Pup

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

"Hey, Ollie come over here and help me with this" Oliver heard Hank call from somewhere outside his room. Oliver put his cars down and walked into the hallway where Hank was brining down boxes and putting them down on the floor near his feet which made noise as he set them down. Curious, Oliver got down on his knees and opened one that was closest to him to see all sorts of shiny, glittery and sparkly things inside. 

"Papa what's this stuff?" he asked, taking a string of this red, rough, sparkly material out of the box to take a closer look. It was tickly to the touch but shined and reflected onto the walls brightly. 

"It's called tinsel it's a Christmas decoration people like to hang around at this time. What do you think? Want to hang it up?" Hank asked smiling, coming back down the ladder. 

"Christmas? You do Christmas? Like everyone at school does?" Oliver asked, wondering if this was too good to be true. Even the word rolling off his tongue felt foreign and awkward.  But it was warm and exciting.

"Yeah, Christmas! I haven't done it in a long time, you haven't had one before, so I thought it was a good time to unbury these boxes and take them out" Hank explained smiling at the flicker of life in his eyes. Life Hank wasn't sure he'd see in him. 

"R-really Papa? Christmas? We can do Christmas? Like everyone else?" Oliver asked clutching the tinsel in his hand, terrified this would end up like it always did. 

"Ollie don't worry. I may not have done this in a long time, but if this is what you want, I'll do my best okay?" Hank said truthfully, seeing the fear and flashbacks threatening to creep into his eyes. "Now come on and help me bring this downstairs so we can start decorating hm?" Hank said turning Oliver away from his thoughts and bringing back that sparkle again. Hank was going to make this the best time of his life. He didn't know much about Christmas, all he learned was from Camile. She knew how to make things fun, magical even. How could he do this without her what was he thinking? 

"Papa can we decorate now?" spoke a little voice from a few feet away from him. Oliver was teetering close the edge of the stair, holding a box behind him ready to walk down. Hank snapped out of his state and gently began to pull the box away,

"Yeah we can kiddo, let me just take the box okay? There's a bag on the table in my office could you go get that for me?" Oliver smiled and nodded in response, excitedly running down the stairs causing Hank to warn him to be careful as he followed him down with a box. He set the box down in the living room listening to the little feet running across his house with sounds of the rustling bag. 

"Papa! Papa! Is this a stocking? Do I have a stocking? Is it mine? It's so soft and it's white Papa! " Oliver said in shock, letting the bag drift to the floor.

"It is! It's all, yours kid. Did you see the front?" Hank asked pointing. Oliver turned it over in his hands and saw his name embroidered in red on the cuff at the top. He ran his fingers over the stitching of his name taking it in. The floor under his feet was warm and smooth, his belly was full and now he had his own stocking. Just like all the other kids! He could be like them too. He finally had a Pappa, Family, the possibilities were now endless. He could do crafts with everyone and not have to throw them away right after or watch everyone else buy presents in the library for their families. On the last day of school before vacation, he could run out in the snow, with presents and cookies and treats on his arms to an actual family. To his own Papa.  

"What ya think?" Hank asked smiling. "Think we could hang it up and put stuff on the mantle?" 

Oliver looked up with a big smile on his face and nodded, "Yeah! Is this app mine Pappa?"

"It's got your name on it" Hank replied smiling at the awe in his little eyes which grew with his reaction. Watching the joy spread across his face was something pure and unexpected. Hank didn't think Ollie would give him such a look so quickly. Well, really it had been more than a year almost two in fact, and there'd be more to come. Hank would make sure of it.