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Vanessa does not remember ever being so tired as she was for the whole first year of the twins' life. They were only just a few months old, their first Christmas was here, and they had barely slept a full night. She tried to nap with them during the day but there was so much to do, and she felt a lot of pressure to make sure there was dinner by the time Brooke got home from work because she was the only one working right now.
Vanessa got to stay home with their babies all day. As far as Brooke was concerned,Vanessa was lucky. She would love to hang out at the house with the babies, but it was the holidays and the bakery was wildly busy.
Vanessa tried to be happy. She knew she was lucky to get to stay home. But the exhaustion mixed with the sadness she gets at this time of year, it was too much and about every other day, when she put the twins down for their afternoon nap, she would go into her bathroom, sit in the bathtub, and just cry it out. Brooke didn't know this, and Vanessa knew she would feel guilty if she did.
As Christmas approached, Brooke had to work more and more at the bakery to fill orders of cookies, cakes and pies for the big day. She was so stressed that she was having dreams about fulfilling orders. She was working so much overtime that she barely got home in time to tuck the babies in for the night, eat dinner, and then go to bed. She would wake up the next morning and do it all again. It would all be worth it when Christmas came and she could give Vanessa her present.
Meanwhile, Vanessa had no idea what she was going to get Brooke, nor did she know how she was going to get it. It's okay, though, because she still had time to figure it out.
Vanessa woke up one morning, confused by the silence. She checked the clock and it was 10am.
"The fuck?" Vanessa whispers.
Normally Brooke wakes her up before she leaves, and then she waits for the babies to wake up.
The babies. She doesn't remember them crying at all during the night. She runs down the hall to the nursery where she is met with empty cribs.
Where are the babies?
A crash sounds from downstairs and Vanessa races in that direction. She rounds the corner into the kitchen where she is met with Brooke standing at the stove, a baby strapped to her front and a baby strapped to her back.
"Brookie?!" Vanessa says in surprise, "what the- what are you doin home?!"
Brooke turns around, pancake spatula in hand, and raises her eyebrows at Vanessa.
"What do you mean?"
"Why are you home? Why ain't you at the bakery?"
"What do you mean, Ness? We are closed today."
"Closed? So close to Christmas?!"
Brooke really didn't know what Vanessa was getting at, "Ness, it's Christmas eve."
"No it ain't," Vanessa scoffed, "it ain't- no, it can't be."
Brooke pulls out her phone and shows Vanessa the date. Her tan face turns pale, it can't be December 24th, even though it is. It says it right there on Brooke's phone. Tears fill her eyes. It's Christmas eve and she completely forgot. It's Christmas eve and she completely forgot to get a present for her wife. Things have been so crazy for her right now, for both of them.
Tears stream down Vanessa's cheeks and all of the stress she has felt these last few weeks comes crashing down on her.
"Nessa, what's wrong?" Brooke removes the pan from the stove and rushes to her wife's side.
She immediately wipes away the tears from the smaller girl's face.
"I didn't realize it was already Christmas." Vanessa said quietly.
"Baby, that's okay. You've had a lot on your shoulders lately. But you've been doing so great, I'm so proud of you. I know I haven't been able to really be there for you, the holidays are always so busy. But I'm so thankful for you, and I love you."
Vanessa sniffles, "I love you, B."
A lightbulb goes off in Vanessa's head. She still hasn't gotten Brooke a present.
"Shit, I- uh- B, I gotta go to the store." Vanessa takes off to change before Brooke can stop her.
"Nessa, there's one more thing," Brooke says when Vanessa comes back downstairs but Vanessa doesn't hear her.
"I'll be back," Vanessa opens the door and stops in her tracks, "What. The fuck?"
Snow. Snow everywhere. At least three feet of it.
"V, we can't go anywhere." Brooke finally gets out.
"Yeah I can see that." Vanessa feels the tears well up again.
"Nessa, what's got you so upset baby?" Brooke asks, shutting the door and pulling her wife into a hug.
"I can't- nothing. It's fine." Vanessa wipes her tears away, "I just- I didn't realize that it was already Christmas."
