This year, the upcoming holiday season was just a bit more special than it always was.

Well, scratch that. It was a lot more special than usual.

Why? Well, our paperwork had gone through. We'd had our meetings. We'd done everything we needed to do. And finally, we were cleared, we were approved, and we were ready. We were now able to adopt a child. As the time went on and we talked about it more and more, Levi stated that he was actually glad to be skipping the rug rat stage of having children.

I guess I should have expected that from him. Did I really at one point expect him to ever change a diaper, or react civilly if a child he was burping suddenly threw up on him? And not to mention the crying. Sometimes, kids cried for no reason. It wasn't because they were hungry or sick or tired, it was just because they could and that they were little shitheads. That's just how it went, and to expect Levi to in any way react kindly...

I couldn't picture that ever happening, so I suppose it was better off that we were adopting a kid that was past all that. Kids were still messy but knowing that we were skipping the diaper phase alone was going to save us a hell of a lot of stress, money, and messes.

I guess that was a blessing in disguise.

And for all of it to be done just before the holidays? That was another gift. The universe wasn't usually keen on sending us of all people gifts, especially not one this generous, so we took it and ran with it. By his birthday this year, we'd have a child in this home.

I could not be more excited.

Both our families were excited, too. My mom had been so damn giddy when I told her. She'd been such an incredible crutch when I was going through those rather sad few weeks, when I thought I was infertile, because as it turned out, she was infertile herself. It was why they decided to adopt. 

Her body could not conceive a child, though they so desperately wanted to start a family together. And so, they adopted. Even though I did not know for sure if I was, talking with her about it, and going through all of the conflicting feelings one by one, it was incredible – not because I was feeling all of it, no – because I no longer felt alone.

Levi had done his best to support me, but it was a difficult thing to be a woman deciding to have a child, only to find that you could not. Biologically, wasn't it what we were meant to do? Knowing that someone had felt that way before and had to work through that pain, that heartache, those weird feelings of being incomplete, it was something I appreciated so much. And to have it be my own adoptive mother, the woman who had so kindly raised me in place of my own biological parents... that was another disguised gift, I suppose.

But enough about that! That was all terribly disheartening to think about, and so now, I elected to think on it no longer. Rather, I focused on what I was doing, where I was, and who I was with.

Currently, Levi and I were decorating at home.

Well, I was decorating. Levi was working to untangle the tinsel. When we took everything down last year, we'd... No, sorry. I'd been haphazard. He'd have quite a few words for me if I even implied that he had made a mess. So... I'd been a bit haphazard, and all of the tinsel had gotten tangled together and now it was in a right mess. 

Levi offered to untangle them if it meant I would string the lights up, put out the little trinkets and the little specialized throw pillows and other little decorations that we... I had collected over the years.

Again, Levi would have some choice words for me if I dared insinuate that he bought any of that nonsense. All these decorations were my own, but would it kill him to get into the holiday spirit? With the extremely irritated pinch in his brow as he dealt with a particularly stubborn bit of tinsel, I realized that it just might.

Back to him making me do everything else while he sorted the tinsel out... it was clear that he didn't quite like that part of decorating very much. Honestly, he chose to untangle tinsel over doing it.

So at long last, when at last all that was set up, I turned to the kitchen table where the first wave of our Christmas cards had accumulated. They'd get a special place on our mantle, and that was where I took them and set them up one by one. The first we'd received – and actually all the way back on November 2nd actually, for they were so excited for the holiday season – was from Hange and Moblit.

Hange absolutely loved the holidays. I couldn't even be sure how Moblit felt about them, because Hange had enough excitement for about ten people, let alone just the two of them. Each year, Hange's holiday parties and decorations got bigger and... I couldn't say better, not when last year they'd somehow gotten their hands on an actual reindeer to bring to the backyard for their party.

Thinking back on it, I think in the span of the party, each of the neighbors on Hange's block had called animal control about that damn animal. It was well taken care of, even its handler had attested to that, but I had to side with the neighbors on this one; it was weird for a reindeer to be in anyone's backyard for a damn Christmas party.

...there hadn't even been kids at the party! Just adults! It wasn't like it was a petting zoo for kids to go see a live reindeer, one lovingly dubbed Blitzen during the holiday season just to add to the magic of the season for them. It was just a bunch of adults, drinking and talking about how small their holiday bonuses had been.

