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spacesquidlings · 1 year ago

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How Lovely Are Thy Branches

Description: Gavin and Rowan take their children to choose a Christmas tree for their family, and experience all the holiday chaos that comes with them

Pairing: Gavin Bai x MC (Rowan)

Warnings: None <3

A/N: Hello!!! Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas!!!! I think Gavin would love to do cute family things like this, but I also think any family he had would be exceedingly chaotic, so no outing (particularly not when they're trying to select a Christmas tree) would be particularly easy!!!! (Also as someone who HAS gone to a Christmas tree farm to select a tree, it is perhaps THE most chaotic thing I have experienced, and I've worked retail on Christmas eve) (as an additional note, this is officially featuring the baby bais Aurora, Wisteria, Cordelia, and Gardenia)

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“Are we there yet?”

Sighing, Rowan massaged her temple as Gavin snorted, the corners of his lips curving up like a crescent moon peeking out from the shadows of the night.

“No, we’re not there yet, love,” she said, closing her eyes. “Although I wish we were.”

“Mama!”

Rowan looked back at the veritable army of little girls strapped into their car seats. Only Aurora, their oldest, was big enough to sit without even a booster seat, although being big enough and old enough to sit without a car seat did not mean she was old enough to not kick at the back of the seats in front of her when she was bored.

“Aurora, I need you to stop kicking the seat now.”

“Mama, Wisteria took my juice,” Aurora whined, pointing to her sister.

Wisteria, the culprit in question, very clearly had 2 juice boxes, although she shook her head furiously and denied the accusation against her.

“Wisteria, I can see the second juice box in your hand. Give it back to your sister.”

“She wasn’t having it! And I’m thirsty!”

“That’s not true, I was looking at some pretty birdies and then you stole it.”

Rowan watched as the two girls made faces at each other, wondering whether it was worth trying to break them up. It was entirely possible that they would tire themselves out and go back to whatever they had been doing before.

“Mama, ‘Bluey’ stopped.”

She craned her neck to the other side, to where the twins Cordelia and Gardenia sat, hands clasped together, eyes wide as they watched her.

“Would you like me to play another one?”

They both nodded their heads, silent as she took the tablet from the headrest and clicked through the movies.

After a few moments she selected the next episode, repositioning the tablet before pressing play.

“There you go, my loves. Although I don’t know how much of the episode you’ll get to watch. We’re almost there.”

She leaned back in her seat, meeting Gavin’s eye. “We are almost there, aren’t we?”

He chuckled, shaking his head. “It shouldn’t be too long now.”

She slumped back in her seat. “I feel exhausted and we haven’t even gotten there yet.”

He removed one hand from the wheel, twining his fingers with hers. “I’ll have to buy you an extra treat when we get there.”

“Is there food?” She asked, leaning forward.

Gavin released her hand to press his index finger to his lips shushing her. She nodded, leaning back. “I’ll hold you to that, then.”

“Why don’t you take a rest?” He asked. “I’m sure the girls can handle themselves for the next twenty minutes.”

Rowan frowned. “What if they need something?”

“I’m their father, I’m perfectly capable of helping them, silly.” He smiled, his expression soft.

Her frown deepened in contrast. “You’re driving. I don’t want you to do anything unsafe.”

“Don’t worry,” he murmured, bringing her hand to his lips and brushing a kiss against her knuckles. “I can absolutely handle myself for half an hour. You look sleepy, so why don’t you take a nap for a bit.”

Rowan sighed, closing her eyes. She supposed she was tired, but a part of her felt terribly ashamed at the idea of sleeping while he drove and fielded the unending stream of questions and demands from their children.

But her eyes were heavy, and she couldn’t seem to make them open. The sounds of the children grew distant, muffled, the steadiness of Gavin’s hand in hers seeming to melt away, although the warmth of it remained.

She didn’t wake again until they had arrived, Gavin gently rousing her from sleep with a press of his lips to her palm.

“Pumpkin, we’re here,” he murmured against her hand, his breath tickling her skin.

She wrinkled her nose, her body heavy, like her bones were made of lead. “Why did you let me sleep?”

“I told you to sleep. You needed rest.”

Rowan groaned, squeezing her eyes shut. “Well now I’m just tired.”

He chuckled at her gravelly voice. She felt his hands cupping her cheeks, his callouses scraping against her skin. “Want me to carry you? I’m sure the girls can manage on their feet for a few minutes.”

She cracked her eyes open, frowning. “I can walk perfectly well, babey.”

“But I’m offering, if it will help,” he murmured.

But Gavin wasn’t able to say much more because the girls started whining, Aurora kicking her feet against the back of the seat as Wisteria leaned as far forward as she could in her seat.

“Let us out!” She waved her hands in the air. “Let us out, papa!”

