A couple days later, Christmas Eve arrived. Chloe woke up, got dressed, and went downstairs to help Mikey with breakfast.
"Ready to make some bagels with cream cheese?" Mikey asked.
"Let's get started," Chloe replied.
Later that evening, the Christmas Eve party was taking place. Donny, Leo, Mikey, Suzuki, and Wanda had spent most of the day decorating the living and dining rooms while Mikey and Chloe were making food in the kitchen.
Just then, Grandma and Grandpa Calls entered the living room. Chloe turned on the radio and Christmas music started playing.
"The place looks great," Grandma Calls said.
"Already looking forward to tomorrow," Grandpa Calls said.
Everyone partied for a couple hours. Eventually, Grandma and Grandpa Calls said good night and headed upstairs to their room.
The next morning, Chloe, her grandparents, the turtles, Suzuki, and Wanda were in the living room exchanging Christmas gifts. They were also eating bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, plain mini bagels with cream cheese, hash brown potatoes, banana muffins made with real bananas, and they were drinking orange juice.
Leo starting singing a tune that made his brothers freeze in shock. It turned out that the tune he was singing was the same one that Splinter used to sing to them when they were babies.
Mikey went over to Leo and wrapped his arms around him. Leo returned the gesture and then felt his shoulder getting wet.
"Why does that tune sound so familiar?" Raph asked with curiosity.
"Splinter used to sing that to us when we were babies," Donny replied.
Raph and Donny went over to Mikey and Leo. Donny wrapped his arms around Mikey and Raph did the same with Leo.
"They must've really loved their father," Wanda said.
"They did," Chloe said.
"The other day, I told Leo that I lost my cousin Ichico when I was a year younger than him and his brothers," Suzuki admitted. "She died of a brain tumor."
"Sorry about your loss," Chloe said sincerely. "My parents died in a fire caused by faulty wiring when I was 8 years old."
"Sorry to hear that," Suzuki said sincerely.
"Thanks," Chloe said.
"You still miss them?" Wanda asked.
"I do," Chloe replied. "Especially around my birthday and the holidays."
Just then, the turtles buried their faces in each other's shoulders and their bodies starting shaking. When they released each other several minutes later, their faces were soaked.
"Sorry about that," Leo said.
"It's ok to miss your father," Grandma Calls said.
"We thought we got all the pain out already," Donny said.
"Sometimes holidays and birthdays bring the pain back because you wish the deceased loved one was there to celebrate with you," Grandpa Calls said.
"I really want Splinter to be here," Mikey said, his voice breaking.
"We all do," Raph said.
"What song did Splinter sing to you?" Chloe asked with curiosity.
"Go to sleep, my babies," Mikey sang.
"Bright as the sun," Donny sang.
"Sleep tight, my babies," Raph sang.
"Sweet little ones," Leo sang.
The turtles sang the song a few more times with their arms wrapped around each other. By the time they finished singing, all of them had the floodgates in full force and their whole bodies were shaking.
Chloe, Suzuki, and Wanda walked over to the turtles and wrapped their arms around them. The three of them gently rubbed the turtles' shells.
Eventually, Chloe, Suzuki, Wanda, and the turtles released each other. Then the turtles pulled themselves together.
"You all right now?" Chloe asked with concern.
"We are," Leo replied and his brothers nodded in agreement.
The turtles, Chloe, Suzuki, Wanda, and Chloe's grandparents cleaned up when they finished unwrapping gifts and eating. Then they chatted for a while.
The End