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Carina was propped up against the cushioned headboard, her legs stretched out between a barricade of pillows. Because there was a very curious, very mobile, nine month old baby crawling around the bed, testing her limits.
“Bella…”
Carina took her eyes from her laptop that was propped on a tray hovering beside her while pulling her reading glasses from her eyes and tucking them into her hair. She caught Gianna’s onesie covered foot as the baby managed to hike an arm up on one of the pillows. One of the strategically placed pillows that Maya set up around the edge of the matteress… along with pillows around the hardwood floor— just in case.
Gianna’s nose was scrunched up in a mischievous smile that looked so much like Maya when she peaked over her shoulder. Then came some toothy babbles before she rolled away from the danger zone and into Carina’s thigh.
“You want to run more, don’t you?” Carina sighed. But her smile reached her eyes as she tangled her fingers in soft blond curls at the base of Gianna’s neck.
Running for Gianna meant crawling around the house with Maya chasing after her or crawling with her as they laughed and played and raced. Her girls were always moving. Getting either one to be still was… quite the task.
“Should we find mommy? Do some more running before sleep?”
“Mmm! Ma! Ma!”
At the mention of Maya, Gianna pushed herself up and made a beeline across the bed. She crawled like a bolt of lightning that Carina barely managed to catch when Maya popped up in the bedroom doorway.
Carina looked up from where she was flopped down on her belly, Gianna’s foot in her hand.
“Your daughter wants to run more laps,” she huffed.
Maya’s grin was luminous. “Oh yeah?” She scooped Gianna up and tossed her in the air.
Carina covered her eyes. Maya was always tossing her baby in the air like she was a sports ball and every time it gave her a near heart attack!
“Well, your timing is on point, Novelina,” Maya bounced a giggling Gianna in her arms. “The kitchen is clean from the mess your Mama made baking enough Christmas cookies to feed all of station 19 plus team Italia. Time to run.”
Carina rolled her eyes at Maya’s smirk.
“Hey,” Maya cautioned, pointer finger in the air. “Up. You’re squishing baby.”
“You are ridiculous,” Carina said while sitting up. “Go run. I’m almost finished.”
oxoxo
Another half hour or so and Carina was satisfied with the lecture she prepared from her research and trials. She gathered her laptop, folders, notebook, the array of high lighters and sticky notes Maya bought her (because color coding was the key to success), and tucked everything away in her brief case.
Then she ventured from the bedroom to find her family.
Carina padded down the hall, briefly stopping to open the baby gate with practiced ease at the top of the stairs. Then of course stopping again at the landing to do the same. The very moment Gianna had got up on her hands and knees and started swaying and rocking, Maya had baby proofed every inch of their home.
With her hand around the banister, Carina spun away from the entryway and went down the hall. She passed their spacious living room that had a big cozy U-shaped couch with a large cushioned ottoman in the middle capped with a removable wooden table top. Up on the wall was a moderately sized tv situated above a mantle and fireplace. They rarely needed the hearth for the heat, but the ambiance of it all was a big selling point when they were looking at houses.
And of course, Christmas decorations. A full tree in the corner with lots of tinsel and ornaments and too presents beneath, but they couldn’t help themselves. There were so many cute baby things.
Three red stockings hung along the mantle surrounded by holly. In the big picture window that faced the street, the glass was sprayed with frost and lined with icicle lights.
There was mistletoe in the archway. Every archway and every doorway in the house. Not that Carina needed an excuse to kiss her wife, but she certainly took advantage of the tradition every chance she got.
Maya saw a tiktok about elf on a shelf before Thanksgiving, but Carina thought it was creepy.
“And telling kids that an old man named Santa Claus is always watching and he knows when they’re sleeping and when they’re awake and he has a list of the naughty and nice kids, isn’t?”
Carina made a pft sound. “It is all creepy.”
Maya raised her brows, grinning. “So what are we telling her about Santa?” She asked, jutting her chin at their eight month old sound asleep on Carina’s chest.
After a moment of thought, Carina said, “We will say he is a cool magic man and has reindeer and likes milk and cookies.”
“Okay so when she’s four years old and running amok, we won’t use the Santa thing to get her to behave?”
“No.” Carina rubbed circles around Gianna’s sleeper covered back. “We will not use the threat of something that is not even real to get her to do the right things. And we will not scream and fight. We will not throw things… We will not be our parents. I won’t let us.”
Maya’s smile softened. She took Carina’s free hand and kissed her knuckles.
“No we won’t, my love.”
Carina’s gaze lingered on the stocking with Gianna’s name on it. Her daughter’s first Christmas. She was so excited to share it all with her baby. And her wife. This is what she wanted. From the moment she and Maya had decided to start trying to have a baby, this is what Carina thought of. All of the holidays, birthdays, celebrations… all of the moments.
Joyous squeals took Carina further down the hall, passed the large open kitchen that had plenty of counter space, an expansive island and lots of light, and led her toward the sun room. A sun room that had really turned into Gianna (and Maya’s) playroom. How many hours had Carina spent baking and cooking in the kitchen, watching her girls laugh and play on the warm carpet with plushie dinos and blocks and puzzles and musical instruments and the ride on firetruck that more than once or twice, Carina caught Maya riding around on. And that was just the tip of the baby toys iceberg. There were so many.
