It was only 8 am when baby Iris started crying and woke baby Mei. It only caused Mei to cry to. By the time Maya and Aaron ran in, Peyton and Atticus had already calmed them down. Maya and Aaron both were tired, and confused if they were seeing this right. The boy who never wakes up was helping Peyton cradel the girls and get them back to sleep? "Peyton what did you do to my son?" Peyton let out a small laugh and shhhed everyone. "Shhh, their sleeping... Relax Maya, I just came in here and he was already up. Thats what happens when you put him in a room with 2 babies." Maya and Aaron were still looking at each other like, "What the actual Fu-" Before Aaron could finish his sentance Peyton put her hand on his mouth. Aaron was still to tired to think strait so he licked Peytons hand trying to act sexy... It didn't work. "Realy? Atticus is right here." Aaron just smirked. "Eeewwww. Please uncle Aaron. I don't want a repeat of Easter." Aaron looked at him a little funny, "What happened on Easter?" Before Atticus could say anything Maya said, "Ahem. That was probably when Mei first started." Peyton and Aaron both looked at Maya like she was crazy. Atticus looked at his mother very confused "What does that mean mom?" Maya took Atticus by the hand and led him downstairs, "Nothing honey. I'll explain it when your older. Go get uncle Jin and aunt Katlyn up." Before he ran away Aaron grabbed his hand and spoke. "Make sure you knock first. And ask to come in, only go in if they say okay. Good job bud." Atticus nodded and ran off. "Who knows what they did last night. We don't need him to have the talk to early." Maya and Peyton both nodded and went to go make coffee, with Atka tailing behind them. Kenai and Aaron looked at each other, they were left with the babies. "Women, am I right?" Kenai barked in response as Aaron led him back to Atticus's room.
Knock knock... Jin groaned "Mmmm. Who is it?" Atticus yelled, "Its Atticus... You know, you're soon to be nefew?" Jin and Katlyn both looked at each other in panick, and got out of bed. "Atticus honey? Its aunt Katlyn. Stay out there for a second, okay?" Atticus nodded to himself and said, "Okay!" Jin and Katlyn struggled to get into their pjammas and look half way decent. "Come in." Atticus slowly opened the door. "Its Christmas!" Jin and Katlyn both sighed with reliefe and walked toward the door to go down for breakfast and presents. "Aunt Katlyn. What are those marks on your neck?" Jin looked at Katlyn as she flung her arm up to cover it. "Just misquito bites honey." Atticus being a little prodigy had to correct her. "Misquitos die in winter." Katlyn frowned and got her sweater to cover her hickey. "Fine, I burnt in with a curling iron." For her last sentance she stared at Jin. "And don't wory. If it keeps leaving burns, I wont use it for a while." Jin gulped and felt himself feeling certain things. Its true. He was slightly scared of his Fiance. Okay a lot scared. "Why don't we head down stairs okay?" Katlyn and Atticus both nodded...
Once everyone was downstairs Aaron handed everyone their coffee and hot chocolate. Peyton and Maya were nursing their babies, Aaron placed a shall over both of them so they had some privacy. "Thank you honey." Aaron smiled at Peyton and Maya. "Anything for my favorite girls in the world. "Hey. What about me and Atka?" Aaron looked at Katlyn, who had Atka's head on her lap. "And you two as well." Katlyn smiled at Aaron. Then her attention went to Kenai who was looking at Atka. "Aww. Look." Suddenly everyone turned their heads to Kenai. Kenai was nudging Atka's head that was resting on Katlyn's lap. He was trying to give her one of his toys he got from Maya for Christmas. Maya looked at the dogs and smiled a bit. "Aww. Looks like love is in the air. Maybe Jin and Katlyn, you may have to share your wedding with Kenai and Atka." They all laughed. "Ew! Mom! My Atka is to good for him." Maya looked down at Atticus and laughed even more. "Honey. Their Aunt Peyton's and Uncle Aaron's dogs. And if they like each other you can't really stop them." Atticus looked over at Atka who looked very happy nuzzling Kenai. Then he started to think. "Hmm... Okay mom. As long as she is happy." Peyton and Maya finished feeding the babies, and Peyton stood up. "Okay. Why don't we get to the presents that arent for the dogs." Everyone agreed, as Katlyn suggested they started with Mei and Iris. "Its not much but this is from Jin and me, to both of our nieces." Katlyn handed Maya a box, and Jin handed Peyton one as well. They were two little hand made hats for winter. Iris's was a nice baby blue shade or color of Iris flowers, with two eyes knitted on the front. They were winking. Mei's hat was a baby pink with a panda holding a sunflower on the front. Mie was always lazy like a Panda, but loved her Sunflower blanket. Peyton asked Katlyn, "Oh my god. Katlyn did you make these?" Katlyn shook her head. "Nope. Actually Jin did." Maya looked up at Jin. "Jin, I didn't know that you knew how to knit so well. "I used to take lessons when I was little. I was determind to make my own clothes. I was a nerd." They all laughed as Aaron handed his gift to both of them. As the girls looked in the box Maya and Peyton both pulled out a large book. Atticus and Aarom had both made it while the girls were sleeping. There was a big divider between each half of the book. But one cover was baby pink, and the other was baby blue. The blue side read "Iris" and had the same winking face on the left cover. While the pink side read "Mei Mei" with a panda holding a sunflower on the right cover. Jin, Atticus, and Aaron had all planned this together. Jin did the designing, for the book and hats. While he worked on the hats, Aaron and Atticus worked on the book. The book was full of pictures of the girls, of when they were born. Their first car ride, their first time meeting Atka and Kenai. Every photo had a cute frame, and stickers all around it all. It documented every cute moment they were able to capture on camera. Peyton and Maya were trying to hold their tears in as Katlyn and Jin took the babies so the could go hug Aaron and Atticus. "That you so much Aaron!" Maya was bawling, as she clung to Aaron. Peyton was hugging her nefew tightly as Atticus patted her back. "I'm glad you like it Aunt Peyton, but don't cry please. I don't want to see you sad." Peyton wiped her tears. "Oh honey. Im not sad. Infact, I am very happy." At that moment Maya turned away from Aaron and held Atticus with Peyton, as they both kissed his cheeks. Then Peyton went to thank Aaron.
