On Christmas morning I was woken up by an "oof," coming from Carter.
Bry had jumped on his stomach. She didn't seem at all bothered by the fact
that he was in my bed.
"Merry Christmas," she sang. "Let's open presents!"
Carter groaned. "It's 6am."
I giggled. "Welcome to my world."
Bry led us to the living room. "Look, look!" she said, pointing to the empty plate and glass. "Santa came!"
I took the stockings down and handed mine to Carter, Carter's to Bry, and I kept Bry's. The three of us sat down on the sofa. "Me first!" Bry said, thrusting her hand into Carter's stocking. She handed him a gift.
"A CD!" he exclaimed, unwrapping the present. "Thank you Santa," he said, looking right at me.
We worked our way through the stockings and then through the gifts under the tree. Bry got everything she asked for, minus the pony and the baby sister. Carter got a couple more CDs, an engraved pocket watch, and a new coat. I also got some CDs, a gorgeous hair clip, and a very tasteful, very expensive tennis bracelet.
Finally only Bry's presents for us were left. She gave Carter his first. It was a coffee mug that Bry had painted and her teacher had written "DADDY" on it in big, bold letters. I could tell from his face that he loved it.
He pulled the little girl into a hug. "It's beautiful, Bryanne," he said.
She took the last present from under the tree and gave it to me. "This one's yours, Mommy."
It was a star for the top of our tree. Bry had covered it in aluminum foil and glued beads all over it. In the middle was a picture of the three of us taken right after Carter moved back to Chicago. I could feel my eyes well up with tears.
"Oh, honey," I said. "It's perfect. I love it." I stood up and placed it on top of the tree. "I can't believe you made that, baby."
She smiled at me. "My teacher helped," she said. "But only a little."
"You know. . ." Carter said. "I think there might be one more present. . ."
He disappeared into my bedroom and returned with a fat envelope. He handed it to me. I opened it slowly.
"What is it, Mommy?" Bry asked.
"Plane tickets," I said. I looked at them more closely. "Tickets to Florida." I looked up at him, puzzled. He nodded at the envelope. I reached my hand in again. "Oh my God," I said. "Disneyworld." I was stunned. "Bry! Daddy's taking us to Disneyworld!"
Bry yelped and flung herself at Carter. He laughed. "So, I take it you want to go?"
"Yes! Are we going now?"
Carter laughed again. "No. We're going in two weeks."
"How long is that?" Bry asked, starting to pout.
"Fourteen days," I said.
"Fourteen days! That's forever." Bry stuck her bottom lip out.
Carter gently poked it back in. "It won't seem so long," he said.
"Merry Christmas," she sang. "Let's open presents!"
Carter groaned. "It's 6am."
I giggled. "Welcome to my world."
Bry led us to the living room. "Look, look!" she said, pointing to the empty plate and glass. "Santa came!"
I took the stockings down and handed mine to Carter, Carter's to Bry, and I kept Bry's. The three of us sat down on the sofa. "Me first!" Bry said, thrusting her hand into Carter's stocking. She handed him a gift.
"A CD!" he exclaimed, unwrapping the present. "Thank you Santa," he said, looking right at me.
We worked our way through the stockings and then through the gifts under the tree. Bry got everything she asked for, minus the pony and the baby sister. Carter got a couple more CDs, an engraved pocket watch, and a new coat. I also got some CDs, a gorgeous hair clip, and a very tasteful, very expensive tennis bracelet.
Finally only Bry's presents for us were left. She gave Carter his first. It was a coffee mug that Bry had painted and her teacher had written "DADDY" on it in big, bold letters. I could tell from his face that he loved it.
He pulled the little girl into a hug. "It's beautiful, Bryanne," he said.
She took the last present from under the tree and gave it to me. "This one's yours, Mommy."
It was a star for the top of our tree. Bry had covered it in aluminum foil and glued beads all over it. In the middle was a picture of the three of us taken right after Carter moved back to Chicago. I could feel my eyes well up with tears.
"Oh, honey," I said. "It's perfect. I love it." I stood up and placed it on top of the tree. "I can't believe you made that, baby."
She smiled at me. "My teacher helped," she said. "But only a little."
"You know. . ." Carter said. "I think there might be one more present. . ."
He disappeared into my bedroom and returned with a fat envelope. He handed it to me. I opened it slowly.
"What is it, Mommy?" Bry asked.
"Plane tickets," I said. I looked at them more closely. "Tickets to Florida." I looked up at him, puzzled. He nodded at the envelope. I reached my hand in again. "Oh my God," I said. "Disneyworld." I was stunned. "Bry! Daddy's taking us to Disneyworld!"
Bry yelped and flung herself at Carter. He laughed. "So, I take it you want to go?"
"Yes! Are we going now?"
Carter laughed again. "No. We're going in two weeks."
"How long is that?" Bry asked, starting to pout.
"Fourteen days," I said.
"Fourteen days! That's forever." Bry stuck her bottom lip out.
Carter gently poked it back in. "It won't seem so long," he said.