Max Caulfield poured the firsts cup of coffee that morning with a relish. The night before had been…problematic, what with today being Christmas Eve. She had hoped that Ellie might have calmed down after being allowed to open a single present, but after watching Chloe play The Last of Us Part 2 all she could do was run around the apartment and pretend to be the Ellie in that game. Max had, admittedly, snorted a few times when Ellie would pop out from around a corner or from a piece of furniture to say "Damn Clickers!" I'll have to talk to Chloe about how we talk around her and what we let her watch. Wowser, she's picking up everything she hears now. Splashing some peppermint mocha creamer into her coffee and a little cinnamon, Max swirled it around with one hand as she adjusted the bra under her nightshirt with another. Feeling two warm hands wrap themselves around her from behind, Max smiled and tilted the mug of delicious coffee to her lips.
"That the only thing getting a smooch from you this mornin'?" Chloe asked sleepily, drained just like Max from their over-exuberant child who was presently passed out in her room.
"Just for the moment, honey. Just for the moment," Max said between sips before she set the mug down and turned around to face her loving wife. Blue hair down past her shoulders, Chloe made bedhead look sexy. Pulling Chloe down to her by the hem of the taller woman's tank-top, Max gave her a long, coffee-flavored kiss that lingered for a bit after they parted lips, "Sleep alright? I felt you toss and turn a bit last night?"
"I'm good," Chloe said, reaching into the freezer for waffles, before setting down the box, "It's…It's weird sometimes, y'know? I still have dreams from years ago. The storm, us, everything. Like blurred memories mix with my dreams. Hella trippy, dude."
"Aww, my lil blue flower get her petals tugged on?"
"Careful, sweety. I got me some dope thorns. Don't get pricked."
"I thought you liked pricking me…," Max said, winking in the moment where she and Chloe had some alone time. After ten years of being together, years of marriage, and a child Max was still as in love with Chloe as she had been the day of the fateful tornado that forever changed their lives and destiny.
"…Okay. I got nothin' on that in ways of a comeback. You win, Caulfield," Chloe conceded, reaching around Max to take her wife's mug for a sip of coffee. She giggled a bit when Max looked at her admonishingly for stealing the coffee, and nearly laughed when Max started to set herself up another mug, "Yeah, yeah, I know how you are about your coffee… I won't sip it, I swear to Dog."
"Ouch, reminder of how I used to talk. Such awkward, very shy, so me."
"You still talk like a memebase, nerd. It's just more hip now."
Chloe took the empty, unused mug her wife had started to prepare and filled it with the rich, caffeinated blackness of coffee. The smell of the roast wafted up to her nose and filled her contently with a refreshing alertness as she swiped the waffles and popped two in the toaster. Taking a sip, preferring her own coffee black, Chloe sat on the kitchen island's stool next to Max's and leaned her head on her wife's shoulder.
"Can we just go back to bed? Pretty please?" Chloe asked in a sleepy voice before taking a sip of the brewed liquid.
"I wish. Sometimes I wish we could skip today and tomorrow and just enjoy the aftermath like everything's already been done without us?"
"That some 'bah' in your 'humbug', Max?"
"No. Just tiredness. At least we're doing Christmas at Joyce and David's place this year. No madness to clean up by myself," Max said, wryly grinning as she nudged Chloe in the ribs with an elbow.
"Someone has to show the pipsqueak how cool all her new toys and stuff are!" Chloe replied, sitting up to place a hand on her chest in mock offense, "Not my fault you're terrible at paper-rock-scissors."
"I will win one of these Christmases, I swear," Max said before planting a kiss on Chloe's cheek. Hearing the sound of someone getting out of bed in her room, Max looked over at Chloe and gestured with her chin to where they kept the Lucky Charms, "You prep the food, I'll tame the beast."
Walking around the kitchen island to the hallway, Max opened the door with a dry erase board that said "Ellie's Room" and smiled at her half-asleep daughter as she stood at the side of her bed with the shark stuffed animal that they had bought her for Christmas. Dressed in Max's old Jane Doe shirt, Ellie wiped at her eyes and brushed the green hair out of her face. Kneeling down, Max hugged her daughter good morning and proceeded to give her several small kisses all over the giggling girl's face.
