"Daddy! Mommy! Wake up!"

A dark haired and fair-skinned woman was taken out of her dormant state by a high, boyish, childish voice demanding that she and her husband wake up. Wanting to sleep some more, she groaned and rolled on her side, snuggling up into her husband's side. Not wanting to wake up yet, Nick tightened his hold on his wife Shayana and remained there, comfortable in the warm covers with the love of his life by his side.

"Wake up, mommy and daddy! I want to open the presents!"

"Ooof!"

A faint pain shot in Nick's stomach as the strike of two feet knocked the air out of his lungs.

"Alright, alright, we're coming! Just give us two minutes to get up, Lucas." He chuckled softly in an 'I-just-woke-up' tone at the excitement in his first-born's voice. It was the same as his when Halloween came, ecstatic and impatient.

"Whee!"

"This alien really can't wait, can he?" Shayana giggled softly, a playful gleam in her light green eyes as she watched their son run out of their large, spacious bedroom and down the stairs to the living room as fast as his short legs could. Alien was a nickname she and Nick gave their son. He was fascinated with everything related to them.

"He definitely is his father's son." Nick laughed, joined by his wife.

The soft, crystalline, melodious and contagious laugh of her loving husband was a sound she’d listen to every day if she could.

"Good morning, babe," she greeted him with a soft, short peck on the lips after having sat up in the bed and stretched her arms. "How did you sleep?"

"Good morning to you too, my love," he replied after having imitated her, kissing her back. "I slept well."

"Daddy! Mommy! Stop kissey, kissey!" Lucas yelled from downstairs, sitting by a tall Christmas tree decorated with white lights, red balls and white ornaments, holding a small square box in his tiny 5 years old hands.

Just as Halloween was exciting for his father, Christmas was his favorite time of the year. It wasn't just for the various presents from family members and friends, but also for the gathering. His uncles Brian, Kevin, Howie and AJ were there! They were the best uncles ever! Well, they were Nick's bandmates and friends so he called them uncles. There were also his friends Baylee, Holden, James, Mason, Maxwell and Ava. He always had fun with them whenever they were together.

Shayana laughed, wrapping a dressing gown around herself, followed by Nick who put black jogging pants on.

As they walked down the stairs hand in hand, they could hear wrapping paper tearing and shuffling, as if it was being removed.

"Lucas?"

"Yes, daddy?"

"What is it that I hear?"

"Nothing..." he trailed off, trying without success to hide the fact that he had effectively opened up the present under the tree without his parents.

"We know you opened a prese— Lucas! Don't touch it!" Shayana trailed off, rushing over to her son and snatched the small box from his hands.

Nick shot his wife a questioning look, wondering why she had desperately wanted to hide the box. The present certainly wasn't for Lucas if she had reacted that way. What was she trying to hide? Something from him? Why would she? Did he do something that led her to go behind his back?

"Why, mommy?" he asked almost sadly, looking up at her with big baby blue eyes, his father's.

"Because it's not for you. It's for daddy," she said softly, doing her best to control her voice from trembling. Thank God their son didn't open the box and revealed its surprise early to her husband.

'For me? But why? What does this box contain?' Nick wondered as he went to make coffee for himself and his wife.

Taking the steaming cup from her husband's delicate hands that she adored, Shayana kissed his cheek and went to sit on the sofa in front of their son who was still sitting on the floor, exploring the presents in search for those with a name on a tag.

"You can open this one, sweetie," she said to Lucas who held a big, rectangular box and snuggled into her husband's side. Smiling, Nick wrapped an arm around her waist and placed a kiss on her forehead as they watched their son unwrap.

"Yay! A Nintendo! Daddy, mommy, a Nintendo!" he exclaimed, setting the console down and rushed to his parents.

"We play together, daddy?"

"You bet! We'll play together, alien." Nick laughed and ruffled Lucas' black hair as the joy and excitement brought a smile to his lips.

"This one is for you," Shayana said as she handed her husband the half unwrapped small square box she had snatched from their baby boy earlier.

"For me? But—"

"Take it, please," she interrupted him, a gleam mixed with anticipation and fear in her eyes.

Nick was about to ask what was wrong but decided against it and took the box. Slowly, cautiously, he finished to unwrap the paper. The content looked like a picture. Curious, Nick carefully took it between his fingers and turned it over. His eyes filled with tears as he recognized a familiar grey and black texture on the picture.

"See that spot here?" she asked, pointing a large spot of grey color on the picture. "That's your baby."

"Baby? You mean you're..." Nick asked, not believing his eyes, yet it was effectively there right in front of him.

"Yes, Nick. I am." She grinned widely, blinking repeatedly to stop the tears of happiness from falling.

"Our baby..." Nick repeated hoarsely, brushing his fingers on the spot on the picture. "How far along are you?" he asked, turning to look at Shayana as tears streamed down his cheeks.

"9 weeks."

"Oh Shay..." he whispered, setting the picture aside and pulled her into a kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Why mommy and daddy crying?"

She pulled their first born close to them. "We're happy."

"Why crying?"

"Tears fall when we're angry, sad, in pain but also when we're happy. Do you understand?"

"Yes, daddy." Lucas nodded and rested his shoulder on his mother's. "Me will have a brother or sister?" he asked, having heard his parents mention a baby and Nick nodded.

"Best Christmas present ever."

"Oh, yes! Sure is!"