Work Text:
I Saw Mama Kissing Santa Claus,
or
A Stay Christmas Story
“The rules of The Earp Family Secret Santa are simple,” Waverly says, standing up high on one of the dining room chairs. She reads off of the notecard, as her family stares up at her, bewildered.
“Can we make this quick? I have to pee.” Wynonna bounces on the balls of her feet back and forth as she shoves one of Waverly’s perfectly frosted Christmas cookies into her mouth, not before breaking off a piece and handing it to Alice.
Waverly glares down at her sister. “The rules are simple,” she repeats. “You can’t get your spouse because that’s easy, and you can’t buy food unless you get Wynonna. I’m super excited to start this tradition because we finally have an even number of people.”
Alice raises her hand as if she’s in school as Wynonna tugs on her braids. “What about Buttercup and Calamity?” Waverly grins, looking down at her notecard as Nicole smirks. Waverly really thought of everyone.
“The cat and goat get each other, sweetie. We’ll make sure they have a Merry Christmas too.”
“Can you come down from there?” Wynonna retorts. “If I get you, you’re getting a new dining room chair because you’re about to break our current set.”
Waverly crosses her arms atop her chest. “If I get you, you’re getting baby clothes.”
Wynonna sticks out her tongue. “Shame on you because I like baby clothes, and think they’re adorable.”
A tiny voice pipes up from the back of the kitchen. “Who I get?” Ariel pushes forward with her walker and stares at her Mama who is nearly up high in the sky.
“It’s a surprise, Alice tells her cousin. “You get what you get and you don’t get upset. It’s like school.”
Ariel’s lip wobbles as she crosses her arms over her chest. “But…I want you! I want to get you the-” Nicole clasps her hands over her daughter’s mouth and picks her up, hoisting her on her hip.
“Don’t tell her, silly goose! It’s a secret.” Nicole rocks Ariel back and forth, pressing kisses on both of her cheeks.
“Sorry Co,” Ariel says, popping her unicorn chewy into her mouth. “I a girl not a goose.” She wraps her arms around her CoCo’s neck and likes how her Ma’s heartbeat matches her own.
“You are. You’re my best girl. Don’t tell Mama I said that or else she might tell Santa to give me coal in my stocking.” Nicole giggles at her own joke.
“As I was say ing before-” Waverly says, hopping down from the chair, “Youngest draws first. That’s you, Ariel.” Wynonna blows her sister a raspberry.
“It should be oldest so whoever Doc draws has the pleasure of getting old tooth fillings,” Wynonna pokes Doc in the stomach and gives him the side eye. “You’d better run your gift idea by me. Unless you get me. Then you’re buying me liquor I can drink after this little dude or lady is born.”
Doc wraps his arms around Wynonna’s waist, resting his palm on her tiny bump. “Whatever you please, Wynonna.”
“My turn?” Ariel reaches into the hat and moves her hand around. She grabs a slip of paper and shows it to her CoCo. Nicole whispers the name into her ear and Ariel nearly squeals with excitement. This is going to be the best Christmas ever.
The following day, Nicole puts Ariel in a shopping cart as they enter the crowded Walmart Supercentre. Waverly adjusts the tiny redhead’s noise-canceling headphones and hands Ariel her beloved Rapunzel Animator’s doll.
“ Good? ” Waverly puts her fingers on her chin and moves her left hand down to touch her palm. Ariel signs a halfhearted yes back to her Mama as she pulls Rapunzel’s hair into two pigtails and sings to herself, blissfully unaware of the busy shoppers surrounding her.
“This is crazy ,” Waverly says. “And...is why I wanted to start Secret Santa last month.” Nicole squeezes her girlfriend’s hand.
“It’s okay, Wav. We’ll pick out a toy super quickly, and be out of here before you know it.” Waverly takes Nicole’s hand into her own. “I’m so nervous about Christmas. I hope she enjoys herself.”
Nicole presses a kiss on the top of Waverly’s head. “She’ll have a blast. She’s going to love everything Santa brings her.”
Waverly smirks and whispers into Nicole’s ear. “Are you going dress up like the jolly old man?”
“Old? I’m appalled, Waverly.” Nicole steers the cart toward the toy aisle as Waverly rolls her eyes.