"Mommy, noooo! That's ewww!" Ellie giggled as she writhed in Max's arms, laughing as the kisses turned into little tickles here and there, "Momma, help!"
"Momma's busy, kiddo. You're on your own with that one!" Chloe called out from the kitchen.
"Max the Tickler is gonna getcha and keep ya and tickle ya, mwahahaha!" Max said in a growly voice as the giggling and laughing from her daughter turned into ear-piercing shrieks. When the small arms wrapped around her neck, though, Max stopped and hugged her little girl right back, "That's my little girl. You ready to see grandma and grandpa?"
"Presents!"
"…You have to see grandma and grandpa first, though, y'know? It's not just all presents and presents. Maybe grandma will let you help bake Christmas cookies this year? Decorate them with icing and sprinkles?"
"…Ye! Cookies!" Elle said after a moment of pensiveness, all the more endearing as she grabbed at her arm the way Max had once used to do. Looking up at her mommy, what with Max sitting on the bed and Ellie lying on it, Ellie shoved the stuffed animal shark in Max's face, "Puffer wants cookies!"
"Nope. No cookies for Puffer. Puffer, and you, are just gonna have to wait until tonight at grandma's. You get cereal and juice, young lady."
"But mommy… Cookies."
"Nooo, cereal and juice," Max said as she hoisted up Ellie off her feet and carried the little girl from the bedroom to the kitchen area, Puffer in tow, "Look. Momma already made you a delicious breakfast. You gonna say "No" to Momma's breakfast?"
"…No," Ellie said bashfully, seeing the feigned look of disappointment on Chloe's face, "I'm sorry, Mommies."
"Nothin' to be sorry about, Pipsqueak," Chloe said as Max sat their daughter on her stool, bowl and juice next to Max's coffee, "Eatcha breaky and then we'll get you all scrubbed up in a bubble bath. No Puffer, though. He's afraid of bubbles."
"Yeah, no Puffer. Wouldn't want to make him all scared, would you?" Max asked, winking at Chloe. The last thing either of them wanted was for Ellie to ruin her first present this year after less than a day. The little girl can go kind of nuts sometimes in the bubble bath, "We'll leave him in your room, all nice and bundled up for you when you're done with your bath."
"Mm'kay…," Ellie said, a little despondent as she placed Puffer on the kitchen island's tabletop and began to munch on her bowl of Lucky Charms, "Mommy, I can't have your juice!"
"…Good call," Max said, realizing her coffee was within reach of Ellie. The last time she had a coffee drink, we damn near needed horse tranquilizers to put her to bed. Wowser, "I'll just take that, thank you."
Leaning against the counter as Max and Ellie sat next to each other discussed what they were going to be doing for the day, Chloe sipped at her coffee and wondered how she, of all people, managed to luck out so damn much. I've got the hella most surprising karma, I fucking swear. I've got Max and we've had this little blessing for years, now. Damn. Chloe remembered what Max had been like when she was pregnant, glowing and full of light and life as they realized over and over that they were about to become parents to a little baby girl. Of course, Max and Chloe had both wanted to know what they were having as soon as possible; for Max it was partly out of practicality, but Chloe had actually cried when they found out about Ellie. Bygone days… Chloe thought as she sipped at the lukewarm coffee, But here we are, with a great apartment and stability in our jobs. I even got today off, miraculously. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with my fam. Hella yes!
"Hun, you okay?" Max asked Chloe, looking up to see her wife a little misty-eyed, "Chloe?"
"Momma hurt?" Ellie asked, eyes wide.
"No. No, Ellie. Momma's not hurt. She's hella happy to have so much in her life, y'know? I've got a super-wife and my lil pipsqueak – what more could I want?"
"D'awww, c'mere," Max said, offering a hand to Chloe so that she could pull her wife in for a soft, loving kiss.
"Ewww," Ellie said with a giggle before she continued eating her bowl of cereal, sipping her orange juice every now and then as her mommies held each other. Chloe felt tears run down her cheek, and a moistness on her tank-top where Max's head was pressed against her.