Rolling his eyes, Gavin unbuckled himself from the car and opened the door. But before he stood he looked back at Rowan, a small line forming between his brows. “Just wait a moment, pumpkin. I’ll help you out.”

Rowan would have put up a fight, would have argued at least a little, but she felt so tired still she could hardly move.

She rested her hands on her swollen belly, wincing as the baby kicked at her ribs.

“Baby, please,” she murmured, patting where the little feet continued to kick. “You’re hurting your mama.”

There were only a few weeks left until her due date and Gavin had become even more overprotective than usual. She supposed he had good reason to, all of her pregnancy symptoms feeling so much worse than they had in the past. Her feet swollen so terribly it hurt to walk, her bladder constantly full, her exhaustion like a coat that was weighing her down with every passing second.

But they had been planning to come out and choose a Christmas tree for weeks. The girls had been so excited they’d hardly slept, the date circled on the calendar over and over in bright red and green gel pens.

She was not about to let swollen feet and fatigue ruin the day. She wanted the girls to have fun, she wanted Gavin to have fun, she wanted to have fun.

Squeals echoed from outside, the high pitched shrieks of the girls muffled as Gavin shut the car doors. It was only another moment before he opened the passenger door, his cheeks already flushed from the freezing wind whipping through the air.

“I missed you,” she said, running a hand through his messy hair.

Gavin chuckled in answer, taking her hands and kissing them before he undid her seatbelt and offered her his hand.

She wanted to comment that she was perfectly capable of getting out of the car herself, but then the baby kicked again, and she had to stifle a shout because it hurt. Hurt more than any of the other kicks, completely knocking any thoughts of sharp rejoinders from her mind.

“What’s wrong?” Gavin murmured, eyes full of gentle warmth, like early morning sunshine melting away the shadows of the night. “Tell me, I want to help.”

She wiggled forward in the seat, wincing. “The baby just kicked really hard.”

Gavin chuckled, tucking his arms around her waist and gently pulling her to her feet. “Harder than Wisteria?”

Rowan blinked, the world spinning in a blur of evergreen needles and wisps of snow. “I think so.”

He patted her belly. “He’s probably just excited.”

“Come onnnn!” Wisteria cried, tugging on Gavin’s jacket, pouting at them. “Wanna get the tree!”

“You need to be patient, baked potato,” Gavin chided gently. “Your mama needs an extra few minutes.”

“Why?”

He crouched down, readjusting Wisteria’s hat so it covered her ears. “Because she’s got your baby brother in her tummy, and it’s hard to carry him around all the time.”

“Why?”

Rowan covered her mouth to stop herself from laughing. Sometimes Wisteria’s never-ending questions exhausted her, but she would be lying if she said it wasn’t funny, too. Particularly when the questions weren’t directed at her.

“Well babies are heavy.”

Wisteria seemed to ponder this for a while, long enough for Gavin to retuck the blankets around the twins in their wagon before she spoke again.

“But babies are little!”

Now Rowan really did snort, and she had to turn away as Gavin shot her a glare.

“Well, do you remember when the twins were little? When they were first born.”

“Yeah.”

“Remember how you could only hold them if you were sitting down?”

Wisteria nodded.

“It’s because, although they’re small, they’re still heavy. And if you hold them for too long, your arms will get tired and you might drop them.”

“But mama isn’t holding the baby! He’s in her tummy.”

“But after carrying him for so long in her tummy he feels heavy.”

Wisteria screwed up her face, clearly unhappy with Gavin’s answer.

“But-”

“We just have to go a little slower right now,” he said, cutting Wisteria off. “So mama can feel okay.”

Aurora sidled up next to Rowan, little hands clasping around Rowan’s. “I’ll stay with you, mama! So you’re safe!”

Rowan smiled, squeezing Aurora’s hand. She didn’t know how she’d gotten so lucky, to have such sweet girls as her daughters. “Thank you, sweet potato. I feel better already.”

“It’s my healing magic!” Aurora cried, swinging Rowan’s hand.

“You’re healing magic?”

Wisteria nodded her head furiously, coming up to Rowan’s other side. “Oh yes, we were playing magic yesterday!”

“Oh were you?”

Rowan followed after Gavin as he began pushing the stroller. They had parked in a gravel parking lot only a few feet from the entrance, and Rowan could make out the tips of evergreen trees piercing the slate grey of the sky as their procession slowly made its way to the front booth.

Rather than purchasing a tree from a grocery store or from some of the little pop-ups with pre-cut trees that were scattered around the city, Rowan and Gavin had agreed that they would take the girls to a Christmas tree farm. Aurora had seen one on TV and had been begging them to take her to one for most of the year, and Wisteria would surely love the extra space to run around in the snow while they searched out the perfect tree.

The twins, for their part, were likely content to comment on the squirrels and birds they spied flitting around the trees.

And it would also make the day a little more special, a little different from choosing a tree at random or pulling out the little plastic tree they had used when Aurora had first been born.

