(For disclaimer, etc. - see 1.)
16. A Good Old-Fashioned Kinsella Christmas
Characters/Pairings: Wade, Earl/Jacqueline, Jesse
'Verse/Timeline: canon - pre-series
Date: December 1988
By the time Wade came tearing down the stairs to see what Santa had brought for him, Jesse was already there, having torn the bow off a brand-new shiny bike and begging to be allowed to take it outside already.
"At least wait until sun up," Momma told him gently. "I don't want you havin' an accident, especially not on Christmas morning," she insisted.
Wade barely heard what was going on, his eyes were fixed on his own gift sitting right there under the tree. He just could not stop staring at what appeared to be there. To think that he could have his very own bike too, it seemed impossible.
"Jackie, I do believe he is dumbstruck," said Daddy, crouching down to Wade's height. "You see what Santa brought for you, son?"
"For me? Honest, Daddy? For me?" asked Wade, wide-eyed and amazed.
"Yes, sir. Just for you," Daddy agreed, laughing at his son when he ran right to that bike, not even waiting to pull off the ribbon before he threw his leg over and started trying to peddle.
"Now, now, baby," said Momma, coming over to put her hands on the handlebars and stop him moving. "Not in the house. I know you're real excited, but you'll have to wait until sun up, just like your brother, and then go riding outside. I can't have you crashing around in the house, that's for sure," she told him kindly.
"My very own bike, Momma," Wade told her excitedly. "I never thought-"
"That ain't a new bike," Jesse told him sharply, almost laughing at his little brother as he said it. "Well, that's just my old, little one painted red is all."
"Ain't even so!" Wade argued, until he suddenly saw the look that Momma and Daddy were sharing. "It ain't his bike, it's mine... isn't it?" he checked uncertainly.
"Well, see, the thing of it is..." Daddy began, clearing his throat loudly, seemingly unsure how to go on.
"What Daddy's tryin' to say is, well, Jesse is right, this was his bike once," Momma explained then, "because you see, Wade, with Santa bein' so busy and all, he doesn't always have the time to make enough new toys and presents for every child. He tries, of course, but there are just so many people in the world, and some much less fortunate than we are. That's why, when you asked for a bike, well..."
"Well, good old Santa Claus, he come and asked Momma and me if we couldn't help him out a little," said Daddy, picking up where she left off. "See, he said if maybe we could let him have Jesse's old bike, he could put a little of his magic on it to make it look a little different, and pass it along to you, save on making a whole new one."
Wade looked from Momma to Daddy and back, thinking hard.
"So, this is a magic bike?" he checked.
"Of course, it ain't."
"That's right, son," said Daddy, talking all over Jesse who was quickly dispatched from the room by Momma - she seemed awful cross with him too. "What you got there is a real magical gift, son," Daddy told Wade definitely. "And that means you gotta take extra special care of it, okay?"
"I promise, Daddy," said Wade, dutifully nodding his head. "This is the best Christmas ever!" he declared happily, grinning at Daddy and Momma both.
"And that is no less than you deserve, sweetheart," Momma assured him, kissing his forehead. "Merry Christmas, Wade."