Chapter Text
The snow fell finely and delicately outside, newly arrived in its long awaited season, shyly painting everything below in a beautiful and characteristic shade of white that everyone eagerly awaits. With it comes the cold, initially a gentle and icy breeze, but even with its initial gentleness, it already causes many to gather their coats before going out, mothers to wrap their little ones in colorful scarves, families to turn on the heaters in the comfort of their homes, and the embraces between couples snuggled under the sheets to become tighter; which was your currently situation with your wife, Sevika.
Sevika’s strong, large arm held you close, occasionally caressing your back even in her unconsciousness, her short nails gently scraping the skin there. Her heavy, slow breath hit the top of your head as she snored softly, her lips slightly parted. Your face was buried between her neck and shoulder, holding her with both arms, as close as you could and as sleep allowed. Both of you naked, your warm breasts pressed firmly against each other, and your legs intertwined in a way that was difficult to understand, but perfectly comfortable and warm for both of you. With all this, you could say you both were having the perfect sleep, when you’re so comfortable and immersed in a dream world that waking up against your will feels like the worst thing in the world.
And unfortunately for both of you, that was exactly what was about to happen. It was a Monday, and the alarm clock on your bedside table reminded you of this terrible fact.
You muttered a series of disjointed words of indignation, frowning and moving even closer to Sevika — if that was even possible —, feeling her let out an irritated sigh. Sevika stretched out the arm that was holding you and turned off the digital alarm clock, letting her arm fall back onto the bed and trailing down to your back again, where she now consciously stroked it with her fingertips.
“Six in the morning…” She said with no enthusiasm, and you just mumbled something from where your face was buried, clearly a curse word. Sevika snorted amusedly and kissed the top of your head. “C’mon.”
“Just a little longer, love. You’re so warm.” You said, leaving a lingering kiss on her shoulder.
“Mhm. The last time we stayed ‘just a little longer,’ Avani missed her test.”
“Mmmmm… That was a while ago… Now we know that— Hey!” You complained when she suddenly pulled away, taking with her all the comfortable warmth of her muscular body, sitting up on the bed.
You were about to utter more insults and grumbles, but you were quickly distracted by the beautiful and enchanting sight of your wife’s body. The sheet fell slowly, gathering around her hips. She closed her eyes and stretched her right arm upwards as high as she could, while turning her head from side to side, feeling her sleeping muscles slowly awaken. You remained silent, observing how her abdomen stretched, managing to see her ribs slightly outlined. She still maintained her exercise routine frequently, but married life and motherhood had softened her body a little, so now you could see the charming little roll in her stomach when she sat. Your eyes traveled up to her beautiful breasts, with faint marks, traces of the previous night; both rising slowly, gasping for air before exhaling and lowering with the same slowness. Your glazed eyes also noticed how her chest, torso, and arm shivered with the sudden cold of the room and the awakening of her muscles. Then, your eyes drifted down to her hips, unfortunately covered by the sheet. You swallowed hard.
“Y’know it’s rude to stare, right?” Sevika herself snapped you out of your trance.
You rolled your eyes, pretending not to be a little embarrassed at having been caught staring so intensely and brazenly. Not that you hadn’t already looked at each other like that a thousand times, but that little smile of hers still affected you the same way it had fifteen years ago.
“Not my fault you’re hot.”
You replied, scratching the bedsheet with your index fingernail, still avoiding her gaze despite the cheeky response. Sevika leaned over to pick up her prosthetic left arm, which had been left forgotten last night on a pillow on the floor next to the bed. She put it on and used it to support herself on the bed, so she could use her right hand to hold your face, making you look at her.
A captivating sigh escaped you as you observed her closely. Her grey eyes, still so deep and beautiful, still focused on you, even after all these years. The corners of her eyes were marked by small wrinkles of age and those same characteristic dark circles under her eyes. Your eyes drifted down to her lips, and you raised a hand to cup her face as well, gently tracing the small, almost imperceptible scar on her upper lip with your index finger. Then, you used the same finger to trace the shape of her mouth, lingering a little longer on her lower lip. Sevika reached to kiss your thumb, using her own hand to hold your wrist, scattering kisses from your thumb to your wrist, then leaning in to kiss your lips.
You kissed slowly, just lingering, slow pecks, until she pulled away again, forcing herself to stand. Sevika stretched out her arms one last time and moved to put on her clothes.
“I’ll wake Avani up.” She said.
You stretched your arms too and then stood up, yawning in the process.
“Good luck, mom. I’ll make us breakfast.”
It turns out that your daughter was quite difficult to wake up, like many children. She expended a lot of energy throughout the day, running around at school and at home, playing as much as she could, and when night fell she had the gift of simply passing out regardless of the noise or temperature in the room.
Sevika opened the light green door to the little girl’s room, pausing for a few seconds to watch her sleeping. She stifled a laugh and shook her head from side to side as she saw her almost falling out of bed, the right side of her body almost entirely hanging off the bed, lying on her stomach, drooling on the sheet with her mouth slightly open, giving anyone who saw her that way a glimpse of her adorable diastema. Finally, she was holding a stuffed animal in her little hand, one that was surely about to fall.
The woman walked slowly to the bed, where she bent down and placed her left hand on her small back, stroking it up and down.
“Avani.” She called, her voice still low, hoarse with sleep. “Hey, little bean. Wake up.”
The only response was a choked snore, and the girl turned her face away, completely oblivious to the fact that half her body was hanging off the bed, still thinking her mother's voice was coming from the crazy dream she was having. Sevika sighed, but there was too much caring in that sound and in her eyes to fool anyone. She leaned over and, with an ease that only years of practice brought, adjusted her daughter back in the center of the bed, her left hand resting on her stomach while the other held her leg. Avani didn’t even move, she just opened her mouth even wider, releasing a warm breath of air.
She stretched and opened the curtains of the window near the bed, letting the bright morning light into the room, illuminating Avani’s face. Even so, the little girl didn’t move. Sevika snorted a laugh, realizing it wouldn’t solve anything, and then sat on the edge of the bed and leaned over her daughter’s ear.