"Why were you and momma cryin'?" Ellie asked as Max helped her get dressed, green hair still a little damp as she slid her legs into the new jeans Max and Chloe had helped her pick out.
"Aww, sweetie, we weren't sad. Your mommies are just happy because we make a wonderful family, y'know?" Max said, picking out a pair of blue Chuck Taylors for Ellie to wear, "Momma and Mommy weren't always so lucky, so we've learned to count every blessing. Especially on Christmases, yeah?"
"Ye. I'm lucky to have my mommies, too," Ellie said as she Max helped her into the small flannel shirt, black and green, "Do I need to cry, too?"
"Naw. You just be happy and giggle, ya goof," Max replied, ruffling her daughters hair, toothy grins on them both.
"Ready, babe?" Max heard Chloe ask as she poked her head into the doorway. Classic beanie and leather jacket, Chloe was sporting a button-down shirt and ripped jeans with her boots.
"Yeah, just get her jacket and mine and we should be all set. The presents already in the car?" Max replied, getting up, "She's really gotten into dressing like Ellie from that game you played.
"Damn Clickers!" Ellie cried out, getting a chuckle from Chloe.
"Please, please, do not say that at grandma's house, Pipsqueak," Chloe said before heading into the hallway and shortly returning with a peacoat for Max and a hoodie for Ellie, "Momma will get in hella trouble, m'kay? No 'Damn Clickers" at grandma's."
"Okay," Ellie replied as she pulled on the hoodie, "No hewwa trouble for Momma. Would Mommy get in trouble, too?"
"…Probably," Max said with a slight grimace, "Grandma doesn't like bad words."
"I said a bad word!" Ellie said, hands to her mouth.
"We'll make sure Santa doesn't know, Punkin'," Max said, kissing her little girl on the cheek before she picked her up, "Let's go. I'm dying for some of your mom's cookies, Chlo."
"Cookies!" Ellie cried out triumphantly, hugging Max around the neck as they headed out of the apartment, "Ye!"
After a short drive from the apartment building, Chloe pulled their SUV into the driveway of Joyce and David's house just outside Seattle. Max and Chloe unbuckled themselves and got out of the car, Max getting Ellie as Chloe tried and failed to stack all of the presents together for a single trip.
"Thank God nothing's fragile, Butterfingers," Max teased, Ellie giggling as Chloe just shrugged and picked up the ones she could easily carry while having put the other ones back in the car for the time being, "Now remember, Punkin, no bad words…no matter what Momma might tell you to do for grown-up giggles."
"I heard that!" Chloe said from the front door as Max and Chloe walked up to join her, "Not cool, Max."
"But honest, and fair, babe."
"Alright, alright," Chloe said before pinching Ellie's cheeks, "No bad words for me or you, huh? You up for that, Pipsqueak?"
"Uh-huh," Ellie replied, nodding as Chloe knocked on the door, "Grandma! Cookies, Grandma!"
"Well, nice to see you too, sugar," Joyce said, beaming at the sight of her smiling girls as all three of them came in before Chloe went to get the rest of the presents, "C'mon in, c'mon! Don't be shy! Oh, Ellie, you're gettin' so big! Give your grandma a hug!"
Ellie reached out and Max let Joyce take her, Max moving to open the door for Chloe just as it was starting to sprinkle.
"Saved by the bae," Max chimed in, hearing Chloe groan in response to the pun, "Oh, c'mon. You love it, and me."
"You're lucky I do. Who the hell else could love such a punster so much?" Chloe replied after making sure she was not within earshot of Ellie, "I know, I know. Language. Hella lame, but necessary. How do you do it, never swear around her?"
"Believe me, sometimes it is a work-in-progress," Max said as she took off her peacoat and Chloe's leather jacket. Pulling Chloe to her, Max looked up and Chloe followed suit to see mistletoe hanging from the ceiling just next to the door, "It's a tradition, so we must brace ourselves."
"A bit hella yes to that," Chloe said, grinning, as her parted lips met Max's. A little tongue this time, Chloe thought as she felt a slight moan run through her wife, My big girl needs her lovin', too, after all. Pulling back after a moment, Chloe kissed Max on the tip of her nose before giving her an Eskimo kiss, "Just wait till we get to bed once Ellie and everybody's asleep. Someone's on my naughty list."
