Caden is mine, but all others belong to JE.
A Caden Christmas
"Zeus, we won it! We got Mommy her Christmas present. All I got to do is send the money," Caden was sitting at Ranger's desk with the family's Lakeland Terrier right beside him in the leather office chair. His small fingers stopped typing as he listened to the quiet house for any movement. He didn't hear anything so he went back to typing. Yawning, he shut down Ranger's laptop, slipped out of the chair pushing it in, and turned off the lamp.
"Let's go to bed, Zeusy," he whispered silently going up the stairs stepping where he knew the boards wouldn't creak. He learned that from Ranger when he tried to sneak up on Stephanie.
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Stephanie was waiting for Caden's bus to bring him home from kindergarten with Aubrey in the Mercedes. With the temperatures colder, she could sit in the SUV parked in the driveway watching him walk from the corner. Today, they were picking up Ranger and Cassidy for lunch at Pino's.
"Hi, Buck," Stephanie waved out the window to the mailman who had delivered some more packages earlier to the townhouse. Ranger must be doing a lot of on-line shopping because one package was addressed to Zeus Manoso. Opening it, she found a Christmas card for the dog and his gourmet grilled chicken twists from 'The Dog Treat of the Month Club'. In Athena's package it was a catnip toy from 'The Catnip Toy of the Month Club'. Rex got crunchies from 'The Hamster Food of the Month Club'. There was a fourth package addressed to 'C. Manoso' which she put on Ranger's desk. The packages come, she places them on his desk, and he must be hiding them away for Christmas because she never sees them again. She couldn't wait to see what he bought them.
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"Hey, Ranger, thanks for the Christmas gift. Trey and Natasha really liked it and we can't wait until Friday night."
The man in black had no idea what Tank was talking about, so it must be something that Stephanie picked out for Tank, Lula, and their adopted children because he seemed really pleased with it. "I'm glad you like it," was all he could say waiting for Stephanie and Caden in the lobby of Rangeman. In fact, Lester thanked him to for their Christmas present. He'd ask her about them tonight.
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"Yo," he answered his cell phone while going through his e-mail after dinner in his home office. It was almost Christmas so the townhouse was all festive and it would be Aubrey's first Christmas.
"Oh, Ricardo, your father and I love our Christmas gift from you, Stephanie, the children, and pets. We're going to drink our bottle of wine this weekend as we soak in our spa tub. It's perfect. We'll have a new wine to look forward to each month and learn about a different country."
"Momma, I'm happy you and Poppa like your gift."
"We do," Selena gushed. "I know Diego and Tracy love their gourmet teas of the world they'll be receiving. With a new baby on the way, this will give them a chance to take some time for themselves to try their tea. That was so thoughtful of you and Stephanie to think of that."
"I know. He called me this afternoon to thank us," Ranger had been accepting "thank you's" all day. Stephanie found the perfect gift for everyone. Bobby and Dana are receiving twelve months of jigsaw puzzles. They like to build puzzles sometimes instead of going out. Lester, Gayle, and Emmie received the same as Tank different epicurean popcorn with a family movie each month.
"Good night, Ricardo, and thank Stephanie for us," Selena Manoso told her son before she hung up.
"Who was that?" Stephanie asked with Aubrey coming into Ranger's office.
"Momma. She was thanking us for their wine of the month. Tank and Lester were really pleased with the popcorn and movie club gift. Diego and Traci said the gourmet teas each month will make sure they spend time together with the baby on the way. Babe, you picked out all the perfect presents this year. Bobby and Dana started on their puzzle already."
Stephanie looked at their baby, then her husband, "Ranger, I have all their gifts upstairs."
"They thanked me for their monthly club gifts."
Her blue eyes wide not sure where these gifts were coming from. "I assumed you sent the dog, cat, and hamster treats from the monthly clubs and the bath gels."
"What?" His eyebrow was about ready to shoot off his face. "I never heard of anything so crazy. Animal treats of the month club?"
"What about the packages that have been coming addressed to C. Manoso?" she asked thinking these weren't Ranger's now.
"What packages? I smell a Midget here," he said with a clenched jaw logging into the credit card company to review all the recent transactions.
"Look at this!" he hissed turning the lap top towards her.
She started reading the long list of purchases including ones from EBAY. "Caden's been Christmas shopping on-line."
The doorbell rang.
Stephanie followed her irate husband who took Aubrey from her out of his office and he went to answer the door.
"Morelli, come in."
Joe followed the father and daughter up the steps. "I wanted to thank you for my Christmas present," Joe told them. "Hi, Cutie," shaking Aubrey's little hand.
