Merry Christmas Eve everyone!
"Maribel! Come hurry up or we will be late!" Maria called.
"Oh mommy don't you love my costume? It's so pretty and sparkly!" Rose twirled in what was indeed a very sparkly star costume.
"You look gorgeous Rose dear. Now, be careful that you don't swallow any sparkles by accident!" Tony's mother said.
"What?" Rose asked in confusion.
"I don't wanna go!" Maribel stomped down the stairs.
"Oh Maribel come on. You wanted to be part of the Christmas pageant." Maria said .
"But I never wanted to play the lamb! All I do is crawl on my hands and knees and go baaaaa the whole time!"
"You're just jealous because I have a bigger part than you! Even Gabriel has a bigger part than you!" Rose laughed.
Maria internally groaned once again at the thought of Gabriel playing baby Jesus.
"You meanie pants! I'm not going!" Maribel yelled.
"Don't be a bad sport Maribel! Everyone's counting on you. Now let's get going." Tony slipped on his coat and stepped outside.
"There you are girls! We were starting to worry you wouldn't show up!" a frazzled Mrs. Greene greeted Tony and Maria.
"Okay girls! Everyone else is backstage, you can go join them."
"Bye mommy! Bye daddy! I'll see you after my performance!" Rose dramatically threw her hair over her shoulder and skipped away.
"Hmph." Maribel crossed her arms and stomped away without a glance back.
"Bye girls." Tony waved.
"Alrighty! I'll take little Gabriel from you." Maria hesitantly handed a squirming Gabriel over to Mrs. Greene.
"Thank you! Say bye-bye, Gabriel." Mr. Greene waved Gabriel's hand back and forth before disappearing behind stage.
"Aye dios mio." Maria mumbled.
"He'll be fine." Tony led Maria back to the auditorium.
"Oh of course he will." Maria said sarcastically.
"Well that was horrible." Tony said as he drove back home.
"I think it went great daddy!" Maribel smiled from the backseat.
"That's because when the set came down, you were the only one who didn't get crushed!" A very upset Rose said.
"Well how was I didn't know that Gabriel was gonna crawl offstage and pull the rope!" Maribel turned to Gabriel to and stroked his head. "Thank you Gabriel!"
"Let's just forget about it, okay?" Tony said.
"But it's not fair!" Rose whined.
"Yes it is!"
"No it's not!"
"Yes it is!"
"No-"
"Girls, no arguing. Santa Clause is coming soon." Maria cut in.
"Right! I'm sorry Maribel!"
"No, I'm sorry Rose!"
"Well, I'm sorrier!"
"No, I'm sorrier!"
"No, I-"
"Girls." Tony said sternly.
"Sorry daddy."
"Daddy, only three and a half hours until Santa comes!" Rose said as she ran downstairs in her Christmas pajamas.
"Did you girls set out milk and cookies for Santa yet?" Maria asked.
"Rose, let's get the cookies we baked the other day!" Maribel pulled Rose toward the kitchen.
"Here, let me help you girls! Refrigerators can be dangerous!" Tony's mother followed Rose and Maribel into the kitchen.
At that moment, Gabriel yawned and stretched in Maria's arms.
"I'm going to go put Gabriel to bed." Maria said.
"I'll come with you." Tony followed Maria upstairs and into Gabriel's room.
Gabriel's eyes started to droop as Maria set him down in his crib.
"Buenas noches Gabriel. Te-amo." Maria bent down and gently kissed Gabriel's forehead.
"Good-night buddy. Merry almost Christmas." Tony said.
Tony and Maria were heading downstairs when a knock came at the door.
"Who is it!" Maribel screamed at the closed door.
"Aye! Open the door Maribel it is freezing out here!"
"Anita!" Maria pulled open the door.
"Feliz navidad!" Anita shuffled through the door with Carlos close behind her.
"Carlos! There's only three hours until Santa comes!" Rose jumped up and down.
"Anita, I thought you wouldn't make it!" Maria said as he hugged Anita.
"And miss Christmas with all of you? Of course not!"
"It's so great to have you." Tony smiled.
"Daddy, there's only two hours and fifty-eight minutes until Santa comes." A very sleepy looking Rose tugged at her father's trousers.
"Why don't you kids go up to bed." Tony suggested to three very tired children.
"No daddy. We want to wait up for Santa." Maribel said.
"Okay, why don't I take you all upstairs and you can wait for Santa in your rooms?"
"Okay." Maribel, Rose and Carlos agreed.
Tony tucked the kids tightly into bed and turned off the lights. "Good-night everyone. When you wake up. It'll be Christmas."
"Daddy?" Rose said half-asleep.
"Yes Rose?" Tony whispered.
"If you see Santa, can you tell him I said hi?"
"Of course Rose, now go to sleep."
"Daddy?"
"Yes Rose?"
"Theres only two and a half hours until Santa Comes." Rose mumbled.
"Merry Christmas Rose."
"Merry Christmas Daddy. I love you." Rose quietly drifted off to sleep.
