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Robbe opened the door to his apartment after a long day at work, he could hear the familiar laugh of his husband. After 15 years together the laugh never failed to put a grin on his face. Joining in with Sander’s laugh was the giggling of their 3 year old twins, Millie and Willem. There was too much ruckus coming from the lounge for anything less than chaos to be in the other room.
As he placed his bag and coat on the hook behind the door Robbe took a moment to listen, it was obvious the other three were too involved in what they were doing to have heard him come home.
“When papa gets home we will sit our shoes out” he heard sander tell the twins. Robbe had almost forgotten the date, it was the 5th of December and this was the first year that the twins were really excited about the festive season.
Robbe could tell that this disappointed Sander last year. Sander has always been firm on setting traditions to observe and even though he put shoes out for both children and Robbe, the twins really didn’t understand what was happening. It sounded like this year Sander had successfully gotten both of them worked up for the occasion.
“Papa!!!” Broke Robbe out of his thoughts as all three chorused for him when they came out of the lounge and saw him in the hallway. Millie ran at full speed to Robbe and leapt and he was only just able to catch her mid air.
“The sint is coming so we need shoes” she told Robbe, all form of inside voice out the window.
“And sugar and a cumber” Willem followed up from next to sander.
“A cumber?” Robbe asked confused, the excitement in his sons face matched Sanders, Robbe glanced up to his husband to try and get some clarity. Sander was laughing too hard to notice.
“It’s not a cumber, it’s a cucumber” said Millie, sternly to her brother.
“Oh” Robbe had clicked. “I thought the sint like carrots in the shoe”
“No, Dadda said that our ‘trition’ is for cumbers and that Uncle Milan said he prefers them” Sander was watching so proud as Willem recounted the tradition, Robbe was sure this would surpass any other achievement to him.
“That’s right” Sander followed “and now that papa is here you need to get shoes, and get one of papa’s shoes too”
Millie wriggled in Robbes arms as her brother ran off to find shoes, Robbe put her down and she ran off after him.
“You know you are going to have to put them to bed tonight” Robbe said as he walked over the Sander for a hug and a welcome home kiss.
“Do I still need to put out a shoe now Millie and Wim are doing it”
Sander had a shocked look on his face, Robbe knew the answer before sander even spoke.
“Robbe, how could you, it’s tradition for you to put your shoe out, this is the 16th time” Sander took a step back with mock offence and looked at his husband.
The twins came running back into the hallway with their little arms full of shoes.
“You only need one shoe each!” Sander laughed looking down at the kids, and he picked up one from each “these will do nicely, no go find a shoe for papa” both kids ran off too the door and Millie grabbed one of Robbes shoes.
“Do you need a shoe Daddy?” Willem asked, and sander shook his head.
“Nope, our tradition is for Papa to put his shoe out, and both of you of course, the sint gave me the best present I could even have gotten a long time ago so I don’t need my shoe now”
Both the kids looked at him with wide eyes “what did you get” the both asked in unison.
“I got your papa” sander said and looked at Robbe. He felt his face warm up, even after all this time Sander could still turn Robbe back into a love struck 16 year old.
“Oh” the kids said, seemingly disappointed in the unexciting present.
After a momentary pause while sander looked at Robbe, he swung round to look at the kids “alright let’s go” the three of them shot off into the lounge and robbed laughed to himself as he followed slowly behind them.
The scene was set, sander kneeling in front of their fireplace with a child on each side, showing them how to put the cucumber into the shoe and the sugar cubes on top.
“Tada” he said and the twins mimicked.
“Is that all?” Robbe asked to blank face from Sander and the same blank faces on both his children. The face was the same face from 15 years ago when Milan asked the same question.
“Oh yeah” Sander said, looking down at the children.
“Now we need to sing to the shoes, or the sint won’t know to come” the kids eyes widened at this. The rest of the evening was spent with Robbe sitting on the couch watching Sander teach his children to sing the steamboat.
After finally getting both kids to sleep, and setting up the sweets for them for the morning. Sander flopped down onto the bed next to Robbe.
“You have outdone yourself” Robbe said planting a kiss on Sander’s forehead. Sander looked up at him with a grin.
“You just wait till I get my sint costume out tomorrow” he replied. Robbe could only laugh, this was the first of many years of their updated tradition.