“You’re practically thirty-two, Sheriff Haught. You’re ancient. ”
Nicole wraps her arm around Waverly’s waist. “My days of being young and beautiful are over, Wav. You’ll have to love me for the old woman I am. We’ll go out in public and people will think I’m Ariel’s grandmother.”
Waverly giggles and tucks her head into the crook of Nicole’s neck. “I’ll still think you’re beautiful no matter what you look like, cutie.” She shrugs and pecks Nicole on the cheek.
“I’ll dress up like Santa if you’ll dress up as Mrs. Claus. If I remember correctly, you do have the outfit.” Nicole’s comment makes Waverly blush, and she enjoys the satisfaction of the moment by pulling Waverly’s knitted hat over her eyes.
“Hey!” Ariel exclaims, pulling Waverly’s hat off of her head. “You silly, CoCo.” Waverly gives Ariel a high five and the little girl holds onto her hand.
“Yeah, CoCo . Don’t be mean to me. If you’re mean to me I won’t-” She puts her hands over her face when she remembers that a ver y impressionable five-year-old who likes to repeat things is sat in front of her.
“If I’m mean to you… what won’t you do?” Nicole holds the hat over Waverly’s head. She loves taunting her girl.
“Mama won’t kiss Santa Claus!” Ariel giggles and flaps her hands as Nicole and Waverly look at each other, mortified.
Nicole is impressed. Ariel picks up on more than people give her credit for.
“So, Princess. What did you want to buy Alice for Secret Santa?” She tries not to laugh as she lifts Ariel out of the cart so she can see the full display of toys.
“Elsa,” Ariel answers, staring down at Rapunzel and twirling her blonde locks around her finger. “Elsa and Anna. She’s my Elsa.”
“You’re right, Ariel. You’re her Anna.” Nicole presses a kiss to Waverly’s hat-less head and puts the hat snugly back on her girlfriend’s head. While it’s hard for Ariel to communicate, they’re both thrilled that she’s formed a bond that will last a lifetime with her cousin.
Ariel runs her fingers through Rapunzel’s hair and looks up at her Wavy.
“Auntie NoNo is your Elsa, Wavy,” she says, pointing to one of the many Elsa dolls on the shelf.
“You’re right, baby. Aunt Wynonna protects me just like Alice protects you.” Waverly stands on her tippy toes to reach the doll, but her arm is too short, and Ariel starts to giggle.
“ Short, ” she says and tries to cover her mouth to keep the giggles from coming out. She whispers into her CoCo’s ear, and Nicole hoists her little girl onto her shoulders so she can reach the doll.
Waverly feigns shock and looks up at her best baby who is sitting atop her fiancee’s shoulders. They really are her two favorite people in the world. Sometimes, it feels like Ariel has been in their lives forever because she truly completes their family.
“I’m short? Last time I checked you were three foot tall, Ariel. I don’t know how you grew so fast.”
Ariel leans down to pat her Mama’s head.“I big girl, Wavy. I’ll be six like Alice next year.”
“You will. You’ll turn six at the end of June, right after school lets out.” Waverly pokes Ariel’s nose and places her back in the shopping cart.
“How you know my birthday?” Ariel squeezes her hands together and shuts her eyes. “I never tell you.”
“Because you’re our little girl, Ariel.” Nicole unclenches Ariel’s fists and rubs soothing patterns into her palms. “And we love you,” Waverly adds softly.
Ariel clenches her fists and makes an x with her arms, each hand touching the opposite shoulder. It might be the symbol for Wakanda Forever, but to Ariel, it means I love you, and to her CoCo and Wavy, it means the world.
They buy the Elsa doll and a matching Anna of Arendelle doll for Ariel. She can’t open it until the official Secret Santa gift exchange on Christmas Eve, but it’s a good deal. She can’t believe she’s getting toys and has a real family to share Christmas with this year.
“Movie?” Ariel sucks on her chewy unicorn as Nicole buckles her into her car seat and adjusts Ariel’s new seatbelt cover. The cover has lots of words Ariel doesn’t recognize on it. She can only read her name and Nicole and Waverly .
“What movie do you want to watch, Princess?” Nicole slides in the seat next to Ariel and buckles herself in as Waverly climbs into the driver’s seat. When it’s just the three of them in the car, they make sure someone is always sitting next to Ariel.
“The Christmas one,” Ariel answers as if there is only one Christmas movie worthy of her viewership.
“ The Polar Express?” Waverly asks.
“Not a train.”
