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Following the familiar sounds of her family’s voices, Juliet makes her way through the house and toward the kitchen, her curiosity only growing the closer she gets. The last she knew, Olivia was down for a nap while Charlotte was playing in the living room, but knowing her husband, he’s concocted something with the both of them that just might get under her skin.
Stepping into the kitchen, she can’t help the laugh that bubbles up when she sees her husband and daughters completely covered in flour. “What on earth is going on in here?”
Olivia grins at her from her place sitting cross-legged on the countertop. “Mummy! We’re makin’ cookies!”
Juliet nods as she moves further into the room and takes in more of the scene, stopping beside her youngest and running a hand over her curls. “I can see that.” She looks up at her husband and raises a brow. “Thomas?”
He glances around at the mess and then back to her. “The girls really wanted to make Christmas cookies.”
“Be honest,” she says, wiping some of the flour from Olivia’s cheek, “you wanted to make Christmas cookies too.”
“Well, I didn’t not want to make some.”
Juliet rolls her eyes good-naturedly. “Right, well, clearly you’ve done something wrong if our daughters are covered in flour.”
“Daddy had the mixer too high,” Charlotte pipes up.
Thomas narrows his eyes playfully at the six-year-old. “Traitor.”
Juliet smiles proudly. “That’s my girl.”
“Wanna help, mummy?” Olivia asks, holding a flour-covered hand up toward her.
Juliet smiles down at her daughter. “I would love to. And once the cookies are all cut out and started in the oven, daddy can take you both to get cleaned up while I sort out some decorations. Because we can’t have Christmas cookies without decorations, now can we?”
“No!” both girls shout together with wide smiles.
Juliet laughs at their enthusiasm and then looks around the kitchen space again. She lets out a breath as she rests her hands on her hips. “Let’s clean this mess up first, then we can start over. Who wants to grab the broom and sweep up the floor?”
“Me me me!” Olivia shouts, bouncing in her seat.
“Excellent.” She lifts Olivia onto the floor and then watches her toddle off for the small broom and dustpan they keep nearby for the girls to use. She turns to her eldest. “Would you like to help your father clean up the counter?”
Charlotte nods with a smile. “Okay.”
She watches for a moment as father and daughter work together to get the counter space cleared up enough so they’ll be able to use it properly. Then she focuses on the recipe Thomas found, going over it so she’s familiar with what ingredients and measurements they’ll have to use, and begins gathering everything together, as well as cleaning up the mess that was made inside the mixer.
“Mummy, all done!”
Juliet turns and smiles down at Olivia, immediately scooping the little girl up onto her hip. “Excellent work, my love. Would you like to help me get started on the dough since your father and sister seem to be taking forever to clean up?” She casts a glance over at her husband and their eldest, watching with a small smile as they goof around while cleaning up. “We might just have to make all the cookies ourselves,” she whispers playfully.
Thomas’ head shoots up, as does Charlotte’s. “Hey,” her husband declares, pointing a finger at her. “Don’t start without us, we’re almost done. Aren’t we, Charlie?”
Charlotte smiles and nods, scooping a pile of flour into the bin. “Yep.”
She sighs playfully for her daughters’ benefit. “Oh, alright. I suppose you two can help.”
Thomas snickers. “Great, thanks for allowing us. Alright, Charlie, I think that’s clean enough.” He smiles brightly at their daughter. “Let’s get these cookies started.”
A smile remains on Juliet’s face the entire time she makes cookies with her family, the faint notes of classic Christmas music coming through the speaker on the counter. The familiar melodies mix with the laughter of her husband and daughters as they very carefully mix all of the ingredients together in the bowl, all of them singing along to the songs that play.
By the time they’re all cuddled up on the couch together watching a Christmas movie while waiting for the cookies to cool, she’s completely forgotten about all the office work she’d been planning on doing. Spending the day making and decorating cookies with her family is a much, much better way to spend her time.
.
.
.
Smile on his face and Santa hat on his head, Thomas holds the door of La Mariana open for his wife and daughters, his free hand holding a tin of Christmas sugar cookies. He follows behind his family through the restaurant and toward the bar, immediately scooping Olivia up with one arm as they approach and holding her against his hip.
“Uncle Rick!” Charlie shouts, letting go of Juliet’s hand to rush toward the blonde man.
Rick turns and scoops the girl up into a hug with practiced ease. “Hey, Charlie.” He looks up at the rest of them. “What are you guys doing here?”
