Moving On [H.S]

Chapter 24

On Christmas, Harry doesn't ever set an alarm clock. For the past 5 years, without fail, at exactly 7:30 Isabella comes bounding into the room like she's on 5 hour energy.

"Dad! Dad!"

She comes running in and runs around to his side of the bed, but she freezes when she sees Maya in his arms. Both of them, still asleep. She pauses, looking around, before jumping onto the mattress and bouncing up and down.

"It's Christmas! It's Christmas! Santa came, Santa came!"

Harry grumbles and Maya rubs her eyes.

"How do you know Santa came?"

Harry asks and Isabella sits down on him.

"Because it's Christmas, silly."

"He could have skipped us by accident."

"I still know I got presents from you and Maya."

She says and he sighs.

"Fair enough."

He says as Maya sits up, smiling at Isabella. Usually if someone woke her up this early by jumping on her bed, she would be murderous, even if it was a child. But she can never seem to be mad or annoyed by Isabella. Harry pulls on a light lavender sweater, before picking up Isabella and carrying her to the living room.

"Look! I told you Santa came!"

She says, climbing down from him and running over to the tree as Harry plugs it in, lighting up the room. He puts on some soft Christmas music as Isabella runs around, deciding which gift to open first.

"Calm down before you run right into the tree."

Harry says as he walks over to the decorative bookshelf and grabs a gift he hid secretly, just in case Isabella went snooping around and tried to open anything. He sits beside Maya and hands her the small wrapped box.

"Merry Christmas...it's not much but..I think you'll like it."

He says and she pauses, before gently taking it in her hands. She carefully opens it and takes the top off of a jewelry box. Her birthstone, Topaz, on a silver chain.

"Oh my god...that's my birthstone."

She says and he nods, a proud smile on his face. Tears fill up her eyes as she looks down at it.

"I can return it if you don't like it-"

"No! I love it, it's just...I'll tell you later."

She says and he nods, helping her put it on as Isabella fawns over her new dolls. Monster high has suddenly become her new obsession.

"I love Lagoona!"

She says, holding up the doll for both Harry and Maya to see.

"Santa must have known."

He says and she giggles as she opens up her other presents. 15 minutes later, Maya is helping Harry clean up wrapping paper while Isabella plays with her 3 new dolls.

"Isabella, you forgot two other gifts."

Maya whispers and Isabella looks under the tree to see the two gift bags Maya brought. Isabella hands Harry his bag, as she opens her own. In Isabella's bag, a new set of watercolor paints, and in Harry's a new ring, with one of his birthstones, Garnet in the middle of the thick gold band.

"Great minds think alike."

Maya says and he chuckles, before pulling her into a hug.

"Thank you."