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“You got a princess bed. We’re gonna make your full name Princess Sasha.

” Her bed was pink and shaped like a crown.

“Look at all your fun toys.” We played and I tried to teach her to fetch but she was still too silly to bring the ball back.

She’d hop a couple steps and roll over and I’d giggle.

But when Sasha fell asleep, I guess I did too.

“Little Sprite,” I heard Daddy’s voice, but he sounded so far away. “Sweetheart, there you are.”

I opened my eyes and blinked. “Daddy, why are you so tall?”

“Because you fell asleep on the floor with Sasha. I got worried when you didn’t come back.”

“Sorry, Daddy. We went for a walk and Sasha was good and pottied outside then we played, and I guess we fell asleep.”

“The kids are in the ball pit. Did you want to play with them?”

“It’s okay, they can have all the balls. I want to play with Sasha some more. Daddy I love her so much.” She made my heart happy but so did Daddy. And Uncle Mark. And mom and dad. And everyone here.

Guess I had a big heart.

“I’m so happy, Sprite. Did you and Sasha at least want to come back downstairs? It’s nearly dinner time.”

“Where is Sasha’s food?”

“Right here. Uncle Mark set it on the table. She probably needs some water. Let’s get her set up.”

We filled her pretty shiny dishes and sat them on a floor mat. Sasha was thirsty and drank a lot of water and ate a couple bites of food.

“Time to take her out to empty that full bladder. Until she’s properly trained, Sprite, you’ll have to keep her on a leash, so she doesn’t get away.”

“Yes, Daddy. I don’t want her to get lost. I’d be so sad.”

“As will I, my love.”

“Merry Christmas, Daddy!” I bounced on the bed. “I already took Sasha out. Can we open our prezzies now?”

“Merry Christmas, Sprite!” Daddy tackled me and played tickle monster while Sasha barked from the floor beside the bed. “Let’s get dressed. I’m sure the others are up and in the mess hall.”

“I’m dressed. Let’s go.”

“Sprite, Daddy is nakey and that’s not okay for family time.”

My eyes scanned his nakedness. I wonder if…no, prezzies first and sexy time later.

“I know that look, naughty boy. Daddy’s putting on clothes before you make us late.” My sighs were getting better. I’d say that one was a least a seven on the rating scale, maybe even an eight.

Daddy took forever to get ready. By the time he found us I already had Sasha’s leash on and we paced by the door.

“Alright sassy boy, let’s go.” Daddy swatted my butt as I passed him, not in anger but in fun, so I wiggled it. “Sassy butt, not a sassy boy.”

“Sassy butt attached to a sassy boy.”

“Merry Christmas!” rang out as Daddy and I stepped inside the mess hall. Sasha barked out her holiday wishes and as soon as I unclicked her leash she ran around greeting everyone with big, wet kisses.

“Daddy, can we do our stockings?”

“Yes, my love. Let’s do that so the grown-ups have a chance to get caffeinated.”

“Yay!”

“Alright littles ones,” Daddy announced as he approached the wall of stockings, “have a seat in front of me and we’ll pass out the stockings.

” Cheers rang out as all of us, yes, I went with the kids too, took a seat in front of Daddy while he and Daddy Mark handed out the stockings.

Sasha got one too. Daddy opened her toys and tossed them out and she chased them.

Grown-ups got stockings too but set theirs aside to get breakfast ready while the rest of us played. I got more cars, a couple of coloring books, one had a bunch of different puppies like Sasha, and new crayons. Santa even found sparkly and neon ones for me too.

The big tree in the corner had so many prezzies under it that they lined the wall. I cleaned up my mess before Sasha took off with another crayon and wandered over to read the name tags.

“Are any for us, Ro?” Lexi asked and I scooped her up.

“I think so, but they put all the grown-ups presents in the front.” Sneaky daddies.

“Time for breakfast,” Daddy carried out both our plates. “Have a seat, Sprite and I’ll get your milk.”

Shoveling the food in as fast as I could was the goal, but Daddy must’ve known that. “Chew your food, Sprite,” he said when he sat my milk down and I deflated like a sad balloon. “The presents aren’t going anywhere, sweetheart and giving you the Heimlich on Christmas isn’t something I want.”

He just had to go and play the guilt card, didn’t he…

Humph.

But I ate, chewed, and finished all my food without choking. Daddy should be proud of me, that took a lot of restraint. Then I was extra good and cleaned up all the kids’ plates since we ate at the same table.

“Good boy, Sprite.” Daddy kissed the top of my head. “Let’s do presents.” All the kids heard that, and it was a mad scramble to sit on the floor like we had for stockings.

Silently we sat as they handed out the presents. Just like I thought, behind the big boxes the grown-ups got was where ours were hidden. Finally, when the last one was handed out and we each had a stack in front of us Daddy hollered, “Ready! Set! Go!”

A whirlwind of colorful paper filled the air as we tore into our piles. Squeals and giggles filled the room, some of which came from me. It was hard not to be excited with prezzies literally everywhere.

“Ohhhh, Daddy look. I got my own gardening set.” I couldn’t wait for spring to plant new flowers and veggies in my gnome garden.

Daddy Mark and I fenced it in to keep the squirrels and other animals out of it.

Nosy munchers ate all the plants Daddy and I first planted.

Now it was too cold for anything to grow, but we were ready for spring.

Even put a screen door on it to help keep them out.

I got a big, huge race car track that the cars would fly through the air and drive up along part of the track on the wall. I couldn’t wait to see how fast they went. Lots of puzzles and art stuff. I was one lucky boy with all the goodies I got.

“Mom, you made me new curtains!” I hugged the new gnome curtains tight. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, baby boy. They’re a bit big because your daddy sent me the measurements for your playroom window in the new house and I wanted to make sure they’d fit both your new and old room windows.”

“You’re really smart.” She smiled and went back to talking to Daddy’s mom.

All the happy faces in the room filled with everyone I love. People from different walks of life come together, new friendships being forged and old ones renewed. I couldn’t have asked for a better Christmas than this one and in the thick of it was the man I loved more than life itself.

I hope daddy knew I was gonna marry him someday…