[sunday_reveries] I Saw Mommy...
(For enjoythe_ride, as requested in the kiss meme. Set in Shelter.)
I’m not finished loving you. ~Grey’s Anatomy
“Mama!” Cole came running down the hall and jumped at Bela the moment she walked in the door. He was in a clear panic about something. She stepped back a bit in surprise, but bent to pick him up.
“What’s wrong, darling?”
Cole’s arms went around her neck tightly and he moved his face inches from hers, his own wet with tears. “Sara-Rose said there’s no such thing as Santa!!” He cried.
Bela sighed slowly and closed her eyes a moment, before opening them. “Your sister is just pulling your leg, Cole.”
“But she said! She said only stupid babies think Santa is real!”
“Well…” she sighed and raised a brow. “Am I a stupid baby?”
“No..” the small boy said slowly.
“Is your father a stupid baby?”
“Nuh-uh.”
“We both believe in Santa.”
“You do?” Cole sniffled.
“Of course.” She kissed his forehead and carried him down the hall to Michael’s small workroom. She knocked and waited for him to call her in, before opening the door and stepping inside. “Michael.”
“Hmm?” He looked up over several scraps of junk, something that would obviously be much more than junk when he was through with it.
“You believe in Santa Claus, don’t you?” Her eyes bore into him, sending a message that he had better agree. He got the message loud and clear.
“Of course,” he laughed. “Who doesn’t?”
“Sara-Rose,” Cole said in a small voice. His arm wiped across his nose. “She said he’s a fairy tale, like Jack and the Beanstalk.”
Michael snorted. “Sara-Rose doesn’t know what she’s talking about.”
Finally a smile started to creep onto Cole’s lips. “Santa is real!”
“He is,” Bela said, kissing the side of his head.
“Who knows, maybe if you’re good enough Santa will come visit you before Christmas,” Michael said.
Cole’s eyes went wide and he gasped. “Really?” Michael nodded, but Bela gave the man a hard look. Cole looked to his mother and held her cheek, turning her face to meet his. “Can I go tell Sara-Rose she’s stupid?”
Bela smirked slightly. “Alright, this one time.” She set him down and watched as he ran off towards the stairs. Then she turned towards Michael, a hand firmly on her hip. “What have I told you about promising things you can’t deliver?”
Michael grinned. “Who said I couldn’t deliver?”
“..what are you getting at?” Bela frowned. Michael walked over to her and leaned in to kiss her lightly.
His hand brushed against her hip as he met her eyes with a small smile.
“Have a bit of faith in your husband.”
***
“Stop Lizzie! You’re cheating!”
“Am not! Stop being a sore loser.”
“I’m not! You’re cheating! You’re a big fat cheater!”
“Lizzie! Sara-Rose! Quiet down before I send your father up there!” Bela stopped at the steps to yell up. The second floor went quiet and she sighed.
“Mamaaa, I don’t want a bath,” Cole whined from her arms.
“I’m sorry, darling, but you have to bathe.”
“Noooo!”
Bela rubbed her forehead, knowing a tantrum was on its way, and she wondered where the hell her husband was. “This isn’t a discussion, Cole.”
The doorbell rang. “Someone’s at the door!” Sara-Rose yelled.
“Really? I hadn’t notice,” Bela replied under her breath. She went to the front door and pulled it open. Her brow rose as she stopped still in her place. Cole gasped, his chin dropping and his eyes wide.
It was Santa.
“Santa,” Cole whispered.
“Yes..” Bela nodded slowly, trying to see past the beard and under the hat. Oh good lord. “It seems it is.” She stepped aside, really wanting to laugh, but only smiled politely. “Won’t you come in?”
“Well thank you, young lady.” Santa said, walking through the door. He grinned and looked at Cole. “Hello, Cole.”
Cole’s eyes went even bigger and he tugged on the back of Bela’s shirt, before leaning closer to her. “He knows my name,” he gasped in amazement, and slight fear.
“Of course I know your name. I know everyone’s name.”
“You do?”
“Yes. For example, this is your mother, Bela. I believe you have two sisters around. Lizzie and Sara-Rose?”
Cole nodded. “But Sara-Rose doesn’t believe. She said you’re not real.”
