When I saw you I fell in love, and you smiled because you knew.

With a sigh, I nestle myself into the corner of the couch, smiling contentedly as Katie reclines against my chest. It's still early and all the lights fascinate her. I press a kiss to the top of her head and give her a gentle squeeze. She tilts her head and grins up at me.

"Hi, sweetheart," I say softly, and she purses her lips, blowing a raspberry at me. "I love you, too."

Her little hand stretches up to my face, aiming for my nose, but I snatch it out of the way, gently nibbling at her fingers. She shrieks with laughter, trying to pull me toward her, and I feel like I could explode. "Mama cuh!"

I give her forehead a quick kiss before grabbing her sippy off the coffee table. "Do you want your cup, Katie?"

"Cuh!"

I sigh, holding it up in front of her and just out of reach of her greedy little hands. "Katie, this is a cup. Say it with Mama. Cup. Cup."

She scrunches up her nose and kicks her feet, looking at me dubiously. "Cuh."

I shake my head and give her another kiss. "Here's your juice, honey."

"Duce," she answers before shoving the cup in her mouth. She grins at me as she drinks, standing against my side, and I can't help but wonder at the things she must know. Probably more than we'd ever suspect. While "duce" isn't quite "juice," it's still progress, and we think she just can't figure out the letter "j" yet. She's picking things up, though, and can give us partial words when we ask her about something, or even if she just points to an object on her own. Chandler and I want her to learn everything, but I think we're in the same boat, too, in that learning to speak means she's growing up, and that thought is just awful.

It feels like she's been growing in leaps and bounds the last few weeks, and even though getting her to actually repeat the words we're telling her is a challenge, she responds to more and more every day. If we ask her to bring a book, she'll toddle over to one of her shelves and grab one out for us. If we ask her which animal is the kitty, she points to the right one. When we sing to her, she's starts almost "singing" along, her gibberish coming out nearly in tune. Her steps have become more self-assured as she tumbles over less. She's eating more and more types of food, always interested in whatever it is we put in front of her.

She's absolutely mesmerizing. It's not at all uncommon for Chandler to stumble out of bed in the middle of the night to find me in her room, standing awe-struck next to her crib. He never judges me, though; instead, he usually wraps an arm around my waist and we watch her together.

"Mama." I blink a couple of times, finding Katie smiling at me.

"What is it, honey?"

She leans forward and face-plants into my chest, her cup tumbling out of her hand. I feel her little feet shuffle for a few moments before she climbs onto my legs. "Hi," she says with a little sigh.

I wrap my arms around her, closing my eyes as I answer, "Hi." One of her few words. She's been able to say it since some point in November, but she doesn't use it as much as others. "Dada" and "Mama" usually get her what she wants. "Merry Christmas, Katie," I whisper.

She has no idea what this holiday is. Right now, all it is to her is shiny lights and brightly covered boxes. Even though I'm Jewish, I celebrate Christmas as well as Hanukkah. I always have. The entire holiday season is always fun for me, and I've never felt any need to limit myself to just one celebration or the other. Chandler seemed perfectly content to celebrate both, listening raptly as I told him about the Festival of Lights while simultaneously unwrapping my never ending supply of Christmas ornaments and decorations. He made a comment about wanting Katie to grow up in a multi-cultural home, but left it at that.

So, a few days ago, we wrapped up the eighth night of Hanukkah and went full tilt into Christmas. There wasn't a lot of time in between the two holidays, but I was more than up to the challenge. Most years, I don't really have anyone to cook or bake for—Rachel would often spend the holiday with her family, and even though Ross and I would often go visit our parents for at least a few of the days, I didn't always get to do the cooking. This year, though, I have my own little family to celebrate with.

I grin, cuddling Katie closer as I try to stave off the irrational tears that spring to eyes. I have a family. True, it's not technically official—Chandler and I are only living together with his toddler daughter who calls me Mama—but it's good enough for me. Just letting go and accepting Katie as mine has done me a world of good. The first couple of times I happened to say that she was "my daughter" were a little weird, mostly because I was so worried someone was going to jump up and point a finger at me, shouting to the world that it wasn't true. It almost felt creepy, as if I were some weird, pathetic lady who had to try to steal other people's kids and call them her own. Hearing Chandler call her "ours" nearly made my heart stop at first, too, but I like to think that I'm adapting nicely. Now, it feels almost normal. Now, when she's acting up and being a tiny butthead, Chandler shoves her at me in disgust and says, "Take your daughter" without either of us batting an eye.

