Just a fluffy little Christmas story. I have really enjoyed writing these stories. Hope to have more in the New Year.
May I wish everyone a very Happy Christmas.
Our First Family Christmas
Christmas 2009 was going to be the best Christmas ever for Gil and Sara Grissom, it was to be their first as a family. On Christmas Day 2008 Sara had given birth to their daughter, Hollie.
"Oh Gil I'm so excited our first family Christmas. I never enjoyed Christmas until we got together and now with Hollie, it's going to be a very special time. She is going to get really spoilt by her "aunts and uncles and special grandads" and, of course, her daddy," Sara said as she sat on the floor surrounded by toys, wrapping paper and cards.
"She will be spoilt by mommy too," Gil said taking Hollie out of her playpen and putting her on the floor next to Sara.
Hollie was fascinated by the small tree that Gil and Sara had put up on a table, she loved it when the lights were twinkling and kept pointing until Gil switched them on. "There you are sweetheart, don't they look pretty," Gil said, "but they are not as pretty as you and your mommy."
"I'll get us some lunch then we can take Hollie to the shopping centre to see all the displays and, of course, to see Santa," Sara said getting up.
"I hope she's not frightened, I was when my mom and dad took me for the first time. I remember I cried until he handed me a present," Gil said as he put Hollie back in her playpen while he helped Sara prepare lunch.
"She'll probably think it's grandad Al when she sees the white beard, or she might even think it's her daddy playing a game."
At the shopping centre Hollie is giggling and pointing at all the displays of reindeers, sleighs, elfs, fairies and all the people, she has never seen so many. They take her into a store and go to find the Christmas grotto, when she sees Santa she looks at Gil then Santa then Gil. The look on her face makes Sara laugh, the laugh Gil loves so much.
"What a pretty little girl, how old are you," Santa asks Hollie as he takes her from Gil.
"She will be one on Christmas Day," says a very proud Gil.
Santa hands Hollie a small present then reaches back for another one which he hands to Sara, "One for Christmas and one for her birthday."
By the time they leave the shopping centre Hollie is fast asleep in her stroller clutching her presents.
Gil and Sara wanted to have Christmas Day with just the three of them so decided to have the gang over on Christmas Eve afternoon so they could see Hollie before she went to bed. Sara had prepared food, set out drinks and put the pile of presents for the gang in the spare room ready to hand out later. Bruno was getting excited, he kept barking and running round the house, he knew something was happening. When the guests started arriving he went and sat by Hollie's playpen, he was very protective of her.
Everyone had a wonderful time and when they left the pile of presents under the tree had grown. Sara separated the Christmas and Birthday presents into two piles. They had told everyone that they should only get one gift but, as usual, they took no notice. Grandad Jim was the biggest culprit he really went to town on the present front. Jim told them Hollie was the only "grandchild" he would ever have so she was a very special little girl.
Christmas morning came and it was difficult to work out who was more excited Hollie, Gil or Sara. The pile of presents under the tree had grown as "Santa Gil" had added presents for Sara and "Santa Sara" had added presents for Gil.
"Santa was really busy last night," Sara said smiling at Gil. Gil had woken Sara at 4.00am, the time Hollie was born, so he could give her a very special present, his love.
After breakfast they all sit on the floor and open the gifts, Hollie is more interested in the paper, ribbon and boxes than anything else. Sara had bought Gil a new movie camera and he was filming everything. Hollie has so many toys she just sits among the boxes not knowing which one to play with. The one that she really wouldn't let go of was a stuffed ladybug bought by daddy.
"She is her father's daughter," Sara tells Gil as she puts her, and the ladybug, in the playpen.
In the kitchen Sara is making coffee when Gil comes up behind her and hands her a gingerbread man, "Mmmm gingerbread, my favorite" Sara says as she starts to first eat the arms, then the legs, then the icing buttons. "I loved these as a kid and this was the way I always used to eat them."
"Today we are all going to be kids, eating chocolate, biscuits, playing with toys. It's our first family Christmas so we are going to have fun, not care about the mess we make, we can clean up tomorrow. Now I have something for my gorgeous wife and the mother of my gorgeous daughter."
"What has got into you today Gil, not that I am complaining."
"Just you, you have got my heart, my soul my everthing now come on and follow me."
Gil leads her to the front room where he stops at the door and points up to where he has hung a sprig of mistletoe, "You, me, mistletoe now Pucker up my little elf I want my Christmas kiss. I also found a couple of presents that Santa forgot to put under the tree."
"I had a very special present at 4.00 am from Santa," Sara told him giving him her famous gap toothed smile.
"I know but I had to get you this," he says handing her a box wrapped in Christmas paper.
Sara slowly opens the box to reveal a holly leaf charm for her bracelet, after all Gil did promise to buy her one for every special occasion. "Oh Gil its beautiful thank you, I love you so much."
Gil then handed her another box, "This is from Hollie." Inside the box was a gold chain with a locket and inside the locket was a picture of Hollie on one side and a lock of her hair on the other. By this time Sara has tears streaming down her face. "This is the best Christmas ever."
"I have something for you," Sara says handing him a box, inside the box is a picture frame with a picture of a smiling Sara holding Hollie. Sara has written TO MY WONDERFUL HUSBAND AND MY WONDERFUL DADDY, WE LOVE YOU.
"I just have one more present for you," Gil says handing her an envelope. Inside is a copy of his resignation letter to Ecklie. He has got the teaching job he applied for at the university. "There is also a job for you if you want it. I need an assistant to help in research, you can do it at home. I know you don't want to go back to work at the lab."
Sara is speechless, she is so happy that Gil will be home more and out of danger and she will be doing something she likes.
"You think of everything don't you, I love you Dr Grissom. Now lets go and see what our daughter is up to."
Hollie is laying on the floor in her playpen clutching her ladybug and is fast asleep. Bruno is also asleep in the middle of a pile of Christmas paper, ribbons and bows.
"Sara, quick get the camera we must have a photograph of this."
Gil, Sara, Hollie and Bruno all had a Christmas to remember.
The End
