Disclaimer: I don't own any of it.
Christmas Day
"Mommy, Daddy, wake up." Gabriel and Grace Fitzgerald yelled as they jumped up and down on their parents' bed.
"What time is it?" Martin asked sleepily.
"Five thirty," Sam replied.
"Oh kids can't you wait a bit?"
"No, we want to go now!"
"Okay, I suppose this is an improvement on last year's 4am. Go get your dressing gowns and slippers on." Martin said and the children ran off into their rooms.
"Merry Christmas Marty." Sam said as she leant over to kiss her husband.
"Merry Christmas," he replied, " and merry Christmas to you too" as he kissed her swollen stomach.
The next few hours were spend ripping paper off presents, deciphering extremely complicated instructions and trying prevent baby Izzy from munching on every piece of wrapping paper within reach. At about 9 o'clock Martin decided it was time to make the children presentable so he took them upstairs to bath and dress them.
Samantha took advantage of this time to have some peace and quiet as she knew she wouldn't get a chance later. She pulled on a pair of boots and wrapped herself up in Martin's jacket and went to stand on the porch. Normally, the street was bustling with children and families but today it was silent and the ground was covered in a fresh crisp layer of snow.
It wasn't totally silent as Sam could hear the kids' laughter and Martin's voice from the upstairs bathroom. The kids were a handful but Sam didn't regret having any of them, it was only recently that she had realised what a joy they were. Up until Isabelle was born, 18 months ago, Sam had been working full-time but had decided when she was born to take a break from work to try life as a stay-at-time mom. And, although she didn't like to admit it as she always believed herself to be a career woman, but she loved being at home with the kids and she realised how much of Gabriel's and Grace's babyhoods' she had missed.
But she couldn't have done it without Martin, he was a wonderful father. After Grace's birth he had transferred from the field into an office job. Although he didn't enjoy this as much as his previous job he was home every night by 6pm, in time for bedtime stories, and he had every weekend off, he hadn't yet missed one of Gabriel's little league games or Grace's ballet shows. For him being a good father was more important to him that working in the field.
"Sam, have you seen Grace's party dress?" Martin's raised voice shattered Sam's thoughts. She turned away from the picturesque scene in the street and went back into the house.