This Little Light of Mine

13: 𝐈 𝐏𝐫𝗼𝗺𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈'𝐥𝐥 𝐀𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐁𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞

Lucy and Tim got the pictures from the photoshoot back a few weeks later, and immediately hung up all of their favorite ones. They even had some of them turned into the size that would fit in the memory book, which they were filling out daily with new pictures and anything of Bennett, so that they would always have the memories they shared with her, when they no longer had her.

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December 25, 2030

Christmas Day. One of Bennett's favorite holidays ever. If it wasn't Christmas, then it was Easter.

Lucy and Tim had woken up early that holiday morning, and they were elated when they saw that they had managed to wake up before their daughter. That was ultimately their goal, as they wanted to be well woken up to watch the Christmas magic unfold. The holiday did bring some sadness for the couple, however. They were well aware that this would more than likely be Bennett's last Christmas that she was able to open her own presents, run down the stairs, and do all of the typical Christmas activities. Tim and Lucy were both hopeful this wasn't the case, and that Bennett would still be well enough by next Christmas, but they were educated that with DIPG, that may not happen. The next Christmas they had would be over a year after Bennett's diagnosis, which is practically the end of the survival time for most children with the disease. However, they knew there was still a chance. That chance came from the radiation, the trial, and any future trials, so long as they worked. On the flip side, Tim and Lucy knew there was also a huge chance that this would be the last Christmas that they were able to spend with Bennett physically. That was the main thought that shattered their hearts every time they had to think about it. No parent wanted to think about that, but Tim and Lucy were very aware of it, as they knew that was their reality now.

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Tim and Lucy had gotten downstairs before Bennett woke up, and the two worked on breakfast for everyone, while they still had a little bit of alone time. Kojo had also made his way downstairs, but Max was, of course, in the bed with his girl.

The quiet didn't last for much longer, before the pitter patter of Bennett's (and Max's) feet heading down the stairs. No, Bennett wasn't able to run down the stairs, but she absolutely could still walk. The young girl and her dog made their way downstairs and into the kitchen where Bennett's parents were posted. "It's Christmas, Daddy!" Bennett said, as Tim scooped the little girl up into his arms. "It sure is, Bennie. Merry Christmas, baby girl." Tim told her, and smiled. "Merry Christmas Daddy! Merry Christmas Mama!" Bennett giggled, as Lucy greeted her daughter with the same comment.

"How are your eyes today, Bennie?" Lucy asked her daughter, as Bennett gave her a big smile. "I don't see double! My eyes are working!" The little girl said, as both of her parents let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, that's wonderful, baby! I'm so glad your eyes are working well today!" Lucy told her, as she planted a kiss on her cheek. That was huge for Bennett, as she had been having the double sight practically since they returned home from New York. This new discovery gave Tim and Lucy a little more hope that the trial Bennett had completed was doing what they had hoped for. That the chemo that was pumped into Bennett's tumor was killing it. Did they know for certain? No, but they knew they would within the next couple of weeks. But now, they were hopeful. And that meant the world to them.

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The family began their holiday morning with a nice, homemade breakfast. While Bennett loved opening presents, her parents had always instilled in her to take the morning slow, because the presents would still be there, even a few hours after she had woken up. And now, that had more importance than ever before. Spending quality time with their daughter was what they needed. So, they had never been more thankful for teaching the little girl the importance of family, especially during the holiday season.

After breakfast had been finished and cleaned up, Lucy and Tim allowed Bennett to open her presents. While she was, of course, going to be gifted a ton of toys, her parents also wanted to make sure to give her experiences. Knowing their baby girl was going to die showed them the importance of experiencing things, instead of just getting toys.

One by one, Bennett opened her presents, and watched her parents open theirs. Bennett, the sweetheart she truly was, made sure that each of her parents and both dogs got at least one present from her. She had plenty of help in getting those bought without her parents seeing them, at that.

Bennett received a ton of toys. Baby dolls, Barbie dolls, Lego's, and a lot more. She also got some books, everyone knew how much Bennett loved reading. The five year old got new coloring books, markers, crayons, and lots of other crafting items, and she got some new clothes, too! Experience wise, people had given them museum trips, zoo trips, and plenty of other things!

The best part was that so many people had given Bennett Christmas presents. Tim and Lucy had told everyone they didn't have to get her anything, but everyone wanted to. While they weren't related, they were all part of their family, and were always going to make that well known to Tim and Lucy.

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After every last present had been opened, and the trash from the wrapping paper had been cleaned up, Bennett played for a few minutes, before she was ready for a nap. The girl that claimed she was "too old" for naps, was napping away on the couch, Max beside her. Sure, she would take naps periodically, but they knew that was a sign that she wasn't feeling as well, which was nothing but expected.

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The holiday finished out on a high note, which was perfect. Tim and Lucy tucked Bennett into bed that night, as they asked her how she enjoyed the day. "Best Christmas ever, Mama!" Bennett informed them, a big, sweet smile on her small face. "Oh, I'm so glad you had such a good day, princess. Now, get some sleep, okay? You have a day full of playing with your new things ahead of you tomorrow." Lucy said, and smiled as she and Tim both planted a kiss on Bennett's forehead. "Night night, Mama! Night night, Daddy!" The little girl said, "Love you!" She added on at the end. "Goodnight, Bennie girl, we love you to the moon and back." Tim said, before the parents exited the little girls bedroom.

They headed off to their own bedroom, where they simply spent the remainder of the night, before they slept, talking. They were extremely thankful that Bennett had such a good day, but they also were struggling. Bennett's MRI was approaching very soon, and they knew it. This MRI was going to give them answers, and there was a possibility that they would receive answers they didn't want to hear.