Vanessa didn't know how to tell her wife, who has worked so, so hard, that she doesn't have a Christmas present for her.
Brooke kisses the top of Vanessa's head, "go upstairs, take a hot bath, and change back into your pajamas. I'll finish breakfast and make sure it's still warm for you."
Vanessa nods and heads upstairs. She thinks about what she can do. She can order something for Brooke, but it obviously won't be here in time. Plus, what would Brooke want?
Vanessa thinks back to something that Brooke loved but hasn't done in ages: dancing. Ballet to be exact.
As she settled into her hot bath, Vanessa pulled up websites on her phone. She picked a beautiful soft pink pair of ballet slippers. They looked so nice and she hoped that Brooke would love them. She ordered them but was sad to see that they wouldn't be delivered until after the new year. She knows Brooke will understand but she can't help but feel awful.
Vanessa gets out of the tub and dresses back in her fuzzy pj's, ready for a movie day with her little family. Downstairs, Vanessa finds Brooke laying on the floor with the babies. They loved their mommy and Vanessa loved watching her with them.
"Hi baby." Brooke smiled, sitting up, "breakfast is ready, I'm going to put the babies down for their nap, then we can curl up on the couch."
Vanessa nods and heads to the dining room. Two place settings were on the table, beautifully decorated with pancakes with strawberries, bacon, and orange juice.
Brooke returns from putting Chloe and Noah down for their morning nap and joins Vanessa.
"These are amazing, B."
Brooke smiles and nods in agreement.
Vanessa cleans up while Brooke fills two mugs with hot chocolate for them, and then leads Vanessa to the couch.
Brooke sits on the couch and pulls Vanessa so she's sitting with her legs on the blonde's lap and they sip on their hot chocolate.
"Nessa, what's on your mind? Something is bothering you."
Vanessa avoids Brooke's eyes, not wanting to tell her.
"Baby, you can tell me."
"I didn't realize it was Christmas already."
"I know, and that's understandable honey."
"B, I didn't get you a present. I forgot." Vanessa's voice cracks with emotion, "I mean, I have something now, but I forgot before. It ain't gonna be here till next week either. You ain't gonna have any presents to open."
"Vanessa," Brooke says softly, tilting the smaller girl's chin to look at her, "you didn't have to get me a thing and it would be quite alright. You, Noah and Chloe are the best things I could ask for." Brooke leans forward and kisses Vanessa's forehead, "and things will slow down now at work so you won't be so stressed anymore. I'll be home more."
Vanessa nods, "well I got you a present anyways, Mary, but that's sweet of you to say. I love you, Brookie."
"I love you too, Ness, and I do have a present for you." Brooke reaches behind them to the side table and grabs an envelope, "V, you work so hard to keep things going here and you always make sure that the house is cleaned and dinner is ready when I'm home, which you don't have to do! But you do it, and you do it so well. I hope you can use this to relax."
Vanessa opens the envelope to find a certificate for a spa day.
"You can pick any day you want and I'll keep the kids. You deserve to relax baby."
"Brooke, you didn't have to do this, but I'm so grateful. Thank you." Vanessa kisses her wife, "it means so much to me."
"I wish I could tell you in better words how thankful I am. I hope you know I am though."
"I do. I'm thankful for you too. Everything I do is for you and our family, baby, because it's what you deserve. You work so hard."
Brooke leans in and presses soft, sweet hot cocoa kisses to her wife's face. Vanessa takes both mugs and places them on the table. She wraps her arms around her wife's neck and pulls her closer. Brooke's hands float up Vanessa's shirt, fingertips ghosting along the other girls ribs.
"Maybe I can show you just how much I appreciate you." Brooke says against Vanessa's lips which part into a smile.
Brooke's hands are about to unbutton Vanessa's pj top when a high-pitched scream rings through the house followed by another.
"The babies are awake." Vanessa says, resting her forehead against Brooke's.
"I'll get the bottles, you get the babies."
Vanessa nods and hips up, heading for the stairs. As they sit, feeding their babies, Brooke and Vanessa are both counting their blessings. They had a lot to be thankful for this Christmas.