A Christmas present for Funari-chan as thanks for drawing posters for 'Helix' (If you haven't seen them, check them out as well as her other work. Links in my profile)
Happy Holidays everyone!
"Do I gotta go to bed?", Koyomiko whined. She was freshly out of the bath and dressed in her powder blue pajamas.
"Santa only comes if boys and girls are asleep.", Yomi said.
"You wanna get your presents, don't you?", Tomo chided.
"Yeah! Yeah! I want my presents!!", Koyomiko jumped with Christmastime glee.
"Well, then we gotta get you to bed so Santa can come!", Tomo said, picking up her daughter and swinging her around, arms extended.
Koyomiko giggled happily as her mother swung her around and around. She always loved when her Mama would play games like this with her. Koyomiko truly was a perfect split between Tomo and Yomi. Tomo was all action. Yomi was all thinking. Koyomiko was a bit of both. A highly creative, energetic little girl who everyone knew had a bright future ahead.
Tomo then clutched her daughter to her chest and smiled, kissing her on the forehead.
"Night-night, Koyomiko."
"Night-night, Mama.", she responded.
Yomi also kissed her daughter goodnight.
"Goodnight, Koyomiko."
"Goodnight, Kaa-san.", Koyomiko said, her eyes looking a bit droopy despite her excitement.
Tomo placed the little girl on the bed in her respecive room. The parents each smiled once more to their daughter before flicking out the light and closing the door. the only illumination came from a small nightlight near the head of the bed.
But, of course, Koyomiko could not sleep. She tossed and turned but the graceful embrace of sleep simply would not come! She thought about all the neat things she would get the next morning. Creative things, fun things,...who knows!? Then she had one of her many bright ideas.
She would sit up and spy on Santa Claus! Surely, he would still come if he didn't know she wasn't asleep! She would just open her door a little bit...just enough to peek out through the crack and into the living room where the Christmas tree stood.
And thus she crept from her bed, tiptoeing to the door. She grasped the knob with an outstretched hand, turned it softly and slowly pulled it open. She was just lucky that her door wasn't squeaky.
'Aw...Mama and Kaa-san are still awake', she thought as she spied her mothers watching television in the den.
'Santa won't come if they stay awake! I guess I just gotta wait...', she concluded.
And there she sat, peering out the cracked door and waiting...just waiting for her mothers to go to their room and for jolly 'ol fat Santa to come and place their presents beneath the tree!
But then an hour passed...and another...And even though Koyomiko was riding her way through this was inhuman patience, 10 P.M. is late for a girl of only five. Needless to say, her internal clock won over. She slowly drifted to sleep with thoughts of coloured pencils and board games dancing in her head.
------
"She should be asleep by now.", Yomi said.
"Yeah, let's get the presents.", Tomo decided.
They had hidden the presents on the top shelf of the closet in their room, up high enough so that the little girl would have never noticed them. They consisted of various art supplies, for they knew she loved to draw, and many types of creative and fun toys that would entrance the girl.
They brought them out, along with a few presents for one another, and placed them under the tree.
"That should do it.", Tomo said.
Yomi nodded in assent. "We should be getting to bed too."
Just then came a knock at the door. The women looked at one another. They weren't expecting visitors and who in their right mind knocks on a door at 11 PM?
Thusly, Tomo and Yomi were a bit peeved as they opened the door. Before them stood a smiling girl wearing a Santa hat and carrying presents in both hands.
They knew exactly who they were facing.
"Funari...what are you doing here?", Yomi asked.
"I was in the area and thought I would come by and surprise Koyomiko."
"She's already asleep.", Yomi said.
"Oh...well could I stay until morning so I can see the look on her face when she opens her presents?", Funari asked.
Tomo and Yomi regarded one another before speaking.
"Ok, fine...but you should call first next time!", Tomo said.
"Thank you.", Funari smiled as she entered. "Wow, the tree is beautiful."
"Uh...thanks.", Tomo said.
"We're going to bed soon, so you'll have to sleep on the couch, Funari.", Yomi said, coming from the other room with a blanket and a pillow.
Funari had just finished placing her presents gingerly under the tree.
"Thank you, Yomi.", she said.
"Well, goodnight.", Yomi responded.
"Yeah, 'night.", Tomo said.
"Goodnight.", Funari said as she settled in with anticipation of the upcoming morning.
----
"Aww, isn't she just adorable."
"Yeah, I guess she fell asleep waiting for Santa Claus."
Funari awoke easily to the sounds of Tomo and Yomi's voices. She quickly plodded over to the doorway in which they were standing. On the ground before them was Koyomiko, totally asleep. Funari smiled happily, this was her child as well...
"Should we wake her up?", Funari asked.
"I think you should.", said Yomi with a sly grin.
"Koyomiko-chan...", Funari called softly as she lightly shook the girl's shoulder.
"Huh...?", Koyomiko droned as she fluttered her eyes open sleepily.
Funari simply smiled back. To her, this was a great Christmas present.
Koyomiko's eyes instantly brightened. She formed the largest smile she had ever made.
"FUNARI-MAMA!!!", she screamed, throwing her arms around Funari's neck and pulling her close.
"Koyomiko-chan...", Funari blushed, letting everyone know that this is what she lived for.
"Would you like to open your presents, Koyomiko?", Yomi asked.
"Hell...I know I wanna open mine!", Tomo shouted.
And thus the family, complete with the inclusion of Funari, sat before the tree opening their respecive presents.
"All right!", Tomo exclaimed. "Resident Evil 12!"
"I knew you would like that.", Yomi smiled.
In the midst of opening her presents, Koyomiko stopped and smiled at the adults.
"Hmm?", Tomo questioned.
Without warning, the little girl pulled all three of her mothers into a group hug.
"Thank you.", she said. "This is the best Christmas present."
All three of her mothers couldn't agree more.
-------
Downtown, Jay sat on a bench watching the snow blow softly across the ice of the manmade pond. The sun was just peeking over the horizon as he began to sing.
"Silent night...Holy night..."
He lifted his glass of red wine that he had brought with him up to the rising sun in a salutory toast.
"May the next year be filled with love for all beings."