::she sighs softly, continuing to stroke his hair, leaning a bit closer to take the cheesecake tart from his fingers::
Thank you.
::A few chews and she speaks softly around it, careful not to show any of the chewed food.::
I suppose the holidays make me think of her and Daddy.
::A soft swallow, and she continues::
They were a big part of the holidays. Mom used to make a large breakfast with all my favorites Christmas morning. The smell would wake me up and everyone would usually be downstairs in the kitchen and dining room area and they'd start singing happy birthday as I came down the stairs. My Dad would scoop me up in his arms and spin me around. He would always say I was the best Christmas present he'd ever gotten, and Mom and Nori would agree and we'd have this big group hug.
::she smiles softly, her eyes far off, remembering, then laughs softly::
It sounds kind of silly when I talk about it, but it always felt so wonderful.