Ellie was typing in her case notes at the end of her shift when her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled her cell out of her pocket and smiled at the screen, which displayed the name of the caller. "Hey Marine," She greeted him with a smile.
" Hey yourself, Doc," Ellie heard the warm rumble of her boyfriend's voice. " You got any plans for this weekend?"
"Hmm," Ellie hummed, a smirk on her lips, "Well there's this really sexy Marine over at Pendleton who has the cutest little girl, thought I'd spend some time with them."
" Lucky guy," John chuckled over the line.
"Nah, I'm the lucky one," She countered, "Especially when he does this thing with his…"
" Getting pretty racy for working as a kid-doctor," John teased.
"…lasagna, I mean it just makes my knees go weak." Ellie finished, "Where was your head at Marine?" She giggled, loving that she was able to yank his chain now and again.
" Cute," John grunted.
"You know you love me," Ellie smiled.
" Yeah, I do," John spoke low in her ear before changing the topic completely, "So, we got a couple weeks to Christmas, and Alex and I were hoping you could join us in choosing our tree. One of the guys mentioned a cut your own tree lot not too far out of town."
"Sounds like fun," Ellie nodded, despite John not being able to see her, "When?"
" I was thinking Saturday, we could head out after breakfast," John suggested, " Might be easier if you crash at my place the night before. We could enjoy a nice dinner with the kid, then after she goes down a nice night together."
"Captain Casey, are you trying to seduce me into your bed?" Ellie faux gasped.
" Maybe," He admitted, " Is it working?"
"Maybe," She chuckled, "I'd love to join you two. I'll pack a bag and head over after work tomorrow."
" Sounds like a plan," John agreed, " I'll see you tomorrow, Doc. Love you."
"Love you too, Marine," Ellie replied, "I look forward to our family weekend together."
When they disconnected, Ellie went back to her notes, seeing in her periphery the knowing look and chuckle from the head nurse who sat two stations down from her. "What?"
"You and your Marine remind me of me and my aviator back in the day," Beth smiled over at her, "He liked to act the part of the playboy, but with me he was nothing but sweet."
"How's he been holding up?" Ellie asked.
"Still fighting the good fight," Beth sighed, "He hasn't been the same since he lost his friend. He was starting to lose hope, he's not as young as he once was, which is making things harder for him. However, he heard rumors that some tech genius up in San Francisco might be able to help. I don't know much since everything is so classified. I'm just glad that we don't have to live out in the middle of Nowhere, New Mexico anymore."
"Well, I wish him luck," Ellie gave the nurse a soft smile, "I know what it's like to lose someone you care about. I know it's not the same, but my brother and I lost both our parents by the time I was a freshman in college. I had to raise him more or less after that, I'm just glad he turned out relatively normal."
"As did you," Beth commented, "I'll pass your sentiments on to Al."
Ellie nodded and went back to her notes.
Saturday morning dawned clear and bright with Ellie snuggled in John's arms as they slept. They were both beginning to stir when they heard a faint tap on John's door followed by the soft sigh of the hinges as the door was pushed open. A pair of small feet shuffled along the carpet as their owner approached Ellie's side of the bed.
"G'morning, Miss Ellie," Alexandra murmured sleepily, rubbing her eyes.
"Good morning, Doodlebug," Ellie rolled over and lifted the sheets and blanket on her side of the bed so Alex could climb in and snuggle up against her chest. Ellie felt the bed shift slightly and soon John was spooning her, his long arm wrapped around his girls as they all dozed a bit longer.
An hour or so later had them seated at the kitchen table, French toast on their plates, enjoying their morning together. John had just brought Ellie her coffee, doctored with a bit of sugar and a splash of the French vanilla creamer she liked, when he decided they were far enough along in their meal to discuss their plans for the day.
"So, Kid," He caught Alexandra's attention, "Since Christmas is a couple weeks away, figured it was time to get our tree."
Alexandra's eyes lit up in excitement as she began to wiggle in her seat, "Really?"
"Yes really," John nodded.
"Yay!" She squealed, "Did you hear that, Miss Ellie? We are gonna get our Christmas tree today!"
"I heard," Ellie smiled at Alex's excitement as she took a sip of her coffee. "But before we go, you need to eat your breakfast. The tree farm is a ways away and we don't need little tummys getting hungry."
"Yes, ma'am," Alexandra nodded vehemently as she tucked in to her breakfast with gusto. The adults chuckled as she got syrup all over her face in her hurry to eat.
