Halcyon

Christmas Trees

Jack carries another box down into the lounge and looks at Nikki with a smile, Jack places the box on the floor and looks at the Christmas tree, "Now that what a call a Christmas tree" Jack smiles and he hugs Nikki's waist and cuddles her close.

Nikki smiles and nods, she rests back onto Jack and looks down at Poppy who walks over to the box full of decorations and messes with the tinsel and lifts it out and smiles, "Mummy, sparkly... my look, sparkly!" Poppy smiles as she brings the tinsel over to Nikki.

"Oh wow, do you like the sparkly tinsel?" Nikki smiles as she crouches down to Poppy's eye level while Jack figures out the lights for the tree.

Poppy giggles and passes the tinsel to Nikki, "No!" she smiles cheekily.
Poppy snatches the tinsel back and hugs it tightly, "My sparkles!" Poppy says not wanting to let go of the tinsel.

Nikki smiles and sighs, "Come on baby, we need to put it down so Daddy can put it on the tree" Nikki smiles trying to reason with her stubborn two-year-old.

"No, mine!" Poppy replies with a frown.
"Now baby" Nikki smiles and Poppy holds the tinsel tighter and attempts to run away, Nikki grabs her arm and pulls her back causing Poppy to start screaming.

"Poppy Mae Alexander-Hodgson... Don't have a brat fit over this, give Mummy the tinsel and you can help put the pretty ball-balls on the tree" Nikki says as she lets go of Poppy and she throws herself on the floor and proceeds to scream.

Nikki stands up from her crouched position and looks at Jack who just shakes his head, "I'd give my kidneys to have Poppy back as a baby, no tantrums and no answering back" Jack smirks.

Poppy soon realizes both her parents aren't giving her attention and stops crying and lies on the floor whimpering to herself. "So are you coming to help Mummy and I?" Jack questions as he scoops Poppy up off the floor.

She looks across at Nikki and then hides her face in Jack's shoulder, "Daddy help, not Mummy" Poppy mumbles.

"Oh Poppy, Mummy will be sad if she can't help" Jack smiles looking at his daughter who now looks exactly like Nikki right down to the slightly curly blonde hair.

Nikki smirks at Jack and then crouches down and searches through decoration boxes until she comes across her favourite ornament that sits on the tree. "What's that?" Poppy says as she points at the ornament.

"You're Daddy brought me this baby shoe for the tree when you were a baby, it was your first Christmas" Nikki smiles knowing her daughter wouldn't understand what she is on about.

Poppy wriggles down and walks across the room and looks in the box and finds a silver ball-ball and passes it to Jack who hangs it on the tree. Poppy squeals happily and stamps her feet before running to get another ball-ball and running back to Jack with it as she realizes it's a fun game.