Childish

68

If it wasn't so easy for me to fall asleep at night, I would have been up all night thinking about Christmas the next morning. I was sure Naomi expected that so she gave me a warm bottle after dinner and my bath. It didn't take long for it to work its way into my system and make my eyelids droopy.

I was glued to my teddy bear when she came to wake me up the next morning. Living with my parents, and out of Alpine, I typically woke up early. I was always the first awake and I would go into my parents' room to beg them to get up so I could see what I got. Christmas was such a special time.

"Lyla, baby. Can you wake up for mommy?" Naomi's voice was soft and sweet as she brushed my hair out of my face. She had pushed the curtains back but the sun wasn't quite ready to come up just yet. It always seemed to come up later in winter. I was like that most days, too.

I rubbed my face into my pillow before allowing my eyes to open. I looked around me before settling on Naomi.

She smiled down at me. "Merry Christmas, sweetheart."

I rubbed my eye with my fist, my bear still pinned against my side with the hook of my left arm. "Merry Christmas. Can I open gifts now?"

She laughed and lifted me out of my crib. "You have to get your diaper changed first and then we can open presents."

"Okay."

Naomi was getting better at changing diapers. For a long time, she was slow and delicate with taping the side together and cleaning me and Cooper up. But I think she learned that if she wasn't quick, bad things could happen.

It took only minutes before I was back in her arms and we were heading out into the hallway. From the living room, I could hear Cooper gnawing on something, making noises in between his suckles and chewing.

He was slowly getting some teeth in. They weren't too prominent but they must have been there enough to cause him some discomfort. I wasn't sure if I'd ever get teeth again but I was hoping it wouldn't be too painful.

Cooper sat in Alex's lap. He was chewing on his fist, getting it coated in enough slobber to bathe in it. The two of them sat against the couch on the floor, close enough to the presents to be able to hand things around to everyone.

"Merry Christmas, Lyla."

"Merry Christmas." I leaned toward the floor and waited, very impatiently, for Naomi to put me down.

"Someone's excited." She laughed. She sat down close to Alex. "Why don't you pick out a present to open?"

She didn't have to tell me twice.

I grabbed the first present I found that had my name on it and opened the red wrapping paper. Inside was a large coloring mat with a pack of markets attached to it. It was way better than the small coloring sheets I did at school.

"This thing is huge!" I exclaimed, struggling to hold it up on my own. It wasn't heavy so much as it was hard to hold due to its size. My arms didn't stretch that far so I couldn't grab both ends at the same time.

Naomi laughed and took it from me so she could set it to the side. "Okay, now pick one out for Cooper."

I crawled over to the tree and found a square present with Cooper's name on it. It was signed by Santa but I knew Alex's handwriting enough to know he wrote it. I handed the present to Alex so he could help Cooper open the present. He still didn't get the concept of opening presents and probably wouldn't have much interest after one or two presents.

Alex helped him open the present which was revealed to be a toy with gears on it. It made noises when you moved the gears in different directions.

Cooper stared at it like it was the coolest thing he'd ever seen. He patted it with his hands a few times before he tried pulling it up to his mouth.

Alex laughed and moved it away. "Not everything needs to go in your mouth, Coop."

Cooper smacked his hands down in front of him and whined before his fist went back into his mouth.

The pattern continued as we opened presents. Cooper got so excited about all his toys but got severely disappointed when each one was taken away and put to the side. After the fourth toy was taken from him, he started to cry and wasn't able to be soothed with his fist or pacifier. But once Naomi made a quick bottle for him and gave it to him, he seemed to calm down.

I opened enough presents to keep me entertained forever. I got new crayons and markers for my big coloring mat, lots of new clothes, and a few teether toys that closely resembled some that Cooper got. Even though I didn't have teeth, I knew it would feel nice to have something to chew on to soothe my gums.

Alex stood after the last present was opened and walked to the side of the tree. He reached around to the back and slid a large box out. It wasn't wrapped but there was a big red bow attached to the top of it.

"Ly, we got you something else. I need to put it together still but I can at least show you what it'll look like once it's done."

I had several ideas in my mind of what could be in the big box. It was thin which meant that it was something that needed to be assembled. Alex made that clear enough.

Alex pulled off a piece of paper that was tapped to the back of the box and handed it to me. I wasn't expecting what was inside the box. Not in the slightest.

It was an activity walker. One where you put the baby, which would be me, in a seat in the center of a circle and around the baby was a bunch of toys and things to occupy them. I would have hated it if I'd gotten it the Christmas before.

"We know things have been hard on you and we wanted to make it a little easier." Naomi's soft voice came from behind me as I sat in her lap. She hugged me to her and kissed just above my left ear. "I hope you like it."

I wasn't sure what to say. It was the perfect gift. Having the ability to get around on my own was something I'd been craving since it was taken away from me. At least if Alex was going to take it away, it was only fair that he gave it back to me.

"It's perfect." I wasn't sure what to say. I was so happy and shocked. It was such a nice gesture.

The more I looked at the picture, the more blurred my vision got. I blinked away tears before move filled their place.

Naomi turned me around so she could hug me. Her hand moved up and down my back. "We love you, Ly."

"Hey, don't cry too much. You still have another present to open."

I turned my head back in Alex's direction. I knew exactly what present he was talking about. "Can I open it now?"

He nodded. "Let me go get it for you."

If only the present was my parents in person, my Christmas would have been perfect. But it was pretty close.