Sorry for the big delay, but I moved cross country and started my internship so my life has been chaos for a month. Hope people are still hanging with me.
Eventually Christmas came in the Foster household and this year they went a little crazy with decorations, regardless of the fact that Diana would remember none of it. Callie and Luca had spent the previous night with his parents at their home, promising to spend Christmas day with the Fosters. Everyone was eager to celebrate the child's first Christmas and Stef was certain three fourths of the gifts under the tree were for her granddaughter. The thought made her smile: her granddaughter…she had a granddaughter. Stef always thought it would be harder to watch Callie grow up, get married and have a family because in her heart she craved the years where she wasn't Callie and Jude's mother, but the truth was that Stef loved seeing her adult children living their lives and watching Callie's life finally deal her a fair hand made Stef unspeakably happy.
She made breakfast with Lena for the whole family and slowly all her kids turned up at the house with the exceptions of Callie who had texted them that they were running behind because they had to change the baby's outfit. Everyone dug into food, but the meal was interrupted when the front door opened and Callie called out.
"I brought Santa's newest elf and she wants to know where her adoring fans are?" Before Luca could set the car seat down on the floor, Lena was already undoing the buckles and lifting the infant out of it. She and Stef quickly were swarmed by the rest of the family trying to catch a glimpse of their niece. Callie laughed as she put their gifts under the tree.
"I told you they wouldn't notice if we were here or not, just so long as we brought the baby." Lena temporarily gave up her granddaughter and handed her to Stef so she could hug her daughter and son in law.
"Merry Christmas sweetheart." Lena offered Luca the same greeting before returning to Stef's side. Callie took the chance to get herself something to eat, knowing she could eat with both hands free with her family holding her daughter. Luca was going to follow his wife, but he was fiercely protective of his daughter and even though he knew that she was totally safe with his in laws, the new father still had trouble tearing himself away from his newborn. Callie eventually showed up at her husband's side and rubbed his shoulder.
"Take a break Papa bear, she is asleep in the arms of my mother with my siblings flanking her: nothing is gonna touch her with that kind of security detail." Luca sighed and realized that he was tense so he rolled his shoulders before following his wife to eat something while Diana got adored by the rest of the family. After ten minutes or so the rest of the family returned to the kitchen, Diana still settled in Stef's arms.
"Callie, make mom share, she's hogging the baby." Mariana pled with her sister and Callie eyed her mother.
"Mariana, mom only got to hold Brandon as a baby, she never got to hold you, me, Jude or Jesus, so let her soak up holding one of our babies. Besides, she is sleeping and I'd like not to wake her with passing her from person to person. Once she wakes up you guys can have turns holding her."
Callie noticed the look on her mother's face when she told Mariana to let her be and she knew how much that moment of bonding with Diana really meant to her. Callie ate fast, knowing the silence wouldn't last long and sure enough, ten minutes later, Diana woke up and voiced her displeasure with a very healthy set of lungs. Stef, shifted the infant in her arms and handed her to Callie.
"I'm going to go feed her and make sure she isn't wet. I'll change her into her other Christmas jammies and we can open gifts whenever you guys want." Callie left the room and went into the living room to breast feed Diana. She enjoyed the quiet moment between just her and her daughter and Diana seemed hell bent on making eye contact with Callie as she ate so Callie was not paying attention to her surroundings when her grandmother came barreling in the front door.
"Grandma is here and I brought presents. Where is my newest bundle of joy and why am I not holding her yet?" Sharron looked over to see Callie wrapped up in feeding the baby and she smiled that even her entrance couldn't shake the moment between mother and baby. Callie did eventually look up at her grandmother as she moved to burp the baby.
"Merry Christmas grandma." Sharron kissed Callie and then Diana as she dropped off her gifts.
"Merry Christmas sweat pea. How is my great-granddaughter doing on her first Christmas?"
"She is ready to be spoiled no doubt and now that she is full I'm sure she'll be happy to spit up on anyone who wants to hold her." Sharron waved Callie off and held out her arms for the baby. Callie happily handed her daughter over, using the time to search her diaper bag for her outfit.
"Mom wants a picture of us later. You know 4 generations of women in one family, so you, mom, me, Mariana and Diana."
"I love it." Sharron had to share Diana pretty quickly because Mariana came in begging to hold her niece. Callie smiled and knew she wouldn't be holding her daughter much unless she was crying or being fed. Once everyone held the baby for a few minutes they agreed to open gifts and Luca took charge of holding Diana while the family settled into the living room. Normally, Callie would offer a seat to her parents or grandmother, but since she was still sore from giving birth just weeks before she was given the arm chair to sit in for the day. Everyone opened their own gifts first and Luca and Callie were glad for the gifts they received since they were things they didn't get off their baby registry. Then the gifts left were all for Diana and Luca hated to think how many trips to the car it would take to load this at the end of the day and he silently hoped some of the gifts could be left with Stef and Lena for the days Diana was with them.
Callie opened packages of stuffed animals, toys and tons of baby clothes. Toward the end, Stef handed a small package to both Callie and Luca, offering to hold Diana as they opened them. When the paper was torn away, Callie could see it was one of those Baby First Christmases ornaments.
