"Daddy, I don't like Christmas without mommy." Arabella cuddles up in her father's lap.
"I know, baby. I don't either. How about after we open presents, we go see mommy?"
"I'd like that.."
"Me too." Danny kisses Arabella's head.
"Kids, I have to tell you all something.."
"What's wrong, dad?" Sofia moves closer to him.
"Well.. this morning when I went to pick up momma-"
"Wait! Pick her up?!" Sofia smiles.
"Oh great, Danny.." Danny sighs.
"You guys.. your mother was supposed to come home today."
"What happened? Why isn't she here?" Jackson asks.
"She was having respiratory problems. She wasn't doing well, but they've stabilized her."
"Gosh.." Jackson's eyes tear up.
Danny's heart broke seeing their sad faces. This whole thing has been extremely hard on Danny.
Having to see his wife lifeless at times, and see his children heartbroken without their mother home with them.
"If we go, will she be able to talk to us?" Sofia asks.
"No.."
"She's hooked up to all that stuff again?" Arabella asks looking up to her father.
"Yeah.."
"I don't want to go if mommy is sick and needs all that stuff on her face, and those, those.. those cord things that they put all over her." Arabella speaks with her hands just like her mother.
".. I don't want to see her like that again." She looked to her father with the saddest little face.
"Me neither." Joseph says. "It makes me too sad.."
"Me too.." Joshua agrees. His head hanging low.
"I understand.
Next Christmas will be sooo different. Mommy will be back, things will be back to normal.. everything will be okay." Danny smiles to his kids, and does his best to hide his pain.