"C-Chloe!" Max whispered, aghast, "Here? In your parents' house?"
"Why the fuck not?"
"…I-I dunno…"
"Max! Chloe! Welcome!" David said as he walked in from the living room, giving each woman a hug, "Good to see you!"
"Hey, David," the women said in unison, snickering afterwards with Max following up, "How's life at Seattle PD?"
"Good, good. Managed to get today off. Dunno how I pulled that, but I'm on-call tomorrow so I might only get the morning with y'all. Where's Eloise?"
"She's in with Mom, no doubt terrorizing whatever cookies are already baked," Chloe said, hand to her forehead, "Max, can you go make sure-?"
"That the sugar fiend is not going to haunt us tonight? I got this," Max said, heading for the kitchen before pausing, "Y'know, it's still kinda weird how the layout of this place is almost the exact same as the house in Arcadia Bay."
"Yeah," David said, nodding as he looked around, "Life can be weird like that sometimes, I guess. Chloe, drink?"
"God, yes," Chloe said, smiling encouragingly as David led her into the living room. A smaller space than the last house, what with the kitchen/dining room area walled off, it felt a little more cozy with the tree and a fireplace showing up on the flat screen TV Chloe and Max had gotten David and Joyce a few years ago, "Beer?"
"Somethin' a little stronger this year," David said as he handed Chloe a glass of eggnog, "A homemade recipe from my grandfather. Take a snort."
Chloe's throat burned in a warm way as the sip of nog made its way through her system. Settling into a cozy chair across from David, the Christmas tree twinkling rainbow lights at them, Chloe sipped at the nog as Max came in with her own mug of what smelled like mulled cider spiked with something. Sitting next to David, Max licked a small bit of frosting off her thumb. Both women letting out a sigh got a laugh from David as all three relaxed in their seats. The calm of the living room seemed to slink its way into every inch of Chloe, even more so as she watched Max visibly relax. She's been running on fumes since this week started, working from home while watching Ellie. She totally deserves a break, Chloe thought as she winced from taking an entire mouthful of David's family eggnog.
"So, Max, how are things? You three gettin' by alright?" David asked as Max blew on her hot cider, "That a pinch of my whiskey in there?"
"Just a shot or two, and we're doing good. Lots of holiday shoots for myself, got an exhibit going up at The Chase Space next month involving the redwoods. Ellie's doing well in school, but she's picked up my shyness a little early. She's either 'too loud' or 'doesn't speak up enough in class'. It's preschool, for Christ's sake."
"My jobs are going alright," Chloe piped in, "About to switch over to tattooing full-time and bartending part-time. It'll give me more time with the fam, and it'll mean a primary job that doesn't depend on tips. How's Mom?"
"Gettin' by," David said, "The home insurance from the place in Arcadia Bay really helped us out, and I make enough with my police work, but she's taken a part-time job waitressing at a diner in the city. Think it'll do her good. She was missin' Two Whales awfully fierce."
"Ugh, I miss Two Whales," Max added in, setting her mug on the coffee table, "I miss a lot…from back there…"
"Hey," Chloe said, moving over from her spot to kneel next to where Max was sitting. Placing her glass on the table, she took both of Max's hands in hers, "I'm right here, babe. Ellie's safe. There's no freak storms or anything like that. Chillax."
"…You're right. Life is good, isn't it?" Max asked, her eyes a little distant until Chloe kissed her on the cheek, "The Cookie Monster is under control, by the way. I had to threaten to 'suspend Christmas', so she might not be too happy, but Ellie promised to not eat up every cookie Joyce makes. I think I'll head back in there, maybe worm my way into our daughter's good graces again."
"Want me to come with? I could use a cookie…," Chloe suggested, Max smiling and taking her wife by the hand, "We'll be right back, David."
"I'll be here. And I want to hear about Ellie's school progress, make sure she's doin' alright!"
