Silent night - A Christmas Tale

Chapter 1

Frida tightened her grip on the two little gloved hands she held in hers as she made her way through the Christmas-decorated streets full of people in Stockholm, trying to avoid lingering bystanders still searching for some last minute present or just to admire the beautiful lights of the shop windows and roads. While walking, she kept checking out of the corner of her eyes at her children as they kept their eyes wide open pointing everywhere except in front of them, enraptured by all those colors and decorations.

"You hungry, bubbas?" she asked, smiling when she saw two pairs of huge dark eyes immediately focus on her.

"Yes!".

"No, mommy".

Frida sighed. Of course. They were such different little people. He, so loud and clumsy and sweet; she, so independent, stubborn and silent.

Still so young.

"I'm the biggest, so I say yes!" Hans leaned in front of his mother's legs so he could talk to his sister's face.

And so pungent, too.

"No! Mommy, no!" Lotta yelled back, trying to punch him with her little hand but failing to reach him.

And so feisty, too.

"Okay, okay. Hold your horses, guys" Frida snorted, using her arms to force them apart "Let's calm down, okay?" she stopped in a clearer corner of the street and faced them, kneeling to speak at their same height "I'm a little hungry too, baby. So, me and Hans we'll order something. You don't have to. But, If when we get there, there's something that strikes you, you'll tell me, okay?" she waited for the little girl to nod, pouting at her brother, before getting up and starting to walk again.

When they arrived at their favorite café-bakery, Frida sighed in frustration. It was packed. But it was obvious, there were way too many people around. She thought for just a second about returning to the peace of their home, when she felt her hand being pulled by Hans, who was already reaching for the door.

She bent down and scooped Lotta into her arms before grabbing Hans by his jacket hood and entering.

"Don't walk away from me, Hans" she told him sternly, moving her fingers along the back of his neck, hearing him laugh "We'll just take our orders and then we'll eat them outside, okay?".

They got in line, it seemed almost endless. She didn't need to read the menu, she knew it by heart and she already knew what to have: Glögg with gingerbread. Just heaven.

"Do you know what you want, Hans?" she asked to her son, who was trying to read the menus above the counters, leaning out as much as possible, balanced by Frida's hand on his hood.

"Yes... No... I don't know..." he sighed frustrated.

Frida chuckled "What about... Hmm... A slice of Princess cake?".

Hans turned to her, scrunching his little face "No, mom" he said as If she had said the stupidest thing in the world.

"Okay... So how about... a glass of plum crap?".

Frida laughed out loud when she saw his son's face and her heart flipped a bit when she heard a little chuckle against her neck.

"I'm joking, sulky" she pinched his nose with her fingers, making him chuckle "What about a cinnamon bun?".

"Now you're talking, mom" he nodded a few times.

Frida rolled her eyes, sometimes he seemed older than he really was.

"Want choco, mommy".

Frida smiled when she felt little hands gripping her coat harder.

"And a hot chocolate for our princess" Frida muttered before kissing her daughter's cheek. She was so... reserved most of times. Too reserved for a little girl of just 3 years old. And sometimes she had thoughts...