Rowan hoped it would make them all happy, even if her body was already screaming at her to sit down as they stood at the ticket booth while Gavin paid for their admission.

“Mama, I want the biggest tree,” Wisteria sang, letting go of her hand and stomping ahead, snow crunching beneath her light up boots. “The biggest!”

“Well I don’t know if we can get the biggest. The ceilings aren’t that tall.”

“HUUUGE!” Wisteria continued, very clearly not listening at all. “A HUGE tree!”

A couple narrowed their eyes at Wisteria as they walked past, a tree balanced between them. Wisteria paused when she saw them, beaming so widely they could see the gap in her front teeth from her missing baby teeth.

Gavin levelled a hard stare at the couple, and they hurried away, mouths pressed tightly shut. It was clear Gavin would not stand for anyone reprimanding Wisteria for her excitement.

“Come on little baked potato,” he said, scooping her up and depositing her on his shoulder. “You can be my lookout.”

Wisteria squealed, grasping Gavin’s head. “Lookout for what?”

“For the best tree!”

She kicked her legs, and Rowan had to cover her mouth again to stifle her laughter as Gavin narrowly avoided getting his face kicked.

“I think you might have made a mistake,” she murmured, eyes flicking up to Wisteria, her golden eyes wide as she scanned the trees. “You’re going to end up with a concussion.”

“I won’t get hurt,” he answered, squeezing her hand for a moment before dropping it, having to hold tight to Wisteria as she teetered on his shoulders. “I have something far too important to do.”

“And what’s that?” She asked, reaching out to gently tuck Cordelia back into the wagon as she tried climbing out.

“Taking care of my wife,” he murmured, leaning down to press a kiss to her temple.

Rowan felt her face burning despite the frigid air. She tried a half-assed counter, but there was no bite to it, and she didn’t really mean it.

“I’m not a porcelain doll you know, I won’t break.”

Gavin huffed a laugh, bumping her arm with his. “Maybe it’s important to me because it’s something I want to do, not something I have to do.”

She smiled, pressing her face against his shoulder for the barest of moments. Her chest felt warm, not the acidic fire of the heartburn that had been plaguing her during the last few months, but the gentle warmth of a springtime sun. Like stars were blooming in her heart, filling her with their soft, silvery and gold light.

She liked being taken care of by Gavin, being doted on. Getting to be held in his arms and tucked in when she needed to rest. Feeling his smile against her skin as he pressed a kiss to her cheek, as he murmured that he loved her. Not having to cook every day, not having to do as much cleaning. Even occasionally getting carried so she did not have to put more pressure on her already aching feet, although she had tried talking Gavin out of it recently. Carrying an eight-month pregnant woman was certainly not an easy task, although he never so much as made a sound other than to tell her he loved her whenever he did lift her into his arms.

“MAMA!” Now Aurora was shrieking too, letting go of Rowan’s hand to sprint into the trees, vanishing from view.

“Aurora, don’t run where we can’t see you!” Rowan called, but it was far too late for that.

She could still hear Aurora shrieking with delight, and they followed the sound of her voice until they found her, arms wrapped around the trunk of a tree, pine needles in her hair.

“Mama, papa, this one,” she sang, wiggling. “It’s perfect.”

“No!” Wisteria squirmed on Gavin’s shoulders until he set her down, and she marched up to Aurora, hands on her hips.

“I don’t want that tree!” Wisteria cried, crossing her arms. “It’s too short.”

Rowan bit down on her bottom lip. “I mean, it’s a pretty good height actually.”

“Mama, you twaitor!” Wisteria wailed, fake tears filling her eyes. “It’s no good!”

Now Aurora’s bottom lip was quivering, and Rowan felt her heart ratchet. What she had not anticipated was a full blown meltdown this early on.

“Hey, it’s a beautiful tree, sweet potato,” Rowan cooed, leaning down as far as she dared, tugging Aurora into a tight embrace. “I think it’s beautiful.”

“But why did Wisteria say it was ugly?” Aurora sniffled, arms hanging limp at her sides.

“Well she thinks different things are beautiful.”

“Like what?”

“Like really really tall trees.”

Another sniffle. “But I think this tree is pretty.”

Rowan pulled away, wiping Aurora’s tears from her cheeks. “And you’re right, it’s a very pretty tree.”

Her bottom lip continued to wobble, and she glared down at the snow-packed ground, as if contemplating whether she was going to have a tantrum or not.

“Why don’t we think of a name for your tree,” Rowan suggested, taking Aurora’s hand. “We can brainstorm and come up with some names!”

Aurora giggled, wiping her nose with her free hand. “What’s a brainstorm? Is it like when uncle Shaw is happy?”

Gavin snorted, and Rowan couldn’t stop herself from smiling. “No, love, a brainstorm is when you think of a whole bunch of different things.”