Joyce seemed like a blur, moving constantly from one dish to another. Candied yams, corn-on-the-cob, bread pudding, pecan pie, cookies, and turkey – all the scents from every food wafted together in what seemed like a joint effort to make Chloe's mouth water. She loved her mom's cooking, and while she wasn't too bad herself in the kitchen it didn't come close to the level her mom had achieved after years and years of experience. With Ellie sitting at a small play table in the corner,, icing the cookies that were done cooling, Joyce had taken over the rest of the space and some of the dining room with her cookie acumen. Max deftly avoided being ran over to go sit with Ellie while Chloe just leaned against the doorway and watched her mom at work.
"Lookin' pretty sick, Mom, with all the deliciousness," Chloe said, smiling as she watched Max help Ellie frost Christmas cookies, "Havin' fun with Grandma, Pipsqueak?"
"Ye," Ellie said, nodding as she diligently focused on frosting each and every cookie. Red frosting, blue and green – Ellie made trees with blue lights and Max watched intently, "Mommy's helpin' by keeping watch over the trees."
"More like Mommy's making sure you don't eat up every cookie, you little goober," Joyce said with a grin as she looked over her shoulder from the stove top, "I swear, Chloe, that girl is so much like the both of you one'd think that Max somehow miraculously conceived her."
"Mom, you've been having too much of the cooking sherry," Chloe joked, plucking a single candied yam from the baking dish, "It's osmosis. My personality and way of life simply emanate off of me and into the pipsqueak."
"Thank goodness then that I'm here to keep her under control, then," Max chimed in, eyebrow quirked, "Because Momma's bein' bad and eatin' before it's ready for everybody. Right, Punkin'?"
"Bad Momma! No eating!" Ellie shouted, pointing at a bemused and slightly embarrassed Chloe with a bottle of green frosting and then losing interest altogether, "Mommy, can I have the red frosting?"
"Sure you can, sweetie," Max said, taking the white bottle and handing her daughter a red one.
"So, Mom, how's the new job? David said you're working at another diner? You stir-crazy up in here?" Chloe asked, winking as she stuck her tongue out at Ellie and Max before Joyce looked over in her direction. The giggle she received from Ellie when Max stuck her tongue out in return made it even more worth it than usual.
"I have to do sumthin' besides hangin' around the house all day," Joyce said as she opened the stove to check on the turkey, chuckling when Max's growling stomach could be heard, "Cleaning, renovating, moving everything around again and again – it was frustrating to both myself and David, the house being a little different every week. It's only part-time, so it's not like I'm going to be constantly busy like the Two Whales, but it'll be a nice break from just stayin' at home every day, doing God knows what."
"Aww, Joyce," Max said, looking up after setting Ellie on her lap, "You could've driven into the city and hung out with me. The company would've been nice."
"Grandma! Lookit! Cookies are done!" Ellie said excitedly before looking at Max, "Now can I haz one?"
"Can you haz one? You've really been listening to your Momma too much," Max chuckled before handing Ellie a cookie, "One for now, and maybe another one in a bit? That okay?"
"Ye!" Ellie said before she took a nibble of cookie, "Grandma and I make good cookies."
"Om nom nom," Chloe said, walking over to squat down in front of Max and their daughter, "Ugh, she is so adorable. Ellie, I'mma eat you like a cookie!"
"Momma, no! I'm eatin'," Ellie replied in a matter-of-fact tone.
"But what if Momma wants to give you a kiss?" Max asked, Joyce smiling as she watched how they all interacted.
"Momma givin' smooches is for Mommy."
"A Momma kiss from you isn't the same as a smooch for me."
"…Okies," Ellie said, Chloe leaning over to kiss Ellie on the cheek, "Is it present time yet?"
"That's tomorrow, kiddo."
"Yeah, we let you have Puffer early because you've been so well-behaved. Don't get too present-oriented, Pipsqueak. That is for tomorrow morning."
"Awww…," Ellie replied with a pout, "Where's Puffer?"
"I thought you brought Puffer in… Chloe, could you check the car?" Max asked, slightly bouncing Ellie on her knee as the little girl looked at her half-eaten cookie.
"I'm on the case for this one," Chloe said, standing up and popping her back as she headed through the doorway to the front door, "David, want to meet Puffer?"
"Puffer?" David asked, walking in from the hallway as Chloe put on her jacket.
