Shorts Series: Baby’s First Christmas - Aria Universe
Jess had exactly one goal this Christmas: survive it.
That might sound dramatic—fine, it was dramatic—but with a 4-year-old who had the energy of a caffeinated hummingbird and a 6-month-old who seemed personally offended by the concept of sleep, Jess felt completely justified.
Currently, she was seated cross-legged on the floor, rocking Toby in her lap as Kai wrestled with what was supposed to be a “simple assembly” play kitchen. Aria, meanwhile, was doing pirouettes in her reindeer pajamas and a tiara, swinging a candy cane dangerously close to her brother’s head.
“Aria, baby, careful with the candy cane—Toby’s not a Christmas tree.”
Aria froze mid-spin, her curls bouncing before she pointed the candy cane dramatically at her brother.
“He’d be a cute Christmas tree.”
Kai snorted from his spot on the carpet, buried in plastic parts and an instruction manual that was clearly written in hieroglyphics. “Honestly? At this point, turning him into a Christmas tree might be easier than building this thing.”
Jess smirked, patting Toby’s back as he gnawed contentedly on a bow he’d stolen from one of Aria’s presents. “Don’t look at me. You’re the one who insisted you could handle this without directions.”
“I am following the directions!” Kai snapped, glaring at the manual before flipping it upside down. “They’re just wrong.”
“Right. It’s the manual’s fault. Not the fact that you skipped step two and jumped straight to attaching the doors.”
Kai pointed a screwdriver at her. “Careful, Jessica.”
Jess grinned, leaning back and rocking Toby a little faster as he started squirming. “Careful of what? Your inability to build a child’s toy?”
“Careful, or you’re cooking dinner for the rest of the week.”
“You already lost that bet last month, Your Highness.”
Before Kai could retort, Aria plopped down dramatically in front of him, holding up a plastic phone from the half-assembled kitchen set.
“Daddy, can you call Santa and tell him I need a real kitchen instead?”
Jess nearly choked on her laugh as Kai stared at their daughter in open betrayal. “A real kitchen?”
“Mhm. For cookies. And you can make coffee for Mommy.” Aria turned toward Jess and beamed like she’d just solved world hunger.
Jess raised her coffee mug in salute. “Smart girl. Santa approves.”
Kai groaned, dropping his head into his hands. “I’m surrounded by traitors.”
By the time the kitchen was finally assembled (only missing one suspiciously unimportant piece), Aria had moved on to organizing her doll’s tea party, and Toby was sprawled on Jess’s lap, fast asleep with a strand of ribbon stuck to his cheek.
Kai lay on the carpet, sprawled out like a man who had just survived a war. “Next year, we’re buying pre-assembled toys. Or gift cards. Lots of gift cards.”
Jess shifted Toby into his bassinet and flopped onto the couch, nudging Kai’s leg with her foot. “Oh no, you don’t get to give up now. We still have the dollhouse from my mom to put together.”
“That thing’s five feet tall!” Kai groaned. “She’s four years old. Why does she need a house bigger than our apartment?”
“Because she’s our daughter, and if you don’t think she’s running a doll-sized empire by next Christmas, you’re delusional.”
Kai sat up, grinning as he grabbed Jess’s ankle and tugged, pulling her off the couch and onto the floor beside him. “Admit it—you love this chaos.”
Jess huffed, but the truth was written all over her face. “I love parts of it. Not the part where I have to keep you from accidentally super-gluing your hand to the floor.”
“That happened one time.”
“Once was enough.”
Kai leaned in, pressing a kiss to her temple. “You married me anyway.”
Jess tilted her head, smirking. “Still deciding if it was a mistake.”
Before Kai could respond, Aria bounced back into the room holding her stuffed unicorn and dragging a tinsel garland behind her.
“Daddy, can we decorate Toby?”
Jess choked out a laugh as Kai’s eyes widened in panic. “No! Toby’s not a Christmas tree!”
Aria pouted. “But he’d be so cute.”
“You’re on your own, Daddy.” Jess grinned, scooping up her coffee and retreating to the couch as Aria climbed onto Kai’s lap, already draping tinsel over his arm.
“Jess, don’t leave me with her!”
“Merry Christmas, babe.”
Later that night, after the kids were asleep and the house was relatively clean, Jess found Kai stretched out on the couch, flipping lazily through channels. She plopped down beside him, stealing the remote.
“I was watching that.”
“No, you were pretending to watch it while calculating how many pieces you forgot to put on the kitchen.”
Kai smirked. “You’re hilarious.”
Jess leaned into him, her voice softer this time. “Merry Christmas, Kai.”
“Merry Christmas, Jess.”
And despite the chaos, the teasing, and the fact that their living room still looked like Santa’s workshop exploded—Jess wouldn’t have changed a single thing.
@Littlefeets - a random one i wrote this morning