“Hello,” said Hana as she peeked inside the daycare center with Logan behind her. She entered, walked to the front desk, and said, “We’re here for Lucas.”

“I believe he’s in room one,” said the front desk lady. “Would you like for me to get him for you?”

“No, thanks. I can go.” Hana turned to Logan, handed him her stuff, and scurried to a room behind the desk.

The front desk lady smiled. “Every time she picks him up, she’s so happy. Not every parent I see picks up their child with a smile like hers.” She smiled at Logan. “You have a doting wife.”

Logan managed to not cringe and only smiled back as Hana returned with Lucas. “Got everything?” he asked Hana, and she nodded. He opened the door for her, and they walked home.

Hana glanced down at the baby. “Today, we’re gonna exercise some more, Lucas.”

“Don’t those stretches hurt him?”

“It’s to help him be more mobile. It prepares him for when he’s gonna crawl. I did that to my kids to help them crawl faster.” She stopped in her tracks, remembering her kids. The kids she had abandoned.

“Hey, want a Christmas tree?” he asked, changing the subject. “It’s not too late for one.”

“It doesn’t matter, really. All I want is to spend it with my family.”

The friends looked at each other. At times like this was when they asked themselves if they were portraying their roles correctly or if it was really how they felt.

“Let’s get a medium-sized one,” she said.

“Yeah, that’ll do.”

“It’ll be our first Christmas together,” the friends said in sync and then laughed.

They got to their house, and he immediately went to the thermostat and turned on the heater while she went upstairs with Lucas to give the boy warmer clothes.

She fixed her window’s blinds and saw her neighbor’s Christmas lights on its overhang. She hummed to herself, “What should I get Logan this year?”

*

Jake wailed during lunch break, “It’s winter break in three hours!”

“I can’t wait,” added a bashful Hailey, which was a first. “This year’s Christmas will be special.”

Jake, Logan, and Hana covered their mouths as they eyed their dating friends.

Hailey blushed, also another first. “Not that, guys!”

Seth stepped in to clarify the dirty thoughts. “It’s our first time spending Christmas together.”

Hana shook her head. “It can’t be your first Christmas! You guys have been dating since middle school!”

Hailey sighed and rolled her eyes. “With just the two of us. Every year, we didn’t get to do much together because he had his family parties and I had mine.”

“Oh, that makes sense.”

“What about you guys?”

Jake answered first. “My grandparents are visiting this year, so we’re doing family portraits and lots of partying.”

“Aww, that sounds nice.” Hailey turned to Logan and Hana. “And you guys?”

“He got us a tree,” answered Hana, pointing to Logan. “We’re also gonna celebrate Lucas’s six-month birthday.”

“Six-month birthday?” the friends asked at the same time.

Logan nodded. “She wants to make it a very special day ‘cause the brat’s gonna be exactly six months old.”

“On Christmas?”

Logan and Hana nodded.

Hailey exhaled. “Can’t believe you guys have kept him this long.”

“No news on his mom yet?” asked Seth.

Logan and Hana shook their heads.

Jake scooted closer to the group. “You know how he said he had connections and it was those connections that got him his lead? Well, what were the connections, and why would he have any connection to the parents?”

“Didn’t you say he never saw the mom who dropped off the baby?” added Seth to Logan.

Everyone was quiet.

No one knew what to say.

Or the answers.

The bell rang, and the group gathered themselves to their class.

*

“Now, this is the color red.” Logan showed Lucas a sparkly, red-colored ball ornament. He was sitting by the Christmas tree, decorating it and educating the little boy while Hana prepared dinner in the kitchen. “…green!” Logan clapped. “You guessed it right, brat. Hey, Hana, our brat knows his colors.” He looked proudly at his son. “You’re gonna be a prodigy.”

She put a lid on a pot, turned off the stove, washed her hands, and ran to the boys in the living room. She sat beside her friend and pinched her son’s chubby cheek. “Of course, he’s a prodigy. A handsome one too.”

