Christmas in July

Mac is sleeping softly with a smile gracing her beautiful face. She can feel someone trying to shake her from her slumber, but she really doesn't want to leave the exquisite dream she is having. It doesn't take long before a voice accompanies the movement, "Mommy, wake up."

She is instantly awake at the sound of "mom." Prior to her marriage, she suffered from terrible insomnia, but once her and Harm started sharing a bed together, she had no trouble falling into a peaceful sleep and staying there for most of the night. Her mind settled having his physical presence beside her. A few times she had even slept so deeply that only him uttering the phrase "Snap to, Marine," would cause her to awaken. Since she had a child, the sound of her voice had the same effect. It didn't matter if those sounds were in pain, need, comfort, or a whisper, she was inherently aware that her daughter needed her.

She opens her eyes to find her daughter dressed in a green and red costume. She chuckles as she knits her brow, "Trisha, why are you dressed like an elf?"

Trisha smiles, "Daddy said it's Christmas in July, so I dressed for Christmas. I'm Santa's helper." She grabs Mac's hand and pulls, "Come to the kitchen, quick! Daddy has a surprise."

Mac takes her daughter's hand and heads down to the kitchen to find her husband flipping pancakes on the electric griddle dressed in a pair of jeans, a red sweatshirt, and a Santa hat. These pancakes aren't just your normal everyday run of the mill pancakes. He has round ones that have red food coloring mixed in to resemble wreaths, and tree shaped flapjacks that must have been doused with the green dye. She wraps her arms around his waist, and looks up at him with merriment in her eyes, "What on earth are you doing Harm, or should I say Santa?"

Harm leans down and gives her a chaste kiss, "We've all been a little blue around here lately, so I decided that we needed a little Christmas to help cheer us up."

Mac whispers so that Trisha doesn't overhear, "Does that mean we get presents too?"

Harm frowns, "I really didn't think about that part. So, no…sorry. But we could always make cookies later."

Mac chides, "We could use some hot chocolate with whipped cream too."

Harm shakes his head, "Marine, it is 98° outside with 100% humidity. It is way too stuffy for hot chocolate."

Mac shrugs her shoulders, "Make frozen hot chocolate."

Harm gives her his flyboy smile, "Now that I can do! Brilliant idea, Mac! Why didn't I think of that?" He pulls the last of the pancakes off the griddle and places them on the plate. "Would you mind grabbing the whipped cream and sprinkles for the pancakes?"

Mac raises her brow, "You are willing going to let Trisha have all that sugar? She will be bouncing off the walls."

Harm laughs, "It will be fine. We'll just hop in the pool for a little while to wear her out a little."

Mac states, "Uh Flyboy, I think it's a bit cold for swimming at Christmas."

Harm argues, "That depends on where you are in the world. It's still hot in Florida on Christmas, and even though it feels like hell has frozen over in Iceland at Christmas they have hot springs."

Mac relents, "True. I didn't think about that." She walks over to the table with the plate, whipped cream, and sprinkles and tells Trisha, "Come on sweetie, let's decorate the pancakes while dad makes the hot chocolate."

Trisha's eyes go wide, "We get to decorate them too? Just like cookies?"

Mac reaches over and tickles her daughter, her enthusiasm is infectious, "Yes we do. Hurry, before they get cold."

While Mac and Trisha get the needed toppings on their flapjacks, Harm has pulled out ice, milk, and hot chocolate mix and thrown all the ingredients into the blender. He grabs three glasses, and pours the smooth liquid into them, dipping his finger in his own glass to make sure that it is perfect. Satisfied, he tops each glass with whipped cream, chocolate syrup, adds a couple of chocolate chips and places a straw in them. He walks the glasses over to the ladies and places them on the table in front of them.

Mac takes a sip of hers, "This is pretty darn good Sailor, where did you get such a great recipe for frozen hot chocolate?

Harm laughs, "I did grow up in Southern California, Mac. We needed chilled varieties of most drinks, and mom taught me how to do most of them." He notices then that she has a whipped cream moustache, and instead of pointing it out to her, he leans over and runs his tongue along the upper edge of her top lip.

Before they can get lost in each other, Trisha interrupts, "Dad, you forgot the syrup!"

Mac whimpers a little when Harm pulls his lips away from hers to reply to his daughter animatedly, "I did? You have whipped cream and sprinkles and you think we need syrup too?"

Trisha vigorously nods her head as Mac answers, "Most definitely! Bring the raspberry one."

Harm brings back the requested item and watches his two favorite people in the world smother their pancakes and dig in. He grabs a couple of plain ones for himself as well. After they are finished eating, Mac tells him, "Thanks Harm, this was a fantastic idea."

Harm softly replies, "You're welcome. Every once in awhile we all need a little Christmas." He leans over and whispers in her ear teasing, "Since I put all this together, I wouldn't be opposed to receiving a present myself as a thank you sometime later."

Mac pushes him away with her hands, "You're bad!" However, the gleam in her eye tells a different story than her words. It will definitely be a Christmas night to remember.