Once breakfast was done, John took Alexandra to get cleaned up and dressed while Ellie cleaned up the breakfast dishes, loading the plates, cups, and cutlery in the dishwasher and starting it as she unplugged and washed the electric griddle. Once that was in the drying rack and the counter, table, and sink were wiped down she headed to John's room to get dressed.
Figuring she'd get dirty at the farm, she skipped her usual morning shower, opting instead to pull her hair up in a pony tail and put on some deodorant before getting dressed. Out of her overnight bag, she pulled a pair of warn jeans, a long-sleeved t-shirt, and sweatshirt along with warm socks and her under wear. She had her sweatshirt on the bed beside her as she pulled on a pair of hiking boots that John had bought her for one of their dates in the early fall which had included a hike up to a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean where they watched the sunset. She'd just finished lacing up her boots when John entered the room, opening drawers, pulling out a similar outfit to hers, jeans, undershirt, Marine sweatshirt, along with socks and a fresh pair of boxers. He quickly dressed and grabbed an old pair of boots from his closet - which were no more than shit kickers at this point - and pulled them on.
"Ready to go?" He asked looking over to where Ellie was pulling on her UCSD sweatshirt. "We have an excited little girl eager to pick out the perfect tree."
"Yeah," She smiled over at him, "Hey, I was thinking, if Alexandra isn't too tired, or maybe after she has a nap, we can bake some Christmas cookies."
John considered Ellie's words, "I don't know if we have what we need here, Elle," He shrugged.
"Yeah, we do," She gave him an impish grin, "I made sure of it last week when I brought over dinner."
"Clever girl," John praised softly in her ear as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed a soft kiss to her neck in the place that never failed to send shivers down her spine.
"Behave yourself, Marine," She chided him lightly, "I doubt your daughter would take it very well if her trip to the tree farm was delayed or cut short because her daddy wanted a little nookie."
John made a sound that was part aroused growl and part whimper before turning Ellie in his arms and kissing her once again and released his hold on her. "We'll come back to this later, Doc."
"Promises, promises," Ellie teased, slipping out of the room to remind Alexandra to try to use the bathroom before they loaded up in the car to head out to the farm.
The ride to the farm was not as bad as they thought it might be with a restless preschooler in the back seat. They exited the highway into a rural area populated with farms and wooded areas, and a short time later they joined the line of cars driving under a metal archway which bore the name of the farm. A couple young men in Carhart jackets, jeans, and boots, stood just inside the gate, handing out maps and candy canes before giving a quick overview of what to expect and where to park. When it was their turn, John grunted his acknowledgement and continued on to the parking area.
Once they found a parking space, they headed towards the barn from which the hayride would depart.
"Welcome to Thurston Farm," A young woman in her late teens, dressed similarly to the men at the gate, but with a braided ponytail hanging out of the hole in the back of her faded ball cap. "Is it your first time here?"
"Yes," Ellie smiled at her.
"Well, welcome! My name is Natalie." She introduced herself.
"It's nice to meet you," Ellie replied, "I'm Ellie, this is John, and Alexandra."
"We're gonna get a tree!" Alexandra crowed.
"Well then you came to the right place," Natalie crouched down to Alexandra's level, "My family has been growing the best Christmas trees since my great granddaddy bought this farm. Have you told Santa what you want for Christmas yet?"
"No," Alexandra shook her head.
"You're in luck," Natalie booped the girl on her nose, "I heard that Santa was going to be stopping by in a little bit. Maybe after you get back from picking out your tree, you can tell him what you want." She looked up toward the adults then back to Alexandra. "That is, if your mommy and daddy are okay with it."
It's just Daddy and Miss Ellie," Alexandra informed the older girl, "Mommy went to heaven."
"Oh, I'm sorry," Natalie cleared her throat and stood, not knowing what else to say, "Um, the next hayride will be taking off in about 10 minutes, so you have time to duck inside and get a warm cup of cider or hot chocolate. Santa will be swinging by around 11."
Ellie gave the young woman a reassuring smile, "It's okay, happens all the time."
Natalie nodded her understanding and headed over to greet some of the other families who had just arrived.
John made a mental note to speak with Ellie's brother when he and Sarah joined them for Christmas. Turning to his girls, he nodded toward the barn, "You ladies want some cocoa before we hit the trail?"
"Yeah!" Alexandra shouted, doing her happy dance just ahead of her adults as they headed toward the barn.
The barn was brightly lit but still carried the musty smell all old barns seemed to have. "Daddy, Ellie, look!" Alexandra tugged on John's hand pointing over to the side of the barn where some sheep, a goat, and a cow were all stabled. John and Ellie looked over to see a farm hand handing out cups of feed for the sheep and goat while a couple families pet and fed the animals. "Can I pet them, please?"