It turns out that it's not terribly difficult to accept a child as your own. She's so teeny and innocent and perfect and I'm proud that people believe I could have made someone like that.

It's not surprising that I went a little crazy buying her gifts this year—it's my first Christmas as a mother, so I don't know that Chandler would have expected anything less. Any toy or book I came across that looked interesting, I bought. I bought way too many cute little outfits, hoping against hope that she'd get to wear a few of them before growing out of it all completely. I bought so much that Chandler actually made me take some of it back, reminding me that she has not only his own parents buying her gifts, but also her uncle Joey, uncle Mike and aunt Phoebe, not to mention that this year she also has a new set of grandparents in my own folks, plus Uncle Ross and Aunt Rachel. He said they all needed to be able to buy her things, too. Still, even after returning things, I've bought her way too much.

I've probably gotten too much stuff for Chandler, too, but he's made me so happy in the last eleven months that I can't help but try to repay him somehow. It almost seems silly to try to equate physical gifts with what he's given me, but I don't know how else to do it.

I mean, how does one find a way to balance out the score when he's given me the world? A year ago, I was single and lonely and, in hindsight, borderline depressed.

This year…I'm a mommy. It's the one thing I've always wanted and now I have it. More than even being married, I've wanted kids. Chandler gave that to me. There is quite literally nothing else I want from him because anything more would be greedy. It's enough that Katie looks at me and calls me "Mama" and means it. It's enough that I wake up next to Chandler every morning and go to sleep beside him every night, knowing that I'm home…knowing that I'm finally where I belong.

It took me long enough.

Katie pushes back from me and sits up; I immediately curl up my legs so she can lean against me safely. She is truly incredible, and I'm so lucky that I've been able to watch her grow up for the last few months. I've been able to see her first steps and hear her first word. I'm getting to watch her go from baby to little girl.

It's definitely more than I ever thought I would get in a year.

Katie watches me, breathing heavily as her little fingers pluck at her flannel Christmas pajamas. I break out into a smile and she gives one back to me, clapping her hands. "Ah bah bah bah!"

I laugh and carefully take her face in my hands, pulling her in to give her a kiss. "I love you, too." One of her hands grabs for my hair, tugging at it gently, and I keep her wrapped in my arms. "What do you think, Katie-did? Should we go wake Daddy?" I was far too excited about today to sleep for very long—I've probably been awake since four this morning. I tried to let Chandler's even breathing and his warm body wrapped around mine lull me back to sleep, but all I could do was lie there. Around five, I slipped out of his arms so I wouldn't wake him, instead choosing to putter around the apartment on my own for a while. When Katie finally stirred a little before six, I took her through her morning routine on my own, letting her nod off against my shoulder for a little while before she really woke up. It was nice just to have the company as I started getting everything ready for brunch in a few hours. I fed Katie before we finally settled on the couch, content just to be in each other's presence. It's been nice.

"Dada," she answers, her legs buckling as she bounces against me.

"Okay. We'll get Daddy out of bed," I answer, but she reaches over my shoulder.

"Dada!"

I turn and see Chandler standing in the doorway to our bedroom, his phone in front of him as he captures this moment. He grins at us, the smile nearly splitting his face. "Good morning, loves of my life. Merry Christmas!"

"Kee-bah," Katie answers, one of her hands grabbing at my pajama top as she stretches her fingers out to her father.

"Did she just say 'Christmas'?" Chandler asks as he walks over to us, tossing his phone on the coffee table.

"Sounds like it to me," I confirm, tugging at his arm as he bends down. "Good morning." Our lips meet for a few moments, and even though I know it's just because I'm excited about everything, I swear I can feel magic flitting between us. "Coffee's ready."

