It had been a year since the Grinch went through his major change. Cindy-Lou Who, now seven years old, had just woken up. She woke and noticed that the sun wasn't up yet. She glanced at her clock to double check the time.
5:46 am on Christmas morning.
Cindy then tried to snuggle back into her pillow and go back to sleep, but only sat up and threw her cover's away from her in frustration. She glanced around at her Christmas decorated room; the tinsel on her windowsills, her Christmas tree in the corner of her room, even her ballerina record player was still playing a soft tune of "Silent Night'. Cindy then noticed her own reflection in the mirror. Nothing much had changed about her from the previous year except for her hair. It no longer had that section of hair that was sticking up. She had grown quite bothersome of her mother trying to fix it every morning and every night. So she just decided to do her hair in simple braided pigtails with green and red ribbons on the end. It kept her hair neat while never having to go through hairspray ever again!
Cindy's attention was then drawn to her window and looked upon a familiar sight. Mt. Crumpet looked as beautiful as it always had to her, especially when the snow fell upon it. Cindy then decided how she was going to pass the time on what would be a very long Christmas morning.
Cindy smiled as she crept out of her bed, still in her pajamas, grabbed her coat and winter boots. Still holding her boots so that they wouldn't make any noise, she quietly slipped past her brother's and parent's bedrooms and made her way down the stairs. As she passed her living room, she noticed that the tree was surrounded by presents of all shapes and sizes. Cindy smiled, for she knew that Santa had already made a visit to her house.
She walked outside and noticed Martha-May Who's house right next to hers. Martha wasn't usually ever seen in her house though. Ever since she and the Grinch got married, she'd been spending much more time in his cave than her own house. After Cindy locked her front door behind her, she made her way through the dark and quiet town of Whoville. She made her way toward the dumpster chute that led to Mt. Crumpit. She climbed in, punched the button with the side of her fist, and off she went, giggling and laughing the entire ride up the mountain!
Nowadays, when she landed in the dumpster, instead of landing on a bunch of garbage, she landed on a nice pile of old pillows that the Grinch placed there. Cindy was really the only one who used the chute to travel to the Grinch and back to the village, so it's no wonder that the Grinch would want her to have as soft a landing as possible. After she finished off her share of giggles, she climbed her way through the garbage and found the path that led to the Grinch's cave.
Cindy had just reached the top of the mountain and was just outside of the Grinch's door. She turned around to see if the sun was up yet. She could see the sun just barely peeking over the mountaintops in the horizon.
Good. I still have some time before everyone waked up.
Cindy then made her way through the small doggy-door embedded in the Grinch's actual door. She made her way through the cave. Grinch must have still been asleep, because his machines were off and everything was quite…well…almost quiet. Max heard the door opened, and sprinted to Cindy as she walked in the door.
"Max! Hi there boy!" Cindy excitedly whispered as she scratched Max's head and he wagged his tail and licked Cindy's face.
"Oh! I almost forgot!" Cindy exclaimed. She reached into her coat pocket and grabbed something. She's but a couple small presents in her pocked the night before so that she wouldn't forget to bring them. She placed the other one in her pocket and kept the green red-stripped bone shaped package. She opened the present and reviled a dog bone.
"For you Maxie!" Cindy exclaimed as Max took the bone and happily nuzzled himself into her chest. Cindy covered her mouth as she giggled and made her way through the cave, Max following her closely behind her. Cindy crept to the part of the cave that hovered over the Grinch's bed. She found Martha-May in the bed with him, turned on her side, with the Grinch following suit with his arm draped over her hip. Both of them looked peaceful and…almost…happy. Of course, Cindy was only a child, and she knew that she was s child. She didn't understand love quite yet, and she didn't have to. Until she got older, she knew that she could only stare and wonder what the heck was wrong with grownups.
But they were not Cindy's main target right now. Cindy crept toward the bedroom and, careful not to make any noise, she made her way to a cradle that was next to the couple's bed. Cindy stood on her toes, and peeked into the cradle.
Victor-Allen Lou, Grinch and Martha's son, was peacefully in his cradle. Cindy looked at the sleeping child. Victor already had Martha's light brown hair. But when Cindy started to try to tuck the boy back in his blanket, his eyes opened up. That was really the only thing he inherited from his father: his bright green eyes. He began to coo. Cindy put her index finger to her lips.
"Shhh, Victor, shh." Cindy glanced up at the Grinch starting to turn in the bed. Cindy hurriedly pulled the other present from her pocket and placed it next to Victor.
"Merry Christmas Victor!" Cindy whispered, as the Grinch awoke. He sat up on the bed and opened his eyes. They immediately became wide as he saw Cindy standing there.
"Cindy-Lou! Wha…!" Grinch exclaimed. Cindy sprinted up the stairs toward the front door.
"Max! Come here boy! I'll need your help!" Max quickly blazed after Cindy. The Grinch ran as fast as he could to catch up with her. Bye the time he'd reached the top of the stairs, Cindy was standing a few feet away from her front door, looking perfectly cheerful. Grinch gave her an annoyed look.
"Cindy-Lou, if your parents found out that you were here…!" Grinch exclaimed.
"He-he-he. Now Maxie!" Cindy playfully ordered. Grinch turned around just in time to see Max pull the scarlet rope. Grinch's eye's widened as he realized that Max pulled the rope to his trap door. He turned around just in time to see Cindy fall down the trap.
"I'll see you later Mr. Grinch, and Merry Christmas!" Cindy's voice echoed through the chute just before it closed. The Grinch just stood there speechless. He then glared at Max behind him. Max then whined, grabbed his bone, and ran away to his little dog house.
Grinch then huffed and mumbled to himself as he made his way back over to his bed to see how Martha was doing. He'd passed his son's crib when…he noticed something. Victor was holding something bright red and shiny. Grinch noticed that it was a tiny package. He picked up the card that was next to it.
To Victor-Allen Who for your first Christmas,
With much love from your friend, Cindy-Lou Who.
Grinch then noticed his son ripping up the rest of the paper. It was a handmade paper heart that had a Christmas Tree in the middle. On the heart surrounding the tree, a child's handwriting spelled out "May your first Merry Christmas be full of happiness!" Victor cooed as he gently hugged the ornament, almost as if he knew it was a delicate object he didn't want to break. Grinch could only smile as he saw his son holding his first Christmas present from Grinch's first true friend.