Christmas time was finally here.
Tiana loved the season, the music was festive and the people were cheery. She didn't even mind working her double shifts as long as she could hear the carolers outside and see the happy faces in the restaurants.
'We'll get our own place soon, daddy, just you wait.' She would think to herself as she waitressed her tables. It was a thought that had always made her smile.
It was harder at this time of the year; she missed her father so much.
When she was a little girl and her father was alive, her family had some wonderful holiday traditions.
Every year when Tiana's father came home from his second or third shift, the whole family would work together to make delicious beignets. Her father would fill their best pot with oil and tiana would make the batter.
"Now remember, baby, there are two important rules to making beignets. The first is to always be careful of the hot oil. It burns very much if it bubbles onto your skin. And the second is…you must always, always, always get as much flour on you as possible" he would say as he threw a pinch of flour at his daughter's nose.
This always made Tiana giggle. She always retaliated by sprinkling flour into her daddy's hair.
Her father laughed his deep, warm laugh. "Why Eudora, we have the perfect little beignet maker over here!"
Tiana's mother laughed as well. Tiana took a handful of flour and rubbed it between her hands. She then ran up to her muther and rubbed her hands against her mamma's cheeks.
" Now mamma's the perfect beignet maker too!"
When the batter was ready, always checked, double checked, and triple checked by Tiana of course, her father would help her carefully pour little spoonfuls of the batter into the hot oil. As they waited, they would sing Christmas carols and told silly stories. Once the pastries had turned a crisp, golden brown, father and daughter carefully strained the beignets out. The family continued this until they had a good couple dozen.
"Can I eat one now?" An excited Tiana would ask.
"Not yet, babycakes." Her mother would reply "We have to wait for them to cool and don't you want to put the honey and powdered sugar on?"
"Oh yeah," she said. It was after all her favorite part.
Once the pastries had cooled, her father went to grab the sifter of powdered sugar and the jar of honey.
"Wait, wait , wait!" Tiana cried.
"What is it?"
"I wanna do it." she replied straight forward.
Her father laughed again and handed her the sifter and the jar.
She carefully took a spoonful of honey and swirled it slowly over the beignets. She then took the sifter and sugared each pastry to perfection.
After the final squeeze of the sifter handle, letting the last of the powdered sugar fall, she cried "DONE!"
"They're beautiful, babycakes." Her mother would praise. "And now you can eat one."
"Yes!" Tiana cheered and took a big bite out of the one she had been eyeing.
"Weh ah ee oma eliva em?" Tiana mumbled to her mother with her mouthful of delicious goodness.
"We're gonna deliver them once you finish yours, just like we always do." She replied.
After finishing her masterpiece, her family plated the pastries, piled them into Tiana's rusty wagon and set off to deliver to their friends from all around the city.
"Just a few more houses to go." Her father reassured.
They were on their way to the La Bouff mansion when they started to pass a dark alley. Her heart started to beat faster.
She knew the Shadow Man lived in there.
Her father caught her gaze.
"Remember what I told you, Tiana, stay clear of the Shadow Man and you'll be alright."
Tiana understood, but started to feel sad for him.
'I bet he doesn't get a Christmas' she thought. "Daddy, can we deliver the Shadow Man a plate?"
Her father gave her a strange look and hesitated before he answered.
"Not this year baby." And that was the end of that.
When they god home, it was bedtime. Tiana's parents tucked her in and kissed her goodnight.
----------
Those were good times, great memories.
Tiana and her mother still continued this tradition even though her father wasn't there to celebrate with them. Her mother would prepare the oil while Tiana mixed the batter.
And they always made sure to get plenty of flour on them. Then came time for delivery.
"Tiana, you go ahead. I'm feeling tired and my knees aren't what they used to be." Her mother yawned.
"Okay, mamma, I'll be back soon."
Tiana carefully placed the plates into her wagon.
'I cannot believe I still have this thing' she thought.
She delivered to all of her friends, they appreciated and loved every bite of her delicious beignets.
She was on her way to the La Bouff mansion when she passed that familier alley.
Tiana waited there for who knows how long, contemplating if she should go down there with a plate or not. She looked at her stock. Two plates left. Tiana looked back at the alley.
"Well, 'tis the season." She said to herself and her feet carried her to the door.
'Dr. Facilier's Voodoo Emporium' she mentally read to herself as she placed the plate full of pastries on his doorstep. There was no way she was knocking. Tiana walked back to her wagon.
As she walked away, she could swear that she heard a door open for a moment then slam shut.
Charlotte just loved the beignets, as always, and kept her for at least 20 minutes longer than necessary just for 'girl talk'. With her final goodbyes, she grabbed her now empty wagon and started to head home.
They alley was coming up. Tiana peered down at the door.
The pastries were gone. She looked harder and saw something in its place. Curiosity got the best of her and she walked down to the door.
It was a box. A smallish, green box tied with a thick red ribbon. There was a simple bow on top. Tiana picked up the box and saw a tag. Turning the tag over she read:
'Tiana' in chicken-scratch handwriting.
She gulped 'How did he know it was me?' she asked herself.
What should she do? Open the box? What could be in there?
Before she knew it, her fingers were undoing the bow; she tied the ribbon around her wrist for safe keeping. Slowly she pulled the lid off of the box.
The contents were revieled to be a stuffed…thing.
What was it? A doll?
She pulled it out, placing the box into her wagon.
No, it was a regular doll.
A frog. A cute little green frog with big eyes and a foreboding smile.
"Oh, well...that was nice of him." She said and set off home.
Somewhere in the shop, one could hear a mischievous laugh.
A/N- I hope you all enjoyed this. It's one of those stories that you think up late into the night and can't help but write it down because you don't want to forget it. Thank you for reading and reviews would be appreciated!