There would be no sleeping in on Christmas morning that year – between Aurora's midnight feeding and Clara's eagerness to open presents, Lucy got almost no sleep that night. Emily promised she'd get up with Clara and try to contain her excitement for a few hours so Lucy could get a little more rest...but Aurora had other ideas, refusing to go back down after her five AM feeding.
So, when Emily and Clara got up, it was to find Lucy moving through the kitchen with Aurora strapped to her chest as she made breakfast. "Good morning, ladies," she greeted with a soft smile.
"What are you doing up?" Emily asked, crossing the room to kiss her. "I thought you were going to try to sleep in..."
"This little troublemaker had other ideas," she with a shrug. "So, we got up and made cinnamon rolls."
Emily laughed softly. "Well, I'm certainly not going to complain about home-baked cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning." She turned to Clara, lifting her in her arms. "What do you think, sweet pea? Do you want a cinnamon roll for breakfast?"
Clara's eyes lit up.
"'Ec'n!" Clara squealed with glee when Declan emerged into the flat. She scrambled off her chair and scurried to embrace him with fingers still sticky from her cinnamon roll. They hadn't told her that her 'big bruva' was going to visit, wanting it to be a surprise for the little girl who so obviously adored him.
"Hey, munchkin," he greeted, squeezing her tight. "Merry Christmas!"
Clara gripped his hand, tugging him into the living room where the pile of gifts waited. She grinned toothily up at him and informed him, "Santa!"
"Merry Christmas, Dec," Emily greeted, carrying Aurora into the living room, followed by Lucy. "Did you have a good time on your trip to Austria with Tom?"
He nodded. "I wish I was here to meet my sister – I mean, Aurora, though," he said softly. A beat. "Well, I guess she's not really my sister..."
"She's just as much your sister as Clara is," Emily assured him. "She's going to grow up knowing you're her big brother."
He nodded slowly, attempted a smile that didn't quiet reach his eyes. He turned to watch as Clara tore wrapping paper off boxes indiscriminately so he wouldn't have to meet anyone's gaze.
"What's wrong?" Lucy asked gently; she didn't need to see his face to know that there was something bigger on his mind.
Declan chewed his lip for a few moments, then admitted, "I just feel like I'm missing out on so much while I'm at school or with Tom." He glanced over at Clara who was brandishing a Barbie like a sword. "The last time I saw her, she was barely talking and now she's got entire sentences in her vocabulary. And I missed her birthday..."
Emily smiled softly. "You're such a sweetheart, Declan," she murmured, "But you're a teenager, no one expects you to be here all the time."
Quietly, he said, "But I want to be..." At their raised brows, he explained, "I want to be the big brother who's always there whenever his sisters need anything. When they're angry at you guys or have a crummy boyfriend or need advice about college. I want to be there for all of it."
"Oh, Dec..." Emily murmured, smile watery. "We want you to be involved in their lives too."
A moment passed while he seemed to work up the courage to ask the next question. "Do you think... I mean, could you maybe... Would you guys let me move in with you?"
Lucy and Emily shared a silent conversation for a few moments, then Lucy said, "We'll have to have a conversation with Tom, since he's your legal guardian, but we'd love to have you stay here."
"Really?"
Emily wrapped him in a fond embrace. "I'm so glad I met you, Dec. You're the best young man I know and I'm honoured to call you family."
He smiled, but was trying not to show it.
Clara had apparently used up all her patience when it came to not being the centre of attention, because she proceeded to holler, "MAMA!"
Lucy laughed. "Yes, little bug?" She launched herself at Lucy and asked something in a too-loud whisper. Lucy just rolled her eyes. "You absolutely cannot have another cinnamon roll, you're way too hyper already."
Eventually the sugar and excitement wore off and Clara dropped off to sleep shortly after noon. Declan had followed shortly after, apparently worn out by Clara's insistence that he play dolls with her. With both girls and Declan napping, Emily and Lucy were able to indulge in their Christmas tradition.
"Did you ever think we'd be here?" Emily murmured against the skin of Lucy's shoulder as they lay cuddled up on the couch watching Nutcracker and the Four Realms.
"I knew we would," she insisted in a whisper, eyes never leaving the TV screen.
Emily laughed softly. "Oh, really?" she asked, a teasing note in her voice.
"Yep."
With a gentle prod at her ribs where she was ticklish, Emily asked, "What made you so certain?"
She shrugged, shoulder bumping into Emily's chin. "I met this pretty girl one December evening and knew that if I didn't wife her up real quick, someone else would.
Emily gave a snort of laughter.
"What?" Lucy defended. "You've seen you, right? You're gorgeous and smart and funny..." Then, huskier, she added, "And you're a really good fuck..."
"You're going to get yourself in trouble..." Emily warned.
She just smirked. "It wouldn't be the first time we missed most of the movie because we were otherwise occupied."
She had to admit that was true, however probably not the best idea just then. "Much as I love the way you think, I don't think it's all that advisable if we don't want to scar Declan for life." A few moments of quiet passed as they settled back to watch the movie. Then, because she couldn't resist asking, "Did you really know that quickly that you wanted to marry me?"
"From the moment I laid eyes on you."