“Avani, you have school, wake up… Or I’ll have to tickle you.”
The change was automatic. Suddenly she began to wake up, the spasm betraying her. Avani yawned and let out a pained, trembling little moan, the kind a child makes two seconds away from complaining about the whole world. Finally, she turned her head and lifted herself just a little from the pillow, without actually opening her eyes.
“No, mom…” She whispered, her voice drawn out and hoarse. “It’s Saturday…”
“It isn’t.” Sevika answered, firmly but gently, in that way that only mothers know how to.
“Yes, it is…” Avani insisted, already pouting. Sevika raised an eyebrow.
“Wanna bet?”
The girl opened one eye. Just one. Half-closed. “No.” She decided, and threw her face back into the pillow.
Sevika placed a hand on the girl’s waist and gently turned her over, so that Avani was on her back, and now waking up, she had to get used to the light that was coming in and hitting her face.
“Mommm…” She complained, her voice whiny, rubbing her eyes with her palms. “It’s cold.”
“I know.” Sevika pulled the blanket up to her chest just to maintain a minimum of comfort while she spoke. “But you need to get up. Your mom’s already making breakfast, and I’m pretty sure you’re decorating that Christmas tree in your classroom today, aren’t you?”
The little girl’s eyes, the same color as yours, blinked once, twice, and then opened a little wider, finally truly waking up. Wide open and ready for the world.
“Yes!” Avani sat up quickly in bed, kicking the sheet away and dropping her stuffed animal in the process. “A-And the teacher said we can make our own decorations!”
“That’s cool, huh? Your mommy and I will get ours started soon too. Speaking of her… she’s probably making pancakes. C’mon, let’s go eat.”
Avani thought for three seconds, and then it seemed that all the energy of seconds ago evaporated when she looked at the smooth floor; her mind assimilating the coldness of the room, the fine snow outside, knowing that the floor would be equally icy. Her slippers were right there in front of the bed — or at least one of them, the other was lost under the bed —, but there was always an easier way. She exhaled through her nose and stretched her arms upward toward Sevika, her body becoming soft and heavy again at the mere thought of her mother’s warm, loving embrace.
“Can you carry me?”
Sevika bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling too wide. But she gave in, as she always did. You said Avani had inherited Sevika’s puppy eyes, but she was sure she melted because of seeing your eyes there.
She clicked her tongue affectionately and bent down to easily hold her daughter, lifting her into her arms, the small body immediately melting against her chest as if made of warm jelly, her head falling onto her shoulder accompanied by a long, sleepy sigh.
Upon reaching downstairs and walking to the kitchen, Sevika found you facing the stove, stirring a frying pan while waiting for the eggs to reach the right consistency. Next to you, on the same stovetop counter, the electric pancake maker was on, preparing the other two, while two pancakes were already on the plate beside it; and then the electric coffee maker was also plugged in.
With Avani on her left arm, Sevika approached from behind, wrapping her right arm around your waist, squeezing lightly as she moved closer to distribute chaste pecks along your neck. You smiled and struggled not to stop stirring the frying pan, though you tilted your head to the side almost automatically, shivering slightly at her lips. Sevika quickly moved from your neck to your face, where she left a longer kiss on your cheek.
“Ew.” Avani’s low, husky voice suddenly sounded, making you laugh and Sevika smile, rolling her eyes.
The girl lifted herself from the shoulder you were lying on, turning to reach the other side of your face, where she left a loud kiss.
“Good morning, mommy.”
“Hey, I didn’t get a good morning.” Sevika said, raising her eyebrows; her eyes and tone betraying how much she was joking.
Avani smiled and stepped away from you, brushing her hair away from her face before cupping Sevika’s face in her hands and placing a loud kiss between her eyebrows, something she learned from you.
“Good morning, mom!”
“Much better.”
You turned off the stove as they moved aside, giving you space to pass and head toward the table. Sevika placed the little girl in the middle chair and returned to the counter to check the pancakes and coffee. She picked up another plate and placed the other two freshly made pancakes on it, then took the two plates from the counter, one in each hand, and placed them on the table: one at your place and the other in front of Avani, whose eyes widened.
“Honey, mommy! Please!”
You smiled, and after placing Sevika’s eggs in front of her place, you stretched to reach the small pot in the center of the table and poured generous strands over the little girl’s pancakes. Avani watched intently as the honey dripped, as if it were the most enchanting event in the world. Meanwhile, the coffee maker beeped, and Sevika poured coffee for you and her and returned to the table. Before handing it over, she leaned down to leave a quick kiss on the top of your head.
When she sat down in her seat, Avani already had her mouth full of pancake, swinging her legs back and forth, and although she was eating with such gusto, her eyes shone in a way that didn’t lie and that you knew well: there was a big thought inside, about to escape.
“Our tree…” She started, eyes big. “Auntie said it’s gonna be the biggest one ever!” Avani stuffed the pancake in her mouth too fast and coughed, you patted her back. “And some kids from another class said theirs is gonna be bigger, but auntie promised ours is the real biggest.”
“That’s cool, love.” Sevika murmured after a slow sip of coffee, her eyes half-closed as her body appreciated the warmth of the liquid.
“Yeah, but don’t eat too fast, okay? You still have enough time to eat and get there on time.”
Avani nodded and, after swallowing what remained in her mouth, began to eat slowly. Her swinging legs betrayed her excitement and anxiety, but she listened to you and was able to savor her breakfast better.
꒰ঌ ⋆˚❀˖° ໒꒱
In the city, the more snow falls and the colder it gets, the more colorful and bright lights spread throughout the city, in gardens, shops, and houses. Establishments adopt the colors red, green, and white, and more families eagerly prepare to put up their Christmas trees and buy the perfect gifts for their loved ones. And that’s exactly what you were thinking as you returned home early from work that same day; your work shifts were ending earlier due to end of year exams, so you had the opportunity to browse the shops in the morning, when they are usually much emptier than they would be at night.
