Philip opened his bedroom door just a crack, an eye peeking into the empty hallway, and grinned. He tiptoed out of his room and made it to the top of the stairs before seeing his mother appear at the bottom. Pam was wearing her favorite festive pajamas, the ones with little snowmen and reindeer on top of a pink bubblegum background, a cup of, very hot, and very dark, coffee in her hand.
“Not yet mister,” she spoke barely just above a whisper, but loud enough he could hear. “You know the rules,” she winked at him, as he hung his head and moved back to his bedroom, intentionally shutting the door louder than necessarily. The Halperts’ took Christmas very seriously, but especially Pam. Every year, the rule was nobody came downstairs to open anything until Pam and Jim called the kids down, and they could open their stockings, then eat breakfast, and then open gifts from the tree once the grandparents arrived at their house. They had been hosting it at their house since moving to Austin, and it was the one time of year when both Jim’s parents, and Pam’s parents came together to see the kids at the same time. The house was filled with noise, and the smell of freshly baked cookies that Cece would spend hours making with both of her grandmothers. The rules of Christmas were quite rigid, and now with Olivia now understanding who Santa Claus was, her excitement had made the holidays feel even more magical.
Jim was in the living room, setting up the last piece of the train track that was circling the tree, and pouring water into a container watching it puff from the top. He lit up, as he watched it move around the tree, and stood up to move to his wife, planting a kiss on her cheek.
“He’s going to love it,” she said softly, and pulled Jim close to her, setting her coffee down on a side table, as she brought his warm chest to hers. She rested her hands underneath his buffalo flannel pajama bottoms and felt his hardness against her. She smirked and raised an eyebrow at him, as Jim moved his hand down on top of her own.
“We could, you know-” he started, eyeing their room just down the hall from the living room.
She laughed, pulling his face in for a quick kiss, “Well, that’s just not fair to the kids,” she giggled, and brought his ear to his lips, “but later, I promise, I’ll make it up to you,”
He grinned wickedly, and held her tightly, glancing around the living room, making sure every last gift had been placed, that the stockings were stuffed, and breakfast ready to be cooked once they finished stockings. Olivia was snoring loudly from their bedroom just a few steps away,
“Dibs,” he chuckled, moving quickly to the bedroom,
“No fair,” she pouted, tailing closely behind him. He extended a hand behind him and grabbed hers, pulling her into their bedroom. He moved his pointer finger to his lips, and quietly stepped over to his side of the bed. They both crouched down next to the bed, and watched as Olivia’s eyes darted under her lids. Her red hair was in her face, a binky she’d found somewhere hidden in the house in her mouth, and her stuffed rabbit, Walter firmly gripped under her arm. She was so still, and looked so small in their King bed, all by herself. Jim smiled at his wife, and reached a hand out to touch her nose.
“Peanut,” he said quietly, she stirred.
“Hey baby girl,” Pam had caught a bit of a southern twang since moving to Tennessee and every time Jim heard it come out, he fell just a little bit more in love with her. He glanced over and smiled, his eyes bright.
“What?” she whispered,
“Nothing,” he shook his head, eyeing the ground and moved his arms to pull Olivia into his arms. He stood up and she quickly opened her eyes, looking at both of them,
“Santa came!” Pam said excitedly, and Olivia began to wiggle out of his grasp, and when he set her to the floor she ran to the living room, barely containing her excitement.
“SANTA!” She screamed, and Pam knew, within seconds Philip would be downstairs. Just as the thought passed her mind she heard her son taking the stairs two at a time until he reached the bottom. She threw a t-shirt at him to put on his topless half, and when he walked toward the couch to take his usual spot in the middle, she fixed his dark disheveled hair, which quickly bounced back awry.
“Where’s Cece?” Pam asked, glancing up the stairs, not seeing her daughter anyway.
“Probably still sleeping,” Philip yawned, his eyes fixated on the wool stocking on the fireplace with his name neatly stitched into the top, his mouth watering for the candy he saw sticking out of the top.
“She’s in the barn,” Jim glanced out the window. It was 6:30 in the morning, and that was the earliest the Halpert children were allowed to get up for Christmas. Too many 4am Christmas mornings with the tree opened by 5:30am and bored children by noon days were in the past. They now had a strict schedule that had made everyone happy in the last few years. “I’ll grab her,” he smiled and moved out the slider. His boots crunched in the muddy snow below his feet as he walked the fifty or so feet to the barn. Cece had the barn doors open, and was grooming Oakley, Jim stepped in, pulling his jacket a little closer around him as the wind whipped through the barn. He flicked the lights once, and Cece immediately looked up. She looked exhausted,
How long have you been up?
About three hours, I couldn’t sleep
Were you looking for Santa? He gave her a wink, she rolled her eyes in response.
“No,” she cleared her throat and moved closer to him, hanging up the bridle on the wall and went to work on cleaning the dirt out of Oakley’s shoes.
“Taylor’s in London for Christmas, and we were just up talking, that’s all,” she finished picking his shoes, and Jim waited silently for her attention.
