37. Merry Christmas Matilda

Tilde was awake and ready to go by 0530. Lil was stumbling to the coffee pot, wishing she had a tenth of her daughter's energy. They had enough time to brush their hair and teeth before Ella was kindly knocking on the door with their breakfast delivery. She dropped off enough for the girls and their four visitors before heading to five to deliver the rest. Christmas morning would start with whole-wheat peppermint pancakes, turkey bacon, and fresh fruit. Yum! Cal, Tank, Hector, and Ranger arrived only minutes later, looking like they had been up for hours already. Men. "Merry Christmas Peanut!" Cal was so happy to be spending the holidays with his girls, this was their first Christmas together. Hugs and kisses were exchanged before they sat down to their delicious breakfast. Lil was trying to inhale every last atom of caffeinated goodness from her cup. Ranger was having a hard time keeping his eyes off her pajamas. How she made something so basic look so incredibly sexy was a mystery.

Before leaving for their shifts, the men had the pleasure of watching Tilde open her gifts from Lil. She tore into her packages with reckless abandon, taking a little time in between each to admire them. When she was finished, her new treasures included the complete Amelia Bedelia book series, a jumbo farm counter set, a bucket of tangram shapes, a preschool science lab set, a wooden dollhouse, and a puzzle globe. Tilde was beside herself, it was quite the haul. Lil was happy that she liked everything. Ranger made a point to tell Lil that they would need their winter coats that afternoon, which really peaked her interest. Cal and the men left shortly before 0700, allowing Lil to work on the day's cooking while Tilde enjoyed her new toys. Lunch was to be ready in the conference room by 1200, which meant Lil had five hours to prepare not only that meal, but her half of the dinner offerings. Somewhere in there the girls would also squeeze in a bath and getting dressed for the day…

Things were happening on schedule, which suited Lil just fine. She was steadfastly marking food items off of her lengthy list. The Rangeman Christmas dinner was proving to be as challenging as Lil had expected, which was why she decided to keep lunch as easy as possible. She had planned and prepared a slightly different take on the 'build your own wrap' bar. Instead of basic cold cuts, she had made various spreads and salads to fill their flavored tortillas. The men would have the option of chicken, ham, shrimp, and egg salads, along with plenty of veggies. Fresh fruit and baked chips on the side filled out the platters. If anyone wanted dessert, there were plenty of Christmas cookies floating around the building. The girls dressed shortly before noon. Tilde was wearing her new red, plaid Christmas dress with black velvet trim. With her luscious curls and patent leather shoes, she looked like a midget Hollyywood star. Lil had donned another vintage inspired dress, in cherry red. It was A-line with a fuller skirt that hit at the knee. The cap sleeves set the sweetheart neckline off romantically. Her look was completed with a knotted bun at the nape of her neck and a crystal hairpin. Three inch nude Louboutin's were the icing on the cake. Magnus was even joining in, as Tilde had convinced the patient pup to wear moose antlers. Lil grabbed their pea coats and scarves before calling down to the control room for help with the lunch carts.

Ranger and Tank watched from the monitors as the girls and the food made their way down to one. He was transfixed by Lil, from head to toe. Tank let out a low whistle next to him. It didn't take long for the others to start filtering in, the Rangemen could sniff out food from miles away. Ranger was desperately ready for his shift to be over. He was excited about giving Lil and Tilde their gifts. He was excited about spending the day with them. Shit, for the first time in a long time, he was excited about Christmas. Everyone who was not working started to eat. Lester was making a fuss over the gifts under the tree. The men had been shocked to find that 'Santa' had left them presents overnight. The personalized wrapping paper was a big hit too. Lil had to burst their bubble when she said they wouldn't exchange presents until later. Lester gave her a 'but Mom!', which made Tilde giggle. The only exceptions were Bobby, Manny, Zip, and Ram. They would get their gifts after lunch since they had to take over shifts at three.

Tilde helped Lil bring plates of food up to Tank and Ranger when Cal and Hector stopped by to eat. Just like Thanksgiving, they came and left quietly, offering a smile and a quick hug. If Ranger thought she looked gorgeous on the monitors, she was even more devastating in person. She was beyond breathtaking. After a successful and yummy lunch, Lil pulled the four men aside to receive their gifts and cards. She was surprised to see they were each holding gift bags. Manny opened his first, a delicately carved wooden box with St. Michael's prayer on the front. Inside was a bottle of Chanel Bleu, his favorite cologne. Zip received a personalized leather flask with his initials and a bottle of 18yr Macallan, his favorite Scotch. Ram opened his box to find a personalized leather holster and an antique gun cleaning kit. Lastly, Bobby opened his gift, a vintage leather and suede medic bag with "Doc Brown" embroidered on the front. The men were speechless. No one had ever given them anything so unique, so personal to them as individuals. They handed their gift bags over to Tilde, one by one. The little peanut was jumping up and down with pure joy. She received a stuffed Dory, a Simba, a Sulley, and a Stitch. Lil was sensing a theme. If her guess was correct, there was going to be a lot less room on Tilde's bed tonight. Oh Boy. The four men told Lil the Rangemen had chipped in on one gift for her, but she couldn't have it until tonight. Darn.

