The Winters had the nursery extended and added a room for Mistletoe (there is one more crib beside the one at the far right).

On Mistletoe’s first day at school, Claus had the day off and although he offered to take her to school Mistletoe insisted on catching the bus to and from school on her own. Claus peeked through a window, making sure that his eldest got on the bus.

That evening Mistletoe met her Aunt Snowie. She thought that the woman and her Daddy looked nothing alike, but Aunt Snowie was nice enough and the two got on well.

She was ecstatic when Snowie offered to play chess with her. “You have to actually play with me Aunty, don’t let me beat you like Daddy does.” Snowie smiled at her niece. She wanted her own children, but after the way things went with Thornton Wolff, she had trouble with men.

Melissa had come over too and she busied herself playing with Rudolph. “A birth and two birthdays in two days, Regan, I’m exhausted just thinking about it.”Regan was actually saddened that she would be losing another baby, but at least she would get to teach Feliz her toddler skills, that was something to look forward to.

Claus did the honors of taking his last daughter to the cake, his feelings were the complete opposite of his wife’s. He understood that children had to get older, that was the way of life, but instead of looking at the situation as a loss he decided to look forward to the future in entirety.

Claus was fascinated at how much his youngest daughter looked like the older one.

As Claus watched his three middle kids sitting in the living room, he realized how quickly they grew up. It felt like only a few days ago he was holding Ice and Rudolph and Feliz were nonexistant.

The next evening Claus took Mistletoe to meet more of their family. He found himself staring at Brian, again trying to figure out who the young man resembled. Clearly he looked like his mother, but he had his father’s bushy eyebrows.

Brian picked up on something about Mistletoe that her family clearly didn’t, as the girl babbled on about how bright it was outside, he realized that the girl had to be insane, it was nearly ten in the night.

The following day Claus went to do some more catching up. He hadn’t been in his father’s house since he left and Candy wasted no time giving him the guilt trip and ragging on him for it. (note: the arm thing is a glitch that I had to delete Claus to fix)

He spent some time catching up with his step mother and his brother while he waited for his father to come home. Claus told his brother about his kids and their birthdays and demanded to know what his brother never came over.

Jack came home an hour later, Candy gladly announced that they had a visitor. Jack and Claus smiled at each other. Jack’s own smile was one of relief, he knew that his son had solved the big mystery, but he was unsure about how Claus would act once he knew the truth. “I’ll meet you outside Dad.” Claus said.

“So, did you figure it out?”“You two got into one of your many arguments, you hit her, she fell backward, striking her head on the end table.” Claus looked at his father. “I honestly didn’t know how I would react when I learnt the truth, but I’m not even mad at you. You took our mother away, but you also robbed yourself of the love of your life. If I had done that to Regan, the guilt and pain I would feel everyday would be punishment enough. But why the big secret? Why didn’t you just tell us?”

“Take a wild guess Claus.”“You didn’t want to be arrested…”“I had already taken my children’s mother away from them, I couldn’t rob them of both parents. You and Snowie looked up at me, how could I tell you? I was an evil person Claus, I married Agnes with the intent of killing her. I’m a terrible person.”Claus smiled. “But she showed you how to love, and you grew a heart. I can’t hate you Dad. I just wished that that didn’t happen. There’s nothing we can do to change the past.”

Some time later, another birthday was celebrated and a brand new cousin was met. Ice stared at the boy who was his age, when his Aunty had told them that she was getting a kid, they’d expected a baby. Chauncy tried to explain that he was adopted but Ice had grown up with both parents and surrounded by love, he couldn’t understand adoption or parents giving their children to someone else.

“So, tell me about this whole adoption thing.” Regan asked her sister-in-law after she marveled over the handsome little boy that was now her nephew. “It was seeing you with your own children, I just wanted somebody to love me unconditionally.”

“I’ve never told anyone for obvious reasons but me and Thornton Wolff had started a relationship when I was fifteen. Then one day he decided that he didn’t love me anymore. I was heartbroken and it took a while for me to get over Thornton and try to find love. I’d neglected Sam in high school and when I finally gave him the time of day he had already found someone.”

“I had started dating this guy but things didn’t work out, he ended our relationship with that lazy ‘it’s not you it’s me’ line. After double heartbreak I was just done with relationships.”

“I went to the park on day and Claus was there with Rudy, and I knew then that if I ever hoped to have a child, I would have to adopt and that’s exactly what I did.”

“I had intended to get a baby, but when I went to the home and saw Chauncy I just knew he was born for me. When I brought him home and he hugged me for the first time, I fell in love ten times over.”

“I can see that he feels the same way about you.” Regan told Snowie. “Congratulations Mommy.”Snowie blushed and called for her son. “He and Ice seem to have taken to each other.”

Claus sat chatting with Mistletoe, he blinked at the madness his daughter spoke about having pea soup instead of a cake for a birthday party. Ice and his sister were both slightly…off, but they made things even more interesting.

Ice was spending the weekend with Snowie and Chauncy. Chauncy asked his cousin about the suit he was wearing. He was used to the things Ice did but sometimes he couldn’t help but ask.

On Sunday night Claus had to go to his sister’s house to collect his eldest son who was already under the covers. “Come on Ice or we’ll miss Rudy’s birthday.” Ice spent an hour protesting.

When they got home Rudolph was already a blue and silver haired child.

The next day Mistletoe celebrated her birthday.

Mistletoe grew into a lighter skinned, blond, blue eyed Regan.