Chapter 10 Benji
BENJI
Christmas morning started early. Earlier than usual.
For a second, there was nothing but stillness and I didn’t know if Cain was awake yet. He usually beat me up, but there was that weird silence that meant something was happening, somewhere.
I tiptoed to the bathroom, then shuffled out with a blanket cape dragging behind me.
The living room was dark. My beautiful lights that should have been on weren’t, so I fumbled for the switch and the tree lights blinked on.
But it was different. My beautifully wrapped fake gifts were all gone and instead there was a huge pile other presents. Real presents.
“Merry Christmas, sweetheart.”
Cain was standing behind me in his snowflake pajama pants. He was carrying a tray with two mugs on it as steam rose in gentle snakes.
He set the tray on the coffee table and smiled like he’d already gotten his present.
“Hot chocolate or coffee?” I could see by the size of the mugs that he’d doubled the cocoa.
“Hot chocolate, please.”
“I, um…” I stared at the unfamiliar presents. “Did you… was this you?”
Cain’s lips twitched. “I guess Santa came.”
“For me?” I was still in shock that there were so many.
“You wanna do presents now or later?” Cain did need to ask. He knew the answer.
I put my mug down, grabbed my blanket in both fists. “Please can we do them now? Please please please.”
We sat cross-legged on the floor and Cain began passing me gift after gift. How he had time to do all this was a mystery but he found the perfect toys. The perfect crafts. The perfect onesies. Everything was…perfect.
Not just because I liked presents but because of Cain. My Daddy. The best present I could have ever asked for. “Thank you, Daddy. I love you.”