"Why two?"
"Well, we thought that maybe momma and I could hang one on our tree and you guys would like your own for her. We sent one to Luca's parents last week so hopefully everyone has one now." Luca gently hugged his mother in law, careful of the baby in her arms and Callie stood to hug her mother and kiss her cheek.
"We love it. It'll go great with the one I ordered that has all of our names on it." They hung the ornaments, put all the gifts they would be hauling home near the door and returned to the living room. Luca eventually took the picture of all the generations of the women in the family and with some doing he set a timer and took a picture of all of them, baby included. As they wrapped up pictures, Diana again became fussy, signaling that it was her nap time. Callie changed her and went about trying to lull the baby asleep, but it was like the little infant knew she would miss out on things if she fell asleep. Brandon took pity on his sister and sat down at the piano and began to play a song he had learned years earlier. The song was from an album Luca had grown up listening to during the Christmas season and Brandon figured now was a good time to share that music with his niece. He played softly, gently urging his brother in law to sing and eventually he relented.
When the mountain touches the valley, all the clouds are taught to fly
as our souls will leave this land most peacefully.
Though our minds be filled with questions, in our hearts we'll understand
when the river meets the sea.
Callie was glad to see that the music and her daddy singing had calmed Diana, now she only hoped for the child to close her eyes.
Like a flower that has blossomed in the dry and barren sand,
We are born and born again most gracefully.
Thus the winds of time will take us with a sure and steady hand
when the river meets the sea.
Jude softly joined his brother in law in the song.
Patience, my brother and patience, my son, in that sweet and final hour
truth and justice will be done.
Luca looked to his wife and his finally sleeping daughter and smiled.
Like a baby when it is sleeping in its loving mother's arms,
what a newborn baby dreams is a mystery.
But her life will find a purpose and in time she'll understand,
when the river meets the sea.
When the river meets the almighty sea.
Callie gently placed Diana in her bassinet in the dining room before returning to her family.
"Nicely done you guys. She usually goes down much easier than that, but I guess with all the excitement she needed her daddy and uncle to sing her to sleep."
"And to think, there were all those years you spent insisting you couldn't sing." Jude nudged his brother in law's shoulder and smiled.
"What can I say, I'll do anything for my girls." Luca kissed Callie's head and looked over his shoulder at the sound asleep baby.
"How long will she sleep for Cal?" Jude eyed his niece and wondered how much time they had to enjoy the silence.
"Usually an hour if we are lucky. She might be extra tired because of all the excitement, so maybe longer." Jude moved from his spot and grabbed an envelope that hand been carefully placed on the tree.
"Then you have time to read this. Merry Christmas." Callie took the envelope from her brother and eyed it carefully. She knew it wasn't one of the letters her mother wrote and the writing on the envelope was clearly Jude's.
"What's this?"
"I wanted you to have something special for your daughter's first Christmas so I tried my hand at writing a letter for her, kinda like mom did for us. She can read them when she gets older or whatever you want."
"Can I read it now?" Jude smiled and nodded. Callie took out the letter and she looked to Jude to see if it was ok for her to read it out loud.
"My dearest Diana, my little Wonder Woman. My mother wrote letters like this to your mother and I when we were little and they have helped guide and inspire us as we grew up. I hope they do the same for you. Not that you need my help with a mother as special as the one you have. She raised me and sacrificed everything for my safety and happiness and no doubt she is willing to do the same for you. And your daddy, well your daddy is a man among men and he will no doubt be a wonderful father to you. You have been born into a world that is a little messed up right now, but in this house, in this family, you couldn't be safer or more loved. For all your life, you will never walk alone. I promise you this much: as you grow and learn, I will be there, we will all be there to help you through the parts of life that are darker than others. Your mommy and daddy gave you the most perfect name: the names of two of strongest women I ever knew, one real one fictional. The point being, you were born with an uncommon strength in you because of who your mommy is and I hope in your difficult time you look in the mirror and remind yourself exactly who you are. I hope one day you read this and you turn to your mother and tell her how much you love her, even if you are a moody teenager who insists she hates everybody. Be careful in this world and more importantly, be kind. Do good…not well, do good. You will be with me always and no matter where you go my heart will always find you. Love, Uncle Jude."
Callie composed herself after reading the letter and turned to Jude. "You didn't have to say those things about me."
"Yes I did. She needs to know that she might be Wonder Woman, but her momma is Super Woman. Merry Christmas Cal." Callie hugged her brother tightly and just as they separated, the baby started to fuss. Luca went to go pick her up and try to keep her asleep, but Jude stood up first and lifted the baby from her bassinet, holding her tightly to his chest. He rocked back and forth and hummed softly to the child and eventually the fussing stopped and the baby was back asleep as deeply as she had been earlier. Callie made eye contact with her brother and the tears in both of their eyes said more than words ever could. And if you don't think everyone took pictures of Jude rocking Callie's firstborn to sleep, you'd be wrong.
I am so sorry for the delay. Family stuff has been pretty bad and dissertation and internship stuff is no joke. That and depression in general is hell and makes me want to sleep, not write.