Your eyes scanned the variety of gifts in the children’s section, and there were so many options it seemed endless. From dolls with various accessories to puzzles featuring well-known characters from cartoons and kids’ movies.
Avani had never been a demanding or ungrateful child when it came to gifts, thanks to the education you two gave her, so you knew she would appreciate and play with or use whatever you and Sevika decided to give her. But, of course, you both always wanted the best for her, so your search was always meticulous.
Anyways, you were just taking a look, trying to find something that you’d buy only when you really had to.
But, scrolling along the shelves, you soon stopped at one that caught your eye.
A medium-sized box decorated with Christmas designs and colors, inside which was a doll. It was a Christmas elf, with a thin, flexible body made of soft fabric. The doll wore a full red outfit, and around its neck was a simple white triangular collar. Its hands were also white, resembling small gloves. Its head seemed to be made of a more rigid material, maintaining its fixed expression: a mischievous and cute smile, with adorably rosy cheeks and large, wide-open blue eyes, as if expressing curiosity. On its head, above its brown hair, it wore a pointed red hat, the classic Christmas one.
It was cute and simple, but what caught your attention most was the description on the box.
“Elf on the shelf, the little Christmas elf who will watch over you to tell Santa if you’ve been good and deserve to be on the naughty list or not…” You finished reading with a muffled giggle, picking up the box for a closer look. “Interesting.”
Avani still faithfully believed only in the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus; she ignored everyone else or dismissed them as nonsense, raising an eyebrow just like Sevika. So you would take advantage of her innocence before she grew older and her love for Christmas to buy the little elf. It was a flexible toy, so you could move it around when she wasn’t looking to keep the joy and magic alive in her mind. Perfect.
꒰ঌ ⋆˚❀˖° ໒꒱
“Elf on the shelf?”
Sevika’s slightly confused and naturally hoarse voice echoed through the room as she held the box in her hands, reading the green lettering on the back. A slight grimace adorned her face.
“It’s so cute, isn’t it?” You said, trying to find a good position for the elf on the living room shelf, the tallest one you had, right above the TV.
“It’s kind of… Creepy.” Sevika murmured, squinting at the little elf, now sitting with its legs and hands crossed on the shelf.
You couldn’t help but laugh, standing next to Sevika to look at the doll from that angle.
“Don’t tell me you’re scared of a doll.”
“Wha— F’ course not! I just think its face might scare children. Look at those bulging eyes.”
“All I see is a cheerful little one, Sev. And Avani is hardly afraid of anything, she’ll probably like it.” You assured her, holding her bicep and resting your head on her shoulder.
“Yeah, you’re right.” She murmured, throwing the box onto the sofa and resting her head on yours, now both of you observing the smiling elf on the shelf. You wondered what your little girl’s reaction would be upon seeing it. And Sevika… Well, she still felt somewhat uncomfortable with that figure, but decided to let it go. “By the way, I’m bringing our tree home tomorrow. When are we getting the decorations?”
“Hmmm, weekend, maybe? Avani’s final tests start next week, she needs to study, then we can spend some good time out on the weekend without worrying.”
“Okay. And speaking of not worrying about time…”
Sevika moved slowly, causing you to stand upright again. She turned to face you and placed her hands on your waist, bringing you both to face each other. A sly smirk played on her lips, slowly shifting her gaze between your eyes and your lips. You opened your mouth, slightly surprised by the sudden change in her mood, but soon an equally smile was on your face.
“You’re impossible. And what do you mean ‘not worrying about the time’? Avani will be here soon. You’re the only one on vacation here.”
“Tsk, she only leaves at 1 PM.”
You barely had time to react, as Sevika pulled you closer and joined your lips in a slow, intense kiss. You sighed against her mouth, bringing one hand to the hair at the nape of her neck and the other to her waist, squeezing both, which caused Sevika to tighten both hands on your waist, only to then lift your shirt slightly and press it directly against your skin. She pulled away from your lips to scatter kisses from your cheek to your neck, where she lingered with longer, wetter kisses.
With your breath slightly ragged, you lowered your hands to her pants, which thankfully had no buttons or zipper, just a poorly tied bow. You quickly untied it and slid your hands inside, smiling as you realized she wasn’t wearing underwear, feeling her newly trimmed, happy trail.
THUMP THUMP THUMP
You both jumped in place, your eyes wide, and ended up hugging each other tightly. You looked at each other for a few seconds, until the knocking on the door filled the silence again.
“Mom! Mommies!”
Sevika frowned slightly, confused. You did the same, huffing a little laugh and moving away from her to go to the door. Sevika mumbled softly and adjusted her pants, tying the bow again.
Upon opening the door, Avani threw herself at you, hugging you tightly around the hips. Smiling, you regained your balance, pulling her inside and waving to the school bus driver before he drove away, closing the door and locking it immediately afterward, still holding the little girl in your arms.
“What happened, love? It’s still noon.”
“The teacher wasn’t feeling good! And the substitute was super busy, so they let us go home! We were gonna play in the art room until it was time, but then the principal said that…”
Avani interrupted her own explanation and flustered state when she noticed the elf high up on the living room shelf. Her eyes were wide and fixed on the doll, her mind working to remember if it had always been there or not, and who it was exactly. She let go of you and walked over to the sofa, where she took off the pink scarf and backpack from her shoulders, throwing them onto the sofa, and moved closer to the TV to continue staring at the elf.
You and Sevika exchanged silent glances, both waiting for some reaction and somewhat surprised by your daughter’s unusual silence. You put your thumb to your mouth and bit your nail, starting to get nervous, thinking that maybe she was scared by the figure.
“Moms, what is this?” She pointed to the doll and turned her head to look at you.
“It’s our elf, baby. Sent straight from Santa Claus.” Sevika explained, trying not to grimace at the toy.