“So like when I’m thinking bout cereal and also toast? And Stella and also my dollies?”

Rowan tipped her head to the side. “Kind of. But it’s like. You’re thinking up a lot of ideas. Like thinking of different pretty names for your tree would be brainstorming.”

Aurora’s mouth fell into a small o and she nodded thoughtfully. “Okays. How bout Belle? That’s a princess name!”

“That’s a fantastic name.”

“Or Jasmine? Or Anna? Ooo or Ariel, that’s a pretty princess name!”

“Those are all very pretty names,” Rowan agreed, relieved that the tears had stopped.

“Can you think of any, mama?”

Rowan opened her mouth to respond, a few names popping into her mind that she’d seen while she and Gavin had been perusing the baby name websites, still trying to settle on the name of their new baby.

But Wisteria’s shrieks cut her off, her second daughter bolting deeper into the trees, like she was being swallowed up by sentient woods.

“Wisteria Faye!” Gavin called, scowling. “You were told not to run!”

“Papa.”

Gavin’s expression softened as he looked down, towards the twins still tucked in the wagon.

Only for his eyes to nearly fall completely from their sockets as Cordelia toddled away, attention focused on a small tree barely taller than her.

Gardenia, still wrapped in the blankets in the wagon, giggled as Gavin scooped Cordelia up, tickling her when she tried squirming out of his arms.

“Nice try little tater tot,” he chided as he tossed her back into the wagon. “But you won’t get away so easily.”

“Come look what I found!”

Rowan nearly leapt out of her skin as Wisteria popped out from behind a tree next to her, mischief in her golden eyes as she beamed up at her and Gavin.

“Where do you think you were going?” Gavin asked, lifting her up by the back of her jacket. It was vaguely reminiscent of a cat lifting a kitten by its scruff, and Rowan couldn’t help giggling at the mental image.

“Looking at the twees!” Wisteria sang, seeming utterly unconcerned that she was being dangled like a naughty kitten.

Gavin massaged his temple, looking utterly spent. “Wisteria, you know you can’t run ahead alone.”

She kicked her feet into the air. “I wasn’t alone! I had my ‘maginary friends with me!”

Gavin narrowed his eyes. “You can’t run ahead without an adult.”

Wisteria stuck out her tongue. “Booo.”

“Don’t boo your father,” Rowan chimed in. “He’s trying to make sure you stay safe.”

Wisteria turned on Rowan next, sticking her tongue out further. “Booooo.”

The twins chimed in, giggling as they echoed Wisteria.

“Booo!”

“Boooooo!”

Rowan heaved a sigh, feeling helpless as she looked at Gavin.

He shrugged, looking equally helpless as Cordelia began climbing out of the wagon again, little hands grasping at his jacket to steady her.

Neither of them had time to debate on the best course of action as the girls continued to boo them, Wisteria darting forward once again, dancing on her toes when no one made a move to follow her.

“I found the perfect twee!” She cried, her cheeks flushed from the wind. Her hat slipped to one side, and snowflakes caught in her messy brown hair, the colour like a splash of spring in the midst of the freezing winter. It was the same colour as Gavin’s hair, and just as messy.

This time Rowan scooped Cordelia up, depositing her back into the wagon, although she knew by now it was a fruitless effort. But hopefully it at least tired her out. Just a bit.

“Come on!” Wisteria cried again, bouncing in place now.

Gavin sighed, taking Rowan’s hand in his, a defeated look on his face. “You know, I’ve gone on missions less difficult than wrangling Wisteria.”

Rowan laughed, squeezing his hand. “You’re the best agent the STF has, Commander Gavin. If anyone can wrangle her, it’s you.”

He rolled his eyes, but the smile on his lips belied his feigned exasperation.

“I love you,” Rowan whispered, wincing as Cordelia tried climbing from the wagon again, nearly tumbling to the ground.

“Even when I can barely handle our children?”

He looked a little vulnerable, his eyes wide, his shoulders drooping.

“Hey,” Rowan murmured, standing on her toes to press a kiss to his cheek. “I can barely handle them on my best days. And I’m here to help.”

He squeezed her hand. “I don’t know what I would do without you.”

“It’s a good thing that you don’t have to imagine it, then.”

He leaned his brow against hers, sighing. “Do you remember when it was just the two of us cutting down our own Christmas trees? Do you remember that first year?”

She laughed, the memory of the first time they had come here surfacing in her mind. Of when they had only just started to live together, when they had arrived and searched amongst the trees, when two little children had run around their ankles they’d helped them find their parents, searching desperately for their wayward kids.

“I do remember,” she murmured, closing her eyes for a moment, remembering how cold it had been. How warm Gavin’s hands had been, the sound of his laughter echoing through the trees as they’d joked around. The taste of the warm hot chocolate and cinnamon dusted doughnuts the Christmas tree farm sold in their little shop.