"Excellent. I knew I moved you in here for a reason." He kisses Katie's forehead, squatting down next to us when Katie wraps her arms around his neck so he can give her a big hug. "Merry Christmas, sweetie pie. Stay with Mama for a few minutes, okay? Dada will be right back." He gives her another kiss before settling her on me again. She watches him go but doesn't seem concerned with his momentary absence. I grab his phone off the table and pull up the gallery, seeing that he managed to take a bunch of pictures of me and Katie bonding on the couch. He's slick, that one.

Katie points at the phone, her sticky little fingers leaving marks on the screen. "Mama bah!"

"Good girl, honey. That's Mama," I answer, giving her a little squeeze.

"How long have you been up?" Chandler asks while yawning.

"You don't want to know," I answer as his sleepy face appears before me again. He puts his coffee mug down and I scoot forward a little so he can sit behind me, settling into the vee of his legs.

"When I woke up around five-thirty, you were gone, but I thought you were just checking on the baby. I guess you never came back to bed?"

"Couldn't," I answer, tilting my head to press a kiss to his chin.

"You're worse than a little kid, you know that?"

I shrug shamelessly. "At least I didn't wake Katie. I waited for her to get up on her own."

"Small favors," he answers as his arms wrap around my middle, encompassing Katie, too. With his chin on my shoulder he lets out a tired, happy sigh. "This is perfect," he mumbles

"Don't get too used to it," I answer quietly. "This place will be full up before you know it."

He kisses my cheek, nuzzling his nose against my face for a few moments. "We must be crazy."

"Possibly, but it'll be fun for Katie." Not surprisingly, when Katie was a few months old last Christmas, Chandler's parents and friends flocked to him to help him celebrate the holiday. Even less surprising was that they wanted to do it again this year. Then Ross and Rachel heard Joey and Phoebe talking about it, so they wanted to come. Not long after that, Ross told my parents about it, and seeing as how they have a new grandchild to spoil, they wanted to join us, too. Somehow, we're going to have to fit both of Chandler's parents, my parents, Joey, Phoebe, Mike, Rachel, Ross, and my nephew Ben, not to mention the gifts they're all planning to bring, in this apartment in a few hours. We asked that they give us some time together before stampeding, requesting that they'll hold off until around eleven. They all agreed, though we knew that meant they'd be here by ten at the absolute latest.

Still, it gives us a couple of hours together, and it'll have to do.

Truthfully, though, the idea of having a big, family Christmas gathering thrills me.

It wasn't surprising that my mother immediately accepted the idea of me being Katie's mom—that's essentially what she's done since the moment I introduced them. My father wasn't a hard sell, either, seeing how enamored he was with Katie the night of their anniversary and he immediately started referring to her as his little peanut. Chandler's parents took a little more convincing, though. At least I'd already made a good deal of headway with Nora before all this came up. It's not unusual to find her looking at me speculatively, always waiting for the other shoe to drop, but I still don't blame her for that. She's been even more wary since we told her about running into Corinne a few months ago. Honestly, we've all been waiting for fallout from that, though nothing's happened yet. Still, it doesn't stop his parents from constantly wondering about me and my intentions. At least I have his—well, our—friends on my side to verify that I'm nothing like that woman.

In spite of all that, though, we're all getting together for Christmas. It'll be the first time our parents have met each other, and we're hoping that the holiday spirit will make the entire experience happy and joyful.

Chandler grabs his phone out of Katie's hands, ignoring her squawk of indignation. I pull her up against my chest and assume the position, already knowing what he's after. He holds the phone out in front of us and I feel a smile spread across my lips. He kisses my cheek as he takes the picture, but captures a few more with the group of us, even Katie grinning goofily for the camera. She doesn't smile on command yet, but seeing us do it usually makes her smile. It's nice having a generally happy kid.

"Look, Katie," I say as I grab the phone from Chandler. "Which is your favorite?" I scroll through the pictures slowly, letting her take a good look at all of them. I don't really expect her to answer, but I like to give her a chance to think about it anyway.

"Bah!" she exclaims, one of her fingers landing on the screen again. She claps her hands merrily. "Bah!"

"What is it, Katie?" Chandler asks, tickling her side. "What's 'bah'?"

"Mamadadabah!" she crows, looking very pleased with herself.

