Work Text:
December 2012
“Are you seriously shaking right now?” asked Jess, gripping Rory’s hand tighter.
“I’m just so nervous for her,” his wife sighed, eyes fixed on the stage, knowing her daughter, Tori, was up next.
It wasn’t as if she was appearing on Broadway or anything, but as excited as she had been, as much fuss as had been made, it might as well have been. Jess wasn’t worried, only proud of his little girl, the only kid from the Kindergarten class to be allowed a solo in the Stars Hollow Elementary Christmas Show. She had been practising her song, day in, day out, for weeks now, to the point where she was word perfect and as note perfect as a five-year-old could really be. She even had all her hand actions just right, and Jess ought to know, he had already seen the performance at least a hundred times, but he wasn’t bored yet.
“She’s going to be fine,” Jess promised Rory who was now biting her lip and tapping her foot in nervous anticipation of the big moment. “She’s brave, like her mom.”
“I still remember how freaked out I was in my first school show when I was broccoli.”
Jess smirked at the imagery that came into his head and tried not to laugh. It didn’t come easy, after all, he had seen the photographs from back then, which were equal parts hysterical and adorable.
“Now, Victoria Mariano would like to share with you the story of a very special reindeer who helps Santa Claus make his deliveries even in the worst of weather,” said the teacher, cueing a round of applause from the assembled audience of friends and family members.
Tori strode out onto the stage in her brand new dark red dress, tinsel threaded through her hair, and her Mary Janes polished to a bright shine. She smiled at first then looked just a little overwhelmed when she saw all the people.
“Hey, Tor?” Jess whispered from the front row. “We’re right here,” he told her with a wink.
Just knowing Daddy had her back seemed to be enough to put the smile right back on her lips, as Jess had hoped it would. The music began and Tori sang her heart out, every word of ‘Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer’ ringing loud and true through the hall.
“Oh my God,” Rory gasped, swiping at her eyes. “Look at her up there.”
“That’s our little girl,” said Jess, his arm around his wife’s shoulders as he pulled her closer and kissed her temple. “We did good, Mrs Mariano.”
“I think so,” she agreed, smiling through her tears as Tori finished her song and curtseyed prettily to the audience as they clapped and cheered.
She looked so proud and happy with the reaction, then she looked down at Jess and Rory, blowing them the biggest kiss. While the rest of the audience ‘aawed’ Rory just continued to laugh and cry at the same time, blowing kisses back at her baby girl as Jess did the same.
Thankfully, nobody noticed the tears in his eyes too, but honestly, Jess was sure he wouldn’t care much if they did. He had never been more proud of his little girl, or his son, Jack, who rushed to hug Tori before she quite made it back behind the curtain, or his wife who had given him these two amazing kids. They were why every Christmas, like every day of his life, was so blessed, and Jess Mariano would never be done being grateful for them all.