“You tell her Merry Christmas for me, okay?” Taylor practically lived at Halpert’s house. She was an ‘honorary child,’ Pam had given her that nickname when she began spending almost every day at the house helping with the horse, and giving Cece a true friend after their move to Tennessee. He knew it must be driving Cece crazy that her best friend was so far away for the next few weeks, but some quality time with his family this time of year was one of his favorite things; along with brown copper kettles and warm woolen mittens of course.
“Dad, that’s weird, you’re our teacher now,” she put Oakley back into his stall, handed him over a carrot that he took willingly, and moved toward the doors.
“It’s not weird, Taylor loves me,” he put a hand to his chest, pretending to be offended.
“Whatever,” her new favorite word.
Let’s go, Olivia’s probably losing her mind Cece chuckled and wrapped her arm through the hole between Jim’s elbow and his pocketed hand, and followed him inside.
Merry Christmas, Baby, Pam smiled, and Cece, the same height as Pam now, moved a hand across her mother’s french braids.
Cute she put two fingers across her chin, and pulled her mother in for a hug. She held on just a bit longer than usual.
“Can we start now?” Philip whined from the couch, as he anxiously bounced on his knees.
“Yes, we can start,” Jim laughed, grabbing his Santa hat from the kitchen counter, and moving to his usual spot on the floor, right next to the tree. He sat cross legged, ready to give out gifts.
Olivia moved off the couch and immediately to the rocker and put her hands up. Pam grabbed under her arms and pulled her into her lap, loving how she fit so perfectly in between her legs.
“Me, me, me” she yelled, pointing to her chest. Cece giggled,
“You go first, Ollie,”
“Hey!” Philip smacked his sister,
“You can wait, moron,” she rolled her eyes.
“You’re a moron!” he barked, his eyes furrowing.
“Stop,” Pam narrowed her eyes, and she firmly put her outstretched hand into her other.
Cece and Philip settled back into their seats, crossing arms and looking off.
“Here you go, baby,” Jim handed her Olivia’s stocking and she moved off Pam’s lap to dump all the contents onto the living room floor. Pam and Jim grinned in unison as she gasped finding treasures abundant in her stocking, and slipping chocolate into her mouth every chance she had.
“Easy, peanut, we’re going to have breakfast soon,” she pouted back at him, and he took the candy cane of peanut butter cups out of her hand and set it out of her reach. He placed an unwrapped stocking toy into her hand to distract her, and she immediately went back to unwrapping the tiny items inside. He handed Cece and Philip their stockings and the two of them went to town, pulling gifts out, new toothbrushes, candy, and gift cards. Many “thank you’s!” chorused from the couch, and Pam and Jim exchanged each others stockings and quickly gave small kisses to each other, while Olivia lept and pushed her forehead against their cheeks,
“Ew, ew,” she giggled her little hands on each one of their cheeks.
“Do you like what Santa brought you?” Jim asked, turning to face Olivia.
“Yesh,” she replied, some spittle flying from her teeth.
He jokingly wiped his face, and grabbed her around the middle.
“Who’s ready for french toast?” Pam asked, as they finished up the stockings,
“Me!” the three of them chorused, turning around to face the kitchen, Philip lifting up onto his knees, resting against the back of the couch.
The front door opened without a knock, and Olivia and Philip whipped back around to find their grandparents walking in, carrying more bags than they could each hold.
“Mimi!” Olivia screamed moving toward Betsy and wrapping her arms around her waist, bags falling to the floor.
“Look at how big you are!” Betsy squealed, picking her granddaughter up as Helene moved inside the house, his now-husband Paul standing close behind her.
“Mom,” Jim smiled, moving toward the entryway, pulling her in for a hug, wrapping an arm around her head. He kissed her soft grey hair.
“How was the flight?” he asked quietly, glancing carefully into her eyes.
“It was, okay,” she paused, pursing her lips for a moment. Gerald was absent, and had been for the last month, and it hadn’t been an easy passing for anyone in the family, but she was adjusting to living on her own, despite Larissa’s protests to have her move in with her in Philly.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” he pulled Helene close as Pam and the kids all gathered around their grandmothers, and Paul stood quietly behind everyone.
“Honey, I’m so excited that you finally get to meet Paul,” Helene grabbed his arm, and brought him forward. He had sandy brown hair, was shorter, quiet, and subdued, but with a kind smile he shook Pam’s hand,
“I’ve heard a lot about you Pam, it’s great to meet you,” the breath she had been holding in her mouth exhaled involuntarily as she glanced at Jim. He nodded, and moved a hand out as well,
“We’re so excited that you’re here,” he finished, “Come on in, we’re just about to start breakfast,”
“Don’t start without us!” a familiar voice shouted from outside the door, and Jim and Pam both glanced, shocked to see a familiar blonde bob of hair in their front door, accompanied by a toothy grin, and five kids in tow.
“You made it!” Cece exclaimed, running to the door, wrapping her arms around Michael and Holly’s necks. She glanced back at her parents and wickedly grinned.
“She…” Pam was speechless,
“Called Michael,” Jim finished, dropping the spatula onto the counter.
“Surprise!” Cece shouted, and pulled Holly and Michael into the house with haste.
