It had been a great day. Between the scent of freshly baked cookies, hot cocoa, the sight of Christmas lights and ornaments, and the sound of happy laughter as Emi opened her presents, the van Loon home oozed Christmas spirit. This year, they didn't have to explain the gift-opening process to Emi. The toddler had barely spared a moment before ripping the wrapping paper away from her presents. Even better, she had been able to help clean up the wrapping paper. As long as her parents turned cleaning up into a fun game.
As night fell, Emi dozed off on the floor while playing with their newest family member. Emi's new pet--dubbed "Bunny" by his owner--was hopping around in search of food. Niels chuckled and scooped up the rabbit. It was still young, and small enough for Emi to hold comfortably. He seemed like the perfect fit. While Niels took Bunny back to his cage, Amanda carried their daughter to her nursery and tucked her in. She returned, to the living room only to find their first and only surviving pet, Ghost, sniffing around Bunny's cage. It reminded her how how gentle the large wolf had been when they first brought Emi home as a newborn. In fact, it was bizarre just how much a new pet felt like bringing home a new baby. Niels caught Amanda's dreamy gaze and inquired of her thoughts, but Amanda only smiled sheepishly and dismissed her thoughts as 'nothing much'. She walked to the couch where Niels sat and climbed into his lap. "Merry Christmas, mi amore. Ready to continue our tradition?" she asked with a cheeky grin. She winked and kissed him softly, secretly making a silent Christmas wish.
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Amanda at a GlanceNames: Amanda Pontremoli, Amanda van Loon Archives
August 2017
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