Last story for Christmas. Hope you like it. I do not own any of the characters.
"How many cookies do you think Santa will eat?" Rafael asked his mother as he leaned over the island in the kitchen. He had to stand on a step stool to reach.
"I don't know. 3 or 4." Circe said as she put icing on the cookies.
"Will he eat the cookies from the other houses he visits too?" Rafael asked again.
"I suppose so." Circe answered.
"No wonder he's so fat." Rafael observed.
Circe choked back the laughter. "Could be that." She said.
"Maybe we should leave him just one cookie. " Rafael said.
"And what will we do with the others?" Circe asked with a twinkle in her eye.
"I can eat them." Rafael announced. "Then Santa won't get so fat."
"I think we should still leave Santa a few cookies." Circe replied. "But you can have one now." She handed him a Christmas tree shaped one.
"Ok." He hopped off the stool and went into the living room to enjoy his cookie. Before he stepped out of the kitchen, however, he seemed to remember something. "Can I have one for Violeta too?"
"Sure, baby." Circe handed him a Santa shaped one.
"Thank you." Rafael skipped away.
Circe smiled fondly at her son before turning around to get more frosting. Suddenly, her women's intuition kicked in.
" Rex! Don't you dare touch those!" She snapped.
"But they smell so good." Rex complained as he tried to snatch one off the plate.
"They're for Santa." Circe slapped his hand away.
"I am Santa!" He pointed out.
"Not until tonight you're not." Circe said firmly pushing him out of the kitchen. "So until then… no hay galletas." She shoved him out.
Did she just deny him cookies… in Spanish no less? Rex narrowed his eyes. Oh it was on. He will have his cookies.
0o0
Meanwhile Rex hovered by the kitchen entrance waiting for his chance. Then he saw Circe stepped out of the kitchen into the backyard. Now was his chance. He crept back into the kitchen. He eyed the yummy treats on the table. He reached out his hand and… he was knocked back by a firm blast. It didn't hurt but it was strong enough to knock him on his butt.
"Rex, they're for Santa!" Circe admonished.
Rex 0 Circe 1
Rex watched Circe pack the cookies away but she shoved him out of the kitchen before he could see where she hid them. He waited for her to leave. She had to at some point. She still needed to finish wrapping the presents.
Finally, for what felt like an eternity, she left the kitchen. Rex pretended to read the paper but secretly he had made a pinhole so he can see her leave and walk up the stairs.
"Don't touch those cookies!" She warned him before she disappeared at the top of the staircase.
"Hmph," he grunted.
When he heard their door slam, the paper fell to the floor and he was in the kitchen.
Where would she hide them? Someplace he wouldn't look. He checked the dishwasher. No, it wasn't there. Under the kitchen sink? Not there either. How about the cabinets? He opened the one over the stove. Hundreds of marbles poured from the opening. Rex quickly tried to slam the door shut but the damage had been done. The marbles clattered noisily on the tile floor. They rolled everywhere. Some got under his foot. He slipped and fell. When he looked up, Circe was glaring at him with her arms folded.
"I was looking for a…," Rex thought quickly, "pan… to make some eggs."
"The pans are in the cabinets under the island." Circe said not amused.
"Well, now you tell me." Rex said.
Circe shook her head. "Stay out of the kitchen, Rex!"
Rex 0 Circe 2
Circe had gone back to wrapping presents. Rex paced the living room. She told him to stay out of the kitchen but she hadn't told the kids to stay out. He quietly went upstairs. He knocked on Violeta's room. "Sweetie, are you there?"
"Yeah dad?" She shouted.
Rex hurriedly opened the door and put a finger to his lips.
"Not so loud. I have a secret mission for you." He said in a low tone.
"Mom, says I can't help you get the cookies from the kitchen." Violeta replied.
"What… me? No, no I don't want you to get me the cookies… I just want you to find out where they are. You know for curiosity sake." Rex explained.
"Nice try, dad. But mom said the cookies are for Santa." Violeta turned back to whatever she was doing.
Rex gritted his teeth.
Rex 0 Circe 3
Luckily, he had two children. He went to Rafael's room. He knocked on his door and tried to open it. The door was locked.