Upon hearing Santa Claus, Avani’s eyes widened even more and her mouth dropped open in surprise. She looked at the elf again with a different look now, totally enchanted, curious, and excited. This brought a loving smile to Sevika’s face — who quickly picked up the empty box and placed it behind the sofa — and a discreet sigh of relief from you, who stopped biting your nail and rested your hand on your heart.
“Really?” She whispered, incredulous. “What does he do?!”
“He’ll keep an eye on you and tell Santa Claus if you’ve been good and can receive your presents. And he only moves at night.” You explained and walked over to the sofa.
Avani gasped audibly and exaggeratedly, putting both hands to her face and still looking at him. She jumped a few times and smiled broadly.
“That’s cool! So cool! Can I tell Cassie he’s here?! And Felicia, and Isha?!”
“You can tell whoever you want, as long as you do your homework, young lady.”
In that brief moment, you picked up Avani’s backpack and opened it looking for her notebook, quickly finding new math and geography homeworks.
Sevika took advantage of your distraction and discreetly made a hand gesture, lowering her fingers and leaving only her pinky and index fingers raised, indicating a phone, then nodded her head upwards, allowing Avani to go upstairs. The little girl smiled from ear to ear, giving you one last look before casually walking away, knowing that the best way to avoid drawing your attention was to act as if nothing was happening.
“Hmm, it’s not difficult, these are topics the teacher already covered, so we… Uh, Ava?”
Not finding your daughter anywhere in the room, you quickly realized. Your shoulders slumped and you stared at Sevika, who was looking at the prosthesis, poking something that definitely didn’t need to be fixed or checked at the moment.
“What?” She asked without looking at you.
“Funny girls.”
The rest of the day passed peacefully. After Avani told all her cousins about Santa’s elf — which resulted in three girls begging their mothers and father to get one too —, the three of you had lunch together, and later, you and Sevika sat on the sofa, you watching TV at a low volume and Sevika reading something. Meanwhile, Avani stayed at the kitchen table, finishing her homeworks. Only when she finished did she run to the living room and throw herself into Sevika’s lap, who only didn’t lose her breath from the impact because she landed on her legs. You changed the channel to something for kids, but didn’t notice that Avani wasn’t looking at the TV, but at the little elf on the shelf.
Avani stared at the elf expectantly, waiting for it to wobble and move at any moment. Just a little movement and she would be completely satisfied. But if he didn’t move, that was fine too, she would prove that she is a good girl and that she behaves, and then he would move of his own accord and Santa Claus would be happy.
Later that same day, around 9:30 PM, you were putting Avani to bed, chatting with her a little until she finally fell asleep — which wouldn’t take long.
Downstairs, Sevika was in the kitchen, taking a pill for a nagging pain in her left shoulder that had started a few days ago. Janna, she found it unbearably annoying to have to deal with pain in an arm that didn’t even fully exist anymore… But what could she do? As soon as she finished, she refilled her glass with water and went to the living room, where she would wait for you so you could sit together on the sofa and watch something until you needed to sleep.
In the living room, she drank the water slowly, about to sit on the sofa, but stopped before doing so when her gray eyes caught sight of that toy on the shelf. Sevika stopped in place, her body jerking slightly and almost choking on the water she swallowed.
It would take her a while to get used to that figure being there, and the fact that she didn’t like his appearance didn’t help much.
“Weirdo.” She muttered, her lip twisted and her eyebrows slightly furrowed, sitting down on the sofa without taking her eyes off him.
Only when she heard your footsteps coming down the stairs did she stop staring at him, put the glass of water on the small table, and picked up the remote. You reached her side and sat on her lap, immediately snuggling up to her and exhaling slowly. Sevika let you sit and held you by the waist, smiling softly when you placed a kiss on her cheek.
“She fell asleep.” You murmured, resting your head on her shoulder.
“Looks like she won’t be the only one.”
You smiled and snuggled closer to her, already beginning to breathe more slowly. With Sevika’s caress on your waist, the dimly lit room, and the winter chill gently penetrating the house, you felt that you were truly about to fall asleep.
Your eyes slowly scanned the room, focusing briefly on the TV, but barely taking in what was on. Then, your gaze traveled up to the elf. Your eyes widened slightly, your consciousness returning more clearly.
With a slight push to steady yourself, you stood up and walked over there. Sevika looked at you confused for a moment, almost getting up to follow you, but seeing what you were doing, she threw herself back onto the sofa with a slight frown on her face.
You picked up the doll and adjusted it, making it sit with its legs apart and both arms resting on them, and also positioning it slightly more to the left. Finally, you adjusted its hood a little, making it look like it had slipped off because it had moved. Satisfied with the result, you nodded to yourself and returned to Sevika, sitting on her lap again, and she quickly held you again.
“What was that face?” You asked without taking your eyes off the TV.
“What face?”
You rolled your eyes, amused, adjusting yourself to look her in the face.
“When I went to adjust the elf. It looked like you were seeing that annoying Cait’s aunt.”
“Ugh, don’t talk about that woman.” Now it was her turn to roll her eyes.
“No, seriously, you still don’t like Peter?”
“Don’t like who?” Now you had to hold back a laugh at the way Sevika looked at you, totally confused and still with a slight frown on her face.
“Peter. Our elf. Your daughter chose the name after Spiderman.”
“Hm… Yeah, no, I don’t feel exactly happy around him. But I can ignore. For her.”
“Aww, my beautiful and strong wife afraid of a little Christmas doll. How cute.”
You used an annoyingly high pitched voice at the end, resting your head on her shoulder again, feeling her squeeze your waist and huffing a laugh; and just with those you could tell she was torn between genuine irritation and amusement.
“I’ll show you who’s cute.”
꒰ঌ ⋆˚❀˖° ໒꒱
December days passed peacefully and in the blink of an eye for the three of you. Before you knew it, thick snow covered every corner your eyes could see, and you were already on your end of year vacation, your students free from exams — except for two little troublemakers in remedial classes —, and you were free from grading them. Avani also soon found herself free, successfully passing all her exams and now able to enjoy the whole day playing in the yard or the city’s park, tirelessly building snowmen, houses, and snow cakes, whether alone, with one of her mothers, or with her cousins. And Sevika, free from work before the two of you, continued to accompany you on whatever your adventures were; whether you asked to snuggle up in front of the TV watching some silly movie, or Avani asked her to be the queen of her imaginary kingdom, or she was simply sitting and reading or watching something that interested her.
And throughout all of this, Avani didn’t forget about the elf Peter for a single day.
Every day, when she woke up and noticed he was in a different pose, or that he wasn’t even on the living room shelf, she would get all excited, smile, and run to tell you, chattering endlessly about how he was watching her and asking you both if she was behaving well.
You and Sevika shared a knowing and affectionate smile when she turned her back, happy to keep your little girl so cheerful.
One of those days, she swore that he had moved his eyes. It only made you laugh and Sevika feign disinterest, clearly considering believing her daughter and pretending not to be somewhat frightened by it.
And then, Christmas arrived. December 24th and 25th. You decided to spend the holiday as a family, and you and Sevika agreed to host it at your house. So you all gathered.
The entire day of the 24th was spent with music, conversations, laughter, drinks, and food, accompanied by the shouts and running around of the children. There were some friends you’d invited, so the house and yard were a little busier than usual. The smell of spices, burnt wood, and delicious things permeated every corner of the house. In the yard, snowmen of varying sizes were being built by the little ones and some adults who helped and chatted with other adults at the same time; all properly bundled up. Inside, the dining table looked like something out of a Christmas dream: platters of homemade food, pine branches here and there, and crooked lights hanging because the children insisted on helping with the decorations.
As time passed, the sun went down, the cold intensified, and with them, the rhythm of the party became more warm than hectic. You all gathered in the living room, talking, laughing, toasting each shared memory, the effects of the alcohol slowly taking hold in some. It was a pleasant chaos that left you with a warm feeling in your hearts.
Around ten o’clock at night, Cassie and Isha had already fallen asleep, Cassie in Caitlyn’s arms and Isha in Ekko’s, both completely oblivious to the voices around them. Felicia and the other three children — Avani and two of your friends — remained awake, painting and drawing on the floor. Avani tried to keep up with them, but it was clear she was almost asleep sitting up, holding the little elf in one hand and a crayon in the other. Sevika picked her up without saying anything, smiling when she didn’t even complain or insist, just laid her face on her shoulder and dropped the crayon.
“You going to put her to sleep?” You asked, setting aside the conversation in the living room for a moment.
“If I don’t do it now, she’ll fall asleep in the middle of the room.” Sevika kissed the top of the little girl’s head and disappeared down the hallway.
You took advantage of this moment to get up and take some dishes to the sink. There weren’t many, just a few plates and cutlery recently used for cold desserts. But suddenly, a pair of hands pulled you away from the sink and took your place; it was Jinx, her blue hair recently cut in a short style that suited her.
“It’s Christmas, auntie. Relax.” She said, laughing, and you ended up giving in, laughing too.
When Sevika came downstairs, she leaned against you on the sofa, her arms around your shoulders, her chin resting lightly on the top of your head.
“Quick, hm?”
“She went way past her bedtime, I barely got to the room and she was already snoring.” Sevika chuckled softly. “But she didn’t let go of that doll for a second.”
“Hmmm… I’ll put it back on the shelf later.”
The conversations and laughter continued as midnight slowly approached, almost dragging itself along, as if time itself wanted to linger longer inside. Only when there were just under five minutes left did you go out to the backyard, leaving Cassie and the other baby asleep on the sofa, Felicia lying with Avani in her room, and Isha with another child in yours and Sevika’s room.
In the final seconds of eleven o’clock, soon the fireworks from other houses and events began to paint and illuminate the sky. A collective “Merry Christmas!” echoed loudly and full of emotion, accompanied by the popping of a champagne.
Sevika pulled you by the waist and gave you a long kiss, smiling when you laughed between kisses and held her face, caressing her cheeks with your thumbs; the taste of the alcohol and sweets you had just drunk and eaten intensifying.
“Merry Christmas, love.” She murmured as she pulled away, but still remaining inches from your face.
“Merry Christmas, my dear.” You replied, giving her one last peck.
Your friends and nieces toasted, some hugged, others laughed too loudly, but everyone was equally excited. After the initial euphoria, the night continued gently, with slower conversations and a relaxed atmosphere after so much energy. Around two in the morning, the house was quieter. Your friends gradually left, leaving only your small family. They stayed a little longer, leaving at 3AM, taking their still slept out little girls. So at 3AM, you found yourselves alone again.
You two decided to stay in the living room for a few more minutes, lying on the sofa, with you on top of Sevika, simply enjoying each other’s silent company. Sevika had her eyes closed as she stroked your back, breathing slowly and heavily, feeling the effects of the alcohol still drifting through her mind, lightly. You enjoyed the caress and reciprocated by caressing her waist, looking at your Christmas tree. It was decorated with the classic Christmas lights, ornaments, and star on top, but there were also several different ornaments, made by Avani at school. Everything shone in perfect harmony, and it was one of the most beautiful things you’ve ever seen.
Minutes passed and you both ended up falling asleep on the sofa, hugging each other and snoring softly, tired. You drifted into a deep sleep despite the limited space, warming yourselves only with the heat of your bodies and the heater. You didn’t realize you’d fallen into a deep sleep until a familiar voice slowly woke you.
“Mommy? Mom? Mooooom? Mommies?”
Avani’s hoarse voice called repeatedly, whispering as she gently shook your shoulder. You woke up first, opening your eyes slowly and gradually taking in her image in front of you.
Her hair was all disheveled, but her eyes were already wide and alert. In her hand, she still held Peter, holding him against her chest as if he were a baby.
“Hi, love…” You murmured, getting up slowly and carefully so as not to put your weight on Sevika, who was still asleep. “Hungry?”
“Hmmmm, no! I ate too much yesterday.”
You smiled at her response, trying to fix her hair, but realizing it wouldn’t help much.
“Well, let’s take a quick, hot shower then, and then we’ll open all the presents. What do you think?”
Avani's eyes immediately lit up at the idea, and a wide smile formed on her flushed face.
“Yes! Yes!” She quickly — but carefully — placed the elf on Sevika’s belly, and then ran off to find her towel. You simply followed her, not bothering to try and keep up with those nimble little feet.
Sevika was left alone in the room, still asleep, but as soon as the shower upstairs turned on, she began to wake up. She grumbled and frowned when she didn’t feel your weight on top of her, groping blindly with her right hand across the sofa and over her body, until she felt something soft on her abdomen. Sevika picked up the object and lifted it, only then opening her eyes. When she came face to face with the elf’s mischievous grin and enormous eyes, she gave a small start, but quickly recovered, letting out a soft ‘tsk’ and shifting her position to stand up. She left the doll on the sofa, right where she had been lying, ignoring it and turning to go to the kitchen.
The house was pleasantly quiet that morning of the 25th. No loud music or rushing around, just the gentle smell of freshly brewed coffee and the beautiful view of the snow-covered outside.
Neither of you was really hungry, but when you and Avani went downstairs, Sevika insisted you have some coffee and made hot chocolate for Avani. You both accepted, especially Avani, who also grabbed some leftover cookies from the night before and ate them with the chocolate. When you finished, Avani put the cup down in the sink and ran to you.
“Can we open the presents now?” She asked, almost writhing.
“Let’s go, baby.” Sevika barely finished speaking before the little girl was running into the living room, sitting right next to the tree, near the presents.
Each present was opened with enthusiasm by Avani’s nimble hands, who gasped audibly each time she opened one. Whether toys or clothes, she smiled and held it up to her face, rushing to hug one of you, or both if the presents were from you.
While she was engrossed in an interactive book about deep-sea animals — Vi’s present —, Sevika caught your attention with a soft, short whistle. You looked at her, and she extended a small red velvet box to you, very similar to the one she gave you years ago when she proposed, but larger. You took the box slowly, looking at your wife with a questioning look, although the smile on your lips made your excitement clear.
“What’s this?”
“Open it.” She said simply, pulling you closer to her by the waist.
You opened the small box as soon as she finished speaking, and a surprised sigh escaped you when you saw a pair of earrings and a necklace, both in colors that matched your wedding ring. The stones sparkled, gleaming in the daylight. You stared at the jewelry for a few seconds before moving to pick up the necklace, lifting it until the stone was in front of your eyes so you could get a better look. That’s when you realized they were the same jewels you’d seen in a shop window a month ago, while you and Sevika were strolling through the city, and briefly admired.
“Sev…”
“Happy early anniversary.” She murmured, resting her chin on your shoulder and squeezing your waist. “I know, still a month away. I was supposed to give it to you on the day, but… I couldn’t wait. Sorry.” She finished with a quick kiss on your shoulder.
“‘Sorry’? You— I… Oh, Janna.”
You laughed in disbelief and pressed your lips to hers in a quick kiss, laughing even harder when she held you close to leave a smacking kiss on an area between your neck and jaw that tickled you.
“I love you.” You said as she pulled away, planting another kiss on her cheek.
“Love you too.”
When you looked back at Avani, you found her already looking at you. Her eyes were wide and her mouth closed, clear signs that she had paid attention to everything. As soon as she realized you were looking at her, she laughed shyly and turned her face away, looking back at her book.
“Mommies are in love.”
Sevika raised an eyebrow at her daughter’s comment, unable to contain the wide, amused smile that appeared on her face. You ended up laughing first, louder.
“And they’re kissing all the time, yuck!”
“Your mom’s gorgeous. Hard to resist.” Sevika said, leaning in to press a quick kiss against your lips, just to provoke the reaction you already expected from Avani: an exaggerated grimace and laughter.
“Ughhh, kisses are disgusting!”
“Is that so?”
In the blink of an eye, Sevika stood up and picked Avani up in her arms, the girl’s legs and head dangling in the air. Before she could say anything, Sevika sat down beside you again and kissed her face several times, only to then start tickling her neck. Avani laughed loudly and squirmed uselessly, yelling for you to help her, her voice trembling with laughter. You laughed and, instead of helping, used your hands to tickle her feet. Avani screamed and squirmed even more, begging for help from whoever would listen.
That same day, in the late afternoon, while Avani played with her new coloring books in her room, you and Sevika were in the living room again, on the same sofa, now fresh from a warm bath and wrapped in a blanket, watching a movie you had planned to watch together.
The sound of the oven beeping indicated that some cookies you had prepared were ready. You got up to take them away, leaving Sevika in the room for a few minutes, the movie paused.
Sevika’s gray eyes scanned the room until they landed on the tree. She looked at the ornaments, from the star to the base of the tree. And then, something caught her eye. A decoration somewhat different from the others. Curious, she raised an eyebrow and stood up to go to the tree, where she crouched down and stretched out her arm, picking up the ornament. Closer inspection revealed that it wasn’t an ornament, but a letter. A Christmas letter addressed to Santa Claus, in handwriting she knew well. You and she had received all the little letters Avani wrote, since she always hung them with the ornaments in visible corners of the tree. So this particular letter was new.
Sevika returned to the sofa, her eyes fixed on the letter, somewhat intrigued. Just as she was about to open it, a ‘pssst’ from the bottom of the stairs caught her attention.
She turned around and saw Avani sitting there, holding the elf in one hand and gesturing for Sevika to approach stealthily with the other. Sevika glanced quickly at you, seeing that you had your back to them, oblivious to what was happening. Besides, the dim lights in the house made it even easier if she had to be discreet.
With quick, silent steps, she went to her daughter, sitting down beside her.
“You found it.” Avani said softly, looking at the letter in her mother’s large hand.
“Oh, uh, yeah. I found it. I… Was just about to mail it to Santa.” She brushed it off, feigning surprise at her own inattention.
Avani giggled softly, rubbing her feet together.
