Chase, Maya, and Dakota
Chase was abruptly awakened from his peaceful sleep by a lot of high pitched yelling and being pounced on. He immediately sat up with a start, ready to defend himself and his groggy wife. Dakota bounced up and down and up and down on their bed excitedly. "Wake up, Mommy! Wake up, Daddy! We have to go see what Santa left! We have to start opening our presents! Wake up faster! It's Christmas! Present time! Present time! Present time!" she hollered euphorically. Maya stirred and started rubbing her eyes. Dakota wormed her way between them and started shaking Maya's shoulder and Chase's knee. "Come on, you guys! Wake up already! I've been up for like forever!" she yelled. Maya went to sit up. Almost immediately, Dakota jumped off the bed and went flying out of the room, still shouting out how excited she was.
Chase rubbed his eyes as Maya put a hand on his shoulder. "She's quite the ball of energy," he yawned. Maya giggled. "Well we certainly know who she gets that from!" she teased, already fully awake and ready to go just like her daughter. Chase stretched. "Yes we do," he replied with a wink. Dakota could still be heard running around the living room, yelling something the parents couldn't quite make out. Chase pulled Maya into his arms and gave her a kiss. "Merry Christmas, by the way." he whispered. Maya grinned and returned it to him. Their tender moment was brief though, because suddenly they heard a loud crash and no more hurried footsteps. "Ow…" the muffled voice said. But after just a moment or two, the running started right back up again. Chase began to get out of bed. "We should get out there before she breaks a bone." he said. Maya laughed. "Or the house!" she joked.
Dakota met them as soon as they opened their bedroom door. She was bouncing up and down, and immediately grabbed their hands and hurried them to the sofa. "Presents! Presents! Presents!" she repeated. Chase took her hands and sat her down on the couch. He held her shoulders. "Ok, Dakota. Calm down. It's ok-we're going to get to all the presents! But not all at once. Take deep breaths for me, alright?" he said to soothe her. This was normal routine, but today she was beyond excited. "I feel so jumpy and excited and WOW though!" she cried. Chase hushed her gently. "I know, honey, but we've got to be nice and calm so we can remember every moment of today, ok?" he said. Dakota nodded her little head. Chase let go of her shoulders and gave her a kiss on the head. She swung her feet anxiously as Maya brought over a filled stocking. "Hmmm…it looks like this one says 'Dakota'! It's from Santa Claus!" she dramatized. Dakota immediately tore into the stocking, admiring all the little trinkets and candies that were inside. She began to open a piece of chocolate. Chase smiled at her from the kitchen, where he was making coffee. "Baby, can you wait until after breakfast to have your sweets?" he asked, not wanting her to get any more hyper than she already was. Dakota put the candy down. "Yes, Daddy!" she said obediently. Maya nudged her and gave her a wink and a nod. Dakota displayed a huge grin just before popping the piece of chocolate into her mouth.
Chase sat down and handed Maya her cup of coffee. Dakota was already opening a present addressed to her from her father. She gasped when all the paper fell away. "Wow, Daddy! Thank you so much! I love love LOVE this!" she cried, pulling a new blue apron out of the box. She stood up and modeled it, pretending she was in a fashion show and walking across the living room in different ways repeatedly. She announced all the "new features" of her fashion statement, showing off the little yellow buttons and extra pockets. Her parents watched and laughed as she put on her own little production. "Now you can feel like a cook when you help me in the kitchen! All cooks have aprons!" Chase said to her. Dakota was thrilled. She kept her apron on as she sat back down on the couch and tore into another present.
This one was Maya's gift to her. Dakota again cast the wrapping paper off in the blink of an eye and gasped when she saw its contents. "Mommy! This is amazing! Oh thank you so much!" she cried. Maya had made her some shining perfume to wear on special occasions. Dakota sprayed herself with it and continued walking around the house, pretending she was a grown-up lady going shopping. Chase and Maya were grinning so widely. They loved seeing their little girl happy and imaginative. "Should we give her the big present now?" Maya asked with a twinkle in her eye. Chase smiled. "Yes, I think we definitely should." he answered.
They called Dakota over to open her last present. "This is from both Mommy and Daddy. We love you so much, dear." Chase said as they handed her a medium-sized box wrapped all neatly with a bow. The neatness didn't last long though, because Dakota was practically bursting at the seams with energy. In a flash, she had the paper off and the box opened. For once, Dakota was absolutely silent. She didn't even breathe. Chase and Maya glanced at each other excitedly. Inside the box was a new doll, a kind that was very hard to get. The Sonata Tailoring shop made them at a pretty high price, mostly because they were so intricate and detailed and made of very fine materials. But the parents knew that every little girl on the island wanted one, and they didn't want their daughter to be left out. For seasons they'd saved up for it; for the precious moment they were witnessing.
Dakota gently stroked the doll's face with one hand over her own mouth. She hadn't even taken it out of the box. "I-Is this really…for me?" she asked in a whisper. Maya and Chase nodded. "Merry Christmas, baby." Maya said. Dakota gently lifted the doll up and cradled it in her arms so carefully. She was still and quiet-something that was very rare. For a long time, she just sat there holding the doll tightly. Then she turned her big purple eyes to her parents. "Thank you both…so much. I can't even thank you enough." she said. Chase and Maya pulled her into a hug. The family stayed huddled together there for a few moments. Then Dakota went over to the couch and began playing with her new doll-"teaching" her how to cook. Chase kissed Maya's forehead. He stood up and started making some pancakes for breakfast.
Maya joined him in the kitchen to start preparing the holiday dinner for their family and the people of the Ocarina Inn. Yolanda was cooking a turkey, Jake was making the drinks, and Colleen was preparing the side dishes. Chase and Maya were going to bring dessert. Chase had made some apple pie and bread pudding, but suggested that Maya make something Dakota would like too. Maya began heating up some chocolate in their cooking pot. "I just can't screw this recipe up. It's so easy-just dip a banana in chocolate and put them all in the fridge!" she explained to her husband, who gave a chuckle. "Yeah, well, I'll still be here watching to make sure you don't add in some olives like last time…" he teased. Maya put her hands on her hips playfully. "How would I know they wouldn't go well with bananas and chocolate?" She stuck her tongue out with a wink. Chase dipped his finger in the melting chocolate and gave her nose a flick with it. He laughed as Maya immediately tried to lick it off with her tongue, but couldn't reach. They both ended up laughing together. Maya threw her arms around her husband, thinking about how lucky she was to have this fitting family with her on such a special day.
