A/N: Hi! Happy Friday and Merry Christmas! A couple years ago, I wrote a oneshot about Jay and Hailey having a Christmas baby (Let Your Heart Be Light) then built on it with another oneshot where that same baby grows up and asks for a baby brother (Believing is Seeing). Well, here we are with part three and little Noelle's next ask. I hope you enjoy!
November 28
It wasn't that Hailey forgot about Sprinkle Tinkle, but she had a lot on her mind after Thanksgiving and preparing for the elf was not at the top of her list, and, sure enough, like she'd been doing the past few years, Noelle was the one who brought her up.
"Jack, Sprinkle Tinkle's coming soon," she said through a mouthful of lasagna.
Hailey coughed slightly on her water and looked at Jay, her almost eight year old's words sending a bolt of fear through her.
He raised an eyebrow and stopped tearing up pieces of garlic bread for their son.
Jack Steven Halstead, sitting in his high chair at two and a half years old, wasn't listening, though, and reached over to grab at Jay. "Daddy," he whined, "Daddy!"
Noelle sighed and said, "Jack! Did you hear me? Sprinkle Tinkle's coming soon. Aren't you excited?" She waited a beat then turned to Hailey. "Mom, you said Jack would have more fun at Christmas this year."
"I did," Hailey said weakly, still shocked at the reminder of the elf she and Jay were supposed to hide all around the house starting in two days.
"Then why isn't he excited for Sprinkle Tinkle?" Noelle asked, "Our elf is coming and he doesn't care."
"I don't know if he doesn't care," Jay cut in. He cleared his throat and passed Jack the pieces of bread he'd just torn up into small pieces. "He's just more into food. You know he loves eating."
Noelle frowned slightly, but nodded and poked at her food again. "That's true. Did Mom tell you what they said he did at daycare?"
Jay chuckled and shook his head. "No. What'd he do?"
"Got yogurt everywhere," Noelle laughed, "Ms. Allison said he squeezed yogurt all over the table then licked it up."
"Oh, geeze," Jay said, turning back to Jack, "Is that true? Did you really make a mess today?"
Jack giggled and folded his hands together. "Daddy," he said, "I skish. Skish food."
Jay laughed and shook his head. "You cannot squish your food." Reaching over to tickle his son, he glanced at Hailey to see her still clearly stressed on the other side of the table. He softened and took a deep breath.
The soft sound was enough to remind Hailey she wasn't alone right there as she worried over all she had to do in the next twenty-four hours. Hosting Thanksgiving, even if it did end up just being for Will, Natalie, and Owen, had been fun, but then blurred into a recent human trafficking case she'd been obsessing over. She usually felt that Christmas needed to stick to December anyways, and yet now she had no choice but to do just that.
She felt like she didn't have enough time for any of it.
"It's true," she said quietly, "Ms. Allison said he thought it was hilarious."
"I bet," Jay replied. He shot her a sad smile then reached over to grab at her hand still frozen around her fork.
"I was good in school," Noelle said, oblivious to the silent communication happening between her parents. She took another big bite of lasagna and added, "Plus, I'm making something so cool out of clay, but it's a secret, so you just gotta wait. I promise you'll like it. It's amazing."
Hailey rubbed a hand over her face before turning to smile at her daughter. "I'm sure we will, Elle. You are so, so good at art."
"I know!" Noelle replied with a wide smile, "It's my favorite class. I think I'm gonna be a drawer when I get older like for books and museums and the walls. It's gonna be fun."
Hailey's smile widened, and she nodded. "I love that. You can do whatever you want to do."
"Just don't be a cop," Jay said with a wink.
Noelle waved him off. "I won't. You can't have three cops in one family. That's way too many."
Jay laughed and said, "That's fair. Sounds good."
Noelle smiled back at him and took a long sip of her chocolate milk before jumping into a long story about the game she'd played with her friends that day during recess. While Hailey did her best to listen along, she couldn't help but feel her mind wander toward everything she needed to do in such a short time to prepare her home for Christmas.
She was still distracted about half an hour later when filling the dishwasher with all the plates that she didn't even notice Jay slip up behind her and wrap his arms around her waist.
"Relax," he murmured in her ear when she jumped, "It's just me, and it's just a damn elf."
She sighed and turned in his hold, placing her damp hands on his chest. "She loves that damn elf, so, no, it is not just an elf. It's Sprinkle Tinkle. She's a part of the family now. This is Year Four – I need to top myself from last year."
Jay shook his head. "You do not. We'll just have fun with it. We don't need to beat ourselves each year. That's impossible. And, besides, like we've told Elle and have been realizing over the past couple months, Jack is going to have a blast this year. He's actually a bit wild, so we'll have our work set out for us, if we're honest."
Hailey couldn't help but laugh at that. Jack was much more adventurous than Noelle. While Noelle always had been excited to do just about anything, she would still take the time to sit and color a picture or play a game. Jack couldn't be bothered to do any of that – much preferring to play with his cars or throw a ball around the house than sit and practice shapes or watch a TV show.
"I think that just means we're going to have to work harder to put the elf where he can't reach it," she said softly, "Before you got home today, he climbed onto the table and was sitting there when I turned to put out all the plates."
"Wonderful, we're going to need to put out even more gates," Jay sighed.
Hailey smiled and wrapped her arms around his middle. Closing her eyes, she rested her head on his chest and whispered, "Can they be up before Sprinkle Tinkle gets here?"
"Only if Santa himself does it," Jay replied as he squeezed her close to him.
Hailey laughed again and shook her head. "I could use some Santa magic to get this house up to Christmas speed."
"One day at a time," Jay said, leaning down to drop a kiss to her head, "Christmas will come when it comes, and the house will be decorated in time. I can get the lights up some time this week, we can get a tree, and Sprinkle Tinkle will come – whether or not she brings gifts on Day One. Okay?"
Hailey let out a long breath as his reassurances drifted around her, wrapping her up in a hug just like his arms were doing. They would figure it out just like they always had. Christmas was supposed to be the most magical time of the year, but that didn't mean she needed to force it to be. She could let the cards – or the snowflakes – fall where they may. Her kids were going to love the holiday because of the excitement in the air and because a stuffed elf was present in their house. She didn't need to go over the top and be elaborate. That wasn't her anyways. She just needed to have fun with it.
"Okay," she breathed, "It'll be okay."
"Exactly," Jay said with one last kiss to the crown of her head.
December 1
Hailey leaned down behind the Christmas tree in the living room to plug the lights in. The day before, there was nothing on the agenda to do, so she and Jay decided it would be the perfect way to kick off the holiday season by going to cut down a tree. They'd been doing it ever since Jack was born when Will brought up during Thanksgiving that he thought it'd be fun to do with the kids – just like when he and Jay were younger. There was a bit of magic it brought to the house that they hadn't had before with the fake tree now kept in the basement, and Hailey needed that magic in full force today.
She had not managed to go out and get a bunch of Christmas trinkets or toys to add to Sprinkle Tinkle's display on the kitchen table, but she had woken up early to set out a few extra decorations to make it as special as she could. The kids weren't going to know if the fake cotton snow she'd set out was from the year before or if the few ornaments were just extras that weren't put on the tree last night. They just wanted to experience some sort of magic, and she could give them that.
Just as she returned to the kitchen to pour out two cups of coffee for her and Jay, she heard the gate at the top of the stairs jiggle for a moment.
"Ugh, come on," she heard Noelle groan.
Hailey laughed until she heard the gate swing open and hit the wall. While it'd been up for well-over a year and a half since Jay had installed it, Noelle could not, for the little life of her, get it to work on the first try.
"Yay!" Jack cheered at the top of the stairs.
At that, Hailey pushed the filled coffee mugs to the middle of the island and hurried into the living room just as Noelle stepped over Jack sliding down the stairs to run around him.
"Jack Steven!" she all but yelled as she lunged around Noelle to grab him.
He laughed when she picked him up and pointed at the stairs. "Fun," he giggled.
Hailey shook her head then yelled up the stairs. "Jay!"
"Jay!" Jack copied.
"Dad said you can't do that," Noelle called out from the kitchen, "His name is Dad!"
Hailey let out a soft laugh and kissed the side of Jack's head before carrying him into the kitchen where Noelle was staring in awe at Sprinkle Tinkle sitting in the middle of the table next to her book and a tray of muffins, bacon, and cut up fruit.
"What do you think?" she asked softly, "Pretty cool that she came back, huh?"
"Mhmm," Noelle said.
"What that?" Jack asked, peering around Hailey, "Who that?"
"It's Sprinkle Tinkle!" Noelle happily announced, "Christmas is here! And that means you've gotta be good now." She sat at the table and slowly picked up her mug of hot chocolate. Once she took a hesitant sip, she wiped her mouth and looked at Jack. "She tells Santa if you're bad, remember? You gotta be good every day so you get presents. Dad'll read the story. Just sit and eat your breakfast."
Hailey laughed to herself and tried hiding her smile. Noelle had taken all of the holidays this year very seriously, so it was no surprise that Christmas was going to be the exact same way.
Jack made a soft noise then reached his arms out. "Spinkle, Mama, Spinkle."
"Oh, no, no," Hailey said while sitting him in his high chair, "You don't touch Sprinkle Tinkle. She's magic, so you need to let her be."
Jack scrunched his nose, but distracted himself with the pieces of muffin Hailey was starting to hand him.
She let out a sigh of relief – he'd taken to arguing whenever anyone would say 'no' to him, and she was fully anticipating that to come up during the month whenever Sprinkle Tinkle would be involved. And by the look on Noelle's face, her daughter was thinking the same thing.
"Look at that!" Jay said as he walked in the kitchen. He leaned over to kiss the top of Noelle's head and added, "Christmas is here!"
"That's what I said!" she gasped, "Dad, we're like the same brain."
"It's a blessing and a curse," Hailey said quietly enough just for Jay to hear her.
He smirked and winked, settling into his seat next to Jack. "Hi, buddy," he said.
"Daddy," he replied. Pointing toward Sprinkle Tinkle, he said, "Spinkle."
"Yeah," Jay said, "That's our elf. Should I read the book?"
"Duh," Noelle said. She patted the table spot where Hailey was supposed to sit and said, "Mom, hurry. It's time for traditions to start."
Hailey smiled and grabbed the two mugs of coffee before sitting in her seat. Passing one to Jay, she said, "Okay, I'm ready. I love traditions like this."
"I know," Noelle said softly. She bit into her muffin then set her elbow on the table to rest her chin on her palm. "This is so fun."
The month had barely started – hell, the day had barely started – but that one sentence was enough to bring a sense of calm to Hailey. As Jay began reading the book, she sipped her coffee and smiled at her small family. It was just a book and a stuffed doll, but it meant everything to her daughter. She needed the reminder that she didn't need to go all out; Christmas was going to be perfect no matter what Sprinkle Tinkle did all because her kids believed in the magic.
That was going to be more than enough.
December 2
Hailey was just getting out of bed when she heard Noelle's door fly open down the hall.
"Jack! Jack, you gotta wake up! We have to go look for Sprinkle Tinkle!"
"Oh my god, I take it back," Jay groaned while pulling a pillow over his face, "We need to light that elf on fire. What happened to training Noelle to stay in bed until we went to get her?"
Hailey laughed slightly and stood up. "I think that went out the window when she learned to read a calendar. December's her favorite month of the year. She is well-aware of what today is."
"December 2nd," Jay sighed. He shoved the pillows and blankets away from him and sat up. Rubbing his hands over his face, he said, "AKA, the first day of searching the house for Sprinkle Tinkle – her favorite pastime."
Hailey laughed again and walked over to pick out a pair of jeans and a flannel. "Where'd you put her last night?"
"Drinking syrup on the mantle as a warm-up for the month," Jay answered, "I figured I'll make it harder as the month goes on."
"Not too hard," Hailey said over her shoulder, "She hates when she can't find her within the first five minutes – ten if we're lucky."
"I know, I know," Jay chuckled.
There was a quick knock on the door, and Hailey walked over to open it to see her two kids panting on the other side. Noelle was dressed in her elf pajamas she insisted on wearing as often as she was allowed in December, her auburn hair a big mess at the back of her head. Right next to her, Jack's blonde hair was sticking up in all directions, and he was blearily rubbing at his green eyes in a way that made him look just like Jay.
Hailey smiled and picked him up. "And what are you two doing up so early? Daddy and I usually don't wake you up for another half an hour."
"But it's the first sneaky day of Sprinkle Tinkle," Noelle said quickly, "We need to go searching like detectives – like you and Dad!"
Jay laughed from his spot in bed before he reluctantly got up. "All right, let's go take a look."
"Yes," Noelle breathed. Turning on her heel, she hurried down the stairs and yelled, "Sprinkle Tinkle!"
"Are you tired?" Hailey whispered to Jack as she walked downstairs, "Did Elle wake you up?"
Jack yawned and rested his head against hers.
Noelle was already looking around the tree when they made it to the living room, and Jay said, "Did you find her?"
"No," Noelle mumbled, "She's not here like last year."
"She remembered?" Jay hissed.
"She's smart, and she's almost eight," Hailey whispered back.
Jay let out a breath and crossed his arms over his chest. "This got a bit harder."
"Mhmm," Hailey hummed. She set Jack down and said, "Go help Noelle find the elf. Where is Sprinkle Tinkle?"
"Spinkle?" he repeated quietly.
"Yeah, you met her yesterday," Noelle answered. She looked up from crawling next to the couch and said, "Come on. She got a little sneaky last year. We have to find her."
Jack rubbed his small fist over his eyes one last time then started crawling behind her.
Hailey laughed softly, but tried hiding it with her hand. Last year, Jack didn't quite understand what Noelle was doing. Who was to say he got it now, but it was at least cute to watch him try.
Noelle determined Sprinkle Tinkle wasn't underneath any of the furniture, so she stood up and put her hands on her hips. "Where could she- Oh!"
"Oh!" Jack repeated. He stood up with the help of the coffee table and looked around.
"Right there!" Noelle said with a laugh. She grabbed Jack's hand and dragged him over to the fireplace. "Do you see her?" she asked.
Jack stepped forward and looked inside the fireplace at the fake pieces of wood. "Spinkle?"
"No!" Noelle laughed. She struggled to pick up Jack and tried showing him Sprinkle Tinkle on the mantle right where Jay had told Hailey she'd be. "She's there drinking – oh, boy, you're kinda heavy – she's drinking syrup!"
Jack whined in her hold and started wiggling around.
"Here," Jay chuckled. He quickly walked over to grab Jack and hold him higher up. "Do you see her now?"
The second Jack spotted the elf, his face lit up, and he yelled, "Spinkle! That not yours!"
Hailey laughed with him. "She's pretty silly, huh? Just like you two."
"I don't know, Mom," Noelle giggled, "I don't think I'd ever drink syrup out of the bottle. That's pretty gross."
"Yeah, I guess it is," Hailey said. Smiling, she put her hand on Noelle's back and said, "Well, I think pancakes or waffles is out of the question for breakfast today, then, do you want a bagel for breakfast?"
"Only if I can have strawberry jelly on one side and cream cheese on the other," Noelle replied.
Hailey laughed and nodded, leading Noelle into the kitchen. "You've got it."
Jay bounced Jack in his arms and said, "What about you? Do you want a bagel too?"
Jack nodded slightly, but couldn't stop staring at Sprinkle Tinkle.
Glancing at him, Jay felt like he could see the wheels spinning in his son's head. He chuckled and whispered, "It's magic, and I think it's pretty cool."
Jack looked at him with wide eyes, a small smile beginning to spread across his face.
Jay laughed and squeezed him tight. "There's more to come, bud, I promise."
Carrying Jack into the kitchen, he knew that no matter what happened over the next twenty-three days, that this really was going to be the best Christmas season yet.
December 5
Jack caught on quickly to the idea of looking for Sprinkle Tinkle when he got downstairs. Noelle would run around in search of the elf, and he'd happily follow along.
And then he missed a morning, and everyone realized how important the small routine was to him.
Noelle hurried downstairs behind Jay and said, "Dad, Dad, watch out. I have to find Sprinkle Tinkle." She ran past him the second they got to the living room to beat him to the kitchen.
He shook his head and called out, "You almost knocked me over!" Following her into the kitchen, he laughed at the sight of her looking through all the cabinets. "I don't know if she's in there."
"You never know," Noelle replied from her spot under the sink. She coughed as she got out and crinkled her nose. "It kinda smells down there."
"Really?" Jay asked while kneeling next to her.
She nodded and shot up to continue her search.
Just as Jay stuck his head in the cabinet to see what possibly smelled, Noelle yelled, "Found her!" Her loud voice shocked him and caused him to hit his head on the garbage disposal.
Swearing beneath his breath, he slid out from the cabinet and rubbed the back of his head. He blinked past the stars in his eyes and said, "Where was she?"
"Hanging from the light in the bathroom," Noelle said happily. She smiled and opened the freezer. "Can you please make me mini pancakes?"
Jay nodded and accepted the bag from her. He opened it to dump some on a plate and asked, "Do you think Jack wants some?"
"Yup," Noelle replied. She spotted the toy catalogue on the table that she'd started looking at the night before and grabbed out a pen so she could circle everything she wanted. Sitting down in her seat, she said, "But not a lot of syrup. He gets too sticky."
Jay hummed in acknowledgement and opened up the microwave.
The soft thumping of Jack coming down the stairs followed by his feet slapping against the hardwood floor caused them both to look up when he ran into the kitchen.
"Spinkle?" he asked, "Spinkle!"
"She's in the bathroom," Noelle said without looking up from the catalogue.
"Huh?" Jack breathed. Frowning, he walked over to step in the bathroom. Sprinkle Tinkle was hanging from the light above the mirror by a line of candy canes. Tears came to his eyes as he stared up at her.
Hailey came into the kitchen and took a deep breath. "Okay, Dad's making breakfast, and Jack's cleaned- Is he back in the bathroom? I swear to god."
"Sprinkle Tinkle's in there," Noelle answered.
"I can get his sheets," Jay said at the same time.
"Thank you," Hailey sighed. Rubbing a hand over her face, she mumbled, "I hate potty training."
Jay laughed and kissed the side of her head as he passed her to get Jack. "Buddy, come eat breakfast. I made you some pancakes."
Jack turned away from Sprinkle Tinkle, tears falling fast down his cheeks, and said, "I didn't getta find her."
Jay's eyes widened, and he squatted down. "What do you mean?" he asked, "She's right there."
"But-But I didn't getta find her," Jack said with a pout before bursting into tears.
"Hey, hey, okay, you're okay," Jay said quietly while wrapping his arms around Jack, "It's okay, bud, it's okay."
Hailey quickly came over and leaned in the bathroom. "Did he have another accident?"
Jay shook his head and stood up with Jack in his arms. "He's upset that Noelle found Sprinkle Tinkle without him."
"Oh," Hailey breathed. She rubbed her hand over Jack's back and said, "It's okay, buddy."
"Not! Not!" Jack cried into Jay's shoulder.
Jay shook his head and carried him into the kitchen with Hailey behind him.
Immediately, Noelle looked up and said, "Did he touch her?"
"No," Hailey replied while pulling the high chair out.
"Then why's he crying?" Noelle asked. She pushed up on her knees to watch Jay attempt to calm Jack down.
"He's not too happy you found Sprinkle Tinkle without him," Jay explained quietly, bouncing Jack around the kitchen table.
"Oh no," Noelle breathed, "I-I'm sorry, Jack."
Hailey smiled slightly and brushed her hand over the back of Noelle's hair. "We know you didn't do it on purpose. Now we know that it's important to him."
Noelle nodded and frowned.
Jack slowly settled down and took a few deep breaths, resting his head on Jay's shoulder.
"There you go," Jay said softly. He kissed the side of his head then set him in the high chair. "Do you want pancakes?"
Jack rubbed his eyes and nodded. "And Spinkle."
"I'll wait tomorrow, Jack, I promise," Noelle said quickly, "I'm so so sorry."
Jack sniffled. "I getta find Spinkle."
Noelle nodded and hurried out of her seat to hold her pinky out. "Pinky promise," she said.
Jack giggled and grabbed her finger. "No-No."
Noelle laughed and kissed the side of her hand to confirm the promise before going back to her seat. "I like when he calls me that."
"It's cute," Hailey said softly with a smile. While Jay sat to pass out the mini pancakes, she remained standing and looking between her two kids.
Based on Noelle's response when they first emerged from the bathroom, she knew there was bound to be a fight about Jack touching Sprinkle Tinkle, and it wasn't going to be pretty. Until then, though, she was going to remember the two of them being cute together and how they really did love each other.
It was going to be a long month.
December 8
Hailey stepped in the house and turned to quietly shut the garage door. Toeing off her shoes, she slipped her coat off and into the closet before making her way into the living room where Jay was reaching up to play Sprinkle Tinkle at the top of their tree right next to the angel.
She laughed softly and whispered, "Caught you."
Jay jumped slightly, but still laughed as he glanced over at her. "Hey. How'd it go?"
Hailey rolled her eyes and climbed over the back of the couch to plop down on the cushions. "I sat in the back of a van for four hours in December. How do you think it went?"
"Well, was it at least successful?" Jay countered. He made sure Sprinkle Tinkle wouldn't fall down before hesitantly stepping back from the tree.
"I don't know," Hailey sighed, "We didn't get any new information – nothing really happened. Vanessa and I got a few pictures, drank a couple cups of hot chocolate mixed with coffee, and talked about our Christmas shopping. I love her, but it was a long time."
Jay hummed and walked over to sit next to her. Pulling her legs on his lap and dropping a blanket over her, he said, "I'm sorry it was boring, but I'm glad you're safe."
"That's most important," Hailey said softly. She smiled slightly and reached out to brush her fingers against his jaw. "How were the kids?"
Jay tipped his head back against the couch and took a deep breath. "Elle's getting sick. She doesn't have a fever, and she's not sneezing, but she has a bit of a runny nose and was quiet. You know that's never good."
Hailey sighed again and pursed her lips. "Wonderful. So what are the chances that Jack's gonna get it too?"
"I'd say it's as likely as the possibility of the kids finding Sprinkle Tinkle within five minutes tomorrow morning," Jay replied, "I probably should have put more effort in, but-"
"But it's fine," Hailey said, "They got that game yesterday Vanessa picked up for them, and we can stop at the store tomorrow before picking them up from school to grab some chocolate or something."
Jay smirked and said, "Weren't you the one stressing out about gifts last week?"
Hailey laughed and shrugged. "But then I saw how happy they are just because we make the elf do silly things with stuff around the house. Elle wouldn't stop talking the other day about how Sprinkle Tinkle was frozen inside that cup of water. She was worried that she'd be too wet to do anything the next day, but she also was wondering if Elsa had anything to do with it."
Jay laughed and slumped further down into the couch to kick up his legs on the coffee table. Together, they stared at the Christmas tree lighting up the living room and took in the silence of the house for once.
It didn't happen often once Noelle was old enough to crawl around, and it certainly didn't happen after Jack was born. They had few nights that were like this where they could just sit in silence and be together – even fewer when December was involved.
Hailey had always loved the peacefulness that came from the Christmas lights, but she especially came to appreciate them after Noelle was born almost eight years before. That year, she'd managed to convince Jay to leave up the tree until mid-January just so she could have the ambiance when she'd be feeding Noelle in the middle of the night. Then, they'd had soft white lights that casted a glow around the room. Now, the tree was filled with various rainbow lights the kids loved, but it was still just as pretty and romantic.
Smiling at a memory from years before when there weren't First Christmas ornaments or handprints stamped in clay hanging from the tree, Hailey let out a soft sound while moving to sit on Jay's lap.
Instantly, he smiled and grabbed her waist. "Hello, there," he chuckled.
"Hi," she breathed. She kissed him slowly before dragging her fingers down his shirt, undoing the buttons as she went.
"What're you doing?" he murmured against her lips.
"I was thinking about our life pre-kids," she whispered, her hands slipping around to his back, "And that one Christmas we spent up at the cabin. Do you remember that night?"
Jay chuckled and teased at the belt around her waist. "I do," he said softly, "Are we thinking of recreating that moment right now?"
Hailey hummed and gave him another kiss before sitting up enough to grab at his wrist. Glancing at the time, she asked, "They've been asleep for an hour?"
"Mhmm." Jay began trailing his lips down her jaw to the juncture of her throat.
Tipping her head back, Hailey groaned softly and said, "Then, yes, we're recreating that moment for sure."
"You just have to remember to be a bit quieter this time around," Jay whispered in her ear.
She laughed softly and pulled at his shirt. "Challenge accepted."
Jay undid her belt then tugged her flannel from her. Tossing it away, he murmured, "Sorry, Sprinkle Tinkle. Close your eyes."
Hailey laughed so hard that the kids could have woken up, but she was so happy in the moment that she didn't even care.
December 10
Hailey made the call the night before that Noelle was too sick for school the following day: she was whining, her throat hurt, and she had a slight fever. Hailey refused to be the mom who wiped out a whole class of second graders.
It wasn't often that either she or Jay had to take a day off for the kids, so she didn't mind in the least that it was her turn. She also knew Jay was the slightest bit jealous that she got to do it and he needed to go do his own surveillance shift in the van.
"I'm just imagining all the Christmas movies you three are going to watch and the hot chocolate and the cookies," he said while pulling his coat on.
Hailey laughed and stepped back from the counter to take a look at the display she'd set up with Sprinkle Tinkle. "Don't forget all the cuddles too."
"She's so damn cute when she's sick," Jay sighed.
"They both are," Hailey said, "Are we bad parents for thinking that?"
Jay laughed and zipped his coat up. "Maybe."
Hailey straightened Sprinkle Tinkle next to a can of spaghetti-os one last time then nodded to herself. She'd had Jay make a run to the store the night before after both kids went to sleep for today's supplies: comfy Christmas clothes for Noelle, nail polish, popcorn, hot chocolate, pudding and jello, and some quiet games to keep Jack occupied. Noelle wasn't a fan of missing school, so involving Sprinkle Tinkle and making it look as appealing as possible was Hailey's only option.
"Mama!" Jack yelled from the top of the stairs, "Mama! Spinkle! Daddy! Daddy!"
Jay laughed and walked over to the stairs with Hailey right behind him. He looked up at Jack shaking the gate and said, "Can we help you?"
Jack groaned and shook the gate again. "Down, please! Spinkle time!"
Behind him, Noelle's door flew open, and she came shooting out of her room. She coughed hard and started pulling at the gate. "Missing school," she gasped, "Mom, I'm missing school! I can't be late!"
"Hey, no, no," Hailey said quickly, climbing over the bottom gate and making her way up the stairs. Once she had that gate open, she ushered Noelle back and said, "Dad and I want you to stay home today. You're too sick."
Noelle coughed and grabbed at her throat, but still shook her head. "I can't," she whined, "I want to go."
"Butterfly, it's okay, you can miss school," Jay said from the bottom of the stairs. He waited for Jack to get to him, scooting down on his bottom, then picked him up and said, "Mom and Jack are gonna hang out with you. I think even Sprinkle Tinkle wants in on the plans too."
Still, Noelle cried into her hands and shook her head.
"Did you hear Dad?" Hailey asked softly, brushing Noelle's hair back from her forehead, "We're going to have fun."
"I want to go," Noelle whined.
"Honey, that's not a good idea," Hailey replied. She rubbed her hand over Noelle's back and began guiding her down the stairs. "And did you hear Dad? He said Sprinkle Tinkle wants to hang out with you too."
Noelle cried harder and pressed her head into Hailey's side.
"No cry," Jack said, reaching out to her, "No cry, No-No."
Jay smiled at him and said, "You're very nice. You'll need to keep Noelle company today when she's home. Can you do that? Will you keep being nice to her?"
Jack nodded quickly as he turned back to Jay. "Nice. I nice."
Hailey laughed softly and leaned over to kiss his cheek. "You really are. Come on, let's all go see what Sprinkle Tinkle left, then Daddy can go to work."
Together, they walked into the kitchen, and Jack instantly gasped at the pile of gifts on the counter. The soft noise caused Noelle to reluctantly look up from Hailey's side, sniffling as she tried taking in everything Sprinkle Tinkle had brought.
Hailey rubbed her back one last time before stepping away to point everything out. "Oh, wow, Noelle, she gave you everything for a sick day. Comfy clothes, hot chocolate, nail polish, jello…all your favorite things."
Noelle wiped her eyes and whispered, "She knows I'm sick?"
Jay nodded and pointed at a card on the counter. "What's that say?"
Coughing, Noelle walked over to pick up the pink card. "Noelle," she began quietly, "I'm sorry you're sick. I hope this makes you smile and that my magic will-will make you better." She smiled slightly and sniffled. "Love, Sprinkle Tinkle," she finished, "And PS: here's some stuff for Jack too so he can be quiet while you relax."
Jack clapped when he heard his name and reached over. "Jack! I Jack!"
"Wow," Hailey said softly, "That was so nice of her, don't you think?"
Noelle nodded slightly then coughed again. Chewing her lip, she hesitantly reached out to grab the clothes. "Can we read a book and watch a movie?"
"Of course," Hailey said with a smile, "Today's all about you, okay? I'll make you that pudding and jello."
"My throat does hurt," Noelle croaked.
Hailey nodded and leaned down to kiss her forehead. "And you're feeling a bit warm. It's okay to be sick sometimes."
Noelle sighed and said, "Okay. I guess I can stay." She wiped her eyes then looked at Sprinkle Tinkle to say, "Thank you," before turning and going into the bathroom to change.
Jay chuckled once the door closed and passed Jack to Hailey. "Good luck today. Text me if you need anything."
"Thanks," Hailey laughed. She set Jack in his high chair and said, "We'll be okay. Be safe."
"Safe, Daddy!" Jack yelled.
Jay laughed harder and kissed the top of his head before heading out.
Hailey let out a breath and crossed her arms. "Well, buddy, are you ready for a sick day with your sister? We're gonna stay here all day."
Jack smiled and said, "No-No and Mama and Jack home."
Hailey softened and nodded. "Yeah, we're staying home together."
When Jack clapped in reply, she laughed and grabbed the box of hot chocolate to start making a couple mugs and set off their day.
December 13
Noelle coughed in her elbow then pushed open the door to the house. "Sprinkle Tinkle!" she called out, "We're home, and we met your boss!"
Hailey laughed and followed her inside. "At least you liked meeting Santa."
Jay hummed and closed the door as he stepped in the entryway. Bouncing Jack in his arms, he said, "Maybe next year. Right, buddy? You just weren't sure about the big guy."
Jack looked at him and shrugged.
Laughing, Jay set him down and said, "You'll turn around at some point. Noelle did."
At the mention of her name, Noelle looked up from showing Sprinkle Tinkle the picture of her and Jack with Santa at the local mall. The night before, Hailey had hung the elf from the railings on the stairs and surrounded her with a bunch of cut-out snowflakes.
"Yeah, Jack, I'm not too scared of him anymore," she said, "He's a pretty cool guy."
"Really?" Hailey laughed, sitting on the stairs.
Noelle nodded. "He gives gifts, and he makes people smile. I'm just a little concerned about the whole robbery thing."
"Whoa, Santa doesn't rob people," Jay said. He knelt next to her while keeping an eye on Jack now playing with a stack of blocks he'd abandoned earlier before they left.
Noelle raised an eyebrow. "Dad, he breaks into houses."
"But, butterfly, he doesn't rob people," Hailey corrected, "He leaves gifts. Robbing is when you take something from someone else that's not yours."
