Part 4 – I Want a Hippopotamus
The very first present Makoto remembered opening on Christmas day was a net. A butterfly net, to be exact, with a matching plastic case on a green nylon strap. It was part of a larger gift her father had gotten mostly for her mother - a trip in the spring to someplace she only remembered from the pictures.
The last one she remembered getting was a pretty little pink gem on a gold chain. It had come in a velvet box held by a teddy bear that still sat on her dresser next to Ami's little stuffed cow.
To say there had been no presents after that wouldn't be fair to the friends who loved her and made sure to remember her every Christmas since they'd met. But there hadn't been any on Christmas morning, except for the occasional one she'd buy and wrap for herself. Just so there'd be something there when she woke up at dawn, that touch of excitement always present before she remembered the reality of things.
This year though…
Click
She watched from behind the camera with amusement as Ami laid on her side in front of the tree, Miki held loosely in front of her, her cheek pressed against his as he sat there wide-eyed and stared at the plush hippo Usagi had gifted him.
"What's that?" Ami whispered to the baby, and he clapped his hands slowly a few times, babbling something that he was certain his Ami-mama would understand. "That's right!" exclaimed Ami softly. "It's a hippopotamus! You're such a smart boy!"
That made him clap his hands harder and lurch forward in an attempt to grab the thing. In all honesty, Makoto hadn't expected it to be such a big hit. When Usagi had shown her the purple plushie that was almost as big as Miki's seven-month-old self, she had thought he might be afraid of it. But now he was laughing wildly as Ami pulled it closer for him, grabbing on with his pudgy arms and immediately latching his mouth onto one of the ears.
Click
That would be a good one, Makoto thought. With the tree lit up behind them at just the right angle, and Ami in her navy snowflake shortie pjs, it was the perfect first Christmas kind of photo. Hotaru had come over earlier to help them take a few posed shots, the girl having more fun than she should trying to get Miki to look directly at her long enough to snap the pictures. Dressed in his Christmas train pajamas and set down in the middle of a puddle of string lights, he had only been just so cooperative. But it had all worked out, and they'd gotten a few very Christmasy family photos out of it, too.
That random string of Christmas lights was still sitting off to the side, lit up like all the other colorful ones decorating the tree. The foil details on the small sea of presents under the tree reflected those lights like little Christmas rainbows. Makoto laughed softly to herself. Was that thought horribly sentimental and sappy? Definitely. But it made her happy and warm and the most content she'd been in a long time. Because for the first time in a decade, she was going to get Christmas morning with her family.
Tonight, when she put her son to bed, it was going to be with the promise that he could tear into all that pretty paper with abandon at dawn. There would be three stockings hanging, each quietly filled with fruit and candy and maybe a little something special for Ami. There would be a big Christmas breakfast that they would wind up snacking on all day, with hot chocolate and marshmallows. They would sit around in their pjs, playing with Miki's new toys and taking a thousand pictures. And some of those pictures would be blurry because they moved too fast, or partially cut off, or a thumb would cover half the picture, but every one of them would be perfect. Because it was her family. Together. Celebrating and so completely loved.
She snapped another photo before going to sit on the floor across from them. She gave a playful tug to the hippo's ear, getting a playful baby growl from Miki as he tried to hug it harder. He reminded her so much of a puppy in that moment she couldn't help but laugh.
The baby imitated her, the hippo's ear falling from his mouth as his little baby pot belly jiggled with his laughter. Ami reached up and gave his auburn hair a tussle, and he fell backward against her in his attempt to look at her, for a moment confused at how his world had changed position. Then he babbled out a request, holding his arms out for one of them to pick him up.
Makoto lifted him, giving him a gentle toss before resting their foreheads together and snuggling him.
Click
Makoto settled the baby so he was standing in her lap, tightly grasping her fingers, and gave Ami a wide smile.
Click Click Click
"My turn," grinned Ami. "Otherwise all you're going to have are pictures of him with me."
With a good grip around Miki's waist, Makoto scooted around so she was in close beside Ami. She snagged the camera, offering a kiss on the cheek as payment for taking it, then squeezed them all in close. Holding the camera out as far as she could, she said, "say cheese!" right before pressing the shutter.
This was the best and most precious Christmas present Makoto could ever remember getting. She was getting to take pictures with her family. A thousand of them. And every one of them perfect.