The girls hung out with the Rangemen as they came and went through the conference room. Tilde was happy to sit under the Christmas tree and play with her new stuffies. When 1500 drew near, Lil convinced her to leave her new friends there so they could go see Carlos and open his gift. They rode the elevator to five where Ranger was waiting for them with a brilliant smile. Tilde ran into his arms, her dress flying behind her. "Feliz Navidad Querida! Are you having a good day?" She giggled and kissed his cheek, "Yes! I have new stuffy friends!" She excitedly told him all about her gifts from the guys. Bless her heart, she didn't realize there were still many Rangemen left with presents of their own. Ranger was laughing at her happy rambling. He offered Lil a smile, "You're looking lovely again Dulce." She rolled her eyes, trying not to blush. It didn't work. Ranger swung Tilde in the air, "Are you ready to open the gift I got you?" Tilde's eyes grew three sizes and she nodded. "OK Princesa, we need our coats, your gift is on the roof." Lil raised her eyebrows as she handed over Tilde's outerwear. The roof?

The trio rode the elevator to the seventh floor where they then headed to the stairwell. Taking the stairs to the roof door, Ranger stopped and looked at the little girl in his arms. "OK Querida, when we open this door, you'll see your gift. But, before we go any further, I want you to promise me you won't try to come up here without mommy, Ella, or one of the guys." Tilde's eyes were still the size of saucers. She nodded her head with serious intention, "Si, I promise Carlos." He gave her a squeeze, "Good girl. Merry Christmas Matilda!" Ranger opened the door letting in a draft of cool air. They took the last step onto the roof and entered a magical playground fit for royalty.

It was hard to say who was more shocked. They stood, rooted in place, taking it all in. Ranger had literally turned the rooftop of Rangeman into an indoor play area. Bullet-proof glass walls rose from the three-foot high concrete parapet around the perimeter, meeting at a rooftop that was half glass, half steel and canvas pergola. They were completely enclosed while still feeling like they were outside. Faux turf had been placed on the floor with separate areas that were filled in with soft synthetic mulch. One side of the roof held a cedar gazebo that resembled a castle. Next to it sat a wooden replica of Cinderella's carriage, it was the size of a Honda Civic. The other side of the roof offered seating areas with tables, in adult and child sizes. The furniture was in a mushroom and fairy theme. Behind the dining area was a small outdoor kitchen with sink, refrigerator, and grill. In the center of the enclosure sat a giant play house with swing set and slide. The structure was an exact replica of Carl's house from Up, complete with multi-colored balloons on top. A see-saw and flower bed sat in the houses 'front lawn'. Both girls had tears in their eyes. It was awe inspiring. Tilde looked to Lil, not sure if she was imagining the wonders in front of her. Lil gave her a smile and a nod. The little girl wrapped her arms around Ranger and squeezed with all her little might. "Thank you. I love it." Her little munchkin voice quivered. Ranger sat her down on the ground with a grin, "Go explore Querida." Tilde was off like greased lightening, her squeal echoed through the vast space.

Lil still hadn't spoken, she didn't know what to say. How do you even begin to thank someone for doing something so special for your child? Ranger was starting to get nervous watching the tears fall from Lil's eyes. He stepped in front of her, "Are you upset Dulce?" She gave him a watery smile and shook her head. "I know it's a lot, but I wanted Tilde to have her own outdoor space. I listened when you said you wished she could be outdoors more often." Lil nodded, remembering their night of honest conversation. "She will be completely safe up here. The glass is bullet-proof, the steel is reinforced. The cameras feed straight to the control room. The walls and roof create enough insulation to keep it from being too cold, and we can put fans in during the hot months so she can play whenever she wants. I included the kitchen so we could all enjoy time up here, maybe have some dinners or parties. That door off behind the kitchen is a small half bath. I didn't want her to have to leave the roof when she needed to use the restroom." Lil remained silent, she just... couldn't.

Finally realizing that he was becoming uneasy, she took his hand and squeezed it gently, "Thank you Carlos, this is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for us." Ranger wiped at her tears, "Oh Dulce, your gift is still waiting downstairs, this is all for Tilde." He chuckled grimly, "Though I'm pretty sure Lester and the men are going to enjoy it as much as she does..." Lil gave a snort, he was probably right. She clasped his hand in both of her own, "I know you meant this to be a gift for Matilda, but giving her something so special is also a present for me. When you treat my daughter with such kindness, I feel it too." They stood staring into each other's eyes, no longer noticing the cooler weather or the bright December sunshine. The spell was only broken when a giggling Tilde shouted, "Mommy, Carlos, let's swing!"