"Pass the yams, please," Chloe said, mouth half-full of turkey as she held out her hand while David passed her the baking dish, "Mom, you hella outdid yourself. These are some hardcore eats."
"High praise, I take it?" Joyce asked Max, looking over at the other woman as Max snickered and nodded, "Well, thank you very much, then. I do try. Y'all will have to come by more often if you want some old-fashioned cookin'."
"I hope the bird isn't too crispy," David said as he took a stab at the dark meat on his plate with a fork, "It looks fantastic, honey."
"It's perfect," Max said, licking her lips as she helped herself to a second serving of the delicious bird. Seasoned with a honey barbecue and an infusion of pepper and onion, it lit her taste buds on just the right amount of fire, "For reals, I could eat this every day."
"The turkey junkie gets her fix as much as she can," Chloe joked as she ruffled Ellie's hair, the little girl sitting next to her in a booster seat, "How you doin', Pipsqueak?"
"Grandma makes good eats!" Ellie announced, her little plate nearly empty, "Momma, can I have s'more food?"
"You won't get too full, will you?" Max asked, fully knowing that Ellie's stomach was like a black hole when it came to the holidays, "Room for pie and cookies after?"
"Ye!" Ellie said emphatically at the notion of dessert.
Max took the empty plate from Chloe and filled it up a little with a piece of white meat, some yams, and green bean casserole. Tearing a roll in half before popping one half into her mouth, Max put a little butter on the tender piece of warm bread before handing it across the table to her wife for their daughter to enjoy. With Max and Joyce on one side of the table, David at the head, and Chloe on the other side with Ellie, there was barely enough room for the food and their plates. Max looked around at all of them and smiled, happy that they had this time with Chloe's family. We really don't see enough of them. I'll have to make that a New Year's resolution or something. Sipping at her spiked mulled cider, Max saw Joyce watching her and raised an eyebrow.
"Mmm?" Max inquired, her mouth closed as she chewed on the piece of roll.
"How's your parents doin', Max? Hardly hear from Ryan and Vanessa enough."
"That's true," David said, nodding in agreement, "After all, it was your father who helped me get into the Seattle Police Department. Like they'd otherwise take someone my age."
"Dude, you're a total fit for that," Chloe retorted, chiming in as she slurped down some of the eggnog in her glass, "Whoa, forgot to sip on this shiz. Crazy good, though, David."
"With Mom at her legal firm and Dad constantly doing something with the Marshal's office, they hardly have time for themselves, let alone us or you two," Max said, a little sadness in her voice, "They make an effort to try, though. Tomorrow afternoon the three of us are supposed to go see them. Only Dog knows what they've got in store for Punkin this year…"
"Mommy's mommy and daddy gave me a 'puter last year!" Ellie exclaimed, Joyce looking at Max curiously.
"One of those tablets for kids from Amazon. It has learning games and things like Tetris, Fruit Ninja. Not really pricey, thank goodness. I don't mind giving Ellie the attention she needs, but I don't want her too spoiled, " Max stated, reaching under the table with her foot to tap on Chloe's chair.
"What?" Chloe asked, blushing, "I-I don't know what you mean by that insinuation."
"Uh-huh," Max said wryly, winking at Ellie as the little girl giggled in reply, "Who lets you play big girl games, huh?"
"Momma!" Ellie replied.
"Traitor," Chloe grumbled, her smile giving away how cute she thought her daughter was being, "But who lets you play with the computer? Not yours – the big one."
"Mommy! Mommy lets me help with her pictures!"
"How is that spoiling her?" Max asked incredulously, David and Joyce chuckling at the banter between the wives.
"It just is."
"Nuh-uh."
"…Nerd."
"Dork."
Both women smiled at each other before looking at their precious little girl, her cheeks rosy from giggling so hard. Ellie was Max and Chloe's darling; they both spoiled her a little here and there, but really to them it was just giving the girl attention they wanted to give her. There was no right or wrong way about it, no divisiveness in how Eloise was raised. To them, every day with their daughter was a gift after everything they had been through to get to the point of Max having her. After that, everything felt like a dream to them both, and they loved one another deeply for it. Hoisting Ellie out of her booster seat after she'd finished her plate, Max took her into the kitchen for a cookie while Chloe leaned her elbow on the table and held her head in her hand.