“ Miracle on 34th Street?” It’s Nicole’s favorite Christmas movie and worth a guess.
“No, Ma.”
“Is it a cartoon or a movie with people?” Waverly pulls out of the Walmart parking lot and makes her way toward the highway.
“No, Wavy…” Ariel rocks forward in her seat as Nicole gently pushes her back and lifts the blanket they keep in the car over her daughter. “The… the man is an elf. ” Ariel pulls the blanket up to her chest and recites her favorite line from the movie. “ The best way to spread Christmas Cheer is singing loud for all to hear.”
“ Elf !” Nicole exclaims. “You’ve seen that movie?”
“With Jack. Wanna watch it with him.”
Nicole places a gentle kiss atop Ariel’s head. “I know baby. I know you do. Are you going to sing nice and loud at the holiday concert at school tomorrow?”
Ariel shrugs because she wishes that Jack could come to her school concert, too. She holds her palms out in front of Nicole and alternates moving her hands up and down. Maybe.
The next morning, Waverly and Nicole stand by the Christmas tree in the living room, holding Ariel steady in between them. Wynonna clicks the camera numerous times.
“Smile, Ariel. I just need one good smile.” Ariel shakes her head. She doesn’t like to take pictures, and she doesn’t understand why CoCo and Wavy want to take a family picture if Alice, and Auntie NoNo and Uncle Doc aren’t in it.
Ariel makes an A with her left hand and places it atop her outstretched right palm. Help. Help me CoCo. Help me Wavy.
It’s the same sign Ariel used during her picture with Santa Claus at the mall. So, they don’t force her to take the picture, because they try not to pressure her into doing anything she dislikes or is afraid of.
(Except bathtime and brushing her teeth because they’re necessities.)
Instead, they put away the camera and play Candyland on the living room floor in their holiday best.
Ariel doesn’t like to be in pictures anymore, because once they’re printed they last forever, even if the people in them do not. Jack was in her pictures once. So was her mother. They’re both gone. Maybe if she doesn’t take any pictures with her CoCo and Wavy, they won’t leave her.
A few hours later, Waverly, Nicole, Wynonna, and Doc sit on an uncomfortable bench in the stuffy school auditorium for the Kindergarten Holiday Program. Parents chatter about, and Waverly and Nicole say hello to a few of the mothers they recognize from the playground.
“Can you believe this?” Wynonna asks, biting the head off of a Reindeer shaped cookie with pretzels for ears. “We had to pay five dollars each to get into the school and then they have the audacity to charge three dollars for hot cocoa and two dollars for cookies? This is a rip. It’s like they know I’m pregnant and hungry or something.”
Doc wipes marshmallow dust from his mustache. “You did not have to buy all of the snacks, Wynonna.”
“You didn’t have to shell out fifty bucks and say ‘Keep the change Partna’ but you did. Of course, I took each kind of snack.” Doc tips his hat toward Wynonna, and she pulls it over his eyes.
Waverly films the exchange between Wynonna and Doc on her new video camera and points the lens at Nicole. “Here we are. It’s December 23rd and Ariel’s first Christmas concert. Let’s see if she sings.” She flips the viewfinder, and the camera goes into “selfie” mode, focusing on herself and Nicole as she moves into the shot.
“Hi Ariel. It’s your Wavy and CoCo. Maybe by the time you watch this you’ll be sixteen because we don’t know how to get the videos from the camera to the computer but…. we love you so much, and we can’t wait to hear you sing!” Nicole presses a kiss to Waverly’s cheek.
“Hi Princess. This is your Kindergarten concert. Maybe we should make more videos like this for you to remember as you get older, huh? That might be a good idea. But, the concert is about to start and we’ll see you later!” After a few minutes, Nicole figures out how to turn off the camera and cuddles Waverly into her side.
“Pretty good for our first home movie, Wav.”
“Mmmm…,” Waverly says, inhaling Nicole’s sweet scent. “I wouldn’t call us John Hughes, but we’re on our way.”
“Oscar-worthy,” Nicole affirms, pressing a kiss to Waverly’s cheek. The video camera was an early Christmas gift for Waverly. It’s especially going to come in handy on their family vacation to Disney World that the girls will find out about on Christmas morning.
Wynonna grabs the camera from her sister and turns it on her sister and best friend immediately. “And that, Ariel was your mothers being disgusting. Anyway… we love you and hope you have a great first Christmas with us. Uncle Doc says hi, too.”