The only thing separating the kitchen from the sunroom was the baby gate Maya installed. The barrier went wall to wall and made the room like a giant play pen. They had a small tv high on the wall that mostly played baby shows when it was on. Which wasn’t too often. Gianna liked to go and do. Like her mommy.
“Are you helping mommy make more muscles again?”
Carina smiled at Maya lying on the carpet, her feet anchored on the ground, with Gianna in her hands and her elbows flexed while she moved Gianna from her chest and up in the air, back and forth.
Maya had a hand hooked around Gianna’s leg and waist and another around her arm pit and chest. Gianna had a teething ring in her hand and mouth when Maya lowered her again and started to make like she was going to eat the baby’s plump little cheek. Which sent Gianna into a fit of giggles.
Carina opened the white bared baby gate then got down on the floor beside her wife and daughter.
“Did you do laps?”
“Yes we did,” Maya smiled big as Gianna went up in the air again.
Carina’s fingers nipped at the green onesie that was dotted with reindeer and candy canes.
“Who won the race?”
“I did,” Maya scoffed. “I always do. She has really little arms and legs.”
Carina laughed.
“One more rep.”
Carina was content to lay on the fluffy carpet beside her two favorite people, her legs stretched out and her hands on her tummy while she absorbed their laughter and smiles. Her tummy that had the slightest curve only visible beneath clothing because she was barely seven weeks along.
“Annddd, done!”
Maya tucked Gianna to her chest and held tight as she rolled onto her side and freed Gianna. Who got up on her hands and knees and climbed on Carina.
“Careful, don’t kick your little brother or sister.”
“She is fine,” Carina smiled, letting her baby climb like she was a human jungle gym.
Maya propped her elbow up and put her cheek against her balled fist. She rested her eyes on Carina’s loving embrace that coaxed Gianna to lay down.
“Are you ready for your lecture?”
“Yes. But I wish it was not on Christmas eve.”
“I’m glad it will be over early enough for you to come to the Station for the party.”
“Me too. I just hope you do not have to go on a call.”
“I’ll be off by noon, but another station is covering for a few hours.”
That reminded Carina that she would be alone tonight. Maya had to leave in a few hours for a twelve hour shift. But she would be home Christmas eve night and Christmas day. For that, Carina was very thankful.
Gianna started nuzzling at Carina’s chest, a lazy hand trying to pull at the hem of Carina’s tank top.
“I think she wants a bed time snack.”
“Hai fame, amore?”
“Mama’s asking if you’re hungry,” Maya leaned toward Gianna and whispered. Then kissed her pale cheek.
Carina smirked at Maya. “You are learning.”
“I have to be ready for Gabriella’s next visit. Did I tell you she left me a list of words and phrases the last time she was here? I have to perfect them ‘or else’,” Maya explained, using air quotes.
Grinning, Carina shook her head as she held Gianna and started to sit up. Seeing the movement, Maya was quick to help get her upright.
“Well, you did only get a C on the last test she gave you.”
“I remember,” Maya grumped while pulling the strap of Carina’s tank top down beneath her breast.
“Grazie.”
Maya grabbed a pillow from the couch behind them, sliding it to the carpet as Carina laid back down on her side.
Gianna settled beside her Mama, her eyes falling closed as her tiny lips found Carina’s nipple and her dimpled hand went to Carina’s breast.
“I’ve seen you feed our daughter like this so many times, but it's always so mesmerizing."
Carina smiled, finding Maya’s eyes.
Maya cupped Carina’s cheek, her blue eyes shining.
“Merry Christmas eve eve, babe.”
“Merry Christmas eve eve, Bambina.”
oxoxo
Maya was putting plates around the beanary table, Vic on the other side following up with the cutlery when Carina’s laugh gave her pause. She looked up to find Carina in conversation with Ben when he squeezed her arm and turned for the fridge. Then Carina looked down at Gianna, her smile reaching her eyes as their foreheads touched.
“You look like you have a crush on a girl.”
Maya answered Vic without turning. “I can’t hide it, huh?”
“Nope. You’re a goner.”
“Look at them,” Maya said wistfully. “They’re so in love with each other.”
With some cutlery in one hand, Vic’s free arm went across Maya’s shoulder while she joined Maya’s line of vision. Both Gianna and Carina looked completely mesmerized with one another.
“It does look that way, boss.”
“Isn’t it beautiful?”
Vic smirked. “Look at you… married with a baby and another on the way and you’re still so down bad for your wife.”
Maya’s eyes gazed drifted to Carina’s tummy, the slight curve hidden beneath clothing.
“I will always be down bad for that woman.”
Vic shook her head, smiling. “The fact that you even have a wife still blows my mind.”
“Yeah, what is it you used to say about monogamy?” Andy said while coming from the kitchen with a tray of food that she put in the middle of the table. “It’s for the weak?”
Maya sprouted a cocky half smile while continuing around the table with plates. “I believe I also said it’s for the very very dedicated.”
“Ah, yes,” Andy grinned.
“Our Captain is all grown up,” Vic teased.
“All grown up and insanely in love,” Andy sang.
“Hey,” Maya said, her brows raised and her pointer finger going up in the air. “All grown up, insanely in love, and very very dedicated.”
Fin