AN: Pretty much just some hummelberry family domestic fluff. :)
"Daddy should be home soon," said Rachel to her oldest daughter, who had just run into the living room wondering if Kurt was home yet from Vogue. It was already dark. "Once he gets here, we can do everything then, okay? He didn't have to work late."
"Okay!" said Ana, running back to their bedroom. Rachel chuckled and looked at the Christmas tree, smiling. Their home was a mixture of all their different traditions, and she loved it. Even if Kurt wasn't much for the faith, she loved that he was involved with all the girls activities.
"Mommy!" said Abby. She came over to Rachel, tugging on her skirt.
"Have you seen Benny?" she asked, looking hopeful that her mother had an answer.
"You left him on my bed after your nap," said Rachel. The little girl's eyes lit up and little feet flew across the room and back towards the bedrooms in search of her beloved stuffed elephant. The Jewish woman just shook her head at her children and the craziness of her whole day with him. She wondered when they had grown up so much. Rachel sighed in relief when she saw the door to their home open.
"Thank goodness you're home," she said to Kurt as he came in. "They're about to drive me insane today."
"As always," said Kurt, sitting down his bag by the door and kissing his wife on the lips after he entered the living room. He handed her a box.
"I thought I'd help by getting some treats."
"Oh, raspberry ones. Yum, thank you honey," said Rachel, smiling at the sufganiyah. She closed the box back up before she got the powdered sugar all over her from the doughnuts. "But are you trying to make the kids hyper right after dinner?"
"Isn't it tradition?" humored Kurt after taking off his sweater and scarf. "Where are they?"
"Bedroom," said Rachel. "And you're right on time."
"Ah yes, the evening lighting of the candles," said Kurt. "I'll go get them." He headed off towards the bedrooms while Rachel went and got the box of matches out of the kitchen. She heard the girls squeal for Kurt, followed by lots of giggles. Ana came back into the living room first and went over to where Rachel was standing by the menorah, which was on a table next to one of the windows of their apartment. Kurt came next with Abby in his arms, who was squirming while Kurt was laying kisses on her cheek.
"Daddy, puuuuut me doooooown," said Abby as Kurt held her down to the floor by her arms, but not quite enough for her to reach it. Little toes wiggled in the air as Ana reached over and tickled her sister. Abby kicked at her, making them both laugh. Abby pulled loose from Kurt, and stood beside Ana. Rachel smiled at her girls, wishing her daddy Hiram was there to see them so happy to be following traditions.
"You two ready?" she asked, looking over the girls. They nodded eagerly. Abby clung to Kurt as Rachel lit the shamash. Ana stepped up and took it from her, using the candle to light six of the candles. She placed the shamash back in place, and said the two blessings, along with Abby.
"Good girls," said Rachel, kissing each of them on top of their heads after they had finished. "Ana, go take the matches back to the kitchen and get the box of doughnuts I left and bring them in the living room. Abby, would you mind getting Mommy's purse from next to the front door?"
Both girls did as they were told. Kurt followed Ana into the kitchen, happy to see hot chocolate on the stove, warming. He pulled some mugs out of the cabinet and got a tray. He poured four cups of the warm, chocolatey liquid and brought them into the living room.
"Your dinner is the fridge," said Rachel. "Sorry, the girls were really hungry."
Kurt picked up one of the mugs. "I want to savor this first," he said, sitting down next to Rachel and pulling one of their throws up over his legs. Rachel chuckled and pulled closer to Kurt, cuddling close.
"Thank you for the treats. I didn't think I'd get to do anything tonight. It's been a day."
"As if I couldn't tell by text. You have left me a running log of the adventures of the early holiday vacation so far," he said with a smirk. Abby came back with Rachel's purse and handed to her mom. Rachel started digging around and pulled out some rolls of quarters. She handed the two rolls to Ana and Abby.
"Go put these in your savings bank. Don't forget, we're all going to go and buy the things for the care packages for the homeless shelter for Christmas Saturday."
"Okay Mommy!" said both of the kids. Kurt chuckled as they ran off with the coins.
"I'd still love to have seen the look on the teller's face when you asked for nearly 200 dollars in quarters."
"Well, I thought about doing the chocolate gelt this year, but when you found that LGBT shelter for runaways, I thought that would be a better option. It continues the idea of giving back for all the receiving they'll have at Christmas."
"Are we still doing the adopt a family too?" Rachel nodded.
"We have a list. I thought you and I could go one day and get those gifts right before Christmas. I know the girls. If they find out there's three girls in this family, they'll want to go all out." Kurt nodded as he sipped on his hot chocolate. The two girls came back into the room and sat down in front of the coffee table on the floor, taking up their own mugs of the hot chocolate, being careful not to lose the precious marshmallows floating on top. Rachel got one of the doughnuts and her own mug. The soft instrumentals that Rachel had been listening to in the living room made the space seem calm for a brief amount of time, which both Kurt and Rachel appreciated. Both Abby and Ana had gotten their own doughnuts. Abby was giggling at her sister, who had made a puff of powdered sugar go up in the air as she blew on hers.
"Our children," muttered Kurt. Rachel laughed.
"At least it's not too terribly sticky."
"No, that'll be their faces," he said with a sigh. She patted his stomach.
"At least you didn't have to clean up Abby's spaghetti. I didn't think the sauce was going to come off the paint."
Kurt nodded and reached for his own doughnut, giving into temptation.
"You didn't have to send visuals by the way."
"It was all over the wall Kurt." Rachel pulled on the throw and got underneath it with her husband, sitting down the mug of hot chocolate and wrapping her arms around Kurt's waist, leaning her head into his shoulder. The girls had gotten out the palm sized wooden dreidel that Hiram had bought for them and Ana was teaching Abby the different sides and what they meant again. Abby was having a hard time spinning it, which was making them all chuckle at her attempts.
"A holiday that teaches our children to gamble," commented Kurt. Rachel laughed.
"And we bought them Monopoly. Next thing you know they'll be running an empire," she teased and rubbed his chest with her hand, smiling.
"I need another doughnut," said Kurt, starting to reach for the box.
"I think you need dinner," Rachel said as Kurt bit down into the sweet treat.
"I'll take both," he said, chewing. The next thing Rachel knew was a heap of curls suddenly appearing in her lap. Ana snuggled up close to her mom.
"I can see the candles better from here."
"And why do we light the candles Ana?" asked Rachel.
"Because granddaddy bought the menorah?"
"No," laughed Rachel. "Silly. You know what it is."
"Chanukkah is the festival of lights," said Ana. "It's one of the Jewish holidays, although it's not as big like Rosh Hashanah or Passover."
"Very good," said Rachel, teasing her daughter's hair. "Although we don't celebrate like others might, it is good to remember where we come from."
"Where do we come from?" asked Abby, who was still sitting on the floor. She looked confused. "I thought we were born here."
"You were," said Kurt. "Your mother means where our ancestors come from before they moved here to the US. Mine are mostly German and Irish. Your mother has roots in both Israel and Liberia. We're all mixed up genetically, I suppose."
"We have a lot of holidays to celebrate this month," commented Ana, laying her head on Rachel's shoulder.
"Way too many," commented Kurt. Abby soon got up on the couch, still clutching her doughnut. She sat down in Kurt's lap, her little fingers sticky from the treat. Rachel had to keep from laughing at Kurt's face. While he finally had to give up the idea that his clothes weren't going to stay pristine with two little girls, it didn't stop him from responding negatively once in a while. She kissed his cheek.
"It doesn't matter what we do or don't celebrate, as long as we do it together," she said with a smile.