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It’s Christmas, Noel should be excited, but it’s difficult. Even at 4 years old he is starting to understand that you don’t always get what you want. This year when asked, Noel had been telling people he wanted a baby doll. One of has friends at nursery school has one, and the little eyes open and shut. He thought it was rather adorable, and when she let him play with it, he was so excited. He told his teacher and his friends and Paul of course, that he would like one just like that.
Noel told his mother too, but she didn’t nod or hum in agreement like the others, instead she told him never to say something like that again. Da wouldn’t be happy to hear him ask for that, little boys aren’t supposed to like those things. At the mention of his father being upset, Noel began to cry, feeling like he can’t do anything right. Mammy held him tight, apologizing for upsetting him. She isn’t mad, she just doesn’t want to see him hurt, especially before the holidays. Between gasps and sniffles, Noel explains that he just really likes babies, the ones at nursery are so cute, his teachers even let him help sometimes. Noel knows that you can only get a real baby as a grown up, so he wanted a doll to hold and love.
On Christmas Day, Noel smiles politely as he unwraps his gifts, a little toy car, and a ball. It’s okay that he didn’t get his baby this year, Mammy said that maybe he will for the next Christmas.