“But Santa was here.” My four-year-old’s unmistakably soft voice whispers in my ear. If it weren’t so early in the morning, I’d find it absolutely adorable.
“I guess you must’ve been good this year.” Axel’s voice pulls my attention. He sits up in bed as I rub the sleep from my eyes. Grayson stands next to his sister, holding her hand, wearing his footed pajamas. She must’ve gotten him out of his crib. That child is unbelievable, but she loves Christmas and talks about it all year.
“Let’s see what he brought you.” Axel rolls out of bed before I have the chance to stop him. My husband has grown to love Christmas almost as much as Olivia does. I glance at the clock: five-forty-five a.m. Lord have mercy.
“Come on, mommy!” Grayson says, unable to fully pronounce his C’s so it sounds more like “t-ome on mommy.” If he weren’t such an adorable spitting image of his father, I’d find him easier to say no to.
“Yeah, come on, mommy.” Axel steps around to my side of the bed and throws my covers off of me.
“Good thing I’m not naked.”
“I would’ve known if you were.” He winks at me, then helps me out of bed, and we all head to the living room.
“This is a bad habit to get into, babe. They should wait until we say it’s time.”
“What’s the fun in that?” My husband shrugs his massive shoulders. I swear he’s more excited about this than the kids.
“I don’t know? A couple of extra hours of sleep?”
“Bah humbug!” He sidles up behind me and nuzzles his nose into my ear, tickling me with his words as he gently nudges me toward the living room. There are so many presents; it looks like the Christmas tree threw up. In fact, there are more here now than when we went to sleep.
“Axel, you didn’t.” I yawn, finding my seat on the sofa. He smiles at me, giving himself away. I guess I can’t be too mad that he spoils our children silly on one day of the year. He’s pretty self-controlled, a disciplinarian, the other three hundred and sixty-five.
“Can we open them? Can we open them?” Olivia bounces on her knees.
“Yeah, t-an we?” Grayson echoes.
“Go ahead!” I giggle as Axel cuddles up beside me.
Axel and I have been together ever since that first Christmas. Ed and Diana were so excited that we got together, and Ed later admitted that he had Axel meet me at the diner on purpose. That little matchmaker performed what he considered a Christmas miracle.
After a year of driving, Axel landed a warehouse foreman job here in Thunder Mountain. He moved in with me, and we were married three months later, and little Olivia was on her way at around the exact same time.
It’s funny how timing has a way of working out. I still work at the diner, but only during the day. I’m the assistant manager and still wait on Uncle Ed every single lunch shift—but now, it’s on the house. It’s the least I can do for bringing me the love of my life.
“Hey, hey, hey!” Axel’s voice stops the wild-eyed children. “Look in the tree; there’s a little box there with mommy’s name on it.”
My head snaps in his direction. “We said no presents this year!”
“I couldn’t resist.”
I slap his arm. “You little liar.”
“Lies are bad, daddy,” Grayson says proudly.
“Yes, they are, honey.” I direct my words toward my beaming husband, but my heart swells the moment Olivia places the little velvet box in my hands. I crack it open to find a gold, heart-shaped necklace with two diamond stones in it.
“Oh Axel, it’s beautiful.” I try to stop the tears, but it’s useless. They roll down my face, and I rush to brush them away.
“One stone for each of the kids,” he whispers. “Merry Christmas, baby.”
I throw my arms around his neck and squeeze him tight. For all of my solo Christmas years, not needing anything or anyone other than myself to make the day perfect, I prefer this. I would be fine alone, and so would Axel, but I’m so grateful to have my beautiful family surrounding me on this day.
“I love you,” he whispers into my ear.
I hold his chiseled face in my hands. “I love you right back.”
He presses his lips against mine, and the kids erupt in chaos, wrapping paper flying everywhere, and it hits me.Thisis what they mean when they say, have a merry Christmas.