Santa laughed. “Do I look real to you?” Cole nodded. Santa held out a hand. “Do I feel real to you?” Cole reached out to shake Santa’s hand, and he nodded again. “Then I muse be real.”
A sunny beam broke out on Cole’s face. “I told her! I told her she was stupid and Santa was real!”
“Maybe you should go tell your sisters to come down,” Bela suggested, putting Cole on his feet.
“Okay!” He ran for the steps and jumped up two, before turning back around. “Do I still hafta have a bath?”
“Oh! A bath!” Santa looked at Bela and nodded. “I love baths myself. Mrs. Claus gives me bubbles and my steamboats, and it’s the best part of my day.”
Bela was having a really hard time not laughing then. She just nodded and looked over at her son. “Did you hear that?”
“Not to mention that good little boys listen to what their mothers tell them to do,” Santa added.
“They do,” Cole agreed. “Can I have bubbles for my bath, Mama?”
“Of course, darling. Go on up and get your sisters.”
“Kay!” He continued galloping up the steps. “Lizzie! Sara-Rose! I told you! I told you!”
Once the boy had disappeared up the steps and around the corner, Bela turned on Santa. Her arms crossed and she smirked at him. “Do I want to know how Michael talked you into this?” She asked quietly.
“It wasn’t hard,” Santa replied. “Anything I can do to help.”
Bela moved over and wrapped her arms around him. “Thank you, Larry.”
“Besides, you know how much I love Christmas,” he grinned.
She chuckled. At that moment the front door opened and Michael stepped in. He glanced between Bela and Larry several times, then sighed. “Honey, don’t tell me you’re leaving me for Santa.”
“Well I do have a very impressive ‘sleed’,” Larry said matter-of-factly.
Michael grinned. “And all the ‘toys’ a girl could ask for,” he added, without missing a beat.
Bela rolled her eyes and pulled away from Larry, swatting at them both. She could hear the kids come running. “Shut up, both of you.” She looked at her husband quickly before the kids hit the stairs. “As much as I like our Santa, you should have asked Sam. A bit more fitting, yeah?”
“Yes,” Michael nodded. “But I didn’t think it would be wise having a Santa who smelled like whiskey.”
“Santa!” All three children shouted as they came herding down the stairs.
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I’m not finished loving you. ~Grey’s Anatomy
“Mama!” Cole came running down the hall and jumped at Bela the moment she walked in the door. He was in a clear panic about something. She stepped back a bit in surprise, but bent to pick him up.
“What’s wrong, darling?”
Cole’s arms went around her neck tightly and he moved his face inches from hers, his own wet with tears. “Sara-Rose said there’s no such thing as Santa!!” He cried.
Bela sighed slowly and closed her eyes a moment, before opening them. “Your sister is just pulling your leg, Cole.”
“But she said! She said only stupid babies think Santa is real!”
“Well…” she sighed and raised a brow. “Am I a stupid baby?”
“No..” the small boy said slowly.
“Is your father a stupid baby?”
“Nuh-uh.”
“We both believe in Santa.”
“You do?” Cole sniffled.
“Of course.” She kissed his forehead and carried him down the hall to Michael’s small workroom. She knocked and waited for him to call her in, before opening the door and stepping inside. “Michael.”
“Hmm?” He looked up over several scraps of junk, something that would obviously be much more than junk when he was through with it.
“You believe in Santa Claus, don’t you?” Her eyes bore into him, sending a message that he had better agree. He got the message loud and clear.
“Of course,” he laughed. “Who doesn’t?”
“Sara-Rose,” Cole said in a small voice. His arm wiped across his nose. “She said he’s a fairy tale, like Jack and the Beanstalk.”
Michael snorted. “Sara-Rose doesn’t know what she’s talking about.”
Finally a smile started to creep onto Cole’s lips. “Santa is real!”
“He is,” Bela said, kissing the side of his head.
“Who knows, maybe if you’re good enough Santa will come visit you before Christmas,” Michael said.
Cole’s eyes went wide and he gasped. “Really?” Michael nodded, but Bela gave the man a hard look. Cole looked to his mother and held her cheek, turning her face to meet his. “Can I go tell Sara-Rose she’s stupid?”
Bela smirked slightly. “Alright, this one time.” She set him down and watched as he ran off towards the stairs. Then she turned towards Michael, a hand firmly on her hip. “What have I told you about promising things you can’t deliver?”
