Christmas at the Shores #2
December 7th
“When’s Daddy getting here?”
Alex looked down at her two girls. Both dressed in their Christmas best and sitting on the stairs with looks of anticipation on their faces. They were on their way to see Santa, or so she hoped. They had intended to leave much earlier, but she’d been out until three in the morning on a case, and hadn’t been able to drag herself out of bed at seven to get ready. It had been Alan who had gotten up, made breakfast, gotten both girls ready, and then appeared in their room with a large cup of coffee and bacon and eggs for her. While she ate she expressed her dread of the afternoon, standing in the long line so the girls could see Santa. They had to do it. The girls had been looking forward to it. The idea of standing there for hours surrounded by screaming kids and their equally annoying parents (all of whom made her feel old), made her almost want to tell the kids Santa wasn’t real. Almost.
It was then Alan suddenly got up and announced he needed to go to the grocery store before it got crowded. When she suggested she just take the girls and he could forget about it he insisted on them waiting.
“We always go as a family!” He insisted, as he put on his coat. “Thirty minutes. I’ll be back.”
That was forty-five minutes ago, and the girls were getting restless.
“Did Daddy go to buy cigarettes?” Rachel, who was much too observant for a six-year-old, asked.
“Daddy doesn’t smoke.” Alex replied, joining the girls on the steps.
“He smokes cigars with Uncle Denny!” Kathryn piped up. “But he told me it was bad for him and that I should never, ever, smoke. Then Uncle Denny called him a Democrat.”
Alex snorted and shook her head a little, picturing the annoyed look on her husband’s face in her mind. “I bet.”
“I think he went out for cigarettes.” Rachel insisted.
“Why’s that?”
“Because Kenya Martin’s Dad went out for cigarettes and never came back and it feels like Daddy’s been gone forever.” She exaggerated, flopping back on the stairs. That child could be so over-dramatic sometimes.
“He’s been gone 45-minutes. He’ll be back.”
“How do you know?” Kathryn asked, moving to sit in Alex’s lap. She looked worried now so Alex planted a kiss on her cheek and gave her a little hug.
“Because Daddy has to come home. He left all his favorite ties."
At that moment, the front door opened and there was Alan Shore, taking his hat off as he came inside. He smiled when he saw them all seated on the stairs. “Am I late?”
“DADDY!” Kathryn flew off her mother’s lap and threw herself at her father to give him a hug so fast that Alan almost missed her. “Mommy’s right! You wouldn’t leave your ties!”
He gave Alex a mildly confused look before picking up his daughter. “I have a surprise for you and your sister.”
“What is it?” Rachel joined them, going to her dad’s side since her sister was already up.
“Is it a kitty?” Kathryn asked hopefully. She’d been after a kitten for a long time, but that wasn’t happening as her mother disliked cats.
“Better not be.” Alex said, standing to the side to watch this entertainment, curious herself what Alan’s surprise could be.
He set their four-year-old down and went to give his wife a kiss as a greeting. “No, no cats. I know better.” He knew good and well if he brought a cat home he would be sleeping in the guest room. “Girls, why don’t you open the door and see what it is?”
The two sisters exchanged a look and threw open the door, their eyes lighting up when they saw that on the stoop, dressed in a red suit and looking completely jolly, was the one and only Santa Claus.
“Ho ho ho!” Santa laughed. “OOF!” He was immediately slammed by two fast-moving kids.
“SANTA!”
“THIS IS THE BEST DAY EVER!!”
Alex looked at Alan and raised an eyebrow, wondering where the hell he found a Santa suit this time of year and how exactly he convinced Denny Crane to dress as Santa.
He shrugged. “I thought you would prefer a home visit. This way we can get pictures and not have to wait in line.”
“You, Alan Shore, are amazing.” She kissed him as a thank you.
“You’re welcome.” He said with a smile, looking particularly pleased with himself. “A happy wife makes for a happy holiday indeed.”
