Christmas With Family
Chirstmas With Family
Sequel to Flight To Paradise
©1999-2000
By Sarah
Chapter 12
        "Daddy."
        Brian grumbled and ignored the whispering voice.  He figured it was part of another dream.
        "Daddy."
        Brian groaned and rolled his head to the other side, leaning against Sarah’s head.  He buried his nose in her hair, smelling the sweet shampoo that she’d washed her hair with the night before.
        "Dad-dy."
        This time, the whisper came out more like a whine and Brian felt himself coming out of sleep’s early stages.
        "Daddy, come on, its time to get up, its Christmas!"
        Brian turned his head back to the side and opened his eyes, looking into a pair of matching blue eyes that were shining with excitement.
        "Brian, its too early, go back to bed," Brian said to his son, closing his eyes again.  He felt sleep overtaking his mind again, making it cloud up.
        "But Daddy, the clock says six-four-nine, its time to get up!"
        Brian groaned.  ‘Ten to seven in the morning and he wants to go open presents.  Of course he does, he’s a kid.  He’s your kid.’
        Brian opened his eyes again and looked at his pleading son, who was having an internal battle to not jump on the bed, causing both of his parents get up.
        "Ok, ok, I’m up," Brian said, rubbing his eyes.  He looked at Sarah, who was cuddled up to his side, her head resting on his chest.  He smiled at her serene and peaceful expression, the expression that made his insides melt right before she smiled at him.  He kissed her forehead and carefully lifted her head, removing his arm from under her head.  He sat up and replaced the covers over her body, letting her sleep.  He got up quietly and Brian grabbed his hand, dragging him to Katie’s crib, where she was looking around quietly, playing with her rattle and baby doll’s dress every once in a while.  Brian smiled at her and watched as a bright smile appeared on her face, a giggle escaping her throat as her deep green eyes lit up.  He reached down and picked her up, tickling her stomach as he brought her head to the crook of his elbow.  He carried her out into the hallway, following Brian down the hall and to the stairs.
        "Look, Daddy, Santa Claus came!"  Brian exclaimed.  Brian smiled at his son and set Katie in the playpen next to the couch.  He walked into the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee, looking up as his mother walked in, yawning.
        "Your son is very hyper," she said tiredly.
        Brian smiled and handed her the cup of coffee, then poured himself another.  He leaned against the counter, facing his mother as she sat at the island counter next to him.
        "My son is hyper, that’s an understatement if I’ve ever heard one," Brian said.  He smiled brightly at her and she laughed.
        "You two are so much alike, I sometimes wonder whether or not you were cloned into your son," his mother said, shaking her head.
        Brian smiled as Sarah walked in the kitchen, her eyes half closed.  He pulled her into his arms, wrapping his arms around her from behind.
        "Brian, your son is too hyper," Sarah mumbled, leaning back against his shoulder and closing her eyes.
        Brian laughed and kissed her cheek before giving her the cup of coffee.  "You know, he’s your son too."
        Sarah smiled as she sipped the coffee.  "He’s not my son until after nine."
        Brian’s mother laughed as her husband walked in the room, sitting next to his wife and resting his head on the counter.
        "Brian, your son is insanely hyper," his father said into the counter.
        Brian smiled.  "So I’ve been told a few hundred times," he said dryly.  He raised his eyebrows as Nick came into the kitchen, his hair standing on end.
        "I’ve been up since two o’clock.  First Maggie woke up at two, then fell back asleep to wake up at three-thirty, then asleep again and up at four-fifteen, then she fell asleep again.  I was nearly asleep when Brian just had to come and yell that it was Christmas," Nick explained as he sat at the counter and rested his head in his hands.
        "Everybody!  Its Christmas!"  Brian yelled as he bounded in the room.
        "We know, little man, we know," Brian said, letting go of Sarah and walking over to his son.  He picked him up and faced the people in the kitchen, each looking more tired than the other.  "Say you’re sorry to everyone for waking them up, it wasn’t very nice," he said to his son, gesturing in front of them.
        "I’z sorry," Brian said quietly, looking down at the ground.  His bright smile turned upside down and into a frown, sadness filling his cheerful blue eyes.
        "Oh, Brian, baby, its ok, we know you’re excited," his grandmother said, giving in first.  Brian looked up at her and gave her a bright smile, struggling out of his father’s grasp and running over to her, laughing as she picked him up.
        "Can we open presents now?"  Brian asked.
        Sarah smiled and looked at Brian’s father.  "What do you think, Grandpa Harold, should we?"  She asked, taking little Brian from his grandmother and hanging him upside down and grinning at his grandfather.
        Brian’s father sighed and laughed.  "How can I resist that face?  Ok, get in there, Brian, go pick out the first present," he said, gesturing out of the room.
        "Yeah!"  Brian exclaimed.  He wriggled out of Sarah’s grasp and ran into the living room,     dragging his mother with him.
        Brian shook his head, watching Sarah struggle to stay on her feet as Brian pulled her along.  He laughed and picked up the cup of coffee, going to a cabinet and taking out a few crackers for Katie, then followed everyone into the living room, where Brian was pacing back and forth in front of the tree, looking thoughtful.
        "Daddy!  Which one?"  Brian asked, gesturing to all the presents.  The tree was practically being held up by them, there were a lot of brightly colored wrapped boxes under the tree, more than Brian could ever remember.
        "Mom, did you go and try to spoil my son and daughter?"  Brian asked as he pulled Sarah into his lap in the recliner.  He gave a cracker to his mother, who in turn held it up to Katie’s mouth and watched her as she chewed it.
        "Absolutely not, I just bought out the toy stores for my grandson and granddaughter because they deserve it," his mother replied, smiling down at a giggling Katie in her arms.
Brian shook his head and looked at Sarah, who was staring off into space.
        "Sarah, honey, you ok?"  Brian asked, nudging her arm.
        Sarah shook her head and looked down at Brian.  "What?  Oh, yeah, I’m fine," she said, smiling.  She gestured down to Brian on the floor and Brian looked down at his son.  He smiled as Brian tore open a package, a bright smile on his face, anticipating the gift.
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