Like a Christmas Card

It was around midnight on Christmas Eve when Timothy McGee made his way from his kitchen to the living room performing a rather complicated balancing act, with one arm he cradled his four months old daughter, in the other he carried a plate, a glass of chocolate milk, two sugar cookies and a baby bottle.
Very slowly he made his way towards one of the couches flanking the fire place, he stood for a moment looking at the scene, it really looked like a Christmas card, like those sold in Hallmark stores during the holiday season.
The Christmas tree was glittering brightly all covered in blue and gold ornaments, presents were piled under it waiting for the morning opening ceremony; the fire place burned merrily bathing the room with a soft orange light.
Tim somehow managed to set the plate on a coffee table without spilling a drop of milk. Smiling proudly he sat on the comfortable sofa cuddling his baby girl.
"You know Eilith, it is very important to do things right, you must never forget to leave cookies and milk for Santa, he works very hard." He said looking in to her daughter's olive eyes; he was rewarded with a set of cooing sounds that made his heart melt. "Sugar cookies are his favorites, remember that."
He reached for the milk bottle and offered it to the baby; Eilith instantly began sucking greedily at it. He laughed.
"Tomorrow will be your first Christmas, the whole team will be here, Gibbs, Ducky, uncle Jimmy, uncle Tony, auntie Ziva, and little Carlo." He smiled as he thought about Tony and Ziva's two year old son. "He really is a handful but you will like him, oh don't worry, you will see your grandparents and auntie Sara for the New Year." He added, making a mental note on checking on his parents schedule and Abby's family as well, they were all coming for New Year.
He felt like the happiest man on Earth, he was married the love of his life, he was a father now, he had a job he loved, friends and family to share everything with, there was nothing else he needed.
Eilith finished her milk and began to fuss, he quickly place the bottle down on the coffee table and set his daughter on his shoulder patting her gently on the back.
"There you go little one."
"Hey you are getting really good at that Timmy" Abby said from the bottom of the stairs.
"We didn't want to wake you up Abbs."
"You know I always wake, I can't sleep if you are not there." She said walking towards them, she kissed him softly on the lips and then kissed her daughter´s tiny head, making her giggle.
"Now, don't you know you have to be asleep for Santa to come, young lady?"
Eilith flashed a toothless smile to her mother as her way of answering.
"Oh I was just showing our princess the proper way to set the cookies" Tim said bouncing the baby up and down, action that made her giggle again.
"Oh and you told her, of course which ones she has to chose, isn't that right?"
"Well, of course!"
Abby sat on the other couch looking adoringly at both of them; she absentmindedly reached for one of the sugar cookies.
"Hey! Those are for Santa" Tim said laughing, turning Eilith around so she could see her mother eating the cookie.
"Santa likes to share, you know?"
Tim laughed again; she looked so adorable, her hair all ruffled from sleep, her night gown crumpled and her face covered in sugar, that was his Abby always like a child herself and he loved her for that.
"Well you two, don't stay up, I am going to bed" She said standing up and turning to get up the stairs.
"Abby?"
"Yes Timmy?"
"Thank you for giving me the best Christmas present ever." Tim said tears glistening on the corner of his eyes, Eilith was already asleep warm and secure in her father's arms.
"And thank you too McGee."
"For what beautiful?"
"For exactly the same thing." She said blowing him a kiss from the top of the stairs.
Abby smiled to herself taking out her digital camera, she had been up since Tim and Eilith had gone down to the living room.
One by one she looked at the beautiful pictures of her husband and her daughter on their first Christmas together, Tim had not noticed her, hiding on the staircase so she had managed to snap some wonderful shots of the two of them, indeed like a Hallmark scene, she thought.
Abby smiled to herself.
Her life was perfect just … like a Christmas Card.