When Alice awoke, Hatter wasn't in the bed anymore. She checked the time. Whoa, it was already after seven.
The kids were up by six every morning, and she had to be in the shower by 7:30. Why had Hatter let her sleep–
Oh. Right.
He didn't know their morning routine.
She fought off a wave of sadness and got out of bed.
In the kitchen, Robert and Charlie were already at the table eating.
And she smelled… coffee.
"Hatter?" she called.
He walked up behind her. "Right, so, I know it's not a Saturday, but I thought–"
"Did you make those?" Alice blinked.
The kids were eating pancakes.
She looked back to her husband.
"I did," he confirmed. "But I did not pour you a cup of coffee, because I know that you don't like it to get cold…"
Her eyes widened. Did he mean...
He held his hands out to the side, like he was revealing a magic trick. Enormously pleased with himself.
The relief that washed over Alice was so strong, she nearly stumbled. She covered her mouth with her hand, like the good emotions were going to fall out and she needed to keep them.
Hatter's arms fell to his sides. "It's all right," he said, and she nodded.
He came to her and wrapped his arms around her, and she gripped his shirt so tight, it would leave stretch marks.
"Also, as we were discussing last week," he informed her, "I've changed my mind, and I think, yes, absolutely we should go to your mother's for Christmas Eve, because—"
The sound Alice made was mostly a laugh and only a little bit of a sob.
She kissed him thoroughly and soundly, only stopping to whisper a phrase he couldn't forget.
"I missed you."