Michael grinned. “Who said I couldn’t deliver?”
“..what are you getting at?” Bela frowned. Michael walked over to her and leaned in to kiss her lightly.
His hand brushed against her hip as he met her eyes with a small smile.
“Have a bit of faith in your husband.”
***
“Stop Lizzie! You’re cheating!”
“Am not! Stop being a sore loser.”
“I’m not! You’re cheating! You’re a big fat cheater!”
“Lizzie! Sara-Rose! Quiet down before I send your father up there!” Bela stopped at the steps to yell up. The second floor went quiet and she sighed.
“Mamaaa, I don’t want a bath,” Cole whined from her arms.
“I’m sorry, darling, but you have to bathe.”
“Noooo!”
Bela rubbed her forehead, knowing a tantrum was on its way, and she wondered where the hell her husband was. “This isn’t a discussion, Cole.”
The doorbell rang. “Someone’s at the door!” Sara-Rose yelled.
“Really? I hadn’t notice,” Bela replied under her breath. She went to the front door and pulled it open. Her brow rose as she stopped still in her place. Cole gasped, his chin dropping and his eyes wide.
It was Santa.
“Santa,” Cole whispered.
“Yes..” Bela nodded slowly, trying to see past the beard and under the hat. Oh good lord. “It seems it is.” She stepped aside, really wanting to laugh, but only smiled politely. “Won’t you come in?”
“Well thank you, young lady.” Santa said, walking through the door. He grinned and looked at Cole. “Hello, Cole.”
Cole’s eyes went even bigger and he tugged on the back of Bela’s shirt, before leaning closer to her. “He knows my name,” he gasped in amazement, and slight fear.
“Of course I know your name. I know everyone’s name.”
“You do?”
“Yes. For example, this is your mother, Bela. I believe you have two sisters around. Lizzie and Sara-Rose?”
Cole nodded. “But Sara-Rose doesn’t believe. She said you’re not real.”
Santa laughed. “Do I look real to you?” Cole nodded. Santa held out a hand. “Do I feel real to you?” Cole reached out to shake Santa’s hand, and he nodded again. “Then I muse be real.”
A sunny beam broke out on Cole’s face. “I told her! I told her she was stupid and Santa was real!”
“Maybe you should go tell your sisters to come down,” Bela suggested, putting Cole on his feet.
“Okay!” He ran for the steps and jumped up two, before turning back around. “Do I still hafta have a bath?”
“Oh! A bath!” Santa looked at Bela and nodded. “I love baths myself. Mrs. Claus gives me bubbles and my steamboats, and it’s the best part of my day.”
Bela was having a really hard time not laughing then. She just nodded and looked over at her son. “Did you hear that?”
“Not to mention that good little boys listen to what their mothers tell them to do,” Santa added.
“They do,” Cole agreed. “Can I have bubbles for my bath, Mama?”
“Of course, darling. Go on up and get your sisters.”
“Kay!” He continued galloping up the steps. “Lizzie! Sara-Rose! I told you! I told you!”
Once the boy had disappeared up the steps and around the corner, Bela turned on Santa. Her arms crossed and she smirked at him. “Do I want to know how Michael talked you into this?” She asked quietly.
“It wasn’t hard,” Santa replied. “Anything I can do to help.”
Bela moved over and wrapped her arms around him. “Thank you, Larry.”
“Besides, you know how much I love Christmas,” he grinned.
She chuckled. At that moment the front door opened and Michael stepped in. He glanced between Bela and Larry several times, then sighed. “Honey, don’t tell me you’re leaving me for Santa.”
“Well I do have a very impressive ‘sleed’,” Larry said matter-of-factly.
Michael grinned. “And all the ‘toys’ a girl could ask for,” he added, without missing a beat.
Bela rolled her eyes and pulled away from Larry, swatting at them both. She could hear the kids come running. “Shut up, both of you.” She looked at her husband quickly before the kids hit the stairs. “As much as I like our Santa, you should have asked Sam. A bit more fitting, yeah?”
“Yes,” Michael nodded. “But I didn’t think it would be wise having a Santa who smelled like whiskey.”
“Santa!” All three children shouted as they came herding down the stairs.
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