Chapter 16

(River)

A boy as sweet as cinnamon roll bites

Of all the ways to wake up on Christmas morning, I never thought I’d wake up to Lux singing along to the Chipmunks as he set a tray of food beside the bed.

“Merry Christmas,” he said as he leaned in to kiss me, morning breath and all, despite my attempts to bat him away.

“Merry Christmas. Holy crap, that’s a lot of food, how long have you been up?”

“Ever since I got up to go to the bathroom and arrived back at the bed to see a starfish hogging all but the corners.”

Knowing how I slept, and how I’d woken up with one leg hanging off the bed and my head on his pillow instead of my own, I could only imagine the sight that had greeted him when he returned to the room.

Blushing I shrugged, unable to keep a giggle from slipping out at the skeptical look that crossed his face when I muttered sorry .

“Uh-huh, sure. I’m not sure I really believe that, not with the way you kept managing to fill every empty spot I managed to create.”

“I may be a bit of a notorious bed hog,” I hedged, shrugging a little.

“A bit?”

Grinning, I decided to try looking as cute and endearing as possible. “Maybe.”

“Definitely…. and it was adorable,” he said as he sat beside me on the bed and reached for something that smelled of buttery cinnamon and sugar.

“Ohh yummm,” I moaned as it practically melted on my tongue. “What are those?”

“Cinnamon roll bites,” he said. “The moment they popped up on my social media feed I knew I wanted to make them. When I couldn’t crawl back into bed, I figured that was the universe’s way of providing me with the perfect opportunity.”

“I love that for me.”

Laughing, he shook his head as he fed me another bite. “I just bet you do.”

There were sliced pieces of sausage too, and not the greasy breakfast sausage that I hated. He’d picked up andouille, which was my absolute favorite, and unless I missed my guess, he’d sautéed it in butter and maple syrup. Spicy, sweet and savory, it was the perfect complement to the cinnamon roll bites and gingerbread tea he’d made us.

“Is that where you find all of your recipes?” I asked once I’d swallowed.

“For the most part. I’ve been collecting them in a notebook for years, but it’s rare that I have anyone to cook for and it just isn’t as much fun trying something new, solo. I’d rather have someone to share the experience with.”

“You’re welcome to share and take over my kitchen any time you want,” I said. “I am a devout foodie and will worship at your feet if you continue to make meals like this for me.”

“Oh really, and what will that worship entail?”

“I’d rather show you the next time you surprise me with something this wonderful.”

“The next time, huh? What’s wrong with today?” he teased as he moved the pieces of sausage he’d been holding out to me further away from my lips, refusing to let me have it. The big old meanie even popped it into his own mouth when I reached for the fork, leaving me pouting, with the tray just out of reach.

“No fair,” I grumbled, blowing a raspberry at him.

“Do you really wanna go there?” he warned, raising an eyebrow at me. “I thought we’d fully debated and established the rules of fairness yesterday. Now it sounds to me like you’re begging for a refresher course. Is that what’s going on here?”

I thought about it, but in the other room there were presents and little me was super excited to see what was under the tree. My tummy rumbled too, reminding me of how good the food smelled and the lingering taste of maple that still clung to my lips.

“Raincheck?” I asked as he offered me another bite, letting me have it before he answered me.

“I suppose that can be arranged.”

“Yey!”

He ate in between feeding me bites, until we were both stuffed and there was nothing left on the tray but crumbs and sticky smears left behind by the sausage.

“Prezzy time, prezzy time,” I declared, bouncing, then burping after I’d jarred my full tummy.

“Prezzy time indeed,” he declared, wiping my sticky face with the wet whips he’d brought in.

He didn’t turn me loose until he’d deemed me clean to his satisfaction, then he turned me loose to go sit on the pile of blankets and pillows he’d already made for me in front of the tree.

“I’ll be there in just a moment,” he declared. “I need to grab my phone so I can take pictures.”

“Awe, okay,” I said as I rubbed my hands together, itching to tear into the paper.

He joined me in the living room armed with a roll of plastic garbage bags to make cleanup easier, likely because he’d already heard about my whirlwind tendency to rip into paper and bows and send everything swirling the way the snow outside still flew. I couldn’t wait to play in it later, but for now, I had paper to shred.

“Alright, have at it,” he said after he’d opened one of the bags and sat it at his feet.

I grabbed the first pink and silver package I could reach and dug my fingertips into the seam, barely pausing to see that the gift was from him before the first soul-satisfying rip filling the air as I tore the wrapping paper off.

“Socks!” I squeaked as I waved the package of bright, fluffy snowflake covered clothing in his direction.

The moment I got them out of the plastic I rubbed them against my face. “Ohh, that’s warm.”