He lightheartedly shoved her away. “Hey, pedo-mom. The police-dad will arrest you.”

“I can admire my son as much as I want to.” She stuck out her tongue at him.

He pinched her nose and ran away, and she chased after him. He got behind a couch, and she was on the other side. She jumped over the couch, an attempt to get him within reach. He caught her, and they fell back with her on top of him. They stayed still. Neither moved. They gazed into each other’s eyes. They wanted to look away because they felt weird, a mushy kind of sensation, but they found it hard to pull their eyes away.

Lucas’s murmurs broke the tension they had.

She got off him. “I’ll set the table now.” She went to the kitchen. She couldn’t look at him.

She was too embarrassed.

And red.

*

“What did he say?” asked Hana, walking to the living room with two mugs of hot chocolate. She sat beside Logan, who had a blanket over his legs, and handed his to him. She peeked a look at the sleeping Lucas in his bouncer before shifting her eyes to the TV.

“He might come back during our winter break, but he’s not sure when.”

Hugo had texted them and because Hana was making them their drinks, Logan was the message carrier.

She took a small sip at the tip of her mug. “That’s nice. He should.” She crossed her legs and pulled the blanket from Logan and cuddled close to him. “Think he’s got news?”

He shrugged. “I hope so.” He saw her drink. “I thought you don’t like sweets.”

“This is for that Christmas feel.”

“Well, that’s a huge pour. You also make yourself a big lunch too. You shouldn’t be wasting food.”

“That’s ‘cause I know you’ll finish what I can’t.”

“Then, put more in mine.”

“No, what if I’m still hungry?”

“You think I’ll let you starve?”

She gave him a doubtful look.

“Yeah, I would.”

They laughed.

He looked around. “Where’s my present?”

She perked up. “What do you mean, ‘where’?”

“I wanna open it now, not tomorrow.”

She put her mug down. “I’m giving it to you on Christmas day, not Christmas Eve.” She heard the wind howl from the window beside her, so she picked up Lucas. “We’re going to bed. Night, Logan.”

Logan frowned. “I don’t wanna be by myself.” He quickly blew his mug, gulped a few, and scurried after his friend up the stairs. Walking behind her as she held a sleeping Lucas, he quietly uttered, “Lucas, your mom’s being mean. She won’t let me open my present.”

She laughed and entered her room and placed Lucas gently on the bed. She turned around and saw Logan eyeing around her room. She cupped his mouth and pushed him out of her room. “Good night, Logan. You’ll get it tomorrow.” She closed the door on him. She felt bad, but it was something she had to do. She glued her back to the door. Quietly, she said, “When’s the good time to go back downstairs?”

*

Hana woke up, shocked. She looked at her phone and realized she didn’t set the alarm. Thankfully, she had woken up to the time she had planned for. She put a blanket over Lucas, slowly got off the bed, grabbed Logan’s gift under her bed, turned on the flashlight feature on her phone, and mustered her courage to walk down the stairs to place the gift under the tree.

She successfully made it downstairs, but something in front of her made her freeze.

There was a dim light coming from the tree, and around the light was a figure of some sort.

She paused. 

The worse came to mind.

She hesitated between running up the stairs to fetch her friend or to fend off the burglar now. She chose the latter. She locked on her target, ran to it, and hopped on its back. They dropped to the ground, and her phone and her gift for Logan slipped away, but she kept her hold on the stranger.

“H-Hana!” The voice sounded familiar, and the person tapped her hands to let go.

She let loose. “Logan?” She sprung for her phone and flashed the light on the figure and panted as if she had run a mile.

It was Logan.

“You gave me a heart attack!”

“And you almost beat me to death!” He massaged his throat.

“That’s what you get.” She stood up and helped him too. “What are you doing down here?”

He wasn’t looking at her. Instead, he was looking past her. He didn’t even respond.