“We bring gifts,” Thomas tells his friend, extending the tin of cookies out to him. “We made cookies earlier and the girls really wanted to bring some by.”
Rick smiles at both girls. “That is incredibly thoughtful, thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Charlie says with a beaming smile. “Daddy had the mixer too high the first time and all the flour went everywhere and made a big mess but then mummy helped the second time and we did it without a mess.”
Thomas sighs at his daughter's words. “Are you gonna sell me out to everyone?”
Juliet laughs quietly from next to him. “Oh, I think you know the answer to that one already. Where are Suzy and Henry?” she asks Rick, glancing casually around the space in search of her friend.
“Down at the beach,” Rick tells her, hiking Charlie up a bit higher on his hip. “Henry was getting a bit restless.”
Charlie gasps. “Daddy, can we go to the beach too? I wanna build a sandcastle.”
“In a little bit, sweetie.”
“I can take them,” Cade announces his presence in the room, wiping his hands off on a towel. “I’ll be done in about five minutes.”
Olivia gasps from her place in Thomas’ arms. “Cade! Cade Cade Cade Cade!”
Juliet chuckles. “Well, I guess we know Olivia’s thoughts on that. What do you think, Charlotte? Do you want to go down to the beach with Cade and your sister so you can play with Henry and Aunt Suzy for a little while?”
Charlie nods with a grin. “Yes, please, mummy.”
“Then I guess that’s settled,” Thomas says with a smile, glancing down at his youngest in his arms. “Though I’m guessing you’re more excited about hanging out with Cade, huh?”
Olivia just grins and wiggles.
Thomas sighs, pressing a kiss to his daughter’s temple and then finally settling himself on one of the barstools. It doesn’t take much longer for Cade’s shift to be over, and then Thomas is watching as the young man gathers Olivia in his arms and holds tightly to Charlotte’s hand, leaning them out of La Mariana and toward the beach.
“So, where’s TC?” he asks his friend as he shifts on the stool, smiling a little when Juliet sits on the empty stool next to his and casually leans against him. “We both know Liv’s gonna be sad if he doesn’t try one of the cookies.”
“Shammy wasn’t feeling great so TC covered a tour for him.”
“Well then we’ll just have to catch him later,” Juliet decides. “In the meantime, Rick, you can try a cookie and let us know what you think.” She pops the lid of the tin off and pushes it across the counter. “We would have tried them ourselves, but the girls were insistent that you, TC, and Shammy be the first to do so.”
Rick smiles, shuffling closer. “Well then, don’t mind if I do.” His hand hovers above the tin for a moment, his eyes darting from cookie to cookie. He lowers his hand a couple of times before pulling it back again, a slight furrow to his brows.
“Oh, for heaven's sake,” Juliet practically groans. “It’s picking a Christmas cookie, there’s not a wrong one or a right one. Just pick.”
Rick feigns offense. “Well, excuse me for wanting to pick the most perfect-looking cookie among them. Which I believe is this one.” He reaches inside the tin and finally pulls out a cookie shaped like a Christmas tree, complete with misshapen lumps of frosting and piles of sprinkles. “I think I know who made this cookie. Excellent job, Thomas.”
He just rolls his eyes at his friend’s teasing. “Just eat the cookie.”
Rick chuckles and then takes a bite, humming quietly. “You know,” he says, swallowing and shifting on his feet, “despite how much frosting is on here, the cookie itself isn’t half bad.”
Thomas smiles. “Well, the girls will definitely be happy to hear that.” He takes a deep breath and looks at his wife, leaning a bit closer to her. “Now I don’t know about you, but I think an afternoon at the beach with our girls sounds pretty fun.”
Juliet nods slowly, turning her head just enough to look at him. “Indeed it does. But I need a drink first. Something festive, I think,” she says with a small smile.
He leans forward to give her a quick kiss and then shifts his attention to his friend. “Two of your most festive drinks, Rick. Please and thank you.”
Rick nods as he shuffles around behind the counter. “Coming right up.”
Shifting on his seat, Thomas smiles as he watches his wife engage in polite conversation with a young mother nearby, the woman’s child wrapped up snuggly in a baby sling. Even when their drinks are brought over, it doesn’t derail Juliet’s conversation in the slightest, a laugh bubbling out of her a moment later.
Light, festive music drifts toward them from the live band on stage and it makes him smile a little more. He always loved Christmas growing up, and he never thought he could love it more than he did back then. And then he became a father and it’s so much better experiencing the holiday through both his daughter’s eyes. Especially having such an incredible wife at his side through all of it. There’s truly nothing better.