She even remembered the smiles and the round cheeks of the children they had returned to their parents, how she had felt the ache in her heart as they’d chattered away, the desperate want that squeezed her lungs until she could hardly breathe.

How Gavin had blushed when she’d mentioned that bringing children to pick out a tree must be fun. How he had responded in kind, that one day they would bring their children to choose a tree, and how happy a day it would be when they did.

And then they had laughed, hoping that if they had children they would not be half as chaotic as those two children had been.

Rowan looked to Cordelia, who had successfully climbed from her wagon once more, waddling after Wisteria, who was still shrieking at them in the distance.

As it happened, their children were twice as chaotic and mischievous as those two kids.

Not that she would have had it any other way.

“This reminds me a little of that day,” he murmured, bringing her attention back to him.

“Oh?” She asked, tipping her head to the side as she smiled. “In what way?”

They were not given more time to reminisce as crying erupted a few feet away, Gardenia trying to follow after her sister and plummeting face-first into the snow.

“Oh little tater tot,” Rowan cried, scooping her daughter into her arms. “You’re okay, you’re okay.”

Gardenia sniffled, her face red, clumps of snow falling away from her cheeks. “Mama, it’s cold.”

“I know love, I know,” Rowan murmured, bouncing her gently. “Want me to hold you for a while?”

“Yes please.”

Rowan tucked Gardenia against her chest, bouncing in place. “So much for the wagon being useful.”

Gavin shrugged. “It was a nice idea. But it would have worked better with seatbelts.”

Rowan snickered, rubbing Gardenia’s back as they began following Cordelia and Wisteria. Snow crunched underfoot, the sound of Aurora singing cutting through the relative quiet wrapping around them. They had walked deep enough into the farm that most sounds had faded away, only the trees and their family and the occasional rustle of a branch for company.

“Mama,” Aurora asked, tugging on Rowan’s jacket. “Can we put the squishes on the tree this year? The little ones?”

Gardenia peaked up, her amber eyes still lined in silver tears. “Flowers too?”

Rowan hummed, bouncing Gardenia until she giggled. “Well I’ll have to see about that. Which squishes did you want to put on the tree?”

Aurora was referring to the two packs of small, round stuffed animals they had bought on a shopping trip to costco. Rowan had been under the impression that they were just little stuffed animals the girls could play with, but when they’d opened the boxes she’d realized they had little strings attached to their bodies, and could be hung like ornaments on a Christmas tree.

“All of em!” Aurora sang, waving her hands. “I want ALL of them!”

“We’ll have to ask your sisters if they would like them on the tree too,” Gavin chimed in, although he was smiling.

“Of course they will, papa!” Aurora sang, skipping over towards him. “They love the squishes!”

He grinned, leaning down to scoop her up. “Is that so? What will we do for the angel then?”

“A really big squish!”

Aurora squealed as Gavin tickled her, wiggling in his hold.

“Maybe we should put you on top of the tree,” he teased, lifting Aurora up, pretending like he was going to set her on top of one of the nearest trees.

“Papa, no!” She squealed, wriggling helplessly. “I can’t go on the tree! I’m too big!”

“Are you?” He asked, lowering her from the tree. “Are you sure? You look like you’ll fit.”

She shrieked, shaking her head furiously, her hat falling to the ground. “No I’m not! You need something small!”

He hummed, tucking her against his chest. “Then who will go on top of the tree?”

Aurora giggled. “Maybe Cordelia! She’s little enough.”

Gavin’s eyes glittered as he set Aurora down, scooping up her hat and placing it back on the top of her head. “Well if we’re going to put Cordelia on top of a tree, we’ll have to catch her.”

Aurora gaped. “How will we do that?!”

“We’ll have to be very very quiet and very fast,” Gavin murmured, cheeks flushed, eyes bright, the sunshine catching in their depths and turning their amber to a brilliant gold. “Because Cordelia is very fast.”

“And if she shouts, Wisteria might attack,” Aurora said, her face strangely somber.

“And we don’t want that.”

“No. She’ll try to stop us.”

Rowan giggled as she watched the two of them, her heart so warm it was a miracle the snow around her didn’t melt away as she stepped near.

If she were being honest, all of her was warm. Perhaps too warm. And her lower back had begun to ache, and she felt like she’d been running a marathon for how much she was gasping for breath, although they had barely been walking for more than fifteen minutes.

“I need to put you down for a minute, tater tot,” she said to Gardenia, a fissure cracking her heart in two as Gardenia whimpered, fists curling into the fabric of Rowan’s jacket. “Just for a minute.”

Gavin was beside her in an instant, gently extracting Gardenia from Rowan’s arms. “You need to let mama have a break, okay? It’s hard for her to carry you and the baby.”

Gardenia pouted. “I want mama.”

“Well you can snuggle mama when we get home.”

“Want mama now.”

Rowan reached out, taking Gardenia’s little hands. “I love you, little tater tot. I just need a minute, I feel very tired.”

Gardenia slumped against Gavin, but nodded, her bottom lip sticking out. “Okay, mama.”

Rowan pressed a kiss to Gardenia’s forehead before pulling away, wincing as the world tilted around her. She felt a little like she had just stepped off a fair ride, the world around her tilting and spinning as she had been only moments before.

“Woah there,” Gavin slid his arm around Rowan’s waist, letting her lean against his side as she breathed deeply, eyes squeezing shut as she waited for the world to steady itself again.

“Pumpkin,” he murmured, nuzzling his nose against the top of her head. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

“I will be, in just a moment,” she muttered, squeezing her eyes tighter.

It felt as though the very ground beneath her feet was swaying, like she was standing on the deck of a ship swaying in stormy ocean waves.

It took another few minutes before the ground felt stable again, and another few more before she trusted herself enough to open her eyes.

“Okay, I think I’m better now,” she said, struggling to step away from Gavin.

“Are you sure?” He asked, pulling her back against him before depositing Gardenia back into the wagon. “Should we stop for a minute?”

She shook her head, even as she leaned against him once more for support. “No, it’s okay. I’ll be alright.”

From the wrinkle of his brow, she knew he was not entirely convinced.

“Just promise me you’ll buy me some snacks when we’re done here.”

He offered her a reassuring smile, one that was brighter than the sunshine spilling over their heads. She felt some of her strength returning, and she smiled in return.

“Anyways, we can’t take a break now. Not when you’re planning on putting Cordelia on top of a tree.”

Gardenia giggled, but even Aurora looked concerned, wrapping her arms around Rowan’s leg, staring up at her with wide, anxious eyes.

“Are you okay, mama?” She asked, her voice wobbling.

“I’m okay, sweet potato,” she promised, readjusting Aurora’s hat. “I just felt a little dizzy for a minute.”

“Why?”

Rowan wrinkled her nose. “I’m not sure, actually. I was told it’s a pregnancy symptom.”

Now Aurora was wrinkling her nose in kind. “A symptom? Like when you’re sick?”

“Yes, just like when you’re sick.”

“But you’re not sick!”

Rowan shook her head. “No, but I do have a baby in my tummy. And sometimes babies make you feel a little sick.”

Aurora seemed to contemplate this for a second, glaring at Rowan’s swollen belly.

“Mama,” she said at last, turning her attention back to Rowan. “Did I make you dizzy?”

Rowan bit down on the laughter threatening to bubble from her lips as she remembered when she’d been pregnant with Aurora, when she’d been experiencing everything for the very first time and being utterly terrified.

“A little,” she said at last, unable to hold back her smile. “And I was also really really hungry for strawberries all the time.”

“Strawberries are my favourite!” Aurora sang, bouncing on her toes. “You’re just like me, mama!”

Rowan grinned, swinging Aurora’s hand as they moved forward. “And you’re just like me!”

Aurora giggled, her previous concerns melting like snow beneath warm spring sunshine.

Rowan could, however, tell that Gavin’s concerns remained, his eyes narrowed as he watched her for a few moments longer. But there wasn’t much he could do, they were deep in the trees now, and there were no places they could sit for a while without turning back around and heading to the little shop near the front of the farm where food and ornaments and knick-knacks were sold.

He continued to glower for another moment until Aurora yanked on his hand. “Come on, papa! We have to get her!”

His expression softened and he let himself be dragged forward by his daughter, a gentle smile on his face.

Rowan hung back, pulling the wagon with Gardenia snuggled inside, her youngest content to wrap the blankets round and around herself until she was reminiscent of a caterpillar tucked away in its cocoon.

Gavin scooped up Cordelia as Aurora shrieked with delight, bouncing in place as Cordelia shouted. Wisteria, for her part, was nowhere to be seen. Which meant she was very likely hiding somewhere waiting to attack.

Gardenia wrinkled her little nose, barely visible beneath the layers of blankets she’d managed to wrap herself in. “I don’t wanna be on da tree.”

“Well it’s a good thing you don’t have to be on the tree.”

“Cordelia is.”

“That’s because Cordelia is loud and silly. Only loud and silly girls get put on trees!”

“Like Wistewia?”

She laughed, nodding as Gardenia watched her quietly, her expression somber. “Yes, just like Wisteria!”

“Can we has flowews on the twee, mama?”

“What kind of flowers?” Rowan asked, all while Cordelia shrieked as Gavin propped her up on a tree branch, squealing that she’s not an ornament.

“Pwetty ones.”

Rowan snorted, pausing so she could pat Cordelia’s head. “Why don’t we go to a flower shop sometime and pick out some pretty flowers?”

Cordelia bobbed her head, a small smile on her face. “Yes pwease!”

