Who: Karl, Hope, and Nita What: Christmas Morning When: Christmas morning Where: their house Rating: low
This wasn’t the first time they had Christmas with their daughter, but now she wasn’t quite a baby anymore. More of a toddler who had a bubbling personality that included running now and a few words. Hope wasn’t sure they could count howling as a word, but she kind of wanted to. Nita’s favourite word was dada currently which she was utterly enamored with. Hope had to have at least 5 videos on her phone where Nita was talking to Karl because she loved the way they looked at each other.
Hope had anticipated an early wake up in the morning, but it was 6am and Nita wasn’t stirring yet. She rolled over and snuggled a little closer to Karl. She kept her voice low from the early morning vibe. “Don’t kids get up early for presents?” She wondered if Nita was too young to really ‘get’ the whole Santa thing “Maybe we didn’t sell Santa enough.”
Karl didn’t mind if he got a few extra minutes of cuddling with his wife, although he shared his wife’s surprise that Nita hadn’t woken up early. Hopefully Hope saved room on her phone for the adorableness that would probably be Nita on Christmas morning.
“You know she sleeps well. Even Christmas might not change that for her,” Karl murmured, burying his nose in Hope’s hair. “I don’t think you could sell Santa any better, short of invading the North Pole,” he joked quietly, stretching his legs, before wrapping an arm around Hope.
She smiled against him, happy with his little reassurance, but also a little distracted by Karl in general. “You know, we cou -” Her thought was cut short with the sound of stirring in the other room. Hope closed her eyes briefly, but smiled. “Sounds like someone is up.”
Hope idled against her husband for another moment or two before she willed herself to sit up. She was excited to watch Nita at Christmas which helped relieve some of the sleepiness she felt.
Grabbing a robe, she headed for Nita’s room. Of course once they were ready to head downstairs, Hope paused until Karl joined them and only then did they descend the stairs. Hope was fixated on their daughter’s face as she took in the tree with presents. “Looks like Santa came!”
She put down Nita so their daughter could walk to the tree, but Hope was all smiles.
Normally Karl enjoyed distracting his beautiful wife, but Christmas morning seemed like a dicey time for sex, considering their nearly toddler daughter might wake up any moment. And then obviously he heard Nita stirring. “Let’s give her a minute to fully wake.”
When Hope stood, Karl stretched and watched Hope move around their room. “I think I’ll get the coffee started while our daughter makes her way downstairs.” Karl obviously helped Hope with the wrapping and stocking, but he couldn’t organize the presents to look inviting under the tree for shit, so he’d finished a few other things while Hope put the finishing touches on the tree and Santa’sgifts.
He went into the kitchen and started the coffee. “No stockings or gifts until I’m here,” he teased. The werewolf walked back into the room in time to see his daughter walk to the tree, also wearing a large smile. Karl settled next to the tree and Nita.
The coffee pot sounded and Karl returned a moment later with coffee for both Hope and himself.
“Mama! Stocking?” Nita pointed at the three stockings hanging.
She took a tip of her coffee and let the warmth and comfort of it wash over her before Nita spoke and she let out a little chuckle. “Yes, let’s start with them.” Hope took down all three and passed one to Karl and then the other to their daughter. Hers sat on her lap. When she was a kid, she couldn’t wait to open up her stocking, but now that energy shifted to watching her daughter. It was crazy, when she thought about it, how so many things changed when you had a kid. Most of them in a good way.
It was cute watching her discover her various gifts, though what she soon discovered - and hadn’t anticipated - was Nita’s desire to stop and open up each toy and play with it. By the fourth toy-opening, Hope suddenly laughed. “Nita, honey. If we keep doing this, we’re going to be here until dinner.” And Rory planned to stop by at some point and they’d be making a visit to the packhouse too.
Karl ensured his wife received a stocking as well. He helped buy presents for his daughter, so that the magic of Christmas didn’t all fall on Hope’s shoulders. Though nobody could mistake her wrapping job for his, Karl at least did well with typing ribbons. He pulled out a pair of wolf socks and laughed, before his attention fell onto Nita while she opened hers.
Well, sort of opened hers. Karl chuckled at Hope’s words. Nita seemed to consider her mom’s words. And then return to what she’d been doing and Karl grinned at Hope as he began to record their daughter with his camera. “The longer she takes with this the less time she’ll spend with Nick’s gift,” Karl murmured to his wife. If Nick and Mia ever had kids, Karl would ensure Nick received payback for the kids’ drum set which awaited Nita.
“Besides, I think Rory will actually get a kick out of arriving in time to see Nita finishing her stocking…three hours later,” he joked as Nita examined with exclamations some cute Christmas stickers.
She chuckled softly and settled in beside Karl, leaning in a little for his warmth. “At least she’s still of the age where she doesn’t understand how batteries work.” She murmured to him so Nita couldn’t hear. If Nick got them anything that made noise, she’d just take out the batteries eventually. Of course, it was more harsh for Karl than it was for Hope. There was a part of her that liked the chaos it created, even if it was the most innocent kind - maybe that made her like it more. Before her own headache set in, anyway.
Hope turned and kissed Karl on his temple. “I love you. And I love this. And I really happy.” Hope realized this was probably the happiest she’d been. Madison could be terrible sometimes, but other times? It was great. “Merry Christmas Karl.”
Karl laughed at his wife’s comment. “We still have a few years before she truly understands batteries.” But if it helped his wife’s chaos vibes, Karl wouldn’t complain.
“I love you too, Hope. Merry Christmas with the best wife I could ever hope to have.” He settled in, so happy to have this life with the two people he loved most.