Chapter Text
While you and Carm slept, your dad managed to make a three-course meal for you, the kids, and Kirsch. You have to pull Carm by the hand through the kitchen to the dining room and they’re all waiting for you.
“There they are!” Dad calls.
You kiss Charlie on the top of her head while Carm ruffles Will’s hair and Kirsch says, “What about me?”
In response, Carmilla smacks him on the back of the head on her way past him to her seat. Charlie giggles and you want to scold Carm, but you find yourself laughing along.
/
After no one can manage to have any more to eat, Carmilla dramatically says, “Well, I guess it’s time for bed, now, huh?”
You take a look at your watch. “You’re right, Mama,” you say, clapping your hands together. “PJ time!”
“No!” Will yells. “It’s present-time! Uncle Kirsch said!”
“Presents!” Charlie echoes.
“Oh, present-time,” Carm says, smacking her hand to her forehead. “How could we forget?”
She pushes herself to her feet and scoops Will up in her arms. “We have birthday presents for Willy-boy and a Christmas Eve present for both of you little rascals.”
Carm blows raspberries against his little belly and the raucous laughter that follows is infectious.
/
Will asks Charlie to help open his birthday presents; Charlie busies herself with tossing strips of wrapping paper up in the air as Will hollers every time he catches a glimpse of what the wrapping paper had been hiding, which turns out to be a stack of new comic books and his own personalized fireman helmet.
“Thanks Mommy! Thanks Mama!” Will yells and he hugs you both tight.
“You’re welcome, baby,” you say. “Happy birthday!”
Carmilla kisses him and then says, “Hey, Mommy, I’m going to go get their Christmas Eve present.”
“We’ll be waiting,” you say, and Carm kisses you before she goes.
The kids giggle with excitement and when you make eye contact with your dad, you can feel his pride; it makes your eyes well up. Luckily, Carm is back, a huge cardboard box in her arms, just as quickly as she left and you're able to blink away your tears.
She sets the box down in front of them and says, “Now listen, we have to be very quiet and very careful when we open this present, okay?”
Will nods solemnly and Charlie whispers, “‘Kay, Mama.”
“Okay,” Carm says softly, reaching for you with one hand and tapping the top of the box with the other. “Will, take one side, and Char, take the other, and lift those flaps up.”
You move to sit next to Carmilla and she takes your hand. The kids open up the top of the box and they quietly peek in. Will’s eyes snap up to yours, but Charlie’s stay trained on what’s inside the box.
Will’s eyes are tearing up when he says, “Do you mean it, Moms?”
“Mean what, Willy-boy?” Carmilla asks, a smile on her lips.
“It’s really ours?”
“He really is,” you say, looking at Carm. “Right, Mama?”
“Right,” she says, beaming at you and then you both look back at your kids.
Charlie is on her feet now and she’s reaching into the box, which means that nearly half of her body is inside it, and Will keeps her on her feet by holding onto the back of her t-shirt. She rises to her full height again and in her arms is a tiny, black kitten.
“Bag,” she says, wonder in her voice, eyes still not leaving the ball of fluff.
“No, Charlie. Cat,” Will softly corrects.
Charlie shakes her head and repeats herself. “Bag,” she says and then she looks up at you. “Bag!”
It finally clicks.
“Yes, Charlie. Just like Bagheera.”
“Jungle Book!” she says merrily and then she lifts the kitten up a bit. “Bag!”
“Looks like the cat’s got a name,” Carmilla says, her arm falling around your shoulders.
“You hold him?” Charlie offers to Will and he takes Bagheera gently in his arms.
“We have a cat,” Will says, rubbing one of his eyes.
“Bag!” Charlie says again, running to your dad. “Papa, it’s Bag!”
He lifts up Charlie, who squeals happily, and he says, “It sure is, kiddo!”
/
Charlie, Will, and Bagheera fall asleep together on the floor of the living room. Charlie is lying on her back with Bagheera resting on her belly and Will is on his side, facing Charlie with one arm folded beneath his head. Shortly after they doze off, Sunny makes her way into the room and sniffs around at the newcomer. After a few moments, she must decide Bagheera is harmless because she curls up at Charlie and Will’s feet.
Your dad and Kirsch both retire to their respective resting places for the night but you and Carm stay where you are, just watching your little piece of heaven sleep peacefully.
A week later, it’s New Year’s Eve and when you wake up, Carmilla’s naked body is entwined with yours. Her eyes are already open and on you and you feel your heartbeat pick up the way it always does when Carm looks at you that way.
“Hey,” she says, and you kiss her.
“What time is it?” you ask.
She lifts her head to look over you at the clock on your bedside table.
Carm scoffs out a laugh and says, “It’s just past 5:00 am.”
“What are you doing up?” you ask, pulling her even closer to you by her waist.
“Just thinking,” Carm says.
“About …” you prompt, running your thumb over her hipbone.
“Isn’t it strange?” she asks, after a few quiet moments.
“What?”
“All of the events that made our family more whole - every single one, except for our drunk wedding - happened during the holidays. I kissed you on Thanksgiving, I met Dad on a Christmas Eve that just happened to also be the first night of Hanukkah, you picked up Sunny in December, Will was born on Christmas Eve, and Charlie came to us on New Year’s Day. It’s weird, right?”
“I’d say,” you start, voice low, like you’re sharing a secret, “it’s more ‘meant to be.’”