An authors note...I feel like I should be apologizing for the lack of actual Christmas content in this chapter. I mean, the entire thing spans maybe a half hour or so, but this is the part I really wanted to show. Hope some of you are not completely disappointed by that...you all mean way to much to me for that to happen. Much love as always, and enjoy:)
Disclaimer-Glee is the property of FOX, the creators and the writers.
Let It Be
With each passing day, the grief and sadness began to fade just a little bit more. The holidays were, surprisingly, no exception. Seeing the excitement, wonder and joy through the eyes of a child...especially a child who had been through as much as Artie had...was nothing short of a blessing.
He wasn't about to let the difficulties associated with his disability get him down anymore. He was tired of the stares, whispers, and rudeness of others making him cry. Sure, it was a bit of a hassle dealing with the wheelchair and the snowy cold of the season, and there were still times when being ignored or made fun of, made his tummy flutter and his chin tremble...but he was finally getting stronger, both physically and emotionally.
Getting stronger wasn't necessarily a speedy process though.
Alicia couldn't help but notice the slightly wistful look coming from Artie when Andy and Mark got sleds from Grandma and Grandpa Abrams and he got pajamas. Or his reluctance to join his brother and cousins on the floor around the tree because his balance still wasn't very good(would never be very good)...even though it was his own house.
Things like this always laid heavy on her mind, which made sleep hard to come by. Not that there was any time of the day conducive for relaxation... especially now, with her and the ever growing, always active baby inside of her, entering their sixth month of pregnancy.
The odd sensation of being watched came to her slowly, even before the sounds of excited chattering from the floor below...but not before her compressed bladder. Upon cracking one eye open, Alicia was greeted with soft porcelain skin and bright blue eyes staring intently at her. "Hi Mom...Merry Christmas!"
"Good morning Artie," she returned warmly, and matched that brilliant smile he was giving her. He was parked beside the bed with his head resting on folded arms, right next to hers. So close that Alicia barely had to move at all to plant a playful kiss to the tip of his nose. "Merry Christmas to you too Sweetheart."
"Oh sorry, we didn't wake you, did we?" Art asked just as he entered the room, his eyes darting apologetically between her and Artie.
Alicia gave a small smile in return and shook her head. "No you didn't...your daughter did," she assured them both with a pointed chuckle, before gingerly maneuvering herself into a seated position. "I have to get up anyway."
"He wanted to wait for you before going downstairs," Art added, again throwing glances between his wife and son...only this time the expression he wore was warm and full of pride.
Alicia couldn't help the holiday/pregnancy intensified tears that instantly sprang to her eyes. She tenderly cupped her hand around his cheek and smiled. "Thank you Honey."
Artie's cheeks flushed slightly as he gave a small bashful shrug and casually dismissive retort, "Andy would've beat me anyway."
If her expression softened anymore, she might have completely melted. Rising to her feet, Alicia was barely able to get her words out in a whisper, "I'll just be a minute, then we can all go downstairs together."
She was only gone for about two and a half minutes, but in that time, Art already had Artie in his arms, about to deposit him in the seat of the chair lift. "Just carry him down," Alicia suggested, smiling sincerely at both of them, "he doesn't need his chair right now."
Artie gave her a slightly skeptical look, but she just kept smiling at him all the way down the stairs.
"Mom, you're up," Andy squealed and bounced with delight. "Santa came...can we open the presents now?"
Alicia chuckled at his excitement. "In a few minutes, lets just get settled first," she replied, lowering herself to the section of floor in front of the large plush chair, next to the tree. Once her back was comfortably resting against it, she glanced up at Art, and flashed him a pointed smirk, just as he was about to set Artie on the couch. "Down here with me," she told him, patting the floor in front of her slightly straddled red flannel clad legs.
It was Art's turn to become perplexed and Artie's turn to beam happily. He was situated to maximize stability, without putting too much pressure on his mothers tummy. "Comfy?"
Artie nodded, then twisted his head over his shoulder to smile at her. "Thanks Mom," he muttered softly as he snuggled back against her.
Alicia smiled in return and wrapped her loving arms around him. "Now you can use you hands to open your presents, and still sit on the floor, like always."
Art smiled at the sweet exchange, then at the insistence of Andy, got to quick work passing out the much anticipated gifts.
As the packages started piling up in front of him, Artie expression turned surprised. "Wow...I didn't ask Santa for all this," he stated, eyes widening in awe.
"Well, maybe Santa brought you a few more things because he knew that you were such a good boy this year," Alicia returned, catching herself before she slipped brave in over good...even though he was definitely both in her eyes.
Artie grinned sheepishly before reaching out for the first box, and tearing into the paper. It didn't take long before he got to the last and biggest present. Looking down at the open case in disbelief, his eyes went wide and mouth fell open. "A real guitar..."
"Looks like there's also a few books of music in there and a certificate for six months worth of lessons," Alicia added over his breathy whisper, her teary smile widening boundlessly over his excitement.
"It's exactly what I wanted," he muttered, a tiny bit louder, but with the same tone of astonishment.
"I didn't get exactly what I wanted," Andy whined from the other side of the room.
"What do you mean?" Art asked incredulously as he looked at the pretty substantial stack of toys sitting in front of his younger son. "You got your own Gameboy, that cool Lego set, a new soccer ball..."
"But I didn't get a skateboard, or pogo stick, or that Nerf gun..."
"Andy Honey," Alicia called out in a soothing, but pointed tone. "Santa brings you the things he believes you deserve, not every single thing you ask for."
The little boy sighed dramatically and fell backward onto the couch, arms folded defiantly across his chest. "So that probably means we're still getting a baby sister."
Alicia was just about to remind him that you can't ask to change the gender of a baby once it's already made, or ever really, when Art let out a small gasp. "That reminds me...," he said, his words trailing off as he reached under the tree to retrieve the lone package still sitting there. "Says here it's for baby girl Abrams..."
Artie turned his head to look back at his mother, huge smile growing to match the excitement dancing in his eyes. "I think know what it is," he practically squealed as he held an eager hand out for the box.
Art handed the gift over to their son to open, but not before first flashing Alicia a quick grin of his own. Artie began to wildly tear apart the paper until he got down to the factory packaging. "I knew it," he exclaimed, definitely squealing this time. "That Santa at the mall is the real Santa Mom. He has to be, he's got a real jiggly belly and a real beard...and he's the only one I asked for this."
Alicia raised a surprised, if not slightly skeptical brow, to keep from ruining the poker face she was working so hard on maintaining...though she could do nothing to stop a softening smile from breaking through. "You asked Santa to bring your sister a gift?"
Artie looked from his mothers belly, down to the plush pink toy in his hands and shrugged dismissively. "I just wanted her to have something special."
"She already does...," Alicia stated with the utmost certainty. Her smile bubbling warmly as she tightened her hold around her son and placed a soft kiss to his cheek, "...she has you for a big brother."