Chapter Text
“Jingle Bells! Jingle Bells! Jingle all the waaaaay! Oh what fun it is to ride in a ONE horse open SLEIGH!”
Ali can’t help but giggle as Ashlyn, um, “sings” and dances around the Christmas tree as she strings it with lights. The girls were out with Uncle Servando and Auntie Alex so the newlyweds could get a tree, get it set up, and lit in preparation for a family decorating party that night. They had spent more money than planned buying ornaments and had been sent others from their friends, family and teammates to celebrate the first Krieger-Harris Christmas. Ali holds one up, smiling.
“I love this one. Tobin is so talented,” she says, showing Ashlyn the one the midfielder had hand painted of the family of four.
“Yeah, it’s pretty cool. Especially with the girls wearing Thorns jersey’s,” Ash notes with a grin.
“Well, that part is a bit wrong but at least she got our Orlando jersey’s right,” Ali notes.
Ashlyn steps back from the tree and uses her toe to turn on the power strip nestled beside the wall. “Ta da!” she calls out, her arms spread wide in triumph.
Ali looks over and smiles. “Beautiful!”
“Yeah, and there’s a switch here so you can decide how fast you want the lights to change or you can just leave them on permanently.”
Ali watches the multi-coloured lights slowly cascading through a blinking pattern. She sighs happily. “It’s perfect,” she says emotionally.
Ashlyn glances over, concerned about the tone. “Alex? Honey, what’s wrong?”
Ali just shrugs and sobs. Ashlyn pulls her into a hug. Ali clings to her, crying on her wife’s strong shoulders. Ash rubs a hand gently up and down her back, just giving her comfort and time. After a few minutes, Ali leans back, wiping her face.
“I’m sorry,” she chokes out.
Ashlyn stares at her in concern, cradling the brunette’s face. “Alex, do you want me to get rid of the tree? We can figure something else out if- -”
“No! No, Ash, it’s perfect, baby. I swear. I just...” she takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “Just one of those damn moments when that bastard I married flashed through my head. He always hired someone to decorate. It had to be perfect, after all, right?” Ashlyn just nods. “It was always cold and impersonal. And always all white lights, no colours. This tree is already the most beautiful one I’ve seen since...since the one at Grandma’s house when you rescued us off the beach. And, I hate to say this, so much of that day is a blur.”
Ashlyn smiles. “I’m not surprised. To say a hell of a lot was going on that Christmas is to put it mildly. Come here...I want to show you something.”
She takes Ali’s hand and leads her down the hall to the spare bedroom that had, for a time, been Ashlyn’s. She gestures for Ali to sit on the bed and opens the bottom drawer of the dresser. From under a blanket she pulls a sketch pad. She sits beside her wife and hands it over.
“Open it.”
Ali smiles and opens the book. The first picture is Grandma and Grandpa Harris laughing at the dinner table. Then there is an oceanscape, alive with details such as little sand crabs, sea gulls, and even dolphins in the distant ocean. There are a few random sketches in various stages of completion and then Ali inhales sharply.
“Oh, Ashlyn...”
In the sketch, Ali is asleep on the couch, Shelly curled up with her. The little girl holds the stuffed dog that had been in her stocking which is still her favorite toy to sleep with and take on trips. Somehow Ash had even captured, in pencil, the sunlight streaming through the window. Mother and daughter look so peaceful in sleep considering how chaotic their life was at that time.
“It’s beautiful, Ashlyn.”
“Shelly was so happy that morning. She had gifts, she had you, she had...had a feeling of safety. I think that’s the day I knew I wanted to be her mother.”
Ali looks over at her. “And...what about me?”
Ashlyn shrugs, staring into beautiful brown eyes. “It’s always been you for me, Alex. Even when I tried to forget you I couldn’t do it. I watched you two sleep for 2 hours and all I could think was it was going to tear me apart to say goodbye to you, not knowing if I’d ever see you again.” She grins. “I threw myself into training in hopes you’d be able to follow me while you were hiding from he who shall not be named,” she finishes with a wink.
“Yeah, he is about as close to Voldemort as a muggle can get,” Ali agrees with a smile. She pats the book. “These are beautiful. I sure as heck didn’t feel as pretty as you drew me.”
“You were beautiful, Alex. Always have been.”
Ali leans over. Ashlyn meets her halfway. They share a deep kiss. When it ends, Ali continues to flip through the sketch pad, smiling as Ashlyn’s sketches of that Christmas day bring back memories. When they are finally done, Ali grins.
“Thank you for reminding me of my second best Christmas day ever,” she says.
Ashlyn frowns. “Second best?” she asks, a little hurt.
Ali strokes a hand down her wife’s cheek. “THIS Christmas will be my best ever. I will have my wife, our daughters, and our amazing families to celebrate with. I won’t be hiding in the shadows. I won’t be scared of upsetting someone and being beaten. I will be happy and filled with love, joy and so many other wonderful emotions I will be a walking Christmas carol.”
Ashlyn grins. “It’s going to be my favorite, too. I mean, I know we haven’t gotten all the red tape and stuff done but, it’s my first Christmas as a mom. I can’t wait to stay up late getting presents put together and then getting up ugly early to open gifts here before going to Grandma’s for an amazing meal with our families. And our girls are going to be so spoiled it’s gonna be awesome!”
Ali studies her wife a moment. “Tomorrow. We have nothing planned let’s get the ball rolling tomorrow.”
“What ball?” Ashlyn asks in confusion.
“Between speaking engagements, camps, National Team games, we’ve put off getting the paperwork filed to make you officially the girl’s mother. No more. Tomorrow we go and see Jessica to get things started. Christmas is in 3 weeks. Let’s see if you can be their Mama officially by Christmas.”
Ashlyn’s eyes widen and her smile becomes huge. She pulls Ali into a hug. “YES! I was figuring it would be after the New Year with all that’s going on but YES let’s do it tomorrow! I love them so much, Alex, I hope you know that piece of paper doesn’t change anything but...but to see my name on their amended birth certificate will...will...” her eyes fill with tears and she can’t speak.
Ali smiles and kisses her on the cheek. “I know, sweetheart. I can’t wait to see your name there, either. I’m sorry we’ve put it off so long.”
Ali leans over and places the sketch pad on the dresser. She pushes Ashlyn back on the bed and covers her with her body.
“I love you, Ashlyn Krieger-Harris.”
Ashlyn smiles. “I love you, too, Alexandra Krieger-Harris.”
The two share a deep kiss that soon leads to much, much more.