Wynonna pans the camera toward Doc, and he gives a smile and wave. She shuts off the camera and hands it back to her sister. “How dare you make your first ever home movie and not include me.”
Waverly breathes a sigh of relief when the Kindergartners start to walk through the aisles of the auditorium, and she sees Ariel among the other children, albeit last in line. She’s the tiniest child of the bunch and naturally stands at the edge of the first riser, leaning on her walker for support. Mercedes holds one of her hands, and Alice holds the other. Ariel looks adorable in her white sheet transformed into an “angel gown” with golden sparkles adorning the sides. Atop her head sits a silver tinsel halo and her headphones, in case the music gets too loud. The other parents are probably wondering about the tiny girl who wears headphones. Waverly and Nicole could care less about what they think, because for the first time in her life, Ariel is involved in a program where someone who loves her is in attendance in the audience.
“Look,” Alice whispers into her cousin’s ear. “There they are! My mom is eating all of the snacks and Aunt Waverly looks mad at her!” She lifts her arm and waves at her family as they wave back excitedly.
Ariel stares at her CoCo and shrugs. This is going to be one long concert. She sees her Wavy holding a video camera, and covers her eyes. Mercedes takes her hands away from her face and she squeezes her hands together.
“Just smile, Ariel. It will be okay. I’ll be right here next to you the entire time.” Alice pulls Ariel’s hands apart and holds Ariel’s right hand as her cousin nods halfheartedly. “Remember, we sing Away In A Manger first.”
Alice doesn’t let go of Ariel’s hand for the entire concert. Not even to do the hand motions she’d practiced perfectly with her cousin in tow. Holding Ariel’s hand right now to keep her safe is more important than anything in the world. Alice knows that her cousin is different. She knows the word her parents used to describe what Ariel has, but she thinks that her best friend is more than just a fancy word.
It’s not a bad word to say or a bad thing to have, Wynonna had explained.
It’s just something that makes Ariel who she is, Doc had said.
She’s still my best friend, Alice had answered, and her parents told her they were proud of her for loving her cousin for who she was. She thinks it’d be awfully silly if anyone didn’t love Ariel and want to be her friend from the moment they’d met her.
Ariel makes it through Here Comes Santa Claus, Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel, and Sleigh Ride before she decides she’s had enough and starts to sign along to Believe instead of sing.
Alice doesn’t let go of Ariel’s hand for the entire concert.
Nevertheless, Nicole and Waverly are extremely proud of her and shower her with hugs and kisses as soon as the program ends.
“You did it, Ariel! You did so well.” Nicole scoops Ariel up in her arms, and the little girl cradles her head into her Ma’s shoulder.
“I tuckered,” Ariel says, closing her eyes. She doesn’t want the cookies or Hot Chocolate Auntie NoNo offers her. She wants to stay buried in her CoCo’s arms until she falls asleep.
“You sang loud and proud for everyone to hear, baby. We couldn’t be prouder.” Waverly rubs Ariel’s back and strokes the little girl’s cheeks with her knuckles.
“Didn’t sing the whole time, Wavy. I got tired.” Ariel leans into Waverly’s touch and smiles at her Mama.
“That’s okay. You did the best that you could, my angel. You can only do the best you can. That’s all your CoCo and I would ever ask of you.” Waverly isn’t sure that Ariel hears her because her little eyes flutter shut. She just wants her little girl to have a magical Christmas.
On Christmas Eve, after dinner is served everyone sits in the living room and watches Elf at Ariel’s request. Surprisingly, she’d warmed up to Robin and Jeremy quickly, but still wants to sit snugly in between her mothers.
She likes the way Robin tries to make her laugh and how Jeremy’s smile is big. In school, she’d learned that someone who wears a big smile is happy. Jeremy wants her and Alice to be the flower girls at his and Robin’s wedding. When Ariel answers that she’s already going to be the flower girl at her Wavy and CoCo’s wedding, everyone laughs and she doesn’t know why.
“By the time we get married, you’ll be six years old Ariel,” Waverly says. “And I’ll be twenty-nine and… Wynonna will be-”
“Don’t you dare expose my age,” Wynonna says, lifting her sore feet onto Doc’s lap.
“I don’t want to be six yet,” Ariel says, clutching Rapunzel to her chest. “ No thank you.” Her eyes narrow and blink, and Nicole and Waverly look at each other, confused.