Considering how thin the ones I had on were, I didn’t hesitate to pull the new ones over them. Even with the space heater keeping the air around us toasty, my floors were designed to hold cold. It kept things nice and comfy to run around on barefoot when it was summertime, but not a pleasant experience to walk on this morning when I’d rushed into the room. Whoever thought socks weren’t one of the most awesome presents in the world had never stood with freezing toes on stone flooring, wishing they had a pair like the ones he’d just given me. I was so excited that I scooped up the paper and crawled over to his chair with it, stuffing it in the bag at his feet before I went up on my knees to kiss him.

“I take it you approve?” he murmured before kissing me again.

“I love them, thank you.”

“You’re welcome, squirmy boy,” he said before ruffling my hair as I twisted away to crawl back to the tree. “And I promise that there are far more fun gifts than practical ones hidden among that pile.”

“Practical is fun too, Daddy,” I said, loving the way his eyes lit up when I called him that.

It was officially, officially, official now that we’d had only been a little, bitty talk where we’d decided that in front of customers and colleagues I’d call him by his name, but otherwise, he was Daddy and I was his squirmy boy, though I loved how he never tried to get me to sit still. I snagged a small, brightly wrapped gift with a bow almost as big as it was and tore the paper off to discover that my sneaky Daddy had gotten me a mystery box. It was double the fun, since I got to be surprised twice. Inside was one of six collectable figures with wild, spiky hair that also doubled as a gel pen. Squealing, I pried open the box and extracted the neon-purple one, its shock of frizzy hair tickling my nose when I lifted it out.

“This is going to be the guardians of my art station,” I declared as I crawled over to place it carefully on the wide end table that held my sketchpad. The deep wooden drawer provided me with a spot to keep my art supplies organized and tucked away when I wasn’t using them. Now I set Electa-Lizard beside the base of the lamp and smoothed his hair, so it rose to a point over his head. I’d wait until later to use it to label the panels on the robot Santa I’d started sketching the day before.

After that it was hard to slow down, but he kept the mess of paper under control while I got all my gifts unwrapped and splayed out around me. Soft, adorable outfits and a mound of books and art supplies made up the bulk of my haul, but he’d also found me several wooden puzzle boxes that I knew would keep me stumped and occupied for many nights on end. Those were the kinds of toys I loved, and I knew just who to thank for letting him know that. There were several kits for crocheted stuffed animals, something else he’d have only known I’d taken up an interest in if he’d talked to Haven, who’d been with me when we discovered the existed. The little octopus that waved a clam at me from the front of one of the boxes was so cute, I could only hope I’d be up to the task of making the finished creation turn out the same way. Fortunately, I had Meadow to touch base with if I got stuck, since she’d already taught me the basic stitches. Not only did the hooks and yarn keep my hands occupied on days when the shop was slow and the shelves were full, but they gave me another link to my mom, who’d loved crafting little creatures like this. I hadn’t had a Christmas this awesome since I was a kid, but as I crawled over to him with one of his gifts in my hands, I felt a little nervous and uncertain. While I’d texted and picked Frida’s brain about possible gift ideas, I wouldn’t know if I’d gotten them right until he opened them. He’d been so sweet, letting me open all of mine while he’d snapped pictures and probably shared several already with Maddox so Haven could see.

“Well, what have we here?” He asked as he turned the green and red striped gift I’d handed him over in his hands to search for a seam.

“You gotta open it and see, silly,” I replied as he picked at the tape covered seam.

“Uh-huh, easier said than done since someone seems to be an expert in applying tape.”

“I didn’t use that much,” I remarked. “Besides, it’s much more fun if you tear it off.”

“Ohh, I see, so that’s why you used so much,” he teased, winking at me as he ripped off a chunk. “So I’d add to the level of chaos you’d already unleashed upon the room.”

“This isn’t chaos,” I said as I turned to look behind me, stretching out my hand towards the rest of the room, where only the random bit of paper and a few scattered bows remained. “All the chaos is in there.”

I pointed to the bulging garbage bags when I said it, yellow plastic bows cinched tight at the top to keep anything from spilling out.

“And there it will stay,” he declared before he turned his attention back to his gift. “Whoa, now where in the world did you find this?”

“The bookstore,” I declared, giggling when he shot me a look that showed that he was completely confused.

“You were never gone long enough to slip off to Acacia City,” he pointed out.

“I didn’t have to when there is a bookstore just a few blocks away.”

“How did I not know that yet?” he grumbled.

“’cause you only went as far as the grocery store,” I pointed out, giggling more.

“You and I really need to take the time and just go for a walk so you can introduce me to everything the town has to offer,” he declared. “I’d have raided the hell out of the bookstore if I’d known one existed.”

I cocked my head, leaning in the direction of the bedroom, where I knew he kept his wallet in the drawer of the end table on his side of the bed.

“What?” he asked, shooting me a strange look before he turned to look behind him.

I knew he expected to see someone standing there. He’d oiled the squeaky door to the loft at some point, so that now it moved smoothly and silently whenever anyone opened it. It was great to not hear that screech anymore, but it also meant that Haven would be sneaking up on me anytime he got the chance.

“I was listening to the sound of your wallet crying and cursing me for telling you about the bookstore,” I replied, while he laughed and finished stripping the paper from the package.

“This is awesome,” he declared as he turned it over and started reading the back. “I’ve never even heard of art dice. My kids are going to love this. The combinations of dice will make for some amazing projects. I can put in as many or as few as I’d like and see what combination comes out. Talk about an awesome way to set up on the fly assignments. I bet I can even use them to help me with my lesson plans. In fact, that is exactly what I intend to do. I’m going to have a blast with this, thank you.”

“Maybe you can even use it to come up with someone for us to create together,” I offered.

“That is a very good idea,” he replied, tugging me into his arms for a hug when I brought him his next gift. “Thank you for such a thoughtful present.”

I snuggled into his embrace, inhaling the scent of cinnamon clinging to his skin from the breakfast he’d made us. “You’re welcome,” I murmured, kissing just below his ear.

I felt him shiver as his arms locked around me and he stroked my back, making me shiver too.

“And thank you for welcoming me into your life,” he said as he held me.

I loved watching him open the rest of his gifts and made a mental note to slip some extra goodies into Frida’s bag the next time she popped in for a visit. I knew she had a thing for mushroom gummies, and I’d just gotten in a batch from a new supplier, six flavors, all with little sample four packs they’d sent to try and entice new customers to try them. I’d slip her one of each and a box of the new watermelon-peach mushroom infused tea I’d gotten in. The flavor was called Wavy Watermelon Slice and just the smell wafting up from the box was a reminder of lazy summer days floating around the pond on inner tubes.

Bringing him his gifts and watching him open them one by one was as much fun as opening my own and he let me toss the wrapping paper in the air after he’d ripped it off the packages, as long as I picked it up and disposed of it in the bag afterwards. All in all it was a fair tradeoff, especially when he donned the toboggan hat I’d given him for when he joined us on the sleds later. Its jaunty pom-pom puff was as big and squishy as the ones that had been on the heads of the penguins in the story he’d read me last night, and I knew just what I wanted to do now that we’d opened all our gifts.

Crawling over to my pile I selected the Madagascar Penguin Christmas Caper movie he’d gotten me. There were several other penguin movies too, like Happy Feet and Surfs Up and Mr. Popper’s Penguins, something else I had Haven to thank for. Penguins were my absolute favorite animals, and I had a stash of penguin illustrations I’d created over the years that I had plans to turn into stickers just as soon as I learned how to work the cricket machine I’d splurged on when I’d started my holiday shopping.

“Watch a movie with me, Daddy?” I asked after I’d crawled back over to him and held it out.

Grinning, he leaned to kiss me and brush a lock of hair off my cheek. “I’d be delighted. Why don’t I put it on while you get comfortable?”

I liked the sound of that and tugged the blankets off the back of the couch, so we’d have something to snuggle under too. Once I had everything arranged the way I wanted it; I picked up the penguin squishmallow he’d given me and cuddled it close while I waited for him to join me.

“Awe, adorable,” he murmured when he turned to see us there waiting for him. He took a few more pictures too and carried the bags of wrapping paper to the door, placing them just outside of it so we could carry it down to the dumpsters the next time we went out.

“I can’t remember the last time I was this happy,” he said as he slid under the blankets and drew me against his body until I was sprawled across his lap.

“Me either,” I said as I cuddled my new friend, who’s name suddenly hit me like a ton of bricks. “Pengy does too. I think he’s gonna like the movie, too. It’s about all his friends.”

“Then I bet he’ll love it the same way I love you.”

He said it so earnestly that I didn’t know what to do first, roll and cuddle, or wipe the tear from my eye before he saw it. I opted for option C and rolled, pressing my face against his chest so he wouldn’t see that several other tears had joined the first one and were spilling down my cheeks.

“What’s wrong, squirmy?” he asked as he held me close and stroked my hair.

“You love me!” I wailed, clinging to him and sniffling.

“I sure do.”

“I love you too!” I declared, squeezing tighter and clinging because I was just so happy and a little bit scared too. I hadn’t heard a lot of I love yous in my life that didn’t come from family or those who’d adopted us as their family, so to hear it from him on this magical day of all days was the best thing ever.

Crawling upward so I wouldn’t smack my head against his chin, I sought his lips and kissed him all through the previews, until my tears had stopped falling and he stared into my eyes as he wiped the remains of them from my cheeks. “Merry Christmas, Squirmy Boy,” he said before kissing me again.

“Merry Christmas, Daddy,” I murmured against his lips.

While Pengy watched the movie, I watched the twinkle of Christmas lights reflecting in his eyes grow brighter each time we kissed, until I got lost in them and the joy and magic of the beautiful season we’d found each other in.

~End~