"That's right, sweetheart," he says, looking at her proudly. "That's Mama, that's Dada, and that's the baby. That's you, Katie."

"Kay!"

"Closer," I answer, grabbing her sides and giving her a little wiggle. I turn my head so I can see Chandler's profile, pressing my forehead against his temple. "But I think her majesty has spoken. That's the picture she likes."

"Then that's the one that's Facebook-worthy," he answers, uploading it within moments. I watch as it shows up, three happy faces smiling back at me, and I'm suddenly overcome with emotion. Warm tears spill down my cheeks, and Chandler notices before I can wipe them away. "What's wrong?"

I shake my head, sniffling. "Nothing." I look at him, laughing a little at his dubious look. "Really; nothing. I'm just so happy." My breathing hitches and I pull Katie against my chest. "I'm so happy," I repeat softly.

Chandler's arms tighten around me. "Mama's silly, isn't she, Katie-did? Crying over being happy like that." He presses a kiss to the side of my head, his breath soft against my cheek. "It's a good thing we love Mama just the way she is."

I let out a watery laugh, kissing the top of Katie's head as I try to compose myself. "I'm all right. This is just the best Hanukkah and Christmas present I ever could have received."

"What's that?"

"Just sitting here with the two of you, the tree in front of us, our families on their way over. I know life isn't perfect, but this moment sure as hell is."

He's quiet for a few moments, holding me as I compose myself. Katie has his phone in her hands again, the corner of it occasionally in her mouth. "Well, if Mama's weepy now, Katie, wait until she sees all the stuff you got her."

"Oh, honey, you didn't. I told you that I didn't need anything and I meant it."

"Hey, don't look at me," he answers innocently, holding up his hands. "It was Katie. You know how crazy she gets when she goes shopping. She logs into Amazon and it's all over."

I look down at Katie, and she turns her head to me, phone still in her mouth. "Can you believe the nerve of Daddy, putting the blame on you?" She grins at me, drool dribbling down her chin and I sigh, shaking my head. "You know, you lose a lot of credibility when you do things like that." The phone drops out of her hands and she laughs, slapping at my legs. "Your daughter," I tell Chandler, my eyebrow quirked.

He shrugs casually. "Hate to break it to you, babe," he says, leaning in to kiss my cheek before unraveling himself from me to stand. "But she's your daughter, too. C'mere, Katie-did." Katie holds out her arms for him and he swings her through the air before they settle on the floor in front of the tree. "Let's find a present for Mama."

I dab at my face for a few moments before I slide down to the floor and join them. It seems silly to refuse.

*A/N…so, holy moly, guys—I've gotten a whole bunch of new followers lately, and that's bad ass. You people are amazing.

Isa—you didn't miss an anniversary. I keep meaning to go back and check and see where the reference is to them being together for a year, but I'll fix it at some point. Suffice it to say, I'm probably on crack and got my fake timeline wrong.

I also saw that you weren't expecting a resolution so quickly, and I can understand why. A lot of TV shows and fanfic writers draw out fights and misunderstandings for ages, making people wondering when it'll all be resolved, but…that's just not my style. I mean, it's a valid method, and sometimes it works great, but some fall back on that trope time and time again, making our beloved characters be at odds and keeping us on the edge of our seats for days and weeks on end. I don't know—seems kinda cheap to me, and a way to say that they don't know how to do anything but keep people unhappy, or how to write characters together.

But that's just me. At any rate, I don't like to drag out the drama. It's not exciting to me. Writing fighting for the sake of fighting…not interesting. Again, though, that's just me.

Anyway, I don't know if any of you guys have listened to/seen Hamilton, but there's this song called Non-Stop, and it has a couple of awesome lyrics that I can relate to: How do you write like you're running out of time? Write day and night like you're running out of time. How do you write like tomorrow won't arrive? How do you write like you need it to survive? How do you write every second you're alive? I'm trying like hell to get back to that, or at least a part of it. I mean, I don't think I'll ever be at the 51 of the 85 Federalist Papers in six months level, but I need something. I need to finish this story. I just reread the last of it, and I'm not gonna lie—it's actually moving in places. I want you guys to be able to read it, but I want there to be a resolution, too. Keep your fingers crossed!