Yup. Check the homepage. Check the books. Merry Christmas. And for a little fun, I wrote this while waiting for reader feedback.

“Surprise,” Austin opened his arms wide as he opened the door.

Dare set his shopping bags next to Rabbit’s and took in the atrocity that was the  living room.

Rabbit puckered his lips like he wanted to ask ‘why, or what or when or who’. His eyes spanned left and right and left again. When he finally spoke, it was a breathy, “How? Why?”

The five stockings hanging on the fireplace were the only elegant touch in a sea of festive overkill. Nope, nevermind, their names were rainbow sequins. Garland hung on every flat surface with giant red bows and blinking multi-colored lights. More lights hung from the ceiling, wrapped around the banister, and covered every door and window frame. There were multiple window decorations in themes from Santa at the North Pole, Frosty, and a bunch of elves’s asses sticking out of the snow. Santa statues, elf on a shelf…or several shelves in this case, glowing nativity scenes, gingerbread men, gingerbread houses, Mrs. Claus. And a giant tree from floor to ceiling decorated like it came out of a fucking catalog. Not an inch of space was free of garland, glitter, or tinsel.

“Wow,” Dare said. “It’s like the Christmas Fairy came…all over.”

“I said let’s get a tree.” Rabbit looked at Dare. “That’s all I said. We should get  a tree for our first fucking Christmas.”

“He got you a tree,” Dare pointed out. “And the rest of the world’s tackiest Christmas store.”

“Well, Merry Fucking Christmas,” Austin said and plopped on the recliner. He lifted one ass cheek and tossed a crocheted Santa pillow onto the sofa.

Cai flew out of the hallway under the stairs with a smile as bright as sunshine. “It’s great, isn’t it?”

Stuart followed and jumped over the sofa. His hair bounced as he ran around pointing things out. “Watch watch.” He turned on a train under the tree and it choo chooed its way around the bottom of the tree. “Look at this part.” The lights on the tree blinked and played a song Dare recognized from holiday movies. “It’s the chowerdsky’s plum fairy dance.”

“Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy by Tchaikovsky,” Austin corrected, trying to hide his pout.

“And you can play other songs with your phone!” Stuart demonstrated with a few pop songs Dare recognized.

Cai bounded over, peeked in the bags, and then slipped on his keds. “Going to go to Riley’s for a bit.” He grabbed a sweater and disappeared out in the snow before Dare or Rabbit could protest.

Austin continued pouting on the chair.

Stuart picked up a box and shook it with his ear close to the sides. “Ugh, puzzle.”

Dare brought his bags over and stuffed the presents wherever he could find a spot. The bottom of the tree was overloaded with gifts. Rabbit joined him a second later, humming the Fairy song.

“You know he did it for them,” Dare said, begrudgingly.

“I know. Take Stuart some place would you?”

“Get your coat, Stuart,” Dare said. “And your ice skates.”

“Yeah!” Stuart tore down the hall to his room.

Peter wrapped his arms around Austin’s shoulders and bit his earlobe. “Merry Fucking Christmas?”

Austin shot straight up and took Peter’s hand to drag him up the stairs.

“The fuck do you see in him?” Dare muttered.

“Myself in about thirty seconds,” Peter said before disappearing.

–so yeah,

Merry Fucking Christmas
Happy fucking Hanukah
Happy Fucking Kwanzaa

Love, Dani