Chapter 342: Christmas Morning
*Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! Santa found us! Just like you said he would! – Alyssa*
Ashlyn and Alyssa rushed into the master bedroom long before the sun came up on Christmas morning. Pagan groaned as he realized that he had never talked to Shiloh about the girls getting up so early. It had been like this for as long as he could remember.
They bounded up onto the black and purple bed. Pagan scooted over and his girls squeezed in between him and Shiloh.
“Buon Natale.” Shiloh told the girls with a great big smile. “You said that Santa has been here?”
“Yes!” both girls exclaimed excitedly.
“Then let’s go see what he brought.” Shiloh told them and they both jumped out of bed and ran downstairs.
“Merry Christmas.” Pagan murmured as he rolled over and settled above Shiloh.
“Buon Natale.” She smiled as she pressed her lips to his.
“I would love to stay here.” Pagan kissed her. “But my girls are as good as they can be all year for one day.”
Shiloh laughed as she hugged him. “Then we should let them have their day.”
“Hmmmm….” He placed kisses on her neck. “Maybe the girls should stay … somewhere tonight.”
Fisting her hair in his hand, she pulled his head away from her neck. “I don’t think so.”
“Fine, we better go down before they come back up.” He got out of bed and looked at her. “Christmas pajamas are a must for presents. So, no getting dressed yet.”
“Okay.” Shiloh conceded with a smile as she slid out of the bed.
She wore pajamas with Oogie Boogie and the kids from *The Nightmare Before Christmas.* Pagan had explained that it was their tradition that everyone got new Christmas pajamas as their Christmas Eve present. They all changed into their new pajamas and snuggled up with hot cocoa and cookies to watch movies until the girls went to bed.
Pagan got pajama pants with red and black buffalo check pants and a T-shirt declaring *Trust me, I’m a WELDER* and he knew that his mom had picked them out. The ones that Ashlyn wore were red satin with candy canes all over them. again, his mom chose them. But his dad picked out Alyssa’s.
Black and green buffalo checked fleece pants and a long sleeve baseball shirt. In the style of the Starbucks mermaid was Dr. Seuss’ Grinch. Definitely his dad's choice.
After Shiloh’s confession last night, Pagan took her to bed and held her. She had laid her soul bare, and he soothed her with gentle touches and cuddles. After she was asleep, he went down and finished bringing up the presents. The ones that his girls were currently ever so patiently waiting like perfect children to open.
Uh-huh. And to quote the *Lion King*, he’s a monkey’s uncle.
“Daddy!” Ashlyn yelled impatiently up the stairs as Pagan and Shiloh made their way down.
“It’s going to be Christmas all day.” He reminded them as he looked out the window at the streetlights that were still on.
“But daddy!” Alyssa pleaded.
“Who’s turn is it to play Santa?” Pagan asked and both girls shrugged their shoulders.
“Why don’t I do it?” Shiloh offered as she sat down next to the large pile of presents. It was going to take quite a while before she was able to get to the large pine tree that the girls picked out from the tree farm across from the Shack.
As the stacks grew and grew, Pagan was trying to remember if he had seen some of the boxes and bags the night before. When he accepted a shoebox size present saying it was from Nonno, he decided that her family must have gotten him and the girls a few presents.
That made him smile. His parents had sent a few presents for Shiloh along with the ones for him and the girls. Pagan knew that Shiloh had a strained relationship with her family and did expect anything from them. He smiled as she looked at him in surprise.
“Your mom got me a present.” Her voice was filled with surprise.
“Your grandfather got me one.” He pointed out.
“I just wasn’t expecting it.” She admitted quietly.
He held up the personalized Yeti travel mug with the Celtic Tree of Life knot and his name on it. “I wasn’t expecting this either.”
“Nonno likes to give gifts.” She smiled at him. “Nonna was even worse. Especially when I couldn’t come home for the holidays.”
There it was. A flicker of pain and fear before it was quickly wiped away. Now that Pagan knew it was there, he caught it more often. The other look that he caught on occasion was a cold that scared even him.
“I’m always going to be home for the holidays.” Ashlyn declared. “Even after I get married, I’m going to come home and stay in my room upstairs. Then we’ll get up and open presents in our pajamas.”
Pagan smiled at his daughter who was making plans for her future. Plans that involved her and her unknown husband coming home to the funeral home. She obviously thought that this was it, this was where they belonged.
“Me too.” Alyssa agreed. “But I’m not getting married. I’m going to travel the world and see everything. But I’ll always come home to you and mom.”
“Alyssa!” Ashlyn hissed and the other girl’s eyes widened.
“Shit! I mean Shiloh.”
Pagan tried not to laugh at his youngest one slipping with her curse word. But at the same time, he was trying not to hyperventilate at what she had said.
Shiloh blushed as she motioned for both girls to come to her. “You two are always welcome here. It’s your home for as long as you want it to be.”
“What about daddy?” Alyssa asked.
“Always, sweetie.” Shiloh said and kissed both of them on the top of their heads. “Always.”
Pagan swallowed hard. It was too late. He was head over heels in love with this woman. And seeing how happy his girls were, he didn’t want to be any other way.
