Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

Have yourself a merry little Christmas

Let your heart be light

From now on our troubles will be out of sight

Have yourself a merry little Christmas

Make the Yule-tide gay

From now on our troubles will be miles away

The smell of chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven greeted Derek and Jackson as they stepped into their warm house.

"Mmmm, smells like mommy baked us some cookies!" Derek said as he closed the door behind them.

The little boy sniffled and Derek leaned down to unzip his thick winter jacket. As he turned to hang up both of their jackets on the coat rack by the front door, Addison entered.

"Hey! How are my two favorite boys?"

"Mommmyyy!" The little boy cried as he ran over to her and leaped in her arms, "Coookies!"

"Not until after dinner. And we have to be quiet, your sister is taking a nap, okay?" She told him before giving him a big hug and lightly pinching his nose, "Did you find a good tree for Christmas?"

Not understanding that she was addressing his dad, Jackson leaned in and whispered in her ear, "It's perfect!"

Addison looked at Derek, who was smiling at the exchange. Jackson and his twin sister, Grace, were only 3, but they had impeccable manners. Derek liked to say that they took after him in that respect, but Addison wouldn't hear it.

"Oh, really? Perfect? Are you sure?" She asked Jackson as she carried him into the living room.

"Uh huh!" He replied with a big nod, "I picked it out myself!"

She placed him on the couch next to where Derek was now sitting, "Well then, it must be perfect!"

The timer on the oven beeped and Addison went into the kitchen to check on the cookies. Jackson snuggled up next to his dad on the couch and asked, "When are we gonna bring it inside, daddy?"

"How about after dinner? We don't want to do it without your sister, right?"

The little boy nodded in agreement and snuggled closer. Just then, a small girl with flaming red hair emerged in the doorway, rubbing her blue eyes still glassy from sleep.

"I smellded cookies..." She said groggily, plodding over to the couch where her brother and father were sitting.

"Gracie!" Jackson shouted and jumped from his comfortable spot next to his dad. As he stood, he turned towards Derek and asked, "Can we get the twee now?"

Derek just laughed at his enthusiasm. This was the first Christmas where Grace and Jackson could actually understand and enjoy the holiday. "After dinner, son. Be patient."

The little boy frowned and sighed, but soon his mom was calling everyone to dinner. Jackson was the first one in the dining room, followed closely by Derek carrying Grace. The kids climbed into their chairs and Derek served them as Addison poured their glasses of milk.

-----

"All done, daddy!" Jackson announced proudly, his plate only containing a few pieces of chicken and a couple bites of mashed potatoes.

"Okay, carry your plate into the kitchen and then we'll go get the tree." Derek told him as he himself stood to put his empty plate in the sink. Jackson jumped from his chair and grabbed the plate and followed his dad. Five minutes later he was once again bundled up in his coat and boots, waiting eagerly at the door.

"Come on, daddy!" He called out. Derek pulled on his coat as he came into the front entryway. He checked the tightness of Jackson's coat one last time as he opened the front door, revealing the cold night that waited outside.

-----

Addison opened a box marked "X-MAS TREE" that was sitting in the middle of a space that Derek had cleared out in the living room for the tree only days ago. Grace scooted over to where her mother was sitting. Addie had been untangling a string of multicolored lights, so Grace picked up the end of a string and acted like she too was getting the knots and tangles out of a string of lights. Soon a rat-tat-tat was heard at the front door. Addie stopped what she was doing and looked excitedly over at Grace. They both jumped and ran for the door.

"I'll get it!" Grace proclaimed, grabbing the handle and opening the door. There stood Jackson and behind him, Derek, struggling to carry the tree in himself. Jackson dashed in and he and his sister ran into the living room, hooraying that it was time to decorate the Christmas tree. Addison smiled and giggled at Derek's determination to bring the tree in alone.

"Need help, honey?" She asked, already stepping out onto the front porch to help. She lifted the trunk of the tree and Derek sighed, "I guess so." They maneuvered it through the door and Addison kicked it closed behind her. A few minutes later they finally had it in the tree stand in its designated spot in the living room. Jackson and Grace were taking laps around it, singing Jingle Bells and giggling. Derek offered to continue getting the lights and ornaments out as Addison went into the kitchen to grab the plate of Christmas cookies she had baked earlier in the day. When she came back out into the living room, Derek had put on a Christmas CD and both kids were already throwing handfuls of tinsel on the tree.

"Alright, let's decorate this tree!" Derek clapped his hands and held up a string of lights. The two children cheered and ran over to where he was.

-----

"3 - 2 - 1!" Derek counted down, and, upon reaching 1, pushed the plug into the outlet, lighting the Christmas tree with 4 shimmering colors. Jackson and Grace yelleped with glee and clapped. Addison smiled but looked at the tree with a look on her face that Derek couldn't read.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" He asked her coming behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist, setting his chin on he shoulder and planting small kisses on the side of her cheek. Jackson and Grace let out simultaneous "Ewwww!"s.

She giggled slightly, but then responded, "There's something missing, but I can't quite figure it out."

Without moving from his position wrapped around Addie, Derek looked up at the glittering tree, adorned with red garland and silver ball ornaments and candy canes. "Hmmmm, I know what you mean, but I can't figure it out either."

"I know what it is!" Grace shouted as she pulled on the hem of Addison's sweater. She flew from the room and Derek and Addison exchanged confused looks. Jackson continued dancing around the tree singing made-up lyrics to classic carols. A moment after she had fled the room, Grace returned holding something. She handed it to her mother who, looking at Derek, did her best to figure out just what it was. It looked like an elephant with no legs, but Addison was sure that wasn't it.

"Honey, it's beautiful, but wh-" Addison was interrupted by her daughter, obviously sensing their confusion.

"It's an angel!" She told them, exasperated and slapping her arms down by her side.

"Of course!" Addison and Derek said in unison, and with that he took the uniquely-handcrafted silverish-gray angel from Addison and placed it on top of the tree. He leaned down and picked up Jackson and carried him over to where Addison was standing, holding Grace. The four of them stood back and admired the Christmas tree they had all decorated together.

"Merry Christmas, everyone." Derek said softly, as Grace was already drifting off in her mother's arms.

"Merry Christmas," Addison replied. She placed a soft kiss on Derek's lips and laid her head on his shoulder, "Merry Christmas."