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“Hey sweetheart, what took so long?”
“Vi woke up as I was tucking her in; she was worried she and Freddy didn’t put out enough reindeer food. I assured her there was plenty- hell there’s enough oatmeal scattered around the garden to feed a small army. At least Kal won’t mind.” Henry replied while softly padding down the stairs after putting your six year old to bed.
“That’s why I didn’t include glitter in the recipe I gave them. I can only imagine the aftermath of Kal getting into it. I still have nightmares from the days following New Years” you recalled as Henry joined you on the couch.
“Yeah, you didn’t have to clean up after him. Anyway, she’s down now, she fell asleep maybe five or six letters in. I’m so glad my parents got us that book. Hopefully Vi and Freddy will be giant Tolkien nerds when they’re older, just like you-know-who.”
“Me!” you exclaimed simultaneously.
Henry glanced down at you, crooking up his right eyebrow “Darling we both know I’m the bigger Tolkien fan”.
“Henry, between the two of us, who has actually read more than just the Hobbit?” you returned his infamous look of disbelief. Your comment was met with an eye roll and loud exhale. “That’s what I thought. We’ll revisit this conversation once you’ve finished the Lord of the Rings trilogy and a few others. But for now, do you want to pick tonight's movie?”
“Let’s see. We had Charlie Brown and the Grinch on while the kids colored their playhouse. Last night was The Holiday and Love, Actually the night before. I love you and know your love for holiday rom-coms, but as hard as I try, I can’t do three in a row. What about A Christmas Story?”
“I triple dog dare you!”
“A Christmas Story it is then!”
As Henry queued up the film, you popped into the kitchen to prepare some hot chocolate with extra whipped cream- was there really any other way to make it- and grab a plate of cookies you made earlier in the week. Coming back into the living room, you set down the tray of snacks on the coffee table before burrowing into Henry’s side and draping the large olive knit blanket that adorned the back of the sofa across you both. Henry lit the fireplace earlier in the day, but you both loved the extra coziness that accompanied your evening cuddle session.
While the movie played, you both quoted some of your favorite lines: “FRA-GEE-LEE! It must be Italian”, “He looks like a deranged Easter Bunny”, and the repeated taunts of “You’ll shoot your eye out!”. Kal, who quietly snored at your feet, however didn’t seem as enraptured although that may have been more to do with his not being allowed to have any Christmas cookies.
After the movie ended, Henry switched to a Christmas music playlist and offered to start getting the gifts from Santa out of your hiding spot. With a thumbs up, you reluctantly crawled out of your blanket and Henry cocoon to let the bear out one last time for the night. While Henry was occupied, you cleaned up the remnants of your cocoa and cookies and quietly dug through the pantry for one very special gift that was hidden behind and under so many boxes of cereal, jars of spices, and jugs of protein powder that even Superman’s X-Ray vision wouldn’t have been able to locate it.
On your way back, you stashed the gift under the blanket you were just using before letting Kal in from the garden and drying his paws which were damp from the snow. As Kal curled up in front of the fire, Henry reappeared with a stack of gifts and stocking stuffers. You started with the latter while Henry made at least three more trips, arms full each time.
Half an hour later, Henry was tightening the last bolt on the training wheels of Freddy’s new bicycle and you found yourself standing at the glass door, looking out over the garden and watching the snow softly fall. Lost in thought, you hadn’t realized Henry had joined you until you felt his chest press against your back and his strong arms wrap around you.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked.
“Just reminiscing about past Christmases- the good and the challenging- and how thankful I am to have you and our little monsters to share those experiences with.”
Henry turned you so you were facing him. Cupping your face in his hands, he brushed a few stray strands of hair out of your face before embracing you in a gentle but passionate kiss. A kiss that felt as though he was baring his soul. When the kiss was broken, you rested your foreheads against one another, eyes closed, just breathing in the moment.
“Hen-Henry” you softly eked out, “I have a gift for you to open tonight.” An intrigued smirk befell his face as he cocked up his eyebrow. Reading his facial cues, you rushed out a response “Henry, No! It’s not Mrs. Claus or Sexy Santa lingerie. Or lingerie at all for that matter.”
“I didn’t say a word my love.”
“You didn’t have to, your face said it all.” Swatting him on the chest, you asked that he sit on the sofa.
Once Henry was seated, you retrieved the large box out from under the blanket and placed it in his lap. Lifting the lid, Henry first saw a dog bandana for Kal; it was a soft asphalt grey color that read “Team Cavill” in white text with “Mascot” printed below.
Looking at where you sat next to him, Henry wondered “I thought this was a gift for me, not the bear?”
“It is! You have to keep going.”
Lifting the tissue paper below the bandana, he saw a matching shirt that also read “Team Cavill” but sported the number one where Kal’s title had been.
“Did you really get Kal and I matching outfits?! I’m definitely wearing this to the next press junket I’m able to bring him on!” Henry looked down, noticing more tissue. “Wait! Are there more in here?”
Delving into the next layer, he found a second matching shirt, this time in your size with the number two. Then a third with a three for Vi and a fourth for Freddy. Henry’s face split into a massive grin. “Darling, I absolutely love this! It’s like I get to show off my own mini rugby team! Thank you so much.” As Henry went to set the shirts and bandana back, he felt his hand brush something plush that was not the hard cardboard bottom of the box. Furrowing his brow, he looked down, over to you, then down again.
Slowly, Henry lifted the tissue that sat underneath Freddy’s shirt and his eyes suddenly went wide. There, at the bottom of the box, he saw a pair of “Team Cavill” onesies emblazoned with the numbers five and six. His mouth hung open as he turned so his eyes met yours and you simply nodded.
Before you knew what was happening, you felt your feet leave the ground locked in Henry’s embrace. Setting you down, Henry knelt in front of you and lifted the hem of your sweater, seeing the slight swell of your lower stomach. You watched as he peppered kisses across your newly formed bump, tears starting to well in your eyes.
“Hi babies. It’s your dad here. I can’t wait to meet you, just not too soon. Wait until your mum here says it’s time for you to come out. You also have a big sister and two big brothers out here who will be excited to meet you. Although, fair warning, one brother is much hairier than the other. I love you both so much already.”
With that last bit, the dam broke and tears slid down your face. Henry planted two last kisses on your stomach before standing and meeting your lips with his. “This will now go down in the books as the most incredible Christmas present of my life. I love you so much.”
“I love you too, but I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to give you as special a Christmas present as this.”
“Hmmm… what about more babies AND tickets to the 2023 Rugby World Cup?”
With a chuckle and shake of your head you grabbed the collar of Henry’s navy sweater and pulled him in for a long kiss. You loved this man with every fiber of your being and yes, you would give some serious thought to his present suggestion for next Christmas.