Summary: A look back at Perry and Paige's childhood.
A/N: As we've never been told Perry and Paige's parents names, I just decided to make them up. Mary and Frank are their parents. I also wasn't sure if Perry or Paige was supposed to be the youngest, so I just went by the actors ages and made Paige younger.
1. A Cry At Night
Christmas Day always sticks with a child more so than any other day of the year. It's the one day, besides from birthday's that they look forward to and it seems endless the waiting in between.
The Cox family were no different. Mary had spent the last few weeks shopping for everything her family could want. Making sure that her two children had all the gifts they could possibly wish for and that there was more than enough food to feed them all. Frank's parents were going to come and spend their first Christmas with baby Paige. They'd let the family get settled together last year, seeing as it was their first year with two babies, and being born so close to Christmas, it had been hard to have a lot arranged. But this year would be different, would be better.
When Frank came home one day, and told Mary he'd lost his job, she was upset. He was the sole provider for their little family. But she stayed positive for him. She supported him and told him she loved him and they'd find a way out of this. As talented and caring as he was, she was certain he'd find another job. As they got closer to Christmas and still no good news came, Frank became more depressed. Mary tried to hide the children from his mood, especially Perry because a seven year old would easily pick up on it. When he asked her why his dad was always at home, she smiled sadly and told him daddy was looking for a better job.
In the final week before Christmas, when she realised that Frank wasn't even prepared to look for a job, she made a tough decision. She went into her wardrobe, filled with the presents she's already wrapped for her children. She took the two from both of their piles and returned them to the store. Her friend Cynthia worked there and she made sure she got the money back for the presents. Mary felt her cheeks burn red at the humiliation of not being able to afford those nice things for her children. But they may need that money to get them through.
When she got home, she hid the money in a jar on her dresser. The children still had plenty of toys and there was plenty of food to last past Christmas, so even if things did get tight, she at least had the safety net of those few saved dollars. Frank spoke to his parents on the 23rd December. He argued with his father about providing for his family and not being a 'real man'. His depression was turning into anger. He told him not to come for Christmas dinner, that he was no longer welcome in their home.
It became harder to hide their fathers behaviour from the children. Perry would often stay in his room, he hated the sound of his fathers raised voice. And little Paige would cry in fright at the angry voice. On Christmas eve, Frank went out. He didn't say where he was going and it wasn't until later in the day that Mary went to their bedroom and found the jar she'd kept the money in, lid off, money removed. She cried then. Deep sobs that she couldn't have stopped for anything.
For the first time, she felt like there was no hope any more. No reason to carry on.
When she finished crying she felt numb and empty. The sound of her baby daughter crying didn't rouse her to get up off the floor and comfort the child. And when her son opened the door to tell her Paige was crying, she didn't even acknowledge him. He closed the door and left and the cries soon stopped. Whether he'd gone to his sister, or she'd cried herself out no longer mattered.
Frank came home, drunk. He found Mary in the bedroom. He shouted, kicked and hit her. She never fought back. Christmas day never started. Frank spent the whole day drinking. Mary never left the bedroom.
Perry slipped from his room and into Paige's. He lifted her out of her cot. Her innocent eyes looked at him, not sure what was happening. He helped her into his room and he showed her the two presents he took from under the tree last night, while their dad was passed out on the chair.
He made her open it quietly. She smiled as she pulled out the pink bunny from the paper their mother had lovingly wrapped. She held it tightly to her.
Perry smiled at his sister. The door opened and Frank stood there, swaying slightly. They were just children. They didn't understand their fathers strange new behaviour.
And that year, Christmas Day stuck in Perry's mind. And he hoped the next one wouldn't come around again too soon.