A Severide Christmas
Author's Note: A series of snippets as Kelly and Parker get ready for their first Christmas as a married couple. My Christmas gift to Chicago Firestarter, because she loves a Kelly story. Enjoy!
Christmas Pictures
"Ok, everyone, SMILE!" the photographer said enthusiastically.
Kelly, Parker, and Mary Alice smiled. Philip decided not to.
"Ok, little boy, I need you to smile," she encouraged.
"I don't want to."
"Philip, please, the sooner you smile, the sooner we can go get ice cream," Parker bribed.
Philip looked up at Kelly.
"Mom's right, Buddy. The sooner you smile, the sooner we get ice cream and the sooner you can take off your tie," Kelly encouraged.
"One more and I'm done," Mary Alice chimed in.
"Grandma, we want one of you with the kids," Parker said as she shifted the baby from one arm to the other.
Mary Alice thought for a few seconds. "I would like that, but only two more. I'm ready for ice cream too."
Kelly chuckled. Mary Alice loved her ice cream just about as much as she loved pizza, beer, and the Cubs. Kelly couldn't deny her anything, which was the reason why the Severide's were in the Sears Portrait Studio getting Christmas pictures taken. Mary Alice had "suggested" to Kelly that it would be "nice" to have Christmas pictures taken because "it's your first Christmas married, and the baby's here too."
One more picture was taken. Parker stood up and handed the baby to Mary Alice. "Here, Grandma, sit down."
Mary Alice sat down. Philip moved next to her. He said something to her, and she agreed. Kelly and Parker stepped off to the side of the backdrop.
"How many cards should we order?" Parker asked.
"I think 200 would be good. What do you think?"
"Sounds good."
"OK, please tell me we are done here," Mary Alice called.
Parker glanced at the photographer. She nodded at Parker.
"Ok, we're done. Let's look at the proofs and order cards and pictures."
A week later, a large box arrived at the house. Parker picked it up off of the porch and headed to the dining room table. She opened the box and pulled out the pages of photo sheets. She pulled out the 8X10 of Mary Alice with Philip and the baby and set it aside. She would put in the frame she had picked out later. She reached inside the box again, and brought out another box. The cards. She lifted the lid, and stared down at the first of 200 photo cards.
Kelly was standing in the back row, his arm around Mary Alice's shoulders. Parker was sitting in the front center holding the baby in her lap. Philip was standing in front of Kelly. They were all smiling, except the baby, who had slept through the whole thing.
They had chosen the card with the lyrics of O Holy Night since it was Mary Alice's favorite Christmas Carol. Written below the lyrics were the words they had chosen.
Merry Christmas from the Severide's
Cookies
Parker, Mary Alice, Gabby, and Taylor had commandeered the kitchen one Sunday afternoon. The guys had been banished to the man cave to watch the football game. Cookie dough bowls had covered the kitchen table. Cookie sheets were being passed assembly line style to Parker. Mary Alice sat at the table drinking coffee and handing over the bowls of dough. She was also keeping an eye on the cookies that were cooling, making sure that Philip and the Cruz twins were not helping themselves. Christmas music played softly from the boom box sitting on top of the fridge. The first annual Firehouse 51 Cookie Swap was in full session.
Downstairs in the man cave, the guys were drinking beer and yelling at the television set. Their noses inhaled the scent of cookies baking upstairs. During halftime, they all came together to make a game plan to get a sample. It was decided that Kelly could make the pitch because Mary Alice could never tell him no. He opened the door to the kitchen and wandered in nonchalantly.
"Don't you even think about it Kelly Severide," Parker said as she rolled peppermint meringue dough onto a clean cookie sheet.
"Don't think about what?" he asked innocently.
He hated it when she busted him. He couldn't figure out how she knew it was him coming into the kitchen when she had her back to him.
"Thinking about begging for cookies and that you and the guys are hungry. You've got enough snacks down there to hold you over till the pizza gets here."
Kelly sighed. Shut down. There was no way in the world he could go back downstairs empty handed. He looked over at Mary Alice.
"Don't even try it, Young Man! Parker is the boss, not me," she said.
"Dammit," he said quietly. "Come on, Park, just a couple? The smell is driving us nuts."
"Kelly, if you take cookies down for the guys, the kids are going to want cookies too. And we won't have any for Christmas."
"You'll have enough for Christmas. You said you were going to bake this weekend and next. You'll have enough cookies to feed the whole city."
Parker glanced at Taylor and Gabby.
"One plate won't hurt, Parker," Taylor started.
"No, it won't," Gabby agreed.
She looked over at Mary Alice.
"You're the boss."
