The Callian Christmas Collection

Thank You Santa

2015 #1

"Mummy! Daddy! Wake up! It's Christmas!" Five year old Laura Lightman yelled as she jumped into her parents bed where the two were sleeping.
"Laura, go back to bed. It's 6:30 in the bloody morning." Cal groaned.
A half awake Gillian lightly slapped his arm.
"Cal, language. I don't care what it is, she's five."
"Whatever." He grumbled, already almost asleep again.
"Get up, get up, get up!" Laura exclaimed excitedly, standing and jumping all over the bed, eventually falling right on top of her mother after tripping on the family dog at the foot of the bed.
"Ow! I'm definitely awake now!"
"Sorry, Mummy!"
"It's okay sweetheart. Just wake up Daddy."
Laura pounced on Cal.
"Daddy!"
Gillian heard a deep sigh from Cal's side of the bed.
"I'm only getting up this early because I love you so much." He told his daughter in defeat.
"I love you too, Daddy!"
"Hey, what about me?" Gillian asked, feigning hurt.
"I love you too, Mummy!" Laura said in the cute little voice she'd inherited from Cal. The one that Gillian loved because it "sounds so much like Daddy!"
"I love you too. Now I believe you said something about it being Christmas."
"I wonder if Santa brought me what I asked for!"
The little girl jumped off the bed and started to run downstairs. Cal and Gillian quickly got out of the bed and followed, wanting to see her reaction.
"He did!" Laura screamed, jumping on top of the bike in front of the Christmas tree.
Gillian smiled at the sight of her daughter's huge grin.
"Can I go ride it?"
"Right now? Don't you want to open the rest of your presents first?"
"Oh, right." She giggled.
Gillian turned to Cal.
"She is definitely your child. Only a Lightman would get one present and forget the other ones."
Cal rolled his eyes.
"Well, legally speaking, you're a Lightman now too and I seem to recall you doing the same thing our first Christmas."
"Cal, you got me a puppy! That's different!"
"Not really, love. Speaking of, where is Mocha now?"
A bark came from behind them, making Cal jump and Gillian laugh.
"Right there."
"Oi, stop laughing! That wasn't funny!"

Soon all of the presents under the tree had been opened. Gillian had gotten Cal an expensive new watch and he had gotten his wife a matching pearl necklace, bracelet, and earring set.
Right now, Laura was still in front of the tree playing with her new toys and Cal and Gillian were locked in a kiss.
"Hope I'm not interrupting anything." 
The two pulled apart and were faced with Emily.
"I thought you weren't going to be here until nine."
Emily shrugged.
"It's 8:15. Close enough."
"Emily!" Laura exclaimed, apparently just noticing her big sister's appearance in the house.
"Hey munchkin!"
"Look what Santa brought me!" Laura said, showing Emily the singing Dora doll in her hand.
"Cool! I have a present for you too!"
"Really!"
"Really." Emily told her sister and pulled a wrapped present from her purse.
Laura squealed and ripped off the paper, revealing her favorite movie, Frozen.
"Oh god, Em. Why? I already have to listen to Let It Go every day!" Cal exclaimed.
"Well, you get to listen to it even more now."
She reached into her purse again, this time pulling out an envelope.
"Merry Christmas." She told her dad and stepmom.
Gillian took it and opened it. It was a week stay at a resort in Miami.
"Thanks Em!"
"I'll watch Laura while you're gone. It's for the week after New Years."

Gillian placed dessert on the table. They'd eaten Christmas dinner already. Dessert was, of course, chocolate cake. Even Cal decided he could eat it this one day of the year.
"So Laura, did Santa bring you everything you asked for?" Emily asked.
"Yeah... Well almost."
"What do you mean?" This was news to Emily. Every year, no matter what Laura asked for from Santa, she got it. Her dad and Gill spoiled her so much. So she had assumed this year would be no different.
"There was one thing I asked for that I didn't get."
"What was that?"
Looking at her dad and stepmom's faces, she knew that they already knew the answer.
"I asked for a little brother or sister."
"Oh." That was Emily could say. She remembered asking for the same thing every year when she was little, just to be disappointed every time.
"Santa couldn't deliver that one this year." Cal told his younger child.
Gillian had stopped eating.
"Actually..." She began.
"Actually what?" Cal asked. Then his eyes grew wide as it sunk in.
"Santa told me to keep it a secret so you would be surprised." She told Laura. "Mommy's going to have a baby."
Emily nearly choked on her cake.
"What?" Cal asked.
"I wanted to tell the three of you together."
"We're having another baby?" He asked, still unbelieving.
"Yeah, we're having another baby." Gillian answered with a smile.
"Yay, I'm gonna be a big sister!" Laura squealed.
"Next time you have a huge announcement, please wait until I don't have food in my mouth." Emily said.
"Sorry Em."
It seemed to Emily that maybe Santa was bringing her Christmas wish from years earlier after all. He just waited until the right time to bring her presents.
"Thank you, Santa." She whispered.
Sh thought no one heard her but Cal couldn't help but let a little grin appear on his face.
"Thank you, Santa." He silently agreed with her.