It was complicated, with many twists and turns, and hills for it to go up and down, and even a tunnel. Around them were the rest of Alex’s toys. He had gotten several things, new books, blocks that stuck together, Lincoln Logs which Rick had ordered out of a catalog, to make the cabins out of, and several other things.
“There you go big guy,” Rick said. Alex looked over at his daddy then got back to his train, and Rick smiled.
“Well if you don’t need me, I think I might have nap,” Jonathan said.
“Have a good snooze,” Rick told him, and went to the kitchen to see what his wife was up too. As he approached, he smelled good food, and walked in as she was setting the table.
“Jonathan decided to sack out on us,” Rick informed, as he walked behind her and eased her against him.
“I think I might do the same after we have lunch,” she said, turning in his arms. He lowered his head and kissed her gently on the lips, then they parted and went into the den to get Alex. When they arrived, they found him laying on the floor hugging his train, asleep. Evelyn let go of Rick’s hand and got the blanket from the couch, and went to her baby, gently placing it over him. He sighed but didn’t wake up, and when she straightened Rick wrapped his arms around her, and she sighed.
“I think this is the best Christmas I’ve ever had,” Evelyn said softly as they watched their son sleep. That brought a smile to his face.
“I would have to agree. Well Mrs. O’Connell, why don’t we save lunch for later, and have a snooze on the couch,” Rick suggested. Usually Evelyn wouldn’t agree to that, but right now she wanted to be in her husbands arms. She let him lead her to the couch, and once he was laying down she joined him snuggled with her back against his chest. Both of them sighed in contentment.
“Merry Christmas Rick,” she said as she drifted to sleep.
“Merry Christmas Evelyn. I love you,” he added, and joined her and their son in a much needed nap.
THE END