Rowan couldn’t help the way her lips tugged upwards as she imagined the different blooms that could decorate their tree. Perhaps some roses, some daisies if there were any. Maybe they would find some dried amaranthus to drape on some of the branches, too. She remembered the flower shop close to their house sometimes had dried amaranthus in different colours, and she was sure a few red ones would look splendid alongside some white daisies.

Gardenia had given her a wonderful idea, and now she would have to find a way to incorporate it alongside all the plush ornaments Aurora was adamant on hanging.

Perhaps she could come up with a theme… Something to match the squihsmallows.

Oh, but weren’t they planning to make dried orange garlands this year? And Wisteria had been asking to try popcorn garlands, too. How would she make it all work?

Cordelia and Gavin’s shouts of laughter drew her from her contemplation, and she looked up in time to see him tossing Cordelia into the air, catching her and spinning her around. Aurora laughed beside them, arms lifted in the air as she begged to go next.

She couldn’t help her own smirk as she watched them play, Cordelia balling snow up in her little mitts and chucking it at Gavin’s legs when he turned his attention to tossing Aurora into the air next.

All her deliberations on flowers and squishmallows and garlands would be in vain if they did not even have a tree.

Aurora shrieked something about being a magic bird as Gavin threw her into the air again, her hat flying from her head. Cordelia turned to pick it up, and her eyes widened when she saw Rowan still struggling to make her way towards them.

“Mama!” She cried, stumbling towards Rowan, arms outstretched. “Mama!”

“Cordelia!” Rowan sang in answer, leaning down as far as she could. “Are you having fun?”

Cordelia snickered, a sly look spreading across her face. “Yes!”

“Hmmm,” Rowan hummed, ruffling Cordelia’s hair. “You look like you’re up to some mischief!”

Cordelia, never one for being particularly adept at lying, attempted to bat her lashes as innocently as she could. Which just made her look like there was something caught in her eye that she could not manage to extract.

“No mischief, mama!”

Rowan narrowed her eyes, suspicious. “What are you planning, little tater tot?”

“Nothing!” Cordelia shook her head, pouting just the tiniest little bit. “Nothing, mama!”

That nothing Cordelia was certainly not planning was in fact Wisteria nearly giving Rowan a heart attack as she shouted boo from the nearest tree, her head poking out from the branches, entirely camouflaged in her dark green hat and coat.

‘They’re all wearing neon pink next year’ was Rowan’s only thought as she gasped, a shriek lodging in her throat.

Wisteria giggled from her hiding place in the tree, and then Cordelia was chucking little snowballs at Rowan and Gardenia, cackling along with her older sister.

“What’s going on?!” Gavin’s voice cracked as he set Aurora on the ground, eyes wide and terrified.

Cordelia paused before slowly turning her assault on Gavin, still giggling as maniacally as a toddler could. “A prank!”

Gavin attempted to scowl, but Rowan could see how he was struggling, the corners of his lips twitching, a snort escaping from his nose.

“You can’t just prank mama,” he chided, crouching down and gently prying Cordelia’s hands from the snow, clasping them together. “Not right now.”

Cordelia pouted, but Gavin didn’t get a chance to say much else before he was being pelted in the face with snowballs as Wisteria screamed.

Their second oldest still clung to the tree with one arm, but the other was chucking snowballs at everyone in her range, a seemingly endless supply of frozen ammunition at her disposal.

“I will defeat you, papa!” Wisteria cried, laughing so hard her entire body shook.

Rowan ducked her head, laughing as she felt snow slam against the bare skin of the back of her neck. “Wisteria!”

“You’re being very naughty!” Gavin shouted, but even he, strong as he was, could not contain his laughter as they were all defeated by a five year old dangling in a tree.

“The elf can’t see me!” Wisteria screamed, throwing one last snowball.

Gavin took that spare second as the chance to race towards the tree, hands grasping as Wisteria and yanking her from the branches before she could further her attack.

“Hey!” She squealed, wiggling uselessly as Gavin held her up in the air. “How could you?!”

He laughed, tossing her up and catching her again. “Very easily. Girls, I think we’re putting Wisteria on the top of the tree this year!”

The other girls giggled, having been clued in to Gavin’s joke about putting them on the tree like ornaments.

Wisteria, however, was not, and she looked absolutely stricken as he tossed her again.

Rowan covered her mouth as Wisteria plummeted back into Gavin’s arms, amber eyes wide as they fixed on Rowan. “Mama, don’t hang me from the twee.”

Fat teardrops slipped down her round cheeks, splattering to the snowy ground at their feat. “I don’t wanna be a ornament, mama.”

Her bottom lip was beginning to tremble, and Rowan had to bite her lip as she smoothed back Wisteria’s hair. “Well, you were very naughty today, running off without us.”

