The house is silent, as it should be at six in the morning. The wife and I decided to wake up extra early, to avoid the unpleasant surprise of an over-excited child on their favorite holiday of the year.
Then again, I wouldn’t say it’s just our daughter’s favorite holiday. Adelaide has always enjoyed it more than the average person. Though she says it’s to avoid a sudden wake-up call, I’m pretty sure she just wants to make sure everything in the living room is perfectly set for Mekki.
Christmas has never been that exciting for me, but it’s a lot different when you have a kid to see light up over something they thought you’d never get them.
Adelaide yawns into her cup of coffee instead of sipping it. “Not drinking your coffee, Mikey?” She’s already finished half of hers, loaded with cream and sugar. She flops backwards onto my lap, kicking her feet from the edge of our sofa.
I’ve had it sitting on a coaster, rotating it in place, waiting. “Just saving it. I’ll probably need it pretty s-“
Like a gunshot, the sound of a door colliding with a solid surface makes both of us jump. After the sound of a new dent being put in the wall comes our daughter and her messy hair.
She doesn’t rush into the living room where the tree and gifts are, but a bit further to where our bedroom is.
“Mommy, daddy! C’mon, wake up! Wake up! It’s Christmas!”
I can hear the bed creaking angrily as she launches herself onto it. We can tell she’s confused that we’re not in bed, though.
Now is probably the best time to start getting a steady stream of coffee into my system. “I guess it was a good idea to wake up earlier than usual.”
Adelaide hums at me, not opting for her usual “told you so!” that I’ve heard more times than I’d care to admit. “Sweetie, we’re in here!”
Mekki comes flying down the hallway, practically slamming into the wall while trying to take the corner into the living room.
“Calm down, munchkin. You’re gonna hurt yourself. C’mon, plop yourself over there.” I point in front of the tree where Addy set out a little cushion for her.
Adelaide motions for her, which confuses Mekki a bit. “First, let me comb your hair. It’s such a mess and if you end up with too many knots, we’re going to have to cut it.”
Mekki whines, grimacing as her mother struggles to fight with the knots. “Is it just me, or does she always end up with tangled hair whenever she comes home from the babysitter?” Adelaide asks. I sigh. It’s more likely than not.
While Addy works on straightening out our daughter's hair and tying it into a little ponytail, I remember what Mekki told me yesterday.
“Oh yeah, didn’t you say you were working on making your mom a gift?” I put on a mischievous grin as Mekki’s face begins turning red.
“Well, yeah, but…” She fidgets in place. Kids are adorable. It almost feels like a shame that she’s going to grow up one day.
“It didn’t come out so good.”
Adelaide laughs, picking Mekki up and squeezing her. “I’d love anything you’d make me.” Mekki still doesn’t seem too confident in whatever it was that she made for her mom.
Mekki looks to me for some sort of encouragement while Adelaide mercilessly snuggles her. “Don’t worry, it’ll be fine.”
She gives a big huff and squirms her way out of Adelaide’s arms. She lays flat on her stomach in front of the couch. “Mekki, what are you-“
“Shhhhhhhhh.”
Well, okay. Mekki appears to be reaching under the couch. Oh. She fishes out some pieces of paper, all which have… some sort of squiggles or scrawls on it.
“I tried to draw you things you like for Christmas, but…“
It’s hard to tell whether Mekki’s getting upset or embarrassed, because the two are often mutual for the little girl. Adelaide is smiling, but I don't think she can make heads or tails of what any of Mekki’s drawings are meant to be.
“They all came out bad. I wanted to make you something because you’re always doing nice things for me, like making my favorite foods, and reading me stories and taking me to nice places, and, and…“
Oh no, please. No crying, it’s way too early for my tired self to handle this.
Adelaide crouches down, giving Mekki a hug. “Shh, it’s fine! I love these. Plus! Wait right here, okay? No crying allowed!”
Mekki nods, sniffling a bit while Adelaide fishes out a small box. “No matter what holiday, you never have to give me any gifts. Want to know why?”
Our daughter nods slowly, looking confused. Adelaide hands her the box, adding even more to her confusion. She opens it and now she’s just baffled. I’ll be honest, so am I. When did she sneak this purchase into the Christmas shopping?
“See, I don’t need any gifts because you’re the best present I ever got.” She then picks up the bit of cloth and as she unfolds it, I start to understand. Adelaide ties it loosely under the collar of Mekki’s nightgown.
“See? Just like one of the presents under the tree.” She puts on a smile with a kind of warmth that I’ve never seen in anyone else throughout my entire life. Ah, crap. I think my eyes are watering up.
Adelaide kisses Mekki on the cheek, scooping her up into a big hug while our daughter giggles madly. I think at some point she realizes I’ve been looking away for a while now. “Michael?”
“Yeah?” I pick up my cup, tilting it backwards and hoping it’ll obscure my face.
“Are you crying?”