Pretty soon after it was time for Atticus to open his gifts. He got a sketch book and art suplise from Jin and Katlyn, a manga on Sun Wukong: The Monkey King from Peyton. While Maya got him a How to Train Your Dragon stuffed animal of Toothless, Atticus's favorite dragon... When it was time for Aaron to give Atticus his gift to him, he pulled him to talk on the couch. "Atticus, this is my gift to you. Its not just from me. But its also from your dad. He would have wanted you to have this." He helped Atticus take the lid off the box. Atticus was worried at what it might be. Aaron lifted the lid to reveal Daniel's Navy blue cap with his medals and pins neitly placed in a small wooden box next to it. Along with a new one. A purple heart, Along side the American, Japanese, and Vietnamese medals of honor. Maya and Atticus stared at the box. Tears ran down Maya's eyes. "I-I... I-I thought they lost his stuff on the plane!" Aaron looked at Maya. "Sargent Kai found it on the black market. We had someone track it, and we got it all back. Everything is accounted for. I promise." Aaticus ran to his uncle's arms, and hugged him so tight Aaron could barely breath. "Thank you. Thank you Uncle Aaron! Thank you!" Maya clung to her son and brother in law. "How... How did I get so lucky with a brother like you?" Aaron held her close. "Maya, the day Daniel brought you home, you become my sister. There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you and Atticus." Everyone was still in tears as they broke away from the hugging. Aaron walked away to the coat closet. "Aaron? What are those in your arms?" Aaron looked at Peyton and smiled again. "I actually have gifts for everyone from Daniel... At the will reading, when the reader pulled me away, he gave me this. Daniel had bought gifts in advance, just incase something happened and we didn't come home... I hid them in our basement for a while, then hid them in your coat closet Maya. Sorry." Maya smiled while her face was streaming with tears of joy. "Please! Please, don't be sorry." Aaron and her laughed as he handed the gifts out.
Atticus recieved his watch, and wedding ring. Jin was given his funny ties, along with the clips that Jin always laughed and joked around with Daniel about. Daniel had left Katlyn their birth mothers necklace, Katlyn had broken it when she was 9, and after 15 years, Daniel had finally found someone to fix it. Peyton was left a mozaic tial, it had her and Atka painted on it, and Atticus between them. Aaron was left an old pocket knife. It had a carved up handel, with various symbols that he and Daniel carved when they were in highschool. The only person who still was yet to be given a gift was Maya...
Daniel left Maya his old typewritter that she had always been so mesmerized by. It sat in his office, it was over 80 years old. He also left her a beatiful painting. It was Daniel, Maya, and Atticus all sitting infront of their fireplace. The painter must have recreated their Christmas card from last year. But what stuck out, was Maya was holding a baby in the painting. It was swaddled so they couldn't tell the gender, and the blanket was red, instead of pink or blue. Daniel didn't knkw what the baby was gonna be, but now, they had a family photo of all four of them.
The last thing was the family present he had assigned himself to give everyone. He had made 3 pictures. All the same, but printed 1 each for all of their homes. 1 for Jin and Katlyn. 1 for Maya, Atticus, and Mei. And 1 for Peyton, Aaron, and Iris. He had sketched all of them, himself. The sketch was all of them sitting on a picknick table. there was no background, giving all thw focus to their family. Maya and Peyton were on opposite sides of the front bench, each holding a swaddeled baby. Aaron was sitting on the table top behind Peyton. While Daniel was sitting on the table top behind Maya. Atticus was sketched sitting on the bench, inbetween Maya and Peyton. With one of the dogs on both his sides, on the ground. And Jin and Katlyn were sitting on the top of the table with Aaron and Daniel.
There they were. Their entire family. If only he could have seen it like it was now. It was only a sketch but you could see detail in every square millimeter of his work. Even though Daniel died without knowing if he was having a son of daughter. Or that he had a niece, rather than a nefew, this image was perfect. They were a happy family. Each of them may have been broken and shattered, but if you put their pieces together, you got a beatiful miral, and now, this new portrait. They started to become whole again. Nobody would ever replace Daniel, and judging by the kind of person Maya is. It looked like nobody would ever even get to try to. Daniel was gone. But his memory and love still lingered in this family. And would forever be what helped hold it together. Even if his death was what was tearing them apart. Here they were. Sketched as their true form, a happy, whole, beatiful family.