“When’s Daddy getting here?”
Alex looked down at her two girls. Both dressed in their Christmas best and sitting on the stairs with looks of anticipation on their faces. They were on their way to see Santa, or so she hoped. They had intended to leave much earlier, but she’d been out until three in the morning on a case, and hadn’t been able to drag herself out of bed at seven to get ready. It had been Alan who had gotten up, made breakfast, gotten both girls ready, and then appeared in their room with a large cup of coffee and bacon and eggs for her. While she ate she expressed her dread of the afternoon, standing in the long line so the girls could see Santa. They had to do it. The girls had been looking forward to it. The idea of standing there for hours surrounded by screaming kids and their equally annoying parents (all of whom made her feel old), made her almost want to tell the kids Santa wasn’t real. Almost.
It was then Alan suddenly got up and announced he needed to go to the grocery store before it got crowded. When she suggested she just take the girls and he could forget about it he insisted on them waiting.
“We always go as a family!” He insisted, as he put on his coat. “Thirty minutes. I’ll be back.”
That was forty-five minutes ago, and the girls were getting restless.
“Did Daddy go to buy cigarettes?” Rachel, who was much too observant for a six-year-old, asked.
“Daddy doesn’t smoke.” Alex replied, joining the girls on the steps.
“He smokes cigars with Uncle Denny!” Kathryn piped up. “But he told me it was bad for him and that I should never, ever, smoke. Then Uncle Denny called him a Democrat.”
Alex snorted and shook her head a little, picturing the annoyed look on her husband’s face in her mind. “I bet.”
“I think he went out for cigarettes.” Rachel insisted.
“Why’s that?”
“Because Kenya Martin’s Dad went out for cigarettes and never came back and it feels like Daddy’s been gone forever.” She exaggerated, flopping back on the stairs. That child could be so over-dramatic sometimes.
“He’s been gone 45-minutes. He’ll be back.”
“How do you know?” Kathryn asked, moving to sit in Alex’s lap. She looked worried now so Alex planted a kiss on her cheek and gave her a little hug.
“Because Daddy has to come home. He left all his favorite ties."
At that moment, the front door opened and there was Alan Shore, taking his hat off as he came inside. He smiled when he saw them all seated on the stairs. “Am I late?”
“DADDY!” Kathryn flew off her mother’s lap and threw herself at her father to give him a hug so fast that Alan almost missed her. “Mommy’s right! You wouldn’t leave your ties!”
He gave Alex a mildly confused look before picking up his daughter. “I have a surprise for you and your sister.”
“What is it?” Rachel joined them, going to her dad’s side since her sister was already up.
“Is it a kitty?” Kathryn asked hopefully. She’d been after a kitten for a long time, but that wasn’t happening as her mother disliked cats.
“Better not be.” Alex said, standing to the side to watch this entertainment, curious herself what Alan’s surprise could be.
He set their four-year-old down and went to give his wife a kiss as a greeting. “No, no cats. I know better.” He knew good and well if he brought a cat home he would be sleeping in the guest room. “Girls, why don’t you open the door and see what it is?”
The two sisters exchanged a look and threw open the door, their eyes lighting up when they saw that on the stoop, dressed in a red suit and looking completely jolly, was the one and only Santa Claus.
“Ho ho ho!” Santa laughed. “OOF!” He was immediately slammed by two fast-moving kids.
“SANTA!”
“THIS IS THE BEST DAY EVER!!”
Alex looked at Alan and raised an eyebrow, wondering where the hell he found a Santa suit this time of year and how exactly he convinced Denny Crane to dress as Santa.
He shrugged. “I thought you would prefer a home visit. This way we can get pictures and not have to wait in line.”
“You, Alan Shore, are amazing.” She kissed him as a thank you.
“You’re welcome.” He said with a smile, looking particularly pleased with himself. “A happy wife makes for a happy holiday indeed.”