“You’ll be five and a half in three days, Ariel. You’ve still got plenty of time to enjoy being five.” Waverly watches as Ariel squeezes her eyes shut.
“What’s bothering you, sweetheart?” She pulls Ariel onto her lap and coaxes the little girl to open her eyes.
“When I’m six, I might not have a mommy for Christmas.” Ariel crosses her arms over her chest and looks at each of her family members.
“Oh, baby .”
“ Princess, don’t say that.”
“Your mommy isn’t here, CoCo. And Grandma isn’t here either.” Ariel hides in her CoCo’s chest and feels her heartbeat to make sure she’s still breathing.
“Grandma was too busy with her new b- ” Wynonna shuts herself up. “I don’t know why Grandma couldn’t come tonight, Ariel. But… I do know that Waverly and Nicole will never leave you. They’ll always be here for Christmas, and so will you. And… I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
Ariel smiles up at her Auntie NoNo. She seems scary sometimes, but Ariel truly likes having her around.
“You might not have a mommy next year, Ariel. But you’ll always have your Ma and me.” Waverly presses a kiss on Ariel’s cheek, and another on Nicole’s.
“ We’re not going anywhere, Ariel. Neither are you. ” A tear rolls down her CoCo’s cheek
Ariel throws her arms around her CoCo and Wavy. She doesn’t want to spend Christmas with anybody else.
At exactly 2:23 a.m. on Christmas morning, Waverly walks back into the bedroom she shares with Nicole. Ariel and Alice are sound asleep, and it’s time to put their plan into action. She presses a kiss to Nicole’s lips and takes her phone from the bedside table. Nicole wakes up and pulls Waverly closer to her.
“Mornin’ baby,” she slurs, trying to hold in her giggles. She can tell that Waverly is in her Mrs. Claus outfit because the skirt is sticking up all over the place. Waverly places a finger over Nicole’s lips and points to her phone.
Hours later, Ariel finds a note sticking out from underneath the plate of cookies she and Alice left for Santa. It’s addressed to a Ms. Ariel Earp of the Homestead.
Dear Ariel,
I am so glad to see that you are working on your reading and writing skills and have enjoyed spending time with Nicole and Waverly. You have been a very good little girl this year, and I hope you have fun playing with your new toys!
As you know, Nicole and Waverly love you very much, and there will always be a place for you in the Earp family.
Ho, Ho, Ho
Santa Claus
She asks her Wavy and CoCo to read the letter to her three times before she can sound out the difficult words by herself. CoCo puts on her best Santa voice, but Ariel thinks that Wavy’s real reading voice is better.
It isn’t long before Wynonna, Doc, and Alice come downstairs. Ariel can’t believe that half of the presents under the tree are for her.
She loves the Barbie Farm Vet playset and Barbie teacher doll Santa got her. She also loves the Disney dolls and stuffed goat. Her favorite present is from CoCo and Wavy and is the prettiest doll she has ever seen. The doll has red hair, blue eyes, and tiny purple glasses. She wears a tiara on her head and has a pink tutu dress.
“She’s you, Ariel. Do you like her?” CoCo takes the doll out of the box and hands her to Ariel. Ariel squeezes the doll super tight, because no one has ever cared about her enough to get her a doll that looks like her. Alice squeals as she opens her own doll that could be her twin. It’d been a wonderful idea by the Earp sisters.
“Love her sooooo much,” Ariel says, softly, making her doll wave at Alice’s. Her smile is even wider when she opens up the matching doll-sized walker that is so similar to her own.
In the early afternoon, after all the presents have been opened, there is a knock on the door.
“Ariel, I think that there’s someone here to see you!” Nicole gets up and starts to open the door.
“No!” Ariel exclaims, “You have to ask who it is first!” She puts her hands over her eyes and reaches out so that Waverly will pick her up.
As Waverly walks forward with Ariel in her Christmas jammies, hands firmly placed over her eyes, Nicole asks who it is while opening the door. She smiles at the mother on the other end of the door, thinking of what it took between herself and Waverly to make this moment possible.
“Look, Ariel. Open your eyes, Princess” Nicole and Waverly bend down on either side of their daughter to steady her and to show her who has come to visit her on Christmas.
Reluctantly, Ariel peels her hands away from her face.
And,
Her baby brother runs into her arms.
Ariel's Doll