“Logan?”

“That’s mine, isn’t it?” he asked, pointing to a wrapped gift that was a bit away from her.

She turned around, saw, and gasped, realizing that she had dropped the gift when she attacked him.

Before she could retrieve it, however, he got to it first. He ran from her and hid at the corner. He read the tag, “To Daddy. From Lucas.” He laughed as she covered her face with embarrassment. “You wrote the same too!”

She looked up. “The same? You have a gift for me?”

It was his turn to freeze.

She looked around and saw a package under the tree. She smirked and grabbed it and returned him the same favor by reading the tag. “For Mommy. From Bratty Lucas.” She smiled and walked to Logan. “So, our son walked downstairs to give us our presents?”

He played along. ‘Well, what do you know? He secretly can walk.”

They hugged and thanked each other.

“Let’s open it?” he suggested, almost begging.

“Fine.”

They sat down on the floor, and she watched him opened his first as she waited with anticipation and worry

He removed the white stuffing papers, and the present revealed itself to be a baseball cap. “Hey! You got me one!” It was a baseball cap of his favorite team with a signature from his favorite player. “You actually got it? B-but they’re expensive!”

“Not when it’s for a friend like you.”

He slapped the cap over his head to hide his blushing and pulled her into a hug. “Thanks, Hana.”

She hugged him back. It was her turn to open, and she was curious about what he’d get her. To her surprise, it was a Polaroid camera and some stockings.

He blushed even more and looked away. “We-we’re out longer ‘cause we pick up the brat, so those’ll keep you warm.”

“Thanks. I’ll wear them when we go back to school.”

“Don’t tell me that. Wear it without telling me, jeez.”

“Why? You’re gonna have dirty thoughts if you see me in ‘em?”

“Who’d like a girl like you—flat chest and scrawny.”

She scoffed. “They’re not flat. They’re—” she slammed her hands on her chest and then silently admitted defeat. She lowered her voice, “…flat.”

He laughed and patted her head. “What matters is not the size of those lumps but the size of your heart. Good night, Hana.”

She watched him walk up the stairs and smiled to herself. “Good night, Logan.”

*

“He can sit in his bouncer now?” asked a surprised Hugo, who had just arrived from his trip.

Hana and Logan sat across him.

“Wanna hold him?” she asked the older brother.

Hugo stiffened. “No, thanks. I don’t think I’m at that level yet since he’s not like before.”

“You and Logan sure are alike with kids.”

Logan was displeased. “Hey, I can hold him now.”

“Only if I’m within arm’s reach.”

“Well, the brat could hurt me if you aren’t looking.”

She tried to keep her laughter in. She looked at Hugo. “So, any news to give us?”

Logan nodded. “Yeah, you should have something by now, right?”

Hugo looked down. “Sorry. I’ve got nothing.”

The trio stayed quiet.

“That’s okay,” said Hana. “We knew it’d be a tough hunt.”

Hugo broke into a soft smile. “If you don’t mind, can I spend the holiday with him?”

She perked up. “Sure. Let me get his stuff.”

“Thanks.”

She left them and then came back with a bag. She packed five sets of outfits, included an unopened diaper set, some toiletries, three bottles, and the formula.

Hugo took them. “We’ll be going now then.”

“Now?” asked Logan. “But you just got here.”

“I have to set a few things up at my place. I’ll bring him back Sunday evening.”

The teens nodded and watched him drive off.

“Darn it!” exclaimed Hana. “I didn’t give him his gift!”

Logan raised a brow at his friend. “You got my brother a gift?”

“Well, it’s more like a ‘thank you’ for everything.”

He stared deep into her eyes. “You. You like him, don’t you?” He backed away. “Eww! If you marry him, you’d be my sister-in-law!”

She hit his shoulder and closed the door. “I don’t like him.” She went to sit down on the couch and turned on the TV. “Besides, I won’t get married.”