Page 40 of In Stockings

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I dive onto the bed, flinging myself on top of my daddies.

“Wake up!” I shout, “Wake up. It’s Christmas Day!”

Pops groans and pulls me under the covers with him, tucking me up in his big arms.

“It’s still nighttime, Lyra. Go back to sleep.”

I wriggle free, racing to the end of the bed, where I jump up and down on the mattress. “It’s Christmas! It’s Christmas!” I yell.

Dada pulls a pillow over his head, and Daddy places his finger on his lips and tells me to shush.

TwinkleToes, though, she sits up in bed and smiles at me.

Her hair is all messy around her head, and she has two pink spots on her cheeks like the ones painted there the day we met. She’s also wearing Pop’s t-shirt.

“Happy Christmas,” she says.

“I want my stocking,” I cry, bouncing higher and higher.

TwinkleToes crawls down to the end of the bed. “Let’s go down to find it then.”

“No, come back to bed. Go back to sleep,” Daddy mutters,

But we sneak out of the room and down the stairs, giggling as we go.

I squeal when TwinkleToes pushes open the door.

The stockings are stuffed full. Mine has the most presents, some tumbling onto the floor.

I run to the fireplace and stand up on my toes. The milk is all gone. There are only crumbs left in the mince pie case, and Rudolph has eaten half the carrot.

I clap my hands and bounce on my toes.

“He came!”

“Of course,” TwinkleToes says, unhooking the stockings and tucking them under her arms.

“Do you think he read my note?”

“I’m sure he did.”

I chew on my lip and stare down at my feet. I’m wearing my Barbie socks.

“What’s wrong?” TwinkleToes asks, crouching down and peering into my face. She smells extra nice today like all my daddies rolled into one with something yummy added too.

“I asked him for another present, and maybe he got mad.”

“No, he wouldn’t. Why would you think that?”

“Because it wasn’t a present you could make in your elf workshop.”

“Right,” she says, nodding. “Do you want to tell me what it was?”

I nod. “I said I wanted an extra special present for me and my daddies.”

“Like what?”

“You.”

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