Ranger hung his head not particularly sure he wanted to hear this.
"What did we send you, Joe?" Stephanie knew definitely this had to be from Caden.
"It's unusual. Pasta from the 'Pasta of the Month Club'," he has laughing. "I assume Caden sent it."
Stephanie started giggling.
"What?" Ranger had that normal frustrated look when their too smart little boy was involved.
"Caden asked me a few weeks ago what kind of person Joe was meaning his heritage. I said Italian. Pasta. Italian," she was talking with her hand showing a balance. "He's matching the people with gifts."
"With my credit card! The little pick pocket!" He stomped back in his office and came out with his lap top. "Look at the time when he has ordered this stuff. It's after we go to bed. Why? You understand him, Babe."
"Your parents have the new spa tub. He knows we drink wine sometimes in ours. The popcorn and movie is mimicking our family movie nights that we have here. Diego with the teas. I would have a cup of tea while I was pregnant before I got the kids up for school or at night to relax since I couldn't have coffee. Bobby and Dana like to build jigsaw puzzles. He's put a great deal of thought into this."
"What about the EBAY stuff? Here I see a soccer shirt, calligraphy set, a dancing bear, a tumbling mat and a doll, " he read off as he scanned the items.
"That's his gift list for the kids. He is giving Ben a soccer shirt. Julie a calligraphy writing set. Cassidy likes to somersault so he bought a tumbling mat."
"A dinosaur fossil? He bid on something for himself?" Ranger was shaking his head. "Why? What's scary is that he can do this by himself!"
Zeus came running from downstairs with a chewy bone.
"And I bet you were in on this, too," he was talking to their dog like he would understand.
Zeus gave a muffled "Woof" with his bone in his mouth.
"He's a very resourceful for a little boy. Tell Caden 'Thanks'," Joe walked back down the steps to leave. "Merry Christmas."
"My parents took the kids to the movies tonight. I'll tell him. Merry Christmas, Joe," Stephanie told him back as he was leaving.
Ranger and Aubrey came back and he was still shaking his head somewhat calmer, "But why? I don't understand, Babe," Ranger had difficulty following the little boy's advanced train of thought.
Stephanie was walking around talking to herself, "He's matching the gifts to the people." She picked up the house phone, 'Hi, Mom, did you and Daddy receive your gifts of the month yet?" She was listening nodding her head and snickering. "I'm glad you like them. Caden picked them out if you can't tell. I'll tell Ranger."
"What did Caden send them?" Ranger could only imagine asking as his wife shut off the phone.
"Daddy is going to get fishing lures each month, cookbooks for my mother. And, Grandma Mazur," Stephanie had to stop because she was laughing too much. "He sent Grandma Mazur a thong a month."
"Oh my God," Ranger couldn't hold back on that one. Stephanie was right about Caden matching the Christmas presents to the receiver.
"I think I know why," not able to hold back the tears forming in her eyes.
"What's wrong, Babe?"
"In his mind, he was helping with my Christmas shopping so I didn't have to bundle Aubrey up in the cold. But, that's only part of it, I think. Last year, we were Christmas shopping when Ramon," Stephanie didn't finish. "What are we going to do, Ranger?"
He was thinking. From the purchases, Ranger knew Caden bought Stephanie jewelry for Christmas. He hoped his wasn't nicer than what Ranger bought. "Nothing has been bought in over a week so I assume he has the shopping done and Christmas Eve is tomorrow. We'll talk with him after Christmas. I don't want to spoil his surprises."
"OK."
He chuckled, "I'm putting my wallet in the safe to be sure, but knowing Midget, he has the numbers memorized."
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On Christmas Morning which began at 5:30 AM when a little boy in taped glasses woke everyone up. At least it was later from the 4:30 last year. The only packages left to be opened were ones wrapped in snowmen paper with tags that said 'From Santa' with each of their names. Julie received a calligraphy set to write fancy. The soccer shirt was one from Ben's favorite team to inspire him to score a goal. Danni had a large stuffed dancing bear she could sing and dance with when she wanted. The tumbling mat had a 'Curious George' monkey who could tumble with Cassidy. He won a set of activity blocks for Aubrey so she would learn about things. How he found this, but for Stephanie he bought a blue jeweled Faberge egg that played 'You Light Up My Life' because she always tells her little boy he means so much to her. Ranger didn't understand his gifts. A stein and matching T-shirt with a wolf on it.
"Ranger-Dad, a wolf is brave like you. Mommy saws you have a wolf grin. You look tough, but it shows you're happy when you do it cause we make you happy."
"That you do, Midget. That you do."