"Question", Beca called down the stairs, and newly turned twelve year old Melody looked up from her magazine.
"Yes Mother?"
"So, now that none of the kids believe in Santa any more, are we not doing presents?" she said, and Jesse started to laugh.
"Hey Mum?" nine year old Henry called.
"Yes?" she paused for a moment, taking in the boy. "Yes, Henry?"
"I think it's sad that you can't tell us apart", Zac said, appearing beside his brother, holding an ice cream sandwich.
"if we pretend to believe in Santa, can we still get presents?"
(Jesse started to laugh, because he had asked the same question when his younger by seven years sister Mikaela decided that she didn't believe in the jolly fat man. Like father, like son apparently.)
"Hey, Brielle still believes in Christmas", Melody protested, naming the four year old baby of her cousins, and Beca shook her head.
"I spoke to Aunt Stacie this morning, apparently Kai didn't get the memo. Aunt Stacie's very upset".
(in hysterical tears, Stacie had called Beca- why, Beca didn't know, as Chloe had always been the one to calm any of them down- sobbing that her baby didn't believe in Santa Claus anymore. Beca had sympathised, because she had reacted in much the same way- choosing to call Chloe- when the twins revealed that Santa wasn't real.)
Jesse just laughed, coming behind Beca and wrapping his arms around her waist.
"Wait, does that mean we're not doing the annual family Santa photo?" Melody questioned.
"Oh no, we're doing it", Jesse said. "It's tradition, Mel!"
"So's Santa", Henry argued.
"Santa's real!" Jesse protested.
"Dad", Zac sighed, and Jesse frowned.
"What's wrong with them, Bec? You've influenced them or something". He turned to face his three kids. "have you been spending too much time with your mother?"
"Jesse!"
"Dad".
"Guys, smile!" Chloe called encouragingly.
"Aunt Chloe", Henry protested, "There's too many of us for a good photo!"
"Nonsense!"
It had been twelve years since the first day that Fat Amy had dressed in a Santa suit, preparing herself for 'aunt duties'. But she didn't care. Every year she would don the red and white suit, just to see the looks on her younger nieces and nephews faces as she took their letters, posed for photos with the entire family, and carried on her day with bellows of 'and to all a good night'.
But they had to go and ruin it by not believing in Santa.
(That was so not going to stop her.)
"We've got all day, Kai", Ryan, Stacie's husband, sang to their eldest, and Kai frowned.
(They knew it was just Aunt Amy. They didn't know why it was such a big deal.)
(It was such a big deal, Aubrey had snapped, because it was tradition and she didn't care how old they got, they were going to get a Santa photo!)
"Zachary!" Jesse said incredulously. "What was that face even for?"
"I didn't do it!"
"That was Henry, Uncle Jesse".
"Jacob pinched me!"
"Jacob! Why would you do that?"
"Smile, look presentable to Santa can get a photo and he can continue onto the next houses!" Cynthia Rose told them, armed with the camera.
(Somehow, it had seemed easier when they were little.)
After countless attempts, the huge extended aca pella family managed to get one decent photo. And that photo was framed and joined the rest of the holiday photos on the mantle, and their children looked happy and embracing the magic that was Christmas.
(Because even though they denied it, seeing Aunt Amy in a Santa suit did bring magic to the season.)