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Holidays with family are stupid as far as Beca is concerned. Too many people crammed into too little space with everyone basically pretending that these are their favorite people.
Realistically Beca rarely speaks to her dad and stepmom. They’ve all grown up and put their differences aside for the sake of Samuel. Still they’re not close. So while she’s laughed and talked with them since her and Sammy arrived, in her head she’s been thinking of believable excuses that could have her and her son back on the road before dessert is served.
The fact that Sam woke up at too fucking early o'clock to open presents from Santa isn’t helping Beca’s patience level at all. The only thing keeping her sane is that she knows she’ll see Aubrey tomorrow.
Aubrey is supposed to come over early to make dinosaur pancakes with Sam and then they’re going to have their own little Christmas just the three of them. Beca’s smile grows just thinking about it.
Samuel is still completely off his rocker for Aubrey and watching the two of them interact is one of Beca’s favorite things to do. That is a holiday celebration that sounds fun to her.
Since that’s not happening right now, Beca zones back into the conversations going on around her. Her dad is telling a story about how her and her cousin Jason used to practice wrestling moves on one another which her son thinks is so hilarious. Beca rolls her eyes and gives a small laugh.
It’s not too long before Sam is yawning and rubbing his eyes. A sure sign that he’s going to be passing out soon. Beca figures she’d rather have him snooze in his car seat on the trip back home than on her dads sofa. That might give her dad the idea of putting them up in the guest room and that idea is almost enough to make Beca cry. There’s no way she’s going to miss her day with Aubrey. Wild horses couldn’t keep her away.
It takes an hour of jostling Sam to keep him awake and politely telling her dad that she can’t stay a hundred times before she gets Sam in his car seat and is finally on her way home. She really wants to call Aubrey just to hear her voice. She knows it will calm her frazzled nerves and help her relax as she drives home. She chooses not to bother Aubrey though. She’s with her own family and Beca doesn’t want to be the overly clingy girlfriend who can’t spend one day apart. Instead she turns up the radio and sings along to the 90s station that’s playing.
Beca is finally able to relax when she sees the Christmas lights shining brightly on her front porch. Samuel had proudly displayed his frosty the snowman plushie on their sofa. Beca can’t help but smile when she remembers the day she spent with Aubrey helping her and Sammy decorate.
First it was their porch, then it was the tree, where Aubrey was astonished to discover that Beca and Sam had never watched The Nightmare Before Christmas. The blonde had vowed to fix that tragedy as quickly as possible. And that’s how they ended the night cuddled up on the sofa watching cartoons and drinking hot cocoa. It’s one of Beca’s favorite memories to date.
Beca gets Sam changed from his fancy Christmas clothes to his pajamas just before he’s passed out again. Beca places a kiss to his forehead and covers him with his blanket. She clicks off the light and leaves his door cracked just an inch.
Beca grabs a bottle of water as she passes through the kitchen on her way to the couch. She’s finally able to breathe a sigh of relief as she kicks off her shoes and props her feet up on the coffee table. She contemplated turning on the tv, but decides she’s too tired to reach for the remote.
Just before she dozes off Beca hears the doorbell. She has no idea who would be at her house at ten o’clock on Christmas Day, but that doesn’t stop her from cursing whoever it is for making her move.
She’s muttering the last mother fuckity fuck as she opens the door, only to see her gorgeous girlfriend dressed up like Santa Claus.
“What the hell?” Beca says and Aubrey just smiles her dazzling smile as her answer.
“Hello Beca, have you been naughty or nice?” Aubrey asks in a ridiculous “Santa voice” that makes Beca giggle. (Beca does not giggle. That was just a small laugh)
“So far I’ve been nice, but I just might be willing to be naughty with you.” Beca purrs as she pulls Aubrey in for the kiss that it feels like she’s been waiting for her whole life.
Aubrey giggles as she wraps Beca around her and carries her towards Beca’s room. With the holidays it’s been nearly a week since they’ve seen each other face to face. They have a lot of time to make up for.
The next morning Bree kisses Beca’s cheek as she gets up. She’s looking forward to some one on one time with her favorite little dude. Not to mention she knows Beca can use any extra sleep that taking care of Samuel can afford her.
Aubrey tip toes to Sammy’s door and slowly peeks her head inside. He’s awake, but he’s still in his bed having a quiet conversation with his dinosaur.
Aubrey lightly taps on his door as she pushes it open. His face lights up and Aubrey can feel her own face lighting up.
“Hey champ, can I come in?”
“Bree!! I missed you so much!” Sam is up from his bed and wrapped around her like a spider monkey before she can get three steps in his room.
“I missed you too buddy, so much.” Bree says as she rocks him in her arms and kisses him all over his cheek. “Ready to get started on those dinosaur pancakes?”
“Yayyy!” Sammy says as he leaps from her arms and makes a run for his door.
Aubrey is just barely able to grasp the back of his shirt before he makes a break for it.
“We have to be as quiet as a mouse buddy, mamas still sleeping okay?”
Sam makes the sign of zipping his lips and throwing away the key. Aubrey laughs as she ruffles his bed hair and they both silently make their way to the kitchen.
Beca wakes up to the delicious smell of breakfast and god bless Aubrey coffee. Damn she loves that woman. Beca pauses as that thought goes through he mind. They’ve never said those words to one another, but she knows without a doubt that they are true. Beca doesn’t take the time to dwell on that, her two favorite people are awake and there’s the promise of coffee.
Once she’s dressed she uses her thick socks to muffle the sound of her feet,and stands in the doorway of the kitchen. At the table Sam talking animatedly about his Christmas and Aubrey is watching in rapt fascination. Beca recognizes the face Aubrey is making, it’s the same face she’s made a million times while looking at her son. If Beca wasn’t already sure, she thinks this might be the moment that she realized that she was completely in love with Aubrey.
Sam suddenly stops talking and Beca knows she’s been spotted. She smiles at Bree who turns to see what has caught Sams attention and they smile shyly at one another.
Aubrey was right about watching Sam light up when he sees the train set. And they spend hours in his room putting it together and trying it out together. She also couldn’t help but notice the tears in Beca’s eyes as she opened the necklace, immediately turning her back to Aubrey and moving her hair so she can fasten it around her neck. Aubrey can’t help but place a soft kiss on her neck, once the necklace is safely in place.
For Aubrey Beca bought her a keychain with a picture of her and Sam inside and a beautiful framed picture of the three of them for her mantle. Sam colored her a picture of Santa that will happily join Tom on her fridge and he also made her a macaroni necklace that she puts on immediately.
The day goes by too quickly for any of their liking. Beca knows that sooner rather than later she’s going to tell Aubrey how she feels. She just hopes it’s not too soon. The last thing she wants is to scare Aubrey away.
The only thing she’s sure of is that she’s looking forward to New Year’s Eve for the first time ever, and it has nothing to do with watching a ball drop or getting plastered. It has everything to do with the blonde who just left her house that she misses already.