Oh, well. Perhaps this year Hange will get an entire team of reindeer for the party.

By the looks of it from their picture that took up most of the card, their home had already been decorated top to bottom in tinsel, twinkling lights, fake snow, and even their stockings: including even those for each of their guinea pigs and mice. Oh, and their snake, too. And... what was that? Squinting, I could just make out one for the tarantula Hange had just gotten. Goodness.

The card had simple text along the bottom, simply sending the usual warm wishes that were always written on those cards, but with the addition of the name of not only Hange and Moblit, but each and every pet that they had. Including the tarantula.

The next card was from the Smiths, or Levi's adoptive parents. It was a cute picture of them on the couch in the living room with their cat, with Mr. Smith in a Santa hat that looked rather well-worn. Both of them were wearing ugly sweaters, new for the season if they abided by their usual pattern.

There was a card from my parents, rather par for the course. It was a cute picture, with a cute caption in stylized font on the top. There were others from our friends, some of my aunts and uncles and cousins, and I'm sure there were only more to come.

We'd only gotten our cards out a few days ago, all because Levi vehemently refused to let me take a picture of us together for it. It was only after I threatened to use an embarrassing photo that I'd already had of him that he begrudgingly let me throw an ugly sweater on him, plant him in front of the mantle, and set the camera up to get a cute photo of us.

The last Christmas card to be put on the mantle here was from the Amaya and Mason, actually. They'd taken their picture in their own living room on the rug before a roaring fire in their fireplace. And in Amaya's arms... was a tiny bundle, a baby swaddled.

To the Ackerman Family, it read, Lots of love to you this holiday season from the Reynans! Love, Mason, Amaya, and Baby Emiko!

"How cute," I cooed.

"What's cute?" Levi asked from his spot on the couch, still untangling the tinsel.

"You," I said without missing a beat. "I think we make a really cute couple, too."

"Do you?"

"Of course," I said, as a matter-of-factly. "Have you seen us together?"

"Unfortunately."

"Oh, hush," I said, looking over my shoulder at him. "One day you'll get over this whole aloof nonsense and learn to agree with me."

"You don't think anyone's told me about happy wife, happy life?"

"Maybe not," I said, crossing the space to sit on the couch next to him, "considering how much grief you give me." His hands stilled in the tinsel, and it was clear he was giving himself a break while I was close by. I took a pointed look to the tinsel he'd already done, which was a lot, and then saw all that he had left to do. Ignoring that pile, I leaned in and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "You're doing great work, my love!"

"This year," he said, "you're not tossing this shit in like this again." He leaned back against the couch, letting the tinsel covering his lap and the arm of the couch go slack around him. I laughed a little at the sight, then leaned back with him, tugging his arm to loop around my shoulders. He grunted a little in response, adjusting so that he was comfortable like that as I cozied up against him.

"How about I go make us some hot cocoa," I offered, "and then we watch old movies and make fun of them?"

"I'll do anything if it gets me out of doing this," he muttered.

"It certainly sounds like you just enjoy spending quality time with your wife," I said with a dramatic sigh.

"Oh, hush," he said, echoing my words from earlier. "Go on, make some cocoa. I'll find us a movie."

I stuck my tongue out at him before getting up to do just that. And a few short minutes later I returned to his side with two mugs filled with the wintery beverage, his plain but mine how I liked it. I peered at his dubiously as he took a short sip. How he drinks that with no marshmallows or even a peppermint stick was beyond me.

But I digress, because he found one of the classic movies and finding that I wanted to annoy him by singing all the songs, I eagerly nestled up against his side once more. He set a blanket over our laps and let me lean against him and finally, we were doing probably what I liked most during the cold winter months: cuddling and keeping warm despite the snowstorm raging just outside.

---

It surprised me, really, how many times I had returned to this orphanage since being adopted.

When I was young, very young, I swore to myself that once I got adopted... if I got adopted, that I would never come back. But I had. Many times. I was just so scared that I wouldn't get adopted that the orphanage felt more like a prison than it did a home, despite how warm and homey Ms. Fields ensured that it was.

Hindsight was 20/20, and hindsight definitely made me see the error of my thