"Wake up! Wake up! It's christmas!" Squealed Evelyn bouncing on the bed, followed soon after by Saoirse and Aiden.
Of course Tom and Sybil had planned on sleeping more that morning since none of them had to work. But how can one stay asleep with three kids jumping on your bed?
Tom was the first to open his eyes and smile at the children, while Sybil still tried to snuggle into Tom's arms and sleep more.
"Good morning da, good morning mam." All three children said in union and then Sybil finally decided she couldn't sleep anymore. She sat up on the bed -finally allowing Tom to do the same, since he knew if he stood up he would wake Sybil and he wouldn't do such a thing- and proceeded to hug each one of her kids and kiss Tom.
"Good morning love." He whispered to her as their lips parted.
"Come mam, you and da can kiss later, we want pancakes!" Saoirse, their five year old daughter exclaimed pulling Sybil out of the bed and into the kitchen.
They surely didn't get Tom's patience. Sybil thought as she saw the kids had already gotten the mixing bowl and some ingredients on the table.
"I picked it so we won't waste time!" Said seven-year old Evelyn with a proud look in her face.
"That was very thoughtful of you." Sybil answered lovingly.
"It is." Tom said holding their youngest. A three-year old boy named Aiden, he had gotten nearly everything from Tom, his eyes, his hair and by what it seemed so far his calm personality. "Now come one little one, let's get a glass of water with da."
Their second child, Saoirse was very much like Sybil herself, only that she had Tom's light brown hair instead of Sybil's unruly black curls.
But their oldest daughter, Evelyn was a mixture of both of them, and was always ready to help them with her youngest siblings.
"Mam, can we make them into trees?" saoirse asked, she loved all these christmas things, and so did Sybil, and making all these christmas especial pancakes had become a true Branson tradition.
The Branson family christmas traditions were much simpler than the ones Sybil grew up with at Downton, but none less especial.
That was part of the reason they did not went to Sybil's childhood home, the grand Downton Abbey this year for christmas, all the fancy traditions weren't exactly what the kids enjoyed and honestly neither did Sybil and Tom.
Instead they prefered to spend christmas day in their pyjamas, cuddled on the sofa, reading tales and playing all day. Which was exactly what they had planned for today.
After Evelyn and Saoirse helped Sybil make all the pancakes -getting flour on their faces and making a huge mess as well, but that didn't mattered- Sybil placed their warm pancakes, with butter and syrup on the table.
"Tom, kids! breakfast is ready!" She called out to Tom who was now in the couch with the children watching a christmas children movie on the television.
All of them sat on the table and ate their little breakfast with lots of laughter but Sybil knew the kids were already anxious to open their presents.
Tom and Sybil always raised their kids to know that the best presents come from the heart, and not from shops and money. They always gave them things they knew they would love and play with for a long time, like games, which is exactly what they brought for them this christmas.
"You can open your presents with mam now." Tom said, noticing all the children were looking to their tree "I'll clean the dishes."
At Tom's words all the kids left the table and rushed to pick the boxes under the tree, and Sybil went along. But not before kissing Tom and whispering 'thank you, love'.
From the kitchen Tom could hear the giggling and the happiness from the children, with many 'thank you mam!' and 'let's play now!', and in times like these Tom knew that they had made the right choice all these years ago.
They chose love instead of what society would think of them, after all to everyone he was just a simple journalist from Dublin and she was a Lady from a rich family , but Sybil had chosen him and he could not thank her enough. He has three lovely children, a perfect wife and plans of having one more baby are on the way. What else could a men want?
"Da!" he heard the children even before they reached him in the kitchen, he was just finishing with the dishes "Thank you for the games!" They said in unison and Tom kissed each one of their heads, murmuring 'you're welcome my darlings' to each one of them.
"Tom, are you finished?" Sybil asked, entering the kitchen with a movie's box in her hands "It's time for the movies!"
All of them sat on the family's light blue couch all cuddled up to watch 'A Charlie Brown Christmas', and many, many more movies thought out the day.
That evening after all the fun and joy from the day they had, all the Branson children were tired and already settled to bed, sleeping soundly while Sybil and Tom watched them with a smile in their faces as Tom wrapped his arms arround Sybil's waist and drew her closer to him.
"The best christmas so far." He whispered as he kissed her hair, the ponytail she made got messy a long time ago due to all the playing they had during the day.
"I know, and you what?" She asked, smirking slightly "I think next year will be better."
Tom knew what she meant as soon as she placed his hands on her still flat bump before turning arround to face him.
"Have I told you that you are the best woman I have ever met Sybil Branson?" Tom said kissing her, this time on her lips "because I am doing it now."
"Only a few million times." She smirked "But I'm never tired of hearing it again."