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"Papa, when will Santa get here?" Darcy Flynn asks her father as she snuggles beneath the covers.
"Very soon, mala," Garcia smiles pecking her nose. "But he can't come until you've fallen asleep."
Darcy pouts. "But I'm not tired, papa! I want to see Santa!"
"Me too!" their son Ollie stumbles up clutching Garcia's leg. "Santa!"
"You can't see Santa," he sighs. "Those are the rules. Santa won't deliver your presents if you're awake."
"I want to see Santa," Ollie says sadly and leans into his father.
Lucy grins as she watches her husband struggle to put their children to bed. He looks up with a desperate plea for help, but Lucy shakes her head reminding him it was his turn this year.
Garcia picks up Ollie and tucks him in next to his sister. "Santa wants to meet you too, but he's a very busy man. If he stopped at every house, he'd never be able to deliver all the presents."
"But he'll eat our cookies, right?" Ollie asks.
"Every single one," Garcia responds. "Now, it's time for my good boy and girl to sleep, alright?"
They nod, and Garica tugs the covers up around them before pressing a kiss on each forehead. Lucy silently admits she's impressed he's managed to put their kids to bed so quickly. She inwardly groans remembering her struggle last year. Garcia smirks slightly as he strides up to her. He's just turned the light off when a small voice asks, "Can you read us a story, Papa?"
Lucy wants to laugh but decides against it in case payback nails her. Besides, when they look over at their youngest, how could they possibly say no?
"Of course," Garcia smiles and walks to their bookcase. "Which one?"
"A Christmas one!" Darcy exclaims, and he selects Twas the Night Before Christmas.
"Scoot over," Garcia tells them and slides in between them. They snuggle into him on each side. "Are we ready?" when they nod, he opens the book. "Twas the night before Christmas...."
Lucy smiles at her family watching as Garcia reads. She hears the ding of the oven and goes back to pull out the last few cookies they've made. All of Santa's cookies had been completed the day before, but when a few hungry mouths devoured her stash, she's forced to make a new dozen.
She pulls the cookies from the oven and leaves them to cool. Lucy admits they do look tasty and doesn't think Santa will mind too much if he shares with her this evening.
Lucy heads back to her children's bedroom to see if Garcia has finished the story. When she peaks around the corner, her heart jumps with delight. Garcia has fallen asleep with both kids huddled into his side. She smiles at the trio then sneaks out her phone for photographic evidence and memories. Lucy pulls up the covers around her family and slips out turning the light off.
As she pulls each of the gifts from their hiding places, Lucy figures she should be slightly miffed Garcia has left her to all the work, but as her mind replays them laying together, she couldn't possibly muster any anger. And besides, Mrs. Claus is just as capable of snacking on milk and cookies.
Lucy yawns and sneaks one last look at her family before dressing in her night clothes and sliding into her own bed for her own winter's nap.
"'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse."