Three-and-a-half year old Vivienne Kensington woke safe and cuddled up warmly in her bed, just like every other morning. But this wasn't every other morning. Something was definitely different about today, but Vivienne couldn't put her finger on it. She sat up, and that was when she saw it: her Christmas dress hanging on the door of her closet. Suddenly, she remembered what day it was!
"Christmas!" she shrieked and launched herself out of bed. "Christmas! Christmas! Christmas!"
She down the hall to her parents bedroom and threw open the door.
"Guys! It's Christmas!" Vivienne yelled and leaped for the bed. She landed among fluffy down comforters and pillows, but the bed was empty. She was momentarily confused, but decided they must have gone downstairs already. She hoped off the bed and ran to her older brother Tobias's room. He wasn't there either.
"They must have gotten up without me!" Vivienne said, feeling a little annoyed. The feeling quickly passed. It was Christmas, and her joy and excitement was strong enough to over power any other emotion. She went as quickly as she could down the stairs of the Kensington manor, careful not to trip on her nightgown, and raced into the living room, expecting to find her mommy, daddy, and Toby sitting around the Christmas tree waiting for her. Instead, she found toby sitting on the couch watching television, with her Grandma.
"Good morning Angel," Grandma said when she realized the little girl had entered the room. "Merry Christmas!"
The older woman scooped the bundle of lace-trimmed forest green flannel into her arms and planted a kiss on the little girls cheek.
"Good morning Grandma," Vivienne said. "Where are mommy and daddy?"
Her grandmother's eyes twinkled merrily.
"Oh, they're just getting one more present for you two," Grandma said.
Vivienne's eyes widened as they went from her grandmother to the huge pile of presents under the tree, and back to her grandmother.
"Another present?" Vivienne asked in amazement. "What is it? When can see it?"
"It's a surprise," Grandma grinned. "It should be ready soon. In the meantime, why don't you and Toby open the rest of your presents?"
"Okay!" Vivienne said excitedly, scrambling down from her grandmother's arms.
"Finally," Toby- who was 7 and would be 8 in March- said, rolling his eyes. "I've been waiting for hours for you to get up so I could open mine."
"Toby, be nice to your sister," Grandma said sharply.
Vivienne didn't care about Toby being mean. It was Christmas morning, and nothing could spoil Christmas morning for the little girl. She pulled away sheet after sheet of wrapping paper, uncovering dolls, and elaborate doll houses, and boxes of clothes- both for dress-up and for real clothes- a miniature grand piano, books, a tricycle, ice skates, and a playhouse that looked like a castle. As Vivienne sat back and admired her presents, she wondered what else her parents could possibly have gotten her.
"Is it gonna be even better than all of this?" Vivienne asked.
"I think it will be," Grandma answered, somewhat mischievously.
"Oh, I can't wait to see it!" Vivienne squealed. "Is it almost done yet?"
"Not much longer now," Grandma assured her.
"I'm hungry," Toby complained.
"I think Mrs. Potter has breakfast ready," Grandma told him. "I'll go ask her. And don't whine, Tobias, you're getting far too old."
Toby huffed and sat down on the couch. Vivienne climbed up next to him, clutching her new American Girl Doll- one of the many dolls she'd gotten that very morning. The doll looked like her, with long light brown hair and brown eyes. Vivienne studied the doll intently for a moment, smoothing down a few fly away hairs, closing the eyelids for a few seconds before letting it spring back open, and running her finger over the smooth plastic cheek.
"I think I'll call her Anna," she decided. "I like that name, Anna. I think she looks like an Anna." She turned to her brother. "Don't you think so?"
"I think she looks like a doll," Toby said disinterestedly.
"I think I'll go name the other dolls now," Vivienne said. Lately she had been fascinated with names, and the prospect of getting to pick out a bunch of new names was very exciting. The reason behind her new fixation was that her mommy was going to have a baby soon, and her parents were trying to decide on a name. Vivienne sat under the tree with her new dolls spread around her, and examined each carefully before she named it. It was after all a very important decision, at least to the little girl.