“Mom, I know Santa doesn’t exist.”
“What… How did you… Who told you?” Sevika's eyebrows furrowed slightly, ready to scold anyone who had ruined the magic of the holiday for her daughter.
“Nobody. I just know.” She shrugged, clearly unaffected by the information.
Sevika exhaled through her nostrils, relieved by this, but somewhat disappointed that her little girl was already outgrowing her fairy tale beliefs.
“Did you read it?”
The woman looked at the folded letter in her hand, then at Avani, who stared at her with the same serious and determined expression she herself had when she wanted something very specific.
“Not yet.” Sevika replied, slowly turning the envelope between her fingers. “But judging by your face, there’s something in here that you want me to see, right?”
Avani nodded immediately, her eyes shining as if they held a huge secret, that childlike sparkle so full of life and expectations. She pulled her legs closer to her chest, hugging Peter along with her.
“Read.” She asked, in a soft voice.
Sevika let out another sigh, this time slower and softer, completely unable to deny whatever her little girl asked for. Carefully, so as not to damage the fragile paper, she opened the envelope and took out the letter. The handwriting jumped off the page in crooked lines. There were small drawings on the edges — stars, hearts, a snowman, and above it a smaller snowgirl with two larger ones beside it.
Dear Santa,
I know you are my moms.
This year I was very good and we had so much fun!
I want to ask for the most speceal gift: a baby brother or sister. I promise I will share my toys and help a LOT!!!
I know you are very busy so it’s okay if you can’t. But I realy want it.
Thank you.
Avani ♡
Sevika read everything in silence. Her jaw clenched for a few seconds; not from irritation, but from pure surprise. It was such an unexpected surprise that she read the letter more than once.
Beside her, Avani watched her attentively, waiting for her reaction like someone waiting for the result of a very important result, her lower lip pressed between her crooked little teeth.
“So…?” The girl asked, gently squeezing the elf between her hands.
Sevika closed the letter with extreme care, as if it were made of glass. She remained silent for a few seconds, her heart pounding faster than she wanted to admit. She felt the warm air of the house, the soft lights reflecting on the tree, the smell of cookies coming from the kitchen where you were still distracted, and the anxious presence of your daughter right beside her.
It was a delicate matter to deal with. You had Avani unintentionally thanks to that innovative technology years ago, and since she was born, you never thought about having another child. And although your pregnancy wasn’t complicated, the pain of labor was enough to simply erase the idea of another baby from your mind; not to mention that your little girl already filled your entire life, the lives of the two of you.
Awakening from her own thoughts, she swallowed and leaned a little closer to her daughter, resting her elbows on her knees.
“Do you really want this?”
Avani nodded so strongly that her hair swayed and fell across her face.
“I really want it. I think it would be soooo nice! And I would take care of the baby, I swear!” Sevika reached into her hair, brushing her unruly strands back, away from her face, finishing with a gentle caress of her warm cheek and tucking a strand behind her ear.
“It’s not a simple thing.” She began, but her tone wasn’t scolding. It was thoughtful, careful, and realistic in just the right measure. “It’s not like… Asking for a new toy. It’s something big and serious for us.”
“I know.” Avani replied immediately, hugging Peter tightly to her chest. “But I’m really happy with you two… So I think someone else would wanna be happy with us too.”
That sentence hit Sevika in a way she hadn’t expected. Right in the middle of her heart. She looked away for a second, unable to contain a loving smile. Looking at her daughter again, she saw all the sincerity in the world in her focused little eyes.
“This is something your mother and I need to talk about. And I promise we will, okay?” Sevika said firmly, but gently. Avani nodded, smiling contentedly at the answer.
“Thank you, mommy.”
At that exact moment, you appeared from the kitchen, leaning against the stair railing, holding a bowl of freshly baked cookies, one already bitten in your other hand, smiling.
“What are you two up to?” You asked, amused by their suspicious posture, sitting in the corner of the stairs like accomplices.
Sevika remained very quiet, without a quick response, which was suspicious in itself. Avani quickly turned her face away, hiding her smile.
“Nothing…” She hummed, then stood up and climbed another step, just enough to be at your height and be able to look inside the bowl.
While the little girl distracted herself with the cookies, choosing which shape to pick, Sevika put the folded letter away in her hand and looked at you with a look that mixed affection, anticipation, and something else you couldn’t quite decipher. But it was a look that carried a certain patience, or calmness. You couldn’t quite tell. But of one thing you were certain: she was thinking about something that stirred her deeply.
There you knew a long conversation was coming soon, even though you hadn’t the slightest idea what it was about. But that’s okay, you wouldn’t talk now. Not with warm cookies in your hands and Avani smiling with chocolate-stained teeth.
“We’ll talk later.” Sevika said, giving her daughter’s calf a light pat. “Young lady here made a special request.”
Avani laughed with a cookie in her mouth, then grabbed two more and ran upstairs, balancing the elf and the cookies in her hands. And you, still not understanding, but already feeling the sweet weight of the moment, smiled back at Sevika, sensing that this Christmas would somehow become even more meaningful than you had imagined.
Later, at half past ten at night, the house was already silent when you finally went up to the bedroom. Avani had fallen asleep almost immediately after brushing her teeth, her cheeks still flushed with tiredness and happiness.
Now, in your bedroom, the light was low. Only the bedside lamp illuminated the room with a cozy color, creating a warm glow on the bed, the walls, and the carpet. The glass windows revealed the white-painted world and the decorative lights of the other houses. Near the bed, Sevika carefully removed her prosthetic arm and placed it on the table beside her, leaving only her biological arm. She always seemed a little calmer like that, more vulnerable, perhaps. The kind of vulnerability she only showed to you.
You were already sitting on the bed, adjusting the blanket over your legs when she sat beside you, slowly exhaling through her nostrils.
“So… What were you and Avani talking about downstairs?” You asked with a discreet smile, encouragingly, sneaking closer to her. Sevika rubbed her face with her hand, almost laughing at the memory.