"And Mom would know," Jay said, "She used to work for Robbery-Homi-" He broke off at Hailey's pointed look, knowing she didn't like whenever the dark parts of their jobs came into their home with their kids.
But Noelle had already caught the words, and asked, "What's Robbery-Homi?"
Hailey pursed her lips and shook her head. "It's a part of the police department that catches the bad guys who break into houses or stores. I worked there before I met Dad. I promise you, though, that I never ever had to arrest Santa. Santa does not rob people – he doesn't take anything besides the snacks you give him."
Noelle smiled slightly and asked, "Are we going to make him cookies soon?"
"As soon as you'd like," Jay said quickly, reaching over to squeeze her shoulder, "But until then, what do you want Santa to bring you?"
Noelle's face lit up, and she said, "I made some requests today."
Hailey laughed again, relaxing at the change of subject. "What requests did you make?"
"Hmm, I don't know, it was kind of just for Santa to know," Noelle said with a wide smile.
"Oh, but Mom and Dad can keep a secret," Jay said, "Come on, tell us. I'm sure Jack will tell us what he wants. Jack?"
"Daddy?" Jack yelled back. He pushed his blocks to the side and ran over to sit on Jay's knee. "Yeah, Daddy?"
Laughing quietly, Jay asked, "What do you want for Christmas?"
"Oh, um, trucks…and cars…and dog," Jack replied easily.
Noelle gasped. "Hey! I told Santa the same thing!"
Jay's laugh had quickly silenced on his lips, and he was almost too scared to even look at Hailey, but, out of the corner of his eye, he could see her paling as well.
"You both want trucks?" he asked quietly.
"No," Noelle sighed, "I don't need a truck – I've got yours. I need a dog. Spifically, I need a puppy."
"I-I don't think you need a puppy," Hailey tried weakly.
"I do," Noelle said, "I think a puppy would make me so happy. I loved Kol. It was so, so sad when he died. I think Uncle Will will be happy if we get a puppy this time."
Jay shook his head. "Uncle Will can get his own dog."
"I want dog," Jack said, patting Jay's face, "Daddy, we get dog."
Noelle smiled wide and announced, "I know!" She cleared her throat and stood up to get a better look at Sprinkle Tinkle. "Sprinkle Tinkle, do you think-"
"No, no, no," Hailey interrupted. She shot over to put a hand out and said, "We don't need to ask Sprinkle Tinkle or Santa for a dog. Dogs are a lot of responsibility, butterfly, do you know that?"
"I know that you need to walk them and feed them and cuddle them and play with them," Noelle said, "They're just like babies but with fur."
Jay weakly laughed and said, "Well, no-"
"No?" Noelle asked incredulously, "Dad, do you know Jack? He's just like a dog, specially when he couldn't walk. Remember that? He just crawled everywhere, and he'd cuddle everyone. That's like a dog." She turned away from him before he could argue again and said, "Sprinkle Tinkle, please get me a puppy. I'll be such a good puppy owner." Satisfied with her ask, she smiled and hurried up the stairs to change out of her nicer clothes.
Jack caught on to her question and stood from Jay's need. "Spinkle," he began, "I want trucks and cars and dog." He waved at her then ran back to his blocks, leaving Jay and Hailey staring at each other in shock.
"We can't," Hailey whispered.
"Oh, we can't?" Jay hissed, "And upset her on Christmas? Actually, it looks like they'd both be upset if they don't get a dog in-" He glanced at his watch and shook his head. "Twelve damn days."
"No," Hailey said while standing up, "We can't get a dog."
Jay stood as well and asked, "Then what do we do? When she asked for a brother, we got her that."
Hailey waved her hand. "That was a coincidence, and we both wanted her to get that gift. Are you saying you want a dog? Jay, we don't have time for that."
"I…" Jay sighed and glanced over at Jack. "How are we supposed to say 'no' to them?"
Hailey raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "It wasn't that hard an hour ago when Jack asked for ice-cream at the mall. You had no issue telling Noelle 'no' last night when she wanted you to sleep in her room."
Jay shook his head. "That stuff was for health."
"Health?" Hailey repeated with a slight laugh, "Oh, Jay."
"What?" Jay asked, "He can't have ice-cream in the middle of the day, and I would have hurt my back if I slept on her floor. Plus, I wouldn't have been able to do any of the stuff I did for you if I was camping out in our daughter's room."
Hailey blushed, and her eyes flickered up the stairs, hoping said daughter wasn't going to come down and overhear what they were talking about. "You're not going to get a dog with sex."
"I'm not trying to," Jay replied, "I'm just saying that yes, a dog will be hard, but I don't think it will be the worst gift we can ever give them."
Hailey shook her head and shifted her gaze to her feet to think to herself for a moment. "It's twelve days," she whispered.
"Yeah," Jay sighed. He leaned against the stair railing by her and reached over to tuck her hair behind her ear. "Listen, getting a dog wasn't in my cards for the year. Our jobs aren't really meant for dogs, but they also aren't really meant for kids. I don't know if a dog is the right option for us; I just also don't know if I can deny them something I know will be good for them."
Hailey glanced up and smiled slightly. "It would be good for them, wouldn't it?" she said quietly.
"Noelle could get more chores," Jay offered.
Hailey cracked a smile. "Seeing as she only has one chore – making her bed – maybe I could get on board for that."
"We'll teach her responsibility," Jay said, beginning to laugh himself.
"And Jack can…Jack can learn how to brush the dog maybe," Hailey suggested.
"I think that's fair," Jay said. He breathed in deeply then said, "We'll figure it out. Even if it doesn't happen within the next twelve days, we have an idea of what we can eventually do."
Hailey hummed and set a hand on his arm. "Two kids and a dog," she said quietly, "We're pretty damn domestic."
Jay laughed and nodded. "Who would have thought this would be our life?"
"I don't know, but I kind of love it," Hailey replied.
Smiling, Jay leaned over and kissed her. "I really do," he breathed, "Thank you for giving it to me."
Hailey shook her head and whispered, "We gave it to each other."
Jay pulled her closer against the stairs and kissed her again. She laughed against his lips, tangling her fingers into the front of his shirt.
"Aww, you're kissing! You're so cute."
Hailey laughed and pulled away from Jay to look up at the top of the stairs. Noelle was smiling down at them, dressed in a Christmas sweater and a pair of bright purple leggings with candy cane socks. She was wearing some of her favorite pieces of clothing, and Hailey loved it despite the craziness the outfit was screaming.
"Are you spying on us?" she asked.
Noelle hid a giggle in the neck of her sweater and nodded.
"You are too much," Hailey said, quickly hurrying up the stairs to run after Noelle and tickle her.
"Dad!" Noelle screamed through her laughter.
Jay laughed as he watched his two girls run into Noelle's bedroom and leaned against the wall. He could easily picture a dog chasing the two of them as well and knew he was going to have to put in the work to fully convince Hailey that a dog was a good idea.
Having another living creature in their house almost scared him, but he knew the chaos, like his daughter's outfit, was going to be worth it. He could put in the work to get a dog for his kids.
December 16
Hailey hoped the dog conversation would end, but Noelle seemed more determined than ever to get one and Jack continued talking about it as well. Not to mention how Jay was starting to wear her down as well.
"A dog," she said to Vanessa while she stood on a chair to place Sprinkle Tinkle above the fridge, "How the hell are we supposed to take care of a dog?"
Vanessa sipped her wine and shook her head. "If you don't want one, then just put your foot down. You know Jay will support you."
Hailey shot her a look then climbed off the chair. "It's Jay, he's very convincing."
"With what?" Vanessa laughed, "His words or his mouth? Or is it his fingers that you love? His-"
"Shut up!" Hailey said through her own laughter. She picked up her own glass of wine and took a long sip. "It's all of him, but, yes, his words are very convincing. He thinks it can be good for the kids and will teach them responsibility. I can't deny that."
"But it's a dog," Vanessa replied, "Do you two have the time for that? Do you think you two can really handle that?"
Letting out a sigh, Hailey sat at the table and said, "Yes. Truthfully, yes. It's a dog. It'll be work, but I think the positives will outweigh any negatives. They really did love Will's dog, and Elle was so sad when he died."
"However the funeral she put together," Vanessa said, "That was adorable."
Hailey laughed softly and shook her head. She swirled her finger over the rim of her glass, thinking back to when she thought this holiday season was going to be rough because of how unprepared she felt regarding Sprinkle Tinkle. That didn't even seem to be the worst part, now. It was this decision of a dog that was keeping her up at night.
"Jack's cough makes him sound like that dog he wants," Jay said while walking into the kitchen. He reached over Hailey's shoulder to grab a Christmas cookie and took a bite before saying, "We should have quarantined Elle."
"Poor kid," Vanessa said with a frown, "He was so damn cuddly, though. I love my little Jack hugs."
Hailey smiled at her then turned to Jay. "But did the medicine get him to sleep?"
Jay hummed and glanced up at Sprinkle Tinkle. "Took an extra story, but yeah: he's out like a light."
"Good," Hailey said, pushing out the chair so Jay could sit next to her.
Once he was seated and reaching for the bottle of wine to pour himself a glass, Vanessa said "So, Jay, I think you've won."
He instantly smiled and glanced up at her. "Oh, really? What's my prize?"
"The dog," Vanessa answered, "I think Hailey's there."
Hailey laughed slightly and shook her head. "I…If we get one, you better be willing to help."
Vanessa held up her hand and said, "I swear. I already watch your kids when you work late, what's one more person?"
"More like puppy," Jay corrected, "I've been looking around, and-"
"You've been looking?" Hailey repeated, shocked, "We never made a final decision."
"I wanted to be prepared," Jay said, "We're down to nine days – eight if we count Christmas Eve."
Before Hailey could reply, Vanessa sat up in her seat and asked, "So? Did you find one?"
Jay shrugged and finished his cookie. "A lot of mutts, but that's fine. I'm kind of hoping to find some sort of lab mix – that's what we had when we were younger, and he was awesome."
Hailey softened in her seat and asked, "What was his name again?"
"Toby," Jay chuckled, "We were a little older when we got him, so we could put some thought into it. I'm hoping that's what'll happen this time with Noelle – we don't need another Sprinkle Tinkle on our hands."
Vanessa laughed. "It's a cute elf name and way better than those kids who do like Elfie or something boring."
Hailey smiled over at her. "She's gotten pretty darn creative, though. I would not put it past her to pick something out of the box."
"We can reel her in if she gets weird," Jay chuckled.
Vanessa's smile widened, and she looked between the two of them. "Does this name conversation mean what I think it means?"
Jay winked at Hailey before sipping his wine. She laughed and knew exactly what he meant and what she really did want.
December 18
Jay had set up Sprinkle Tinkle on one of the bookshelves by the fireplace the night before. He was tired, didn't feel like putting much effort into the display, and called it a night. Hailey had bought a couple books for Noelle and Jack, so he set those next to Sprinkle Tinkle reading and waited until the following morning for the kids to get excited.
The simple set-up was met with smiles because of the gifts, and the morning went off without a hitch. It was that night when Hailey announced reading a story before bed that the simplicity of Sprinkle Tinkle's activity fell apart.
"This new one," Noelle said while crawling on the couch into Hailey's side.
Hailey grabbed the book from her and nodded. "It looks very fun and like the perfect story for by the tree and fire."
Noelle pulled the blanket over her and Hailey and called out, "Jack! Story time!"
"Minute! Minute!" Jack yelled back.
Hailey laughed and leaned her head against the couch. "Take your time, buddy!"
A second later, the bathroom door flew open and Jack ran out with Jay walking behind him, laughing and shaking his head.
Before Jay could take another step or Noelle or Hailey could say anything, Jack was standing at the bookshelf, shaking the water from his hands, and grabbing Sprinkle Tinkle. "Story with Mommy!" he said happily.
Noelle gasped and shoved the blanket off of her. "No!" she screamed.
Jack stumbled backwards in shock and said, "What?"
"You can't touch her!" Noelle yelled, "You can't- You can't- Mom!"
"Hey, hey, give me the elf," Jay said quickly, hurrying over to Jack and pulling Sprinkle Tinkle from his tight grip.
"Oh my god!" Noelle sobbed, falling into Hailey's side, "Oh my god!"
Jack reached up to grab at Sprinkle Tinkle. "Daddy! Daddy!"
"It's okay, it's okay!" Hailey tried saying over all the commotion, but neither of her children heard her: Noelle was too busy crying and Jack was distracted by Jay still holding Sprinkle Tinkle above his head.
"What's the plan?" Jay loudly asked Hailey.
She huffed and sat up further to get a better hold of Noelle. "Noelle, honey, it's okay," she stated, doing her best to get her daughter to look her in the eyes, "Dad has Sprinkle Tinkle."
"Her magic is gone," Noelle cried, "Sprinkle Tinkle died!"
"Butterfly, she didn't die," Hailey said as she wiped at Noelle's face, "Listen to Mom: Dad grabbed her quick enough, and Jack didn't realize what he was doing. She still has magic."
Noelle gasped for breath and looked over at Jay still holding Sprinkle Tinkle in shock as Jack pulled at his jeans. She shuddered at the sight and even covered her face to avoid looking. "It's over," she whined.
"It is not," Hailey said softly, "Dad will put Sprinkle Tinkle on the mantle where Jack can't get him, and then we'll make a game plan. How about we look online to see what we have to do to make sure everything is okay?" She desperately looked at Jay and raised an eyebrow.
He quickly nodded and hurried over to set Sprinkle Tinkle next to the picture of the kids with Santa in which Jack was the one screaming his head off and Noelle was smiling wide at the camera. "Look, Elle, she's all safe here," he said, "Jack can't touch her again."
Jack whined and said, "Daddy! Spinkle read with Mommy."
"No, bud," Jay sighed, reaching down to pick up Jack, "Sprinkle Tinkle cannot be touched. We have to leave her right there."
Jack frowned and stared at Sprinkle Tinkle for a moment. He briefly reached out to her then gave up and rested his head on Jay's shoulder. Turning toward Noelle, he said, "No Spinkle, No-No."
Hailey smiled slightly and rubbed Noelle's back. "Elle, it was an accident. He doesn't even realize it was wrong."
Jay nodded and came over to sit next to them with Jack on his lap. "He thinks you're sad that you can't read a book with Sprinkle Tinkle."
Noelle sniffled and wiped her eyes. "Well, he's wrong, he made me sad because he broke Sprinkle Tinkle."
"Oh, she's not broken," Hailey said while reaching for her phone on the coffee table, "Let's see what the Internet says."
"I can't believe this happened," Noelle whispered as she leaned into Hailey, "Jack ruined Christmas."
Jay snorted, but managed to cover it with a cough, quieting down the second Hailey made eye contact with him.
Noelle, though, caught on to his cough and immediately pressed her palms into her eyes. "And now Dad's sick too! Why, Santa! Why!"
"No, I'm not sick," Jay said quickly. He reached over to squeeze her knee. "Butterfly, it was just a tickle in my throat. I'm not sick."
Noelle whined and seemed apprehensive, but still lowered her hands and tried reading over Hailey's shoulder.
"All right," Hailey said softly as she hid her phone from Noelle, "According to the Internet, we have to write a letter to Santa to explain what happened, sprinkle a little cinnamon next to Sprinkle Tinkle, and then sing a Christmas song to her. Her magic will come back over night."
Without missing a beat, Noelle nodded and pushed away from the couch to run to the kitchen. "Where's the cinnamon?" she yelled, "We have to work fast!"
"Cinnamon?" Jay asked, "Really?"
"Literally what the website says," Hailey said with a sigh. She stood up and breathed, "Whatever it takes, though, right? What were you saying the other day? We can't say 'no' to them?"
"Hilarious," Jay hissed while following her into the kitchen.
Once the cinnamon was found, they all sat at the table to write out a letter to Santa explaining that the entire thing was an accident. Noelle made Jack write his own apology at the bottom, and, while she wasn't satisfied with his lack of penmanship, she decided that it was best to be nice to him since Santa was now going to be paying closer attention to their house. It seemed like the only positive to come out of the situation in Jay and Hailey's eyes.
They then each took turns putting a pinch of cinnamon next to Sprinkle Tinkle on the mantle, and Jay had to do his best to hold back Jack's reaching hands so Noelle wouldn't absolutely lose her mind. It was then that Noelle declared Jingle Bells was the only acceptable Christmas carol to sing given how it almost rhymed with Sprinkle Tinkle. She sang with her whole heart and didn't even seem to notice Hailey taking a video of her a few feet away.
After that, all they could do was hope that Sprinkle Tinkle would move the following day and that she would land somewhere that wasn't within reach of Jack.
December 19
Hailey woke to Noelle shaking her arm, and it startled her. "What's wrong?" she whispered as she tried forcing her eyes open through the sleep gluing them together.
"Nothing," Noelle said quietly, "Something is really good. Mom, I am so happy. Come here."
Hailey hummed and wiped at her eyes before sighing and pushing from the bed.
Noelle quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her from the room, dragging her down the hall to her own bedroom. There, she flicked the lights on and pointed to her small purple desk she'd gotten the year before for her birthday. Sitting next to her container of markers was Sprinkle Tinkle, a crayon tucked between her arms and a piece of paper right next to her.
"She left me a note," Noelle said, "It's so nice. Santa's not mad at all."
Hailey smiled slightly and said, "That's so nice, Elle."
Noelle nodded and pulled her closer to the desk. She grabbed the note and cleared her throat before reading it aloud: "Dear Noelle and Jack, Do not worry at all! Santa understands that Jack was just excited to see me. No one is in trouble, but I will be sitting a little higher up from now on. I can't wait to finish up all the fun stuff with you. Have a fantastic day! Love, Sprinkle Tinkle." Hugging the note to her chest, she said, "Isn't that such good news?"
Hailey laughed softly and brushed her hand over Noelle's bedhead. "It really is. Are you going to tell Jack?"
"Yeah, of course," Noelle said as she set the paper back down, "And Dad too, but I'll wait till it's closer to morning – right now it's just a girl secret."
Hailey's eyes widened in shock, and she glanced around the room in search of Noelle's digital clock in the shape of a flower. "What do you mean it's not morning?"
"I mean my clock is starting with a three," Noelle said. She walked back to her bed and crawled under the blankets. "You and Dad don't like when I wake up before the six on a school day, but I was just way too excited to not tell you."
"Oh my god," Hailey breathed.
"Can you turn off my light please?" Noelle asked, resting her head on her pillow and closing her eyes right away.
"Mhmm," Hailey hummed. Shaking her head, she walked over to turn off the switch before making her way back to her room.
Jay was peacefully still sleeping beneath the blankets when she slid into bed, and she didn't know the last time she'd felt so jealous of him.
December 23
Hailey was getting tired of finding new ways to hide Sprinkle Tinkle, so if she pulled out one of the kids' Christmas gifts early as something from the elf, then so be it. Noelle had been asking about it anyways, and it would be a good way to relax before the real festivities began.
When Jay walked in the house from his last shift before the holiday, he was not expecting to hear so much laughter or to see the living room furniture all pushed to the side.
"What're you doing?" he said while tugging his coat off.
"Yoga!" Noelle said happily.
Jay's smile widened, and he stepped closer to get a better view of Hailey balancing on one leg while the kids tried copying her and the YouTube video on the TV. Sprinkle Tinkle was off to the side in a pose of her own that he knew was because of a broken wire hanger. She was on top of a purple piece of construction paper that was just like the small yoga mat Noelle was on.
"Daddy!" Jack said, both his feet firmly planted on his green mat, but his hands above his head and a big smile on his face, "You watchin?"
"I'm watching," Jay laughed, "You guys look so good. Just like Mom."
Hailey glanced over at him and winked. "You want to join?" she asked.
Noelle gasped and stumbled so that she fell down. It didn't faze her, though, as she said, "Yeah! Come on!"
Jay raised an eyebrow and said, "I don't do yoga; I don't know how."
"We're learning," Noelle said. She patted her yoga mat and added, "Come here!"
"Please," Jack said through a giggle.
"And now we're going to move into downward dog," the woman on the screen announced.
"Oh, I remember this," Noelle said quickly as she hopped back up, "Jack, look." She bent over and looked between her legs. "Just like this."
"Yeah, I do that," Jack said while copying her.
Jay laughed and looked at Hailey. "Are you gonna do that too?"
"You wish," she said with a laugh of her own, "Come on, Dad, take your shoes and socks off and join us. Didn't you hear? We're doing downward dog."
"And it's like the easiest thing ever," Noelle said.
Jay smiled at her then leaned down to pull his shoes and socks off. "Whose mat can I use?"
"Me!" Jack yelled, causing him to lose his balance and somersault forward. There was a pause as everyone waited to see how he'd react, but then he burst into laughter and tried doing it again.
Jay walked over to pick him up by his feet and said, "That was impressive, bud."
Hailey laughed. "You're so cool!"
Jack smiled and wiggled around in Jay's grip. "I funny."
A smirk crossed Noelle's face, and she fell to the side just to crawl over and start tickling Jack. "Gotcha!"
He screeched and laughed loudly. "Daddy! Daddy save!"
"Save you?" Jay asked as he lowered Jack to the ground, "I don't know, bud, maybe I should let Elle get you."
"No!" Jack laughed, "Mama!"
Hailey fell to her knees next to Noelle and started tickling him as well. "We've got you!"
"Tickle monsters!" Noelle yelled.
Jay laughed as Jack's giggles increased and lowered him completely to the ground between Hailey and Noelle's outstretched arms. Kneeling next to them, he couldn't help but shoot Sprinkle Tinkle one last glance. He knew she had absolutely nothing to do with all the laughter in the living room right now, but the magic she seemed to bring to their house really did make it a happier place.
December 24
Jack fell asleep on top of Jay in the recliner, and Noelle struggled to keep her eyes open against Hailey's side as Ruldolph the Red Nosed Reindeer finished on the TV.
"What's the weather?" Noelle yawned.
Jay chuckled and asked, "Why?"
"Cause I…cause I gotta make sure Santa can come here," she replied. She struggled for a second to unwrap herself from her blankets then pushed off the couch. "Where's my shoes?"
Hailey hid a yawn in her hand then pointed toward the front door. "I put them away after we got home, but your boots are in the closet."
Noelle nodded and brushed the hair from her face before hurrying over to throw open the closet. Tossing everyone else's shoes to the side, she crawled into the closet so she could shove her snow boots on.
"What are you doing?" Jay asked from his spot still firmly in the recliner.
"I'm gonna check the weather then feed the reindeer," Noelle said. She stood up with Jack's boots and added, "Let's go."
"Butterfly, I think Jack will stay in with Dad," Hailey said while standing up, "He's sleeping and-"
"Mom, he'll be so sad if he doesn't get to help," Noelle said with a shake of her head. She quickly returned to the living room and patted Jack's back before Jay could stop her. "Jack," she whispered, "We have to go feed Ruldolph and all the other reindeer."
Hailey sighed, but held back a smile as she walked over to pull her own boots on.
Jack stirred on Jay's chest and rubbed his eyes. "What?" he mumbled.
"We have to feed the reindeer," Noelle replied, "Sprinkle Tinkle gave us the food, remember?"
Jack hummed and nodded before closing his eyes again and curling up on Jay who laughed softly and reluctantly closed the recliner to sit up.
"How about I just carry him outside?" he asked.
Noelle seemed to hesitate for a second, but then she looked over at Hailey holding out her coat for her and said, "I guess that's fine." She rushed over to grab the bag filled with oats and glitter next to Sprinkle Tinkle before running to the front door and allowing Hailey to help her put her coat on.
"Santa coming?" Jack asked quietly as Jay carried him to the girls.
"Yeah, buddy, Santa's coming," Jay chuckled. He slipped his shoes on then grabbed his coat from Hailey, draping it over Jack like a blanket.
"All right," Hailey said softly, "Let's go see what the weather's looking like."
Noelle squealed and threw the front door open to carefully, and quickly, go down the steps to the walkway. Snowflakes fell down on all of them as they made their way to the yard beneath the moon.
"It's so pretty!" she said, throwing her arms out and spinning in a circle.
Hailey smiled and hugged her once she stopped spinning. "Just like you, butterfly," she said softly, "Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas," Noelle mumbled into her coat while wrapping her arms around Hailey.
Jay smiled as well and winked at Hailey. Glancing up at the sky, he said, "It's looking like a clear night, Elle; I don't think Santa's going to have any trouble at all trying to get here."
Noelle pulled back and followed his eyes. "I think so too, but at least he has Ruldolph if things get iffy."
"Exactly," Jay replied, placing a hand on her shoulder to lead her back into the house, "Christmas is going to go off without a hitch."
"What's that?" Noelle asked as she stopped within the doorway of the house.
"It means there won't be any problems," Hailey explained, "Santa's going to come here, and there won't be any clouds, and we'll all sleep warm and cozy in bed before waking up to an amazing day."
Noelle's smile widened, and she nodded before hurrying into the house.
"It will be amazing, won't it?" Jay murmured.
Hailey turned to face him, her own smile spreading. "Yes," she said simply. She pressed up on her tiptoes to place a quick kiss on his cold cheek.
It most certainly would be an amazing Christmas.
December 25
Jack was the first to wake on Christmas Day, and he couldn't wait for everyone else. He ran through the top floor, waking Noelle first then Jay and Hailey, saying he was ready. Hailey didn't care that it was just past six, but she also didn't want to get up just yet, so she had Jay pull him into their bed where they quietly reminded him what they were doing that day until Noelle came in an hour later, saying she took just a little nap after Jack woke her up.
Together, the four of them went downstairs where Jack and Noelle immediately squealed in happiness and raced for their stockings. Jay went to make coffee while Hailey started taking pictures to buy him a minute to wake up. After they'd set the presents out after midnight, he'd snuck out to go to Will's and pick up the last present that he then sat with for the majority of the night in their bathroom. He had a rough night, but he swore it was worth it, and Hailey completely agreed - especially after taking one look inside the cage he brought home.
Coffee in hand, Jay returned to sit on the ground by Jack and announced it was time for presents. As paper and ribbons flew everywhere, their children's laughter and joy filling the room, Hailey couldn't help but let her eyes draw to her husband. This was their life, and she didn't know how it could possibly get any better than this.
Christmas mornings used to be rather slow when she lived alone, and then they became peaceful and calm when Jay came into her life. Even for Noelle's first few Christmases, they could take the time to savor every tiny giggle and smile, the way her eyes would light up at a stuffed animal or a sparkly crown. Now, with Jack in the mix and Noelle slightly older with a better understanding of what was happening and a stronger belief in the magic, Christmas was chaotic and loud, but it was somehow even better.
The kids made the Christmas season magical - not Sprinkle Tinkle, not Jay, not the decorations, not even her. Christmas was memorable because of the running around the tree and yelling thanks up the chimney and looking to see if the reindeer food was gone and throwing small snowballs and all the warm, tight hugs. This was what the holiday was all about.
But if she wanted to make it even better for the kids by distracting them outside while Jay hurried upstairs to grab the final present, so be it. This was a bit for her too.
When they walked back inside, she shivered and said, "It's so cold! I don't know how Santa does it."
"Cause of his magic suit," Noelle answered. She pulled her coat off and shucked off her boots before helping Jack with his. "He probably has heaters inside it."
"That makes sense," Hailey replied, glancing over her head at Jay straightening up from behind the tree.
He cleared his throat and said, "Hey, you guys missed one."
"What?" Noelle asked.
Jack walked over to Jay and copied her: "What?"
"Yeah," Jay said, shrugging and rubbing the back of his neck, "Sorry, but there's a Sprinkle Tinkle gift here that we didn't notice. I don't know how that happened; it's pretty big."
Hailey smiled and followed the kids, her phone already out. "Oh, wow, you two. Look at that. Are you gonna open it?"
Just as the kids stepped closer, a soft bark came from the box, and they both jumped backwards.
"Oh!" Jack yelled.
Noelle gasped and said, "It's alive!"
Jay laughed and knelt down next to the pink box. "What should we do?"
Noelle slowly sat next to him, a look of awe on her face. "I think I have an idea. Sprinkle Tinkle listened to me."
"Spinkle?" Jack asked as he leaned closer to the box.
"No, it's not her," Hailey laughed, "Go ahead and take the lid off."
Noelle held her breath in anticipation then slipped the lid off the box. There was a beat before a small, white and brown puppy popped up and barked again.
"Oh my god!" Noelle yelled.
Jay laughed and said, "It's a puppy!"
"Dog!" Jack gasped, already clapping and jumping around, "Dog!"
Hailey felt a rush of emotion flood her system as Noelle pulled the puppy from the box and hug it tightly. All hesitations and worries went to the side: getting a puppy was the right choice.
"It's a girl," Jay said over the commotion, "So we have to-"
"Judy! No, Clarice! Oh, Jovie! Carol! Jessica!" Noelle started rattling off, "It has to be a Christmas name."
"Who the hell is Judy?" Jay asked with a laugh.
"Jay," Hailey sighed, but it was nothing compared to the disappointment on Noelle's face.
"The elf in The Santa Clause, Dad," she said with pursed lips, "Seriously?"
Ignoring them, Jack happily sat next to Noelle and started petting the puppy snuggled in her lap. "So nice. So soft."
Hailey smiled and knelt next to him. "She is nice. What do you want to name her?"
Jack shook his head and continued petting the puppy.
Hailey kissed the top of his head then asked, "So a Christmas name, huh?"
Noelle nodded quickly. "Obviously, since today's her birthday."
Jay laughed, and Hailey had to hold back a smile. They both knew the puppy was assumed to be just over eight weeks. It had been brought with several others and the mom to a shelter outside the city. The mom had been a doodle of sorts, maybe a shepherd mix, and they didn't know what the dad could have been and were just guessing he was a lab mix of his own. Neither of them completely minded not knowing and knew they were in for the long haul with the puppy - Hailey just hoped it didn't end up being a hundred pounds.
"Well, I kind of liked Clarice," Jay said, "That was the reindeer from last night, right? And she has the right colors."
"For a dog?" Hailey laughed.
Jay shrugged and grabbed the puppy from Noelle. Holding her above his head, he said, "It's better than something boring like Belle and Snowy."
"I agree," Noelle said, "But I really love The Santa Claus so…I think Judy or Carol."
Smirking, Hailey said, "Pass me that puppy." Once she accepted it from Jay, she explained, "It has to be something good we can call all the time. She's gonna be getting in lots of trouble, so her name should be easy to say."
Noelle hummed in thought. "Elsa and Anna are kinda Christmas."
"Who's that girl elf in those movies where the elves set up the house before Santa?" Jay asked, "Because I'm not loving the name Judy for a dog."
"You need to pay better attention on movie nights," Noelle replied, causing Hailey to laugh loudly, "But you're thinking of Magee. That's a little tough."
"Yeah, let's not do that," Jay chuckled.
"But," Hailey began as her laughter died away, "What about Maggie?"
"It's a spin on a Christmas name," Jay said when he spotted Noelle's skeptical face.
The puppy barked softly and Jack said, "Shh, Maggie, shh."
Noelle softened and nodded. "She looks like a Maggie."
The puppy, Maggie, jumped off Hailey's lap and right onto Jack, who laughed and fell backwards, accepting the little licks all over his face. Noelle laughed with him and laid down to attempt to tickle Maggie as well.
Hailey smiled and crawled over to Jay. "Merry Christmas," she whispered.
"Merry Christmas," he replied, leaning closer to kiss her.
She smiled against his lips when the kids laughed harder at something Maggie had done, and she knew this - family and love - was what really made the holiday special.
A/N: I hope you all enjoyed and that you have your own amazing holiday!