The adults shared a look before Ellie crouched down in front of the little girl. "After we pick out our tree, we can. Right now, we only have time to get some cocoa before our ride leaves."
"Okay," Alex nodded, a slightly dejected tone to her voice.
The trio made their way over to the table where urns of hot chocolate, coffee, and cider were lined up along with cups and lids. While Ellie filled two cups with the cocoa, and helping a giggling Alexandra drop their candy canes into their already sweet drinks, John got himself a black coffee. Taking a sip, he grunted his approval at the strong brew. He saw Ellie securely snap the lid on Alex's cup and hand it to her with a quiet reminder to be careful when carrying it and drinking it as it was still a bit too warm. A moment later, the three of them were heading outside to meet the tractor-pulled trailer, laden with bales of hay.
They waited patiently as the previous passengers departed from the trailer. When it was their turn to board, Ellie handed Alexandra's cup to John so she could help the girl up the stairs to the ride. Once Alex was on the trailer, she patiently waited for her adults to board so they could take their seats. They let Alexandra choose their seats and settled onto the bales for their loop around the property.
John couldn't help the small smile that rose to his lips as he watched Ellie interact with his daughter. Sure, he'd noticed it before, but it always warmed his heart to see her treat the girl as her own child rather than the daughter of the man she happened to be dating, however exclusively. Ellie had since reclaimed Alexandra's cup of cocoa and had taken a tentative sip to check the temperature, deeming the drink safe for the girl to drink.
Ellie chuckled at how enthusiastically Alex drank her cocoa, practically guzzling it down without a breath in between drags until she tilted her whole body back to get the last of the cocoa. "You gotta appreciate the dedication." Her observation earned her a smirk from her boyfriend.
"Hey, at least we don't have to worry about her spilling it when she's trying to look for trees," John shrugged pulling Ellie closer to his side and watching his daughter over her head. A moment later, they had turned the corner to see acres and acres of trees on either side of the dirt roadway. Each section labeled by a large sign identifying the different varieties of spruce, pine, and fir that were grown on the farm.
Ellie, who had turned and placed a hand on Alexandra's back to hold her steady, leaned over to speak to the girl over the rumble of the tractor. "Okay, so we need your help to find the best Christmas tree for us to take home and decorate."
Alex nodded enthusiastically and set to her task, her eyes scanning over the fields of trees they passed, looking for the perfect one. A few minutes later, she began bouncing on her knees and hooting like a monkey. "Ooh, ooh, Ellie, Daddy look! That one!" She pointed to a tree nestled in among the Douglas Firs.
"Yeah, that's a good one," Ellie agreed, looking over her shoulder, "What do you think, John?"
"That'd work," John grunted, "When we get back to the barn, we'll grab the Vic and hope we beat someone to it."
Decision made, they settled back on their hay bales to enjoy the rest of their ride around the farm. Once the ride came to a stop, John directed Alex to stay on the trailer until he and Ellie could descent the steps. When he turned to assist his daughter down, she jumped out to him.
"Nice catch," Ellie commented under her breath.
John grunted his acknowledgement of Ellie's words before carrying Alex out of the way and getting down on her level. "Alexandra, you can't be jumping out at people like you did from that trailer." He instructed in a low, firm voice. Alex's lip began to tremble at his words, cheeks flushing. "Aw, kid," He wrapped her up in a hug, "It's just not a safe thing to do. I was able to catch you this time, I just don't want you to fall, if you jump at me with no warning like you did and I don't have time to catch you."
"I'm sorry, Daddy," Alex whimpered against his neck. "I won't do it again. Can we still get our tree?"
"Sure, Kid," John assured her, pulling back to meet her eyes as his thumbs wiped away her tears, "I just want you to make safe choices."
"Yes, sir," Alexandra nodded.
"So next time, what choice should you make?" John led her.
"Go down the stairs holding your hand," Alexandra said.
"Good girl," John gave her another hug and kissed her forehead, "Now that that's settled, let's go get our tree."
Alex nodded solemnly and waited for him to stand before they joined Ellie and headed back to the car. Consulting the map, John started up the car and slowly drove down the dirt late toward the stand of Douglas Firs where his daughter had pointed out the tree she wanted. Pulling to the side of the lane, Alexandra and Ellie stood along the lane while John opened the trunk, pulling out a bowsaw and a tarp, before closing the trunk, locking the car and directing Alexandra to take them to her tree.
The girl led them a few rows back her evaluating gaze sweeping this way and that before she stopped and pointed to the tree she wanted. "That one, Daddy."
"Alright," John nodded, walking a cursory loop around the tree, looking for any bald patches and checking the height of the tree. Finding none, he found a relatively flat space and laid down the tarp.
"Hey Doodlebug, we should stand back now so your Daddy can cut down the tree," Ellie took the girl's hand and walked her a short distance away so they could watch, "We don't need any trees falling on little girls."
"Yes, ma'am," Alexandra nodded and followed obediently.
The pair of them watched as the tree shook with every cut of the bowsaw's blade. John was about of a third of the way through the trunk when a young man a few years his junior walked by, carrying his own bowsaw and tarp, trailed by a woman and two young children.
"Hey man, need a little help?' The man offered.
John slid out from beneath the tree, "Yeah, would you mind holding the tree steady so I can get it cut right?"
"Sure thing, name's Dave Richardson," Dave held out his hand, "That's my wife Hannah, daughter Kenna, and son Trey." He gestured towards the woman and kids with his other hand.
"John Casey," John shook the man's hand before nodding toward his girlfriend and daughter, "Ellie and Alexandra, my girlfriend and our daughter."
Ellie wasn't sure if John had noticed his slip, but decided not to correct him, instead opting to greet Hannah and her children. As the men worked to fell the Casey's tree, and then moved on to return the favor for the Richardsons, Ellie and Hannah chatted casually while the kids played since Kenna and Alex were about the same age.
Turned out that the Richardsons were new to the area, having moved for Dave's work to Oceanside. Hannah was a 3rd grade teacher and had just started teaching at the grade school that Alexandra would be attending in a couple years. Ellie mentioned that she was in her pediatric residency but would be having to commute to San Diego in the spring for her neurology fellowship. Upon hearing what Ellie did, Hannah's eyes lit up.
"We have been looking for a good pediatrician for the kids," She commented.
"Do you have your phone?" Ellie asked, pulling her own out of her pocket.
"Yeah," Hannah pulled hers out as well, the women exchanged numbers and then Ellie texted her office's main number to her new friend.
"Doctor Clark is the best there is," Ellie assured her, "I don't know how soon the kiddos need their wellness checks, but I do know that as of yesterday, we have some openings the week after New Years."
Hannah nodded her understanding, "Sounds good, thanks. Kenna isn't due until March, but Trey is overdue."
"Call the office, and we can see if we can squeeze you in sometime next week, maybe." Ellie advised, "We're closed the week between Christmas and New Year."
They heard a crack and a slow crash as the second tree was liberated from its trunk and made a controlled descent guided by John's firm grip. The men worked in partnership to carry the trees back to their respective vehicles and secure them as their families followed them back out to the dirt lane where they'd parked. Soon both trees were lashed onto the cars and the families piled into their respective vehicles to make the short journey to the front of the farm's property to pay for their trees.
John and Dave carried their trees over to the shake and pay stations where their trees were put on machines to shake any loose needles from the trees and then measured to be paid for. While the men were getting their trees taken care of, Ellie and Hannah took the kids inside to pet the animals in the barn's small petting zoo. Kenna and Trey's aunt had a small farm in southwest Washington where she boarded horses, so they taught Alexandra how to pet and feed the pony and goats who were at the tree farm.
Just as the men came in to collect their families, there was a commotion in the barn. A large man with a fur trimmed red suit, boots, and cap entered the barn and took a seat on a throne in the corner of the space. Since none of the kids had been to visit Santa yet, their parents led them over to where the big man was sitting, so they could get their pictures taken. When it was her turn, Alexandra walked up to Santa and climbed into his lap, like the children who had gone before her had, and sent a quick look toward her daddy and Ellie before whispering in Santa's ear what she wanted for Christmas. They didn't miss Santa's quick glance towards them before he responded, earning a small nod from the girl. Santa pointed towards a young woman dressed as an elf and the pair smiled before he gave Alexandra a hug and a candy cane and sent her back to where her daddy and Ellie stood waiting for her.
"Ready to go, Kid?" John asked his daughter.
Alexandra looked hesitantly and shook her head.
Ellie, noticing who was now having a visit with Santa smiled, "I think we can wait to say goodbye to Kenna and Trey before we head home." She suggested, earning a wide smile from Alexandra.
The Richardsons joined them a short while later, goodbyes, hugs, and handshakes were exchanged between the families along with promises to be in tough to arrange a play date for the kids after the holiday had passed. They all made their way out to their cars and headed back to their homes to decorate and prepare for the upcoming holiday.