Her bottom lip quivered more, snot running from her nose. “But mama…”

“And you hid and threw snowballs at us!”

Her voice was little more than a squeak now. “Mamaaaa.”

“Okay okay, no more teasing,” she pried Wisteria from Gavin’s arms, cradling her close. “No more pranks, okay? We’re supposed to be here for a tree?”

Wisteria sniffed, tears still streaking down her cheeks. “Okay, mama.”

Gavin hummed, drawing Rowan’s attention back towards him. He was staring at the tree Wisteria had been hiding in, the sunshine reflecting in his eyes turning them a soft, warm gold. It reminded her of summer, of laughter, of the warmth of being wrapped in his arms.

“You know,” he mused, head tilting to one side. “This is a pretty good tree. It’s sturdy, it’s tall, but it should fit into the house no problem.”

He turned to look back at Rowan, brows raised. “What do you think?”

Rowan appraised the tree carefully, noting its somewhat stockier shape, its height more than a few inches taller than Gavin. Despite Wisteria using it as a hiding place, its branches seemed intact and she couldn’t find any gaping holes between the branches.

And it could withstand the chaos of their daughters.

Which made it more than perfect.

“I think this is it,” she sang, kissing the top of Wisteria’s head. “I think our Wisteria found us the perfect tree.”

Aurora cheered, and Cordela raced around the tree, arms out as she squealed something incoherent. Wisteria continued to fuss for a few minutes more, cuddling against Rowan and shooting Gavin a glower every few minutes, much to his annoyance.

“You’ll just have to bribe her with some treats,” Rowan teased, bumping Gavin with his elbow as they waited for the girls to calm down a bit.

They would need to get a staff member to help them cut the tree, since Rowan wasn’t in any state to help carry it once it was cut. In the meantime, Gavin wrapped netting around the tree, attaching a small tag indicating it had been claimed by their family. Now all they would need to do is signal to a staff member to help Gavin cut the tree down and carry it back to the car.

“We should head back to the front, then you can sit down while I get the tree.” He brushed snowflakes from her cheek, pressing a kiss against her freezing skin. “You need to rest.”

She patted his cheek. “You never stop worrying, do you?”

A mischievous smile danced across his lips, and he shook his head, eyes alight. “Not where you’re concerned. I want you safe.”

“Papa,” Wisteria said, voice quiet as she addressed Gavin for the first time in 10 minutes.

“What is it, little baked potato?” He asked, cocking his head to the side.

“I’d feel safew wif some snacks, papa,” Wisteria said, giving him a sly smile.

He gaped at her as she continued to beam at him, and Rowan couldn’t help the snort that escaped her nose. Gavin shot her a sharp look, but she couldn’t help it, couldn’t stop herself from laughing when Wisteria, after attacking them all with snowballs, turned around and said that.

After a moment Gavin sighed in defeat, shoulders slumping. “How can I say no to that?”

Wisteria looked smug as she smiled up at Rowan. “I wuv you mama.”

Rowan chuckled, kissing the top of Wisteria’s head once more before setting her down, her body aching so much she desperately needed to sit now. “I love you too.”

Another sigh from Gavin, who pulled Rowan against him as best as he could, nuzzling his face against hers. “What am I going to do with you all?”

She giggled. “Love us, I hope.”

“How could I not?”

“And buy us all treats.”

Another long, dramatic sigh. “I figured as much.”

Rowan pulled away to kiss his cheek. “I love you, babey.”

His eyes were soft, warm enough to melt the snow and the ice dripping from some of the trees. “I love you, too.”

He closed his eyes for a moment, leaning his head against hers once more before he called out to the girls. “Alright! Let’s head back to the front so we can get someone to help cut the tree!”

“I can cut it papa!”

Gavin turned, scooping Cordelia up and depositing her back into the wagon giggling. “I don’t think you can, tater tot. We need another adult for this.”

“Why not mama?” Gardenia asked, brow furrowed.

“Mama needs to sit down. And have something warm to eat,” he added, flicking Rowan a warm look.

“Would anyone else like a treat?”

All of the girls threw their hands into the air, a chorus of “yes yes please! I want a treat!”

Gavin took the handle of the wagon in one hand, and Rowan’s hand in the other.

“Let’s go,” he murmured, drawing her closer.

“Now that we’ve chosen a tree, we’ll have to think about how we’re going to decorate it,” Rowan said, taking hold of Wisteria’s hand with her free one.

Gavin arched a brow, looking amused. “Oh? And do you already have some ideas?”

She looked up at the sky, at the snowflakes cascading down from the grey clouds above, like miniature dancers twirling in the wind. “I might have a few.”

He squeezed her hand. “Why don’t you tell me? I’d like to hear what you’re thinking.”

And hand-in-hand, with their children in tow, despite the freezing wind and the snow gently spiralling around them, their hearts were filled with enough warmth and happiness to last more than a lifetime.

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