Always Us

merry christmas

"Now where's my grand baby," Grace called out as she walked in from the Baker's backyard with Laura.

"With her favorite grandparent," Billy replied while he made silly faces at Sienna, switching them up to keep her attention.

"Here, gamma!" Sienna managed to yell between her giggles.

"I think your time is up, Billy Baker," Grace reached out to the curly-haired toddler, prying her from him when he wouldn't let up.

From the kitchen, Olivia smiled at Sienna's grandparents fussing over her, but under the counter she was anxiously checking her phone every five minutes for a text, call, anything. It was getting late, and Spencer still hadn't let her know that he landed yet. Which seemed odd considering the game ended hours ago, and the team headed straight to the airport after the afternoon game in Kansas City.

In the past, Olivia had traveled with Spencer on holidays, but this year, the young parents decided that it would be better for her to stay in LA and let Sienna enjoy the day with her grandparents. They agreed it would be easier than lugging the two year old on multiple flights just for her to end up bored at a football game. As consolation for missing their Christmas Eve traditions, Spencer assured Olivia that he'd be home by Sienna's bedtime to put her to sleep before Santa came.

"Where's dada?" Olivia heard her daughter ask for the fourth time since the game had ended.

Sienna was now at an age where she could recognize that daddy was on TV, but she couldn't comprehend why he didn't immediately show up in the living room afterwards.

"He'll be here soon," Grace assured her. "He just had to stop by and have a word with Santa," she whispered, Sienna's eyes going wide at the discovery that her dad knew Santa Claus. The jolly old man had basically become a celebrity at the Baker-James house.

"How about we get some picture by the tree, huh?" Laura came to stand beside Olivia in the kitchen, comforting her with a gentle hand on her back.

"But Spencer's not here yet," Olivia complained, her childlike disappointment coming through with her mom.

"Well we either get her with open eyes now or sleeping with Spencer," Laura pointed out, nodding at the couch.

Olivia looked over to the living room where Sienna was curled up next to Billy, her eyes blinking slowly.

"Fine," she pouted before turning and forcing a smile for her daughter.

Standing in front of the couch, Olivia held her arms out, "come sit in mommy's lap." Only to be met with Sienna shaking her head and pulling further into Billy's lap.

"Oookay," Olivia dropped her arms, trying not to look butthurt, "guess not."

Sitting next to her dad, Olivia smiled while Grace snapped pictures of the four of them. Since Jordan was visiting Simone for the holidays, it was just her, Sienna and her parents in the Baker family photo this year.

"Dada?" Sienna's big brown eyes looked over at her once the flashes had stopped.

"Daddy's almost here," Olivia replied, hoping with everything in her that she was right.

For the next thirty minutes, Laura, Billy, and Grace took turns entertaining Sienna, trying their best to keep her awake until Spencer arrived. As Billy finished up an impromptu dance routine, the sound of keys jingling came from the front of the house.

Waiting for Spencer to come into view, Olivia's eyes narrowed at the entryway. Though she planned to act mad at him for not giving her updates, her glare didn't last for long, the sight of his ridiculous outfit making it hard for her to keep a straight face.

"Ho, Ho, Ho!" he boomed as he walked through the house in a full Santa costume, "would there happen to be a little girl named Sienna James here?"

Not letting her eyes leave Spencer, Sienna crawled across the couch to sit behind Olivia. Even though she'd spent the last month asking about Santa, she clearly wasn't too sure about how she felt about this one.

"Look it's Santa, SiSi," Olivia pulled her onto her lap, trying to hold in her laughter, "you've been so excited for him."

"I heard you've been a very good girl," Spencer crouched in front of them as Sienna quickly turned her head away. "And what did Sienna ask for for Christmas?" Spencer tried to engage his daughter.

"Dada," Sienna mumbled, peaking at Spencer. He tried to hide his smile at her response.

"Well, I have a feeling your dada is going to be here real soon," Spencer said knowingly.

"He better be," Olivia interjected bluntly.

Spencer gave her a pointed look, clearly not appreciating her interfering with his performance.

"You keep being a good girl for mommy, daddy, grandpa, and your grandmas, and I promise you, Santa will bring you anything you want."

"Oh, will he?" Olivia interrupted again, receiving another scowl for her lack of enthusiasm. Behind them, Laura and Grace tried to hold in their snickering.

Spencer decided to move along before his family ruined the moment, pulling out a tiara from his pocket and placing it on Sienna's head, "it was nice meeting you Princess Sienna. I'll be back later with the rest of your presents."

"Okay," she mumbled, her grip still tight on Olivia's shirt.

Hoping he didn't traumatize his kid, Spencer got up and made his way to the front door, turning one last time to wave, "Merry Christmas Sienna."

Finally finding the courage to pull away from Olivia, Sienna waved back shyly.

Ending his act, he stepped through the front door, letting out one last ho, ho, ho.

"Wow, SiSi. Santa came to visit just for you," Olivia finally played along, smiling as she stood up with Sienna, "now, how about we get ready for bed and maybe daddy will be here to tuck you in?"

_____

Upstairs, Olivia prepped Sienna for bed. After struggling to brush her daughter's teeth while she was half-asleep, she carried her into the bedroom.

As the first grandchild, Sienna had her own room in the Baker house. A few months ago, Spencer and Olivia had dropped her off before a weekend getaway, and by the time they got back, one of the guest rooms had been completely transformed into a princess playground.

Olivia was pulling Sienna's blankie from her pink backpack when she heard footsteps coming down the hall.

"Hi, baby girl," Spencer quietly walked into the room, making his second entrance of the night, this time as himself.

"Dada, no match," Sienna mumbled with her thumb in her mouth, pointing down at her red onesie covered in mini Christmas trees.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, sitting down next to her on the bed, "daddy didn't have time to change on his way home."

"You're lucky there's only about one minute before she's out," Olivia pointed at his matching onesie folded by their overnight bag.

"Daddy will match with you tomorrow," he reassured Sienna. "That's a pretty crown," he traced the tiara still on her head.

"Santa gave me," Sienna blinked, fighting sleep. Hearing Sienna's response, Spencer gave Olivia a cocky smile across the bed.

Not letting him have his moment, she rolled her eyes back dramatically.

"Okay, time to go to sleep so Santa can drop off the rest of your presents," Spencer leaned over to kiss her cheek, "Merry Christmas, babygirl."

"Merry quismas, dada," her free hand wrapped around Spencer's thumb as her head fell towards Olivia, "merry quismas, mama."

"Merry Christmas, baby," Olivia smiled down at her little family, together at last.