Christmas Gifts

"Mommy! Mommy! Happy christmas!!! Let's open the gift now!"

Arthur shook his mother's body violently. His eagerness was shown. Grace rubbed her eyes a few times and saw the time on her phone. It's already morning. She let out a small grin when her son woke up with full energy.

"Let's wash your face first mommy!"

Grace nodded and followed her son to the bathroom. She washed her face and brushed her teeth like what her son told. Arthur did the same. She tied her brunette hair into a high bun. The matched PJs had a christmas theme with a snow reindeer printed on them. 

Their morning was brighter. The snow had stopped for a while and weirdly the sun shone brighter than usual.

Grace giggled when Arthur kept dragging here to their living room. The Christmas tree's light was still on.

"Yeay! My presents!!!"

Arthur sat on his mother's lap. Grace hugged him from behind and the little man drowned by his gifts. He quickly grabbed a small box and tore the gift paper. His first gift was a snowball with a young boy making a snowman. He shook it hard and the snowball started to snow. 

He put the snowball aside and grabbed his other gifts. There were only five gift boxes Grace prepared. The snowball, new pair of winter jackets, a golf' hat, new crayon, and the last… the biggest box.

Arthur put his hands together.

"Dear God, make it a pirate ship puzzle. Pirate ship puzzle, please."

Grace recorded their moment together with her phone. Arthur tore the paper more slowly this time. Every tear he did, he chanted a prayer to make his last gift was a pirate ship puzzle.

When he saw the box, Arthur turned around to see his mother.

"What is it, Arthur?"

"Mommy. Santa didn't forget," he said with trembling lips.

"Oh, dear… Why are you crying?"

"Mommy… I am a good boy and Santa gave me a pirate ship puzzle."

"Oh, dear."

Grace let her son hug her tight. Arthur rarely cried. He matured faster than his friends. But seeing him cry over a small gift she prepared made her heart burst into happiness. She was indeed blessed.

"Mommy, want to build this ship with me later?"

"Of course, my love."

Grace kissed her son's forehead. Wiped the tears on his chubby cheeks. He was only four years old. 

"Ah, I almost forgot. Last night, when you were already asleep, I met Santa again and he gave you another gift. Oh! And-and-and I saw some fairies playing around the socks you hanged. How about you check them out?"

Arthur jumped from Grace's lap and sprinted toward the hanging socks. She went to the kitchen to brough te carrot cake she had prepared last night.

"Mommy candies!!!" his scream was echoing through their house.

That morning was a big party for Arthur. The gifts won't stop appearing one by one. And now candies on the hanging socks. And what's next… 

"Whoaa… Santa is a generous man, isn't he?" he said when he saw the carrot cake.

"Well, he appreciates good children. Of course he will give you a lot of gifts, sweetheart."

Grace cut the cakes and gave a piece to Arthur. She loved it when Arthur's eyes opened in amazement when he tasted her cooking. He made Grace feel like all her cooking deserved to be displayed in some five star restaurant.

Race saw how adorable her child was. If there was any competition for the cutest child in the world, Grace without any hesitation would put her son in that competition. And she knew that her son would win the competition.

For every bite he took, Arthur always praised the cake. Even though he said he was thankful for Santa, Grace still felt very happy.

After eating the carrot cake, Grace and Arthur started to build the puzzle together. Grace thought it was easy. When she read the instruction paper, it was actually for ten years old or over. Well, she was not surprised that it would be difficult to put together by her son.

But his focus made Grace retreat to ask him a rest. She let her son do the puzzle. She would help when he was struggling.

"I think this piece is for the flag, doesn't it?" Grace asked to let her son check.

"Yeah, mommy. Yes! It's fit! Wow.. you are great at puzzles too, mommy."

"Ahaha, thank you."

Grace watched her son closely and saw the contact lens box that she put at her coffee table.

"Um.. hey, Arthur, want to see something great?" asked Grace, grabbing the contact lenses with her.

"What is it, mommy?"

Grace took a deep breath. She had no other intention. She just wanted to try it. Grace opened the box and told her son about what she was gonna do to his eyes. Arthur nodded. Giving his mother his full trust.

It was quick. Arthur blinked several times and looked at the mirror.

"Wow, I have black eyes now!"

Grace cleared her throat, "Yes, it looked more like your father," she said.

"Relly? Do I looked like my father now?"

Grace nodded.

She thought it was enough. She wanted to take it off but Arthur refused. He didn't want to. He wanted to look like his father. So Grace let it go for a while.

Until he heard a knock on her door.

"Who is there?" Arthur asked.

Grace shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe our neighbor. You can continue the puzzle. Mommy will open the door."

Grace stood up and walked slowly toward the door. When she grabbed the handle, there were some weird feelings in her chest. She frowned and looked back at her son. 

What is it? Why did she feel that something bad was going to happen? She looked at the dreamcatcher she hung last night. Nothing to worry about. All the bad dreams and bad luck wouldn't harm her happiness now.

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK, The knocks on her door snapped her thoughts. She shook her head to casted away the negative thoughts. She quickly turned the key and opened the door for her guest.

"Ah… finally, there you are, my baby. I've finally found you again."

"Gabriel…."