“First, she doesn’t believe in Santa anymore.”
Your eyes widened, genuinely surprised, before a laugh broke your expression. “W-Who told her? Do we have to kill someone?”
“Nobody.” Sevika said, raising an eyebrow, good naturedly. “She just knows. Said it like that. Like it was super obvious.”
You laughed loudly, hiding your face in your hands to stifle the laughter and resting your head on her shoulder. Sevika chuckled softly, shaking her head from side to side in denial. Your laughter slowly died down, giving way to that comfortable silence, the silence that always foreshadowed deep conversations.
It was then that you noticed Sevika was holding something in her hand.
“And what’s that?” You asked, pointing.
Sevika bit her inner cheek and carefully placed the little letter in your hand, unable to take her eyes off it.
“She asked Santa for this. I mean… Asked us.”
You opened the letter slowly, smiling at your daughter’s handwriting, expecting a silly child’s request, perhaps something very expensive or impossible to obtain. However, when you reached the request, your heart raced as you read the lines. The amused expression faded gently from your face, replaced by a warm surprise, a soft air of tenderness. The weight and affection of that request hit you all at once, and you didn’t quite know how to react at first. All you did was leave the letter in your lap, still in your hand, and lick your dry lips.
“She wants a little brother…”
“Or sister.” Sevika completed. “And she asked so sweetly. She even said she would help take care of it.”
You take a deep breath, leaning on Sevika’s strong arm, the paper trembling slightly between your fingers. Sevika notices and carefully moves her arm so you lie on her chest, then places her arm around you, bringing your bodies closer.
“You okay?” She murmurs.
“It’s just that…” You begin, your voice heavy with the weight that only appears when you’re truly scared or uncertain. “I’m thirty-eight, a pregnancy now would be completely different from when we had Avani. More dangerous… And we’re not so young anymore.”
“Yeah. Forty is a stressful number.” You chuckled softly. “We can’t do things like we’re in our twenties without thinking about anything.”
You stand there for a few seconds in silence, breathing together, listening only to the muffled sound of agitated insects in the yard and the soft murmur of the air. Then, Sevika continues:
“That’s why if this is something we really consider… It doesn’t have to be just one way.”
You lift your face slightly, looking at her curiously. She looks back at you with a soft, serious expression. Your arched eyebrows are a clear sign of questioning.
“I’m talking about other options. Like adoption.” She gently strokes your back with her thumb. “There are a lot of kids there who would give anything to have a family like ours. To have a mother like you.” Your heart tightened in a warm, full way that made you want to cry.
“And there wouldn’t be the risks…” You added, your voice fragile and thoughtful.
“No.” Sevika agreed. “It would be different, but no less ours.”
You closed your eyes for a moment, letting your chin sink into her shoulder. You smelled the scent of her soap that she always has. Sevika placed a lingering kiss on the top of your head, inhaling the pleasant, soft aroma of the shampoo and conditioner you had been using recently.
“I also don’t want you to suffer, I don’t want you to put your health at risk. You’re one of the most precious things I have in my life.”
“Stop.” You murmured between soft laughs, rubbing your eyes, blurred by a few tears that had gathered. The whole thing had left you a little sensitive.
Sevika smiled, now kissing your forehead and keeping her lips close there.
“Look, I’m not saying we’re going to do this. At least not now, not without thinking. Let’s just take it slow.”
“Mhm. Thinking doesn’t hurt, even if it takes time.”
Sevika smiled against your skin. “Thinking, no. But if we opt for the traditional way, doing it might hurt a little.”
She teased, just to hear you laugh again, and it worked.
“Shut up.”
Silence returned after that, but now it came with something different, big and warm, though still undefined. You settled more comfortably and lifted your face to kiss her, slowly, reverently. Taking advantage of your position, you pushed her down onto the bed, and she did, letting you sit on her stomach. Sevika responded with the same intensity, pulling you closer by the hips.
You looked at each other closely for a few seconds, smiling lovingly at each other, each in your own way.
“Let’s just not talk to Avani about this yet, please.” Sevika reminded you, raising her eyebrows slightly. “If she finds out we’re just considering it, she’ll give us a whole list of name options.”
You giggled, covering your mouth with your hand to muffle the sound. Sevika pulled you close again and smiled against your neck, kissing your skin slowly.
And you stayed like that, touching and warming each other, sharing the soft silence, soon filled with the soft sounds of your trembling sighs as Christmas night ended, leaving in the air a future that, for the first time in a long time, seemed even bigger than the dreams you had already realized together.
꒰ঌ ⋆˚❀˖° ໒꒱
Later, when the house was completely dark and you were already fast asleep, Sevika went downstairs slowly and silently, her eyes barely open. She woke up needing to use the bathroom, and then decided she would drink a glass of water before returning to the comfort and warmth of your arms.
In the kitchen, she drank the full glass of water diligently, feeling the coolness in her throat and dry lips, exhaling as she finished.
She placed the glass in the sink and turned to make her way to the stairs, but caught something out of the corner of her eye that caught her attention. Her body startled and her eyes widened when she saw, in the middle of the shelf above the TV, the little elf you had given Avani at the beginning of December. Right there, sitting with the same mischievous and friendly expression, in a pose with his legs crossed and hands resting on them.
Sevika stared at him, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Because since when had you put him there? You hadn’t been apart for a single minute since Avani went upstairs and you brought the cookies, and she was absolutely certain Avani had carried him upstairs in her arms, not to mention she wasn’t tall enough to put it up there; and if she’d use some piece of furniture to climb up, you would have heard. So how?
“Nuh uh. No. No fucking way.” She huffed.
For a second, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment for having, once again, been startled by the damn doll. But thinking about it, now she had a break, right? After all, he appeared there completely out of nowhere, as far as she knew.
Clearing her throat, she rolled her shoulders back and decided to ignore it, turning to go upstairs. It must have just been a coincidence.
However, what she really didn’t see was how a bluish light seemed to emanate softly from him, like an aura, bright but almost imperceptible, before disappearing completely.