PECULIAR (✓)

45. A New Normal

Clara was approaching five months really quickly. This annoyed Cassius madly, he didn't want her growing, until he saw all the new things she was learning to do. She's almost starting to talk, for now it's just nonsense.

Cute nonsense though.

It's coming close to Christmas, now our first one as a little family. I am reminded constantly as Cassius surprises me with a mistletoe above my head.

While I'm still working from home, despite it being Christmas Eve, I see the red ribbon tied mistletoe placed above me. With a smirking Cass crouching behind me. He smashes his lips onto mine, passionate, taking my breath. I weave my hands through his brown hair and he smiles in the kiss.

I hear Clara's babble making both of us break from the kiss, and look in her direction. She's in her playpen but rather than lying down she's... Crawling. Oh my God, she's crawling. I tap Cass' shoulder in glee as he smiles. She's rocking backwards and foreheads her arms, shaking slightly. Cassius sees this and goes to pick her up, but I stop him with a soft grin. She's got this. Clara gets her balance back and she moves forward slowly.

Both of us clapping in happiness, Clara lifts her head giving us a giggle.

Cassius goes to pick her up and throws her in the air gushing over her accomplishment. Clara claps her hands, most probably congratulating her dad on catching her. He passes her to me, as he goes to pick up a call.

I straightened her outfit, an adorable red Christmas dress. I have learnt that she prefers dresses and definitely loves wearing red, and despises the colour grey. Even going as far as trying to undress in the park due to her hatred of the grey hoodie she was wearing. The hoodie I had to get rid off.

Ronnie is definitely one of her favourite people, smiling whenever she sees him, until one day he wore his grey shirt causing her to cry. Once I told him her dislike for that colour, he quickly took it off and she became his friend again. Cassius was annoyed he was topless in his house and gave him one of his shirts instead, after elbowing him in the ribs.

Their friendship was beautiful, in it's own way.

I go to the living room with Clara, who's playing with the soft nutcracker teddy Marie got her. She loves that thing, I'm guessing she listened to Cassius reading the story when she was in my womb. The memory of that warms my heart.

I go to switch on the large Christmas tree, watching her smile in awe. She loves lights, no doubt she loves Christmas.

Cass comes in, telling me Liz, Andreas and Nicholas are going to come over. I look over at Clara touching the presents my parents got her. Mountains of shiny wrapped boxes make me smile, they really loved spoiling their granddaughter.

I grab a book of animals, and read it to her. She sits calmly in my lap as I read it to her, with Cass adding in the animal noises to make her giggle. The doorbell rings, and Cass goes to the door to welcome Liz and Andreas.

A running Nicholas comes into the room stumbling straight to Clara and I. We all laugh at the friendship between the two. Clara had finally started warming up to Nicholas recently and now their best friends. Cassius has already given Nicholas the title as junior protector of Clara.

Clara really was stunning, I've never been to a grocery without multiple people commenting on how cute she is.

Andreas puts down an armful of presents near the tree and goes to play with Clara. She had a fascination with his round glasses, always touching them then quickly moving her hand back in fear that they would break. She was always gentle with everything she did, unlike Nicholas. They made a fun pair to watch.