"Thanks, everyone, leave it all up to me."
She reached into the cupboard and brought down a plate. She handed it to Mary Alice. "Let them have cookies," she said resignedly.
Christmas Tree
"You sure you want a blue spruce?" Kelly asked Mary Alice.
"Yes. We always had a blue spruce. Gotta keep up tradition."
Parker snorted. Nothing had been traditional since she had met Kelly six years ago, including their wedding the past summer.
"Parker Stephanie, quit being a Grinch! You just can't pick a tree. You have to have the tree speak to you. You have to love the tree," Mary Alice scolded.
"I'm not going to marry it, Grandma. I'm going to take it home and decorate it."
"And why are you such a Grumpy pants today?"
Parker shifted the baby carrier from one arm to the other. "No sleep. Snoring husband. Fussy baby."
"Seems okay to me now," Mary Alice said as she peeked at the sleeping baby in the carrier.
"I think it was the car ride."
"I think I found one," Kelly called from across the lot.
Parker and Mary Alice walked over to Kelly and Philip.
"You sure it's a blue spruce?" Mary Alice asked.
"Yes, Ma'am. And it's big enough to work well with our cathedral ceilings."
Mary Alice laughed. "You sound like Matthew."
"I've helped him out on a job or two."
Parker looked up at the tree. She took two steps back and looked up toward the top. It would look beautiful in their living room, especially with all of Mary Alice's antique ornaments on it.
Kelly joined Parker and looked up at the tree. "What do you think?"
"I think it's a gorgeous tree."
"You think it's high enough?"
She nodded.
Mary Alice looked over at Kelly. "Buy it."
Hot Chocolate
Parker sat on the bench watching Philip's hockey class. He was doing well and he seemed to be enjoying it. They were having a practice game, and would start their real games after the new year.
She and Kelly had discussed hockey when they had enrolled him in learn to skate two years earlier. She sighed. Her little boy was growing up. First Kindergarten, now hockey. She didn't think she was ready for the changes. Like every Mom, she wanted to keep her kids little and didn't want them to grow up.
A cup of hot chocolate appeared in front of her. She took it, then turned around to see who was offering her hot chocolate.
"Hi," Kelly said as he bent down to kiss her cheek."
"Kelly," she said quietly. She reached out to hug him with one arm. "I thought you and Matt were helping Cruz with a toilet?'
"They're good to go. Literally," he said as he sat down next to her. "How's he doing?"
"He hasn't hurt or killed anyone yet. Although I am about ready to scream at Hermann."
Kelly laughed. "I guess that is a good thing."
He sipped his hot chocolate and slipped his arm around Parker.
She looked over at him. "Thank you for the hot chocolate And for coming. I'm sure Philip will be thrilled."
"You're welcome. You look cold."
"I am. It's chilly in here."
"Has to be. Have to keep the ice."
Kelly took off his jacket and slipped it around Parker's shoulders. She snuggled into it, enjoying the warmth of both the jacket and Kelly's body heat that was still enveloped inside. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She opened her eyes and looked over at Kelly.
"I love you."
Love on Christmas
Parker slipped her nightgown over her head, and took a drink of beer. She and Kelly were both tired. Earlier that evening, she had put the baby to bed right after dinner, and sent Philip up a couple of hours later. She, Mary Alice, and Kelly had spent the next seven hours assembling and wrapping toys of all shapes and sizes and setting them under the tree. Mary Alice had excused herself after the last gift was wrapped.
Kelly had set out the cookies and a bottle of beer for Santa. Parker looked at him questioningly. "He's gotta be tired of milk and cookies," he explained as he tossed her a bottle.
"So, how long are you going to wait before you dive into the cookies?" she asked.
"I figured I'd wait at least an hour," he said. "Gotta make it look good."
"Bring the cookies and beer to bed, Hotshot."
"I thought you were exhausted?"
"Not that exhausted. I thought you were tired too?"
"Not that tired." He opened the beer and took a drink. "Meet you upstairs."
Kelly walked in their bedroom and set the cookie plate and beer bottle on top of his dresser. He stripped off his shirt and tossed it on the floor. Parker walked over to him and gave him a kiss. He kissed her back, then walked her backwards to the bed. She tried to giggle when she hit the edge. Kelly kissed her to keep from giggling again. He reached down and grabbed the hem of her sleep shirt and pulled it over her head…
"You hungry?" he asked an hour later.
"Mmmm," she said sleepily. "I suppose we had better eat those cookies, huh?'
Kelly fed her a cookie. She chewed and swallowed the bite. "Merry Christmas, Parker."
"Merry Christmas, Kelly."