By the time the Kensington's cook arrived with breakfast, Vivienne had named her dolls: Louisa, Abigail, Jessica, Molly, Laura, Amelia, Ruby, and- of course- Anna. Feeling very satisfied with herself, Vivienne crawled up on the couch next to her grandma, dug into the cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate, and watched the Disney Christmas parade. About an hour later the phone rang, and Grandma jumped up to get it. She could be heard talking in the other room excitedly, and then she ran back into the playroom.
"Alright kids, the surprise is ready!" She announced. "Toby, go get yourself into your Christmas clothes. Vivienne, darling, I'm going to help you get changed."
The little girl was already racing up the stairs, fumbling with the buttons of nightgown. She couldn't wait any longer to find out what the surprise was. She got dressed as quickly as she could, and then sat extra still as her grandmother French braided her hair. That rare period of sedentariness was made up for in the car, where the little girl just couldn't sit still. She bounced and fidgeted for the entire car ride, amusing her grandmother and irritating Toby. She tried to pry the details out of her grandmother, but it was no use. This surprise was going to remain a surprise until the very last moment.
Suddenly, they were pulling into the parking lot of a hospital. Vivienne stopped bouncing, an uneasy felling in her stomach. She didn't really know what was going on, but she knew hospitals were bad.
"Grandma?" The three year old whimpered as the car stopped, her excitement replaced with anxiety. "Grandma, what's going on?"
"You're really thick, aren't you?" Toby said, clearly annoyed.
"Tobias," Grandma said reproachfully. She looked down at Vivienne with a smile. "You'll see."
Vivienne was not reassured by her grandmother's nonchalance, but she followed her grandmother into the hospital. For a moment, Grandma left Vivienne and Toby alone while she spoke to a lady at the front desk for a moment. Unfortunately, leaving little Vivienne alone in the height of her distress with no one but her unsympathetic brother for company was not the best idea, as a moment later Grandma was summoned back by the little girls wailing.
"Oh stop being such a baby," Toby told her.
"Tobias Nathaniel Kensington, if your attitude toward your little sister does not improve I will be having a serious talk with your parents, young man!" Grandma threatened in a hiss, as she rubbed the poor, confused, frightened little girl's back. Toby shrugged. He knew his parent's wouldn't care.
It took Grandma a few minutes to calm Vivienne, but once the little girls frantic sobs had been soothed to sniffles, Grand ma brought her two grandchildren up to the third floor, where they were met by Mr. Kensington. The second Vivienne saw her daddy, she reached her arms out. His brow furrowed.
"Vivienne, baby, what's wrong?" her father asked. "Aren't you excited to see your new baby sister?"
Vivienne's draw dropped. For a moment she stared between her father and grandmother in stunned silence, eyes growing wide.
"Great," her brother muttered. "Another dumb little sister."
"That was the surprise?" Vivienne said. "Mommy had the baby?"
"Yes," her grandmother told her. "Congratulations Vivienne! You're a big sister now!" She turned to her grandson. "And you, young man, should learn to be more respectful to your sisters."
Vivienne's excitement had returned three fold what it had been before. She wriggled out of her father's arms and began to bounce excitedly.
"I wanna se my baby sister!" She shrieked. "Can I see her? Oh, what's her name, Daddy?"
"Come," her father said, taking her little hand in his big one. "I'll take you to see baby Charlotte. But you have t promise to be quiet, okay?"
Vivienne nodded and dutifully closed her mouth, following her father into one of the rooms. Mommy was in the bed, looking tired and holding a bundle of blankets in her arms. Vivienne suddenly felt shy, and stopped in the doorway.
"Hello, Vivvie," her mother said.
"Hello, Mommy," Vivienne replied sheepishly.
"Don't you want to meet your little sister?" Mommy asked.
Vivienne nodded, and with a little nudge from her Daddy crept over to the bed. The moment she laid eyes on her little sister, her Charlotte, the dolls and the playhouse and the books and the clothes all disappeared from her mind. This was the perfect Christmas gift.