Years earlier, when Beca was pregnant with Melody (who, Fat Amy couldn't believe had just turned six); they had attended a Christmas carols night at the local community hall. And while Beca was, as she had so eloquently put it, fat and overly pregnant, she had loved seeing the kids so excited about Santa Claus.

So Fat Amy had made it her mission to get her nieces and nephews that excited about the jolly fat man.

"Ho ho ho!" Fat Amy called, waving her bell, slinging her sack over her shoulder. She had visited all the houses she knew, and she had received all the letters.

But there was still one more house to visit.

(And Santa was allowed to be a bit biased. That house was her favourite.)

"Ho ho ho!"

"Santa!" Melody shrieked in delight, and Aubrey opened the door with a grin.

"Santa's here!"

Unlike the year before, where little Madeleine McDonald, Chloe's then eighteen month old, had shrieked and ran to her mother's arms, she stepped forward.

"Hi Santa", she whispered, her voice barely audible.

"Are you going to give Santa your letter?" Chloe coaxed, one hand on her six month pregnant belly.

Maddie leant as far as she could, dropping the letter into the bright red sack.

"Madeleine McDonald, so brave! And you're going to be a big sister in the New Year, I heard? You'll have to help your little brother or sister write their letter next year", Amy told her. She scanned the room, looking for Stacie and Ryan's little boy. "Kai Brennan! I believe you're going to be a big brother!"

The almost two year old looked unsure, and overly pregnant Stacie (who was due on the thirty first of December and was wildly uncomfortable), gently pushed him forward.

"Go and give Santa your letter", she said sweetly.

"Come on Kai", Melody said cheerfully, taking her cousin's hand.

"Is that little Melody Swanson?" she gasped. "Look how tall you're getting!"

Melody beamed (because Beca was convinced that her daughter had inherited her short stature). "Thanks, Santa!"

"Your letter was so nicely written last year I read it three times".

Melody's eyes widened and she looked at her aunt in wonder.

"Wow", she breathed.

"Where are those brothers of yours? Zac and Henry Swanson… there you are! The two that look so alike even Santa confuses you". Fat Amy chuckled (because she genuinely did have difficulty telling the Swanson twins apart. Some days it was easy, but when the three and a half year olds were feeling particularly mischievous, they made it as hard as hell).

She pointed to the little boy, a mini Jesse Swanson, wearing an orange and blue shirt. "You are most definitely Zachary".

He nodded. "I asked for a bike this year Santa!"

"I know! And Henry, I believe you've asked for a scooter?"

The little boy in green and red nodded. "And a dinosaur".

"There's one two more", Fat Amy said, scanning the room. She had seen Melody and the twins, she'd seen Kai and Maddie… but she hadn't seen Benji's little boy or Aubrey's kids.

"Luke Applebaum", she voiced, scanning the room. The newly turned one year old- only born three days before Melody- was sitting in his father's arms, his thumb firmly sitting in his mouth.

"Give Santa your letter!" Maddie said in surprise (because she had been brave, and Luke was a daredevil, crawling on carpet before a hard surface and scoring carpet burn to his baby skin).

"Say thank you to Santa?" Benji encouraged, and his wife Beth nodded enthusiastically. Luke wordlessly shoved the enveloped at his disguised aunt and Fat Amy smiled.

"Where are the Mosely kids?" she questioned, because she actually couldn't see Aubrey's kids anywhere.

Isabella (Bella) and Jacob Mosely were, for the most part, hidden behind their father Austin, as Aubrey encouraged them forward. Born only thirteen months apart, they were as close as the Swanson twins, but terribly shy.

"Come on Bella!" Henry said brightly. "Santa's gotta have your list so he knows what to bring!"

Jacob tugged his sister forward, all but forcing her to put her letter into the Santa sack.

"Is that everyone?" Fat Amy asked.

"Mummy, you didn't put your list in!" Maddie turned to Chloe, and the redhead smiled.

"It's okay, sweetie, we put our list in the mail so Santa could get it".

"Oh".

"I've already got your mummy and daddy's lists", Fat Amy told Maddie. "They're not going to miss out".

"Good", Zac said firmly.

Fat Amy, waving cheerily, moved towards the front door.

"Merry Christmas to all! And to all, a good night!"

"Wow", Bella whispered.