Chapter 11.

"Mommy! Daddy! Waaakkke uuup! It's Christmas!"

Callie felt small, cold hands shaking her arm. She opened one eye to see Gabe and Rachel standing at her bedside, desperately pleading for her and Brandon to wake up. "Guys," she yawned. "It's only six-thirty. Go back to bed." Next to her, she felt Brandon stir, stretching his arms above his head.

"We're too excited to sleep!" Rachel told her, hopping a little on her toes.

"Okay, okay," Callie groaned, turning to Brandon. "So much for sleeping in."

Once they were all downstairs, the kids emptied their stockings, and Brandon and Callie passed them their gifts, one at a time. Callie loved listening to them squeal over everything they got, and she had bought them nearly everything on their lists. Maybe she spoiled them, but she didn't care. They were her babies, and as Jude had put it, they're only kids once. It meant a lot to Callie to give her kids a happy Christmas, especially since she knew what it was like to be disappointed each year as a child. She wanted them to have nothing but good memories of the holidays.

Rachel opened the biggest box last, and found the doll she wanted. Her eyes went as round as quarters, and to Callie's surprise, the little girl burst into tears. "Aww, honey," she laughed, holding her arms out. "Come here."

Rachel wrapped her arms around her mother and kissed her. "Thank you, Mommy! I love her!"

"You're welcome, Princess," Callie told her, wiping the tears off her daughter's face with the sleeve of her robe. "Make sure you thank Daddy, too."

Rachel nodded, then hugged Brandon. "Thank you for my doll, Daddy. It's just what I wanted."

Brandon kissed his daughter's cheek. "You're welcome. What are you gonna name her, Peanut?"

Rachel shrugged. "I think I'll name her after Mommy, because she looks like her, too."

Callie smiled as she helped Gabe remove his toy trains from the wires and string that secured them in their box. "Thanks, baby. That's sweet."

Once all the gifts were opened, and they'd eaten brunch, they cleaned up the mess of wrapping paper and readied to go back to Stef and Lena's for Christmas dinner. Callie promised herself she wouldn't get upset if Lexi's pregnancy was mentioned again. Finally talking things out with Brandon had done a lot for her mental state. When they arrived at the family home, Lucy served as an adorable distraction. She'd received lots of Christmas gifts from Stef and Lena, as well as Callie and Brandon and the kids, and she was happily gurgling and chewing on them in her playpen.

Later in the afternoon, Lena and Rachel were making slice-and-bake cookies together in the kitchen, while Callie sat nearby, feeding Lucy her bottle. "Miss Rachel, you're looking more like your Mommy every day," Lena noted, turning to her granddaughter.

Rachel looked up from the log of cookie dough she was cutting. "Thanks, Mimi!"

Callie smiled to herself. Rachel truly did look like her. They shared the same round face, straight brown hair, and brown eyes.

"We haven't baked anything together in a long time," Lena told the little girl. "This is fun!"

Rachel nodded enthusiastically. "Remember that time we made brownies for Grandma Stef? And the egg didn't crack, and I thought it was rotten?" She giggled, her eyes sparkling.

"I do remember that," Lena laughed. "You were the cutest kindergartner on record. Maybe if it's okay with Mommy, you and I can get together after school sometimes to bake. Would you like to do that?"

"Yes!" Rachel turned to Callie. "Can I, Mommy? Please?"

"Of course you can, baby," Callie replied, nodding. "You can visit here anytime you want."

The phone rang, but Callie, Lena, and Rachel didn't pay it any attention, until they heard Stef's shouts from the other room. She ran into the kitchen from the other room, Calling her wife and daughter.

"What's going on, hon?" Lena asked, with a look of panic. "Is everything okay?"

Stef was flushed, her hand resting on her chest. "The hospital just called! They have a heart for Lucy! We have to get her there right away for surgery."

There was a brief moment of cheering. Rachel even threw her arms around Callie, and told her she believed in Santa again. After that, everyone rushed around to get Lucy ready. Overwhelmed by the sudden activity, Callie took Lucy's little coat and helped her put it on, zipping it over her dress, so she would be warm enough in the cool night.

As Stef ushered everyone into the room and told them the news, Lucy stared up at Callie innocently, unaware that her life was about to change, or that she was about to undergo a risky, possibly fatal, surgery. Callie felt choked up thinking about it. She'd come to love the baby girl who she'd been caring for. But she tried not to let herself become frightened by the what-ifs. Christmas was, after all, a time of miracles, and if the surgery went well, Lucy would be given the best gift she'd ever receive: a full life. After she tied Lucy's hat under her chin, she leaned down and kissed the infant's pale little cheek. "Good luck, my little rosebud."

To Be Continued