"You're really lucky, Chloe," David said, smiling appreciatively at his stepdaughter, "You've grown so much, and you have so much happiness in your life. I'm proud of you."
"Oh, uh, thanks," Chloe said, taken aback a little. She and David had mended fences years ago, but every now and then his appraisal of her maturity still surprised her, "If it weren't for Max and Eloise… I'm just hella thankful to have them in my life."
"As you should be," Joyce said after she finished the last bits of food on her plate, "I don't think I've seen you so happy for so long since William was still here."
"Ah, I just wish he could see what Max and I have created together."
"I'm sure he can, babe," Max said as she returned with Ellie, a cookie in the little girl's hand, "Wait for a bit to nosh on the dessert?"
"Nah," David said, getting up from the table to help Joyce and Chloe clear it, "Let's go on ahead and dig into that. I'm dyin' for some pecan pie."
"Pie?" Ellie asked Max, looking down at the cookie in her hand, "Pie after cookie, Mommy?"
"Sure thing, Punkin," Max nodded in agreement, "Mommy and Momma want some delish pie, too."
"Hewwa pie!"
Max sat in the living room with a glass of eggnog, the cider gone hours ago. It was late and Ellie, Joyce, and David had all gone to bed. Ellie had fussed a little, wanting to wait for Santa Claus, but Chloe had warned her off by mentioning that seeing Santa work might cause her to not get as many presents. Clutching Puffer as if the stuffed animal might disappear in her hands, Ellie had taken Chloe's words as written law and hurried into bed. Now, alone by themselves, Max watched Chloe saunter in with a beer and sit down beside her.
"The madness is almost over, babe," Chloe said as she toasted Max's eggnog glass with her beer bottle, "Just tomorrow and then we can chillax."
"Yeah…," Max said absentmindedly, looking off into the distance where Chloe could not see, "I…I'm not sure I even really want to sleep."
"Afraid of the nightmares?"
"They always come this time of year, now and October. It's like I expect to wake up one day and find all of this – you, me, and Ellie – just gone. Like a really long, really nice dream."
"You should really talk to David about PTSD."
"I have. I did. After dessert. He said that time helps, but that the memories remain and it just becomes a matter of not letting them affect how you live. Wise man, your stepdad."
"Yeah. Yeah, I guess he is," Chloe said, taking Max's free hand in her own as Max leaned her head onto Chloe's shoulder, "I'm guessin' that you and me getting freaky here is off the table…?"
"Sorry. Tomorrow night, though, you can definitely expect me to be more welcoming under the sheets. Tonight, I think I'd just like to curl up and cuddle."
"I'm down for some spooning, y'know. Always, with you," Chloe said as she kissed her wife's forehead, "What's a sidekick for?"
"Partner-in-crime?"
"Partner-for-all-time."
"I…I love you, Chloe Price-Caulfield."
"I love you, Maxine Price-Caulfield."
"Mommies! Mommies, wake up! It's present time!"
Max woke up with a start as she groggily watched Ellie come running from the hallway in her Steven Universe onesie. Jumping up and down excitedly at the foot of the bed, Max nudged Chloe awake as she adjusted the tank-top she was wearing. One of Chloe's old shirts, Max made sure she was still wearing her sleep shorts before she got out of the bed to swoop Ellie up in her arms and bring her into bed with them.
"Sleep more, jump less," Max teased, pretending to go back to sleep as Chloe peeked at the two of them and turned over to stretch an arm over Ellie so that the little girl couldn't budge.
"Nooooo! Momma, we got to wake up Mommy so we can haz presents!" Ellie said, squirming in place as she tried to wake up an already awake Chloe, not knowing any better aside from Chloe grinning, "Momma, don't fake sleepin'. That's mean. It's Christmas!"
"Momma's up, she's up," Chloe said, yawning as she spied David and Joyce heading downstairs from the open door leading into the hallway, "Dang, Pipsqueak, you're really itchin' for presents, huh? Mommy didn't sleep very well last night so maybe we should just-"
"No, I'm up. Legit up," Max said, sitting up, "It's present time. Christmas time. Merry Christmas, Punkin."
"Yay! Presents!" Ellie cried out in joy as Chloe released her arm so that Ellie began tugging them both by their sleep shirts, "C'mon, mommies! We hafta go downstairs for the presents!"
"Where's your Puffer, Punkin?" Max asked her daughter, Ellie's eyes opening wide in response as she crawled out of their bed and went running back into the hallway to retrieve her stuffed animal from the other spare bedroom. Returning promptly as Max was seated on the side of the bed and Chloe was sitting up in bed to stretch, Ellie was bouncing on her heels in anticipatory glee, "Mommies up! Merry Christmas!"
"That's more like it, Ellie," Chloe said with a grin as she followed Max to their little girl and scooped up Ellie in one fluid swoop, "Momma's got you this mornin'. That cool?"
"Ye!" Ellie exclaimed before scrunching her face when Max and Chloe kissed, "Mommies… Do you hafta do that now?"
"Yes, yes we have to do that now," Max said with a hint of sternness, "I will not be denied my smooches. By anybody."
"Mm'kay…," Ellie said with a little pout before she squealed when Max littered her face with small kisses, "Mom-my. Momma…! Momma, stop Mommy…! Momma, no!"
Chloe proceeded to kiss Ellie all over her face just as Max had, the brunette leading them downstairs by the hand as the blue-haired wife kept one eye on the stairs to trail after her lovely wife.
There were presents aplenty in the Price-Madsen house, the tree surrounded almost by what looked like a wall of goodies for every person there. David making coffee as Joyce made pancakes, Ellie bounced around in the living room with eager anticipation as Max and Chloe just sat on the couch and tried to not fall back asleep. When Max and Chloe had let her open a single present before her grandparents had come into the living room with coffee and breakfast, Ellie had cried out in delight at the newest addition to her toy collection.
"The newest Nintendo handheld? Really?" Max asked Chloe, knowing her wife's handiwork anywhere, "Now she'll never sleep. Endless nights of gaming marathons…of Dog knows what… It'll never end-"
"Chill, babe. I already set up parental settings. She can play it for an hour at a time, with breaks for other stuff in the meantime. I won't let her get overly obsessed with it, and I know you won't either. Besides, you and I both have the same handheld! Family three-way gaming-palooza!"
"…Alright. Yeah, it'll be fine…," Max said, yawning with a bleary eye toward a present that Joyce handed her, "What's this…? J-Joyce, you and David didn't have to get me… Oh, a Bamboo tablet for my computer! Now I can better edit and tweak my pictures before I put them up for exhibit or commission! Th-Thank you! Wowser, this must've-"
"We can afford to spread some holiday good cheer among our daughters and their little girl, Max. No need to worry about cost. It's Christmas, after all!" Joyce said cheerfully, handing over plate after plate of pancakes while David handed each of them a mug of coffee, "Besides, not everythin' is some technical marvel. Eloise will get some more…traditional…Christmas presents, too."
"Dang, Mom," Chloe said as her eyes glistened at the sight of a new leather jacket that David handed her, "You two shouldn't have. This is… This is hella cool. Thank you. Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas," Max said in turn, with holiday tidings of cheer intermingled with squeals of joy as Ellie tore through her presents and handed off gifts that weren't to her. No one expected the smallest member of the family to end up playing "Santa", but life is strange like that.
"See what's on TV…," David said, rummaging through the coffee table's drawer as Ellie handed a present to him, "Why, thank you, sweetie. Have you seen the clicker?"
"Ellie…"
"Pipsqueak…"
"…Damn Clickers!"
Author's Note…
It's been a while. Hope everyone has been okay, that the holiday season and New Year will treat you all alright.
It's been a year of depression for myself, to be honest. Struggling with Social Security to win disability coverage, I only just won a week ago. With that massive burden lifted, I'm hoping I'll be able to get into the groove of writing again. No more 10k-word entries, however. I'll wrap up some stories, do some one-shots – that sort of thing. I've also an idea to do an appendix for Intersecting Worlds, Interconnected Hearts – some short one-shots that tell stories set between the final chapter's end and the epilogue. We'll just have to see how I'm doing…
Happy Holidays, and stay hella, my Cinnamon Rolls!
Rowan