"Who is it?" Raffy said in a sing song voice.
"Raffy, it's me." Rex said in a whisper.
"Me who?" Rafael asked again in the same voice.
"Rafael Knight Salazar, open the door!" Rex snapped in hushed tones. He heard a sigh and the patter of feet to the door. He heard the lock click and the door opened a fraction of a second.
"Oh, it's you. Whatcha want, dad?" Rafael said through the crack.
Rex pushed his way in. "Listen Raffy, I have a secret mission for you."
Rafael's eyes lit up. "Secret?" He asked.
"Yes, very secret. You can't tell anyone." Rex said.
"Not even God?" He wrinkled his brow.
"Ah, uh, well, never mind, just listen. I want you to go into the kitchen and find out where mommy hid the cookies." Rex told his son.
"Why?" He asked.
"Because I want to know."
"Why do you want to know?"
"I need to make sure they are there for Santa."
"Why wouldn't they be there?" Rafael asked. Then his eyes opened wide. "Do you think the Grinch stole them?"
"Uh, yeah… the Grinch might have stolen them. I just want to make sure they are safe." Rex was stretching it. But Rafael seemed to buy it.
"Ok, I'll go look."
"That's my boy." Rex said proudly.
They both snuck down to the kitchen.
"Shouldn't we tell mommy, too?" Rafael paused at the entrance of the kitchen.
"Uh, no. Mommy's very busy right now. Now go see where those cookies are."
Rafael walked into the kitchen. Rex winced as he heard slamming of cabinets and the clanking of pots and pans.
"Raffy, keep it down!" Rex said in a whisper.
"What? I can't hear you." Rafael said loudly from inside the kitchen.
"I said keep it down!" Rex said with a little more volume.
"Where's the clown?" Rafael asked.
"I said KEEP IT DOWN!" Rex fairly shouted.
Someone behind him cleared her throat.
Rex sheepishly turned around. Circe had her arms crossed and she was tapping her foot impatiently.
"Hi, honey."
Rex 0 Circe 4
Circe sighed. "Okay, Rex. Maybe I was wrong to not to give you any cookie but really using your children? Lying to Rafael? That's low."
Rex hung his head a little.
"Here," she tossed him something.
Rex caught it and looked at it in surprise.
"You're giving me a cookie? Doesn't that reinforce negative behavior?" Rex asked with a frown.
"When did you become Freud?" Circe asked. "Look, I may have been a little harsh. I know you have issues with impulse control."
"Now who's Freud?" Rex smirked.
"Yeah, yeah. Anyway, you can have one cookie and the rest is for Santa… tonight." Circe emphasized the last part. She turned around to go but hear a clank of the plate.
She turned around. She couldn't believe it.
Rex had put the cookie back on the plate. "You know? You're right. These are for Santa and I know he can wait for tonight."
Circe looked at him in surprise but was slowly replaced by a smile. "What do you know? You do learn."
"Only because I have such a good teacher." He smirked. "Merry Christmas."
Circe wrapped her arm around Rex's neck. "Merry Christmas, Rex."
They kissed.
"Ewww, not in the kitchen." Violeta gagged.
"Merry Christmas to you too, sweetie." Rex said to Violeta while looking into Circe's eyes. Circe smiled and kissed him again.
"Ugh, I'm going back to my room. Call me when the mushy stuff is over." Violeta stomped back to her room.
"Well, she's going to be there for a long time." Rex smirked.
Circe laughed as Rex bent over for another kiss.
True story. For the longest time I thought Santa was Asian because one Christmas while we were at my uncle's apartment, he showed up. I sat on his knee, he gave me presents, talked to me, and gave me a hug. I found out years later, long after I knew there was no Santa that it was my dad. Now for some of you that would not be a big surprise but it was for me. My dad is not the most expressive individual. Hugging him was like hugging a fire hydrant, stiff and unpleasant. But that one night he was different, he was Santa, the embodiment of joy, love, happiness, and generosity. And he went out of his comfort zone for me and my sister. I'll always love him for that.
So I wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. And if you don't celebrate, I still wish you the joy and the peace of the season. See you next year.