Five Years in the Life
Disclaimer: Let me check... nope, still not mine.
A/N: Fifth in the Numbers Series. Five Years. Five Christmases. One Life. One Story.
As always, you all rock my socks. Reviews are love and Happy Sol-chrisma-kwanz-ukkah. (That is Solstice, Christmas, Kwanza & Hanukkah in case you needed a translation). lol. :)
Chapter 1.
Five year-old Katie Beckett peered through the cracked doorway into her parent's bedroom. It was still dark outside but she didn't care. She had to know. She pushed open the door and crept through the room quietly, her cape, which she had made out of a yellow pillowcase and a clothespin flapped quietly behind her, falling down her back and hitting the back of her tight covered legs. She had on a red tank top and red leggings with green bloomers on over top of them. She was Christmas Girl today.
Katie crawled up on the bed and stood in between her sleeping parents bouncing slightly until they started to groan and she saw her mom's eyes blink open.
"Katie, sweetie, what are you doing? I know it is Christmas but it is five in the morning. You need to go back to sleep," Johanna Beckett mumbled as Katie dropped to her hands and knees and crawled up from the foot of the bed to lay her head on the pillow beside her mother's.
"I need to know and I am Christmas Girl so you have to tell the truth."
Johanna rubbed her eyes and propped herself up on her elbows as she stared down at her daughter. She glanced over at her sleeping husband and lifted a hand to nudge his shoulder. "Jim, both your daughter and I are awake, you have to be up too."
Jim groaned and rolled over, opening his eyes to meet his daughter's green ones staring back at him. "What time is it?"
"Five AM, Katie has a question and since she is Christmas Girl today we have to tell her the truth," Johanna summarized for her sleepy husband.
Jim yawned and shot out an arm to grab Kate and pull her into his side, taking in the sight of her superhero costume as he did. "What's on your mind, Katie Bear, that couldn't wait until the sun is up?"
"Is Santa real? And remember you have to tell the truth because that is my superpower. People have to tell me the truth."
Jim looked down at his daughter who was lying on the bed staring up at him with her big green eyes, her brown curly hair flying out across the pillow. He glanced up at his wife who was sitting up against the headboard. The two women had the same smattering of freckles scattered over their noses. Johanna just stared down at him, the small smile threatening her face as she told him with a look that she was so glad he was the one that got stuck with that question and it wasn't her turn.
"Why do you ask?"
"Because Jimmy Collins said that he wasn't real and we don't have a fireplace so there is no way he could have gotten into our apartment. All of the windows are closed and locked. I checked. Plus, reindeer can't fly. They don't have wings."
Jim closed his eyes as Johanna suppressed a laugh. Why did their daughter have to be so smart?
He opened his eyes and stared down at his daughter who was snuggled into his side, looking up at him expectantly. Waiting for his answer. His truth. Jim sighed, she was right she did have a super power. There was no way he could lie to her.
"No, Katie Bear, Santa isn't real."
He and Johanna watched as their daughter processed the information and nodded her head in acceptance. They both waited. There would be more questions.
"So, if Santa isn't real, then who's lap did I sit in?"
Johanna laughed out loud and Jim chuckled as ran a hand over his face. It was too early for this. "That is a very good question. People dress up like Santa for Christmas so kids can tell them their wishes."
Katie stared up at him, her eyebrows raised up towards her hairline, eyes wide. "So you just let me sit in a stranger's lap? That's creepy Daddy."
This time Jim burst out laughing as Johanna nearly rolled off of the bed in a fit of giggles as Katie turned her head back and forth staring at both of them.
"Why is that so funny?"
"Oh, Katie, you're right. That is kind of creepy."
Johanna caught her breath and straightened up in the bed as she ran a hand over her daughter's hair. "Do you have any more questions, sweetie?"
"One more Mommy. Will I still get presents even though I know Santa isn't real?"
She stared down at Kate. "Of course, baby. A smart sweet girl like you will always get presents."
Johanna climbed out of bed and waited as Katie got up to jump into her mother's outstretched arms. "You just have to remember that Christmas isn't just about getting presents. It's about giving, too. You're a very lucky girl Katie- you have a house and toys and two parents that love you so so much. Some kids don't have that."
"And that's why we picked out the toys for the Angel Tree," Katie finished as her mother carried her back to her room and set her down on her own bed, pinching the clothespin and cape off from around her neck.
"Exactly. You are such a smart girl. I love you. Now go back to sleep. We will open presents when the sun is up. Okay?"
"Okay Mommy. I love you, too. Always and forever," Katie replied a she snuggled back down under the covers.
"Always and forever," Johanna repeated as she pulled the door shut behind her, leaving it cracked so the light in the hallway could filter in.
"Is she okay?" Jim asked as Johanna crawled back into bed.
"Of course she is, she's Kate."
Jim chuckled as he pulled his wife down into his arms. "Yeah, I know. How did we create something that extraordinary?"
Johanna grinned into the grey Christmas morning. "I have no idea, but I have the feeling this is not the last time we will be asking ourselves that question. Our little superhero."