Day 10
you take your daughter to see santa for the first time
The malls aren’t bustling with holiday shoppers and sweetly dressed kiddos anxiously awaiting a meeting with their favorite holiday character. Instead, most stores have their silver gates pulled to the ground, no lights, and not a single holiday sale sign on display. The few occupants that have gathered within the indoor shopping complex are parents, trying to hurry along with shopping so they can gather toys just incase the worst does happen.
The winter wonderland section is what really pulls at your heart. Instead of the fluffy trees and dedicatedly decorated shelves and stools, Santa is sat on his usual red and gold sleigh, surrounded by thick glass to keep himself, and the kids, protected. You squeeze Billie’s hand, hating the feeling of emptiness the sight instills within you. Olivia’s too young to remember any of this, but you hate that her first documented Santa experience is going to be so abnormal.
“Mommy fixed you up all pretty, didn’t she, Olivia?” Billie hums, looking over your sleepy daughter who's fingers are curiously pulling at her tiny ponytail. Her thin locks of blonding hair are just barely long enough to tie together, but for the time, you’ve managed it and even added an even smaller red blow to the clear elastic.
Olivia babbles on your hip, her blue eyes the same shade as Billie’s, though your wife's stare has started to turn grey. It’s like looking into the past every day, remembering every moment you fell more and more in love with Billie.
“I bet twenty bucks she freaks out before we can even get a good shot.” You hum, looking up at Billie after you stop on a green social distancing sticker, keeping six feet away from the only other family in line to see Santa. Their daughter seems to be around three, though she doesn’t look entirely sold on the whole ordeal of a distanced Santa.
Billie’s lips quiver into a grin, and she laughs your favorite throaty laugh that shakes her chest and shoulders. She extends her hand, clapping her palm against yours. You shift Olivia higher onto your hip, pulling at the bottom of her red, black, and white plaid Christmas dress.
When it’s your turn to step up, you hand Olivia off to Billie while you go to stand beside the camera booth, which is also isolated with thick planks of glass. Olivia doesn’t even last a few seconds as she looks over the creepily waving mall Santa and bursts into tears. She’s recently gotten into the habit of covering her eyes when she’s scared, and you know there isn’t a chance in hell you’re going to get a shot of her beautiful blue eyes.
You watch Billie start to sway and bounce without missing a beat, trying to distract Olivia, but your daughters stubborn, and you know her moods just been deterred for the length of your mall trip. Her eye catches yours, and cheekily you mouth at her that she owes you twenty. She laughs, shaking her head just in time for the working teenager to snap a few shots.
She turns the monitor towards you, asking if you’d like to reshoot considering your blotchy faced baby and blurry wife, but you think it’s perfect. Olivia has her hands over her eyes, cheeks red and damp while Billie has her head thrown back mid shake and is absolutely beaming. It’s the sweetest picture that perfectly describes your first year as parents.
Hello
How are you?
You look quite beautiful today
Did you eat something?
If not go do that
Did you drink some water?
If not go do that to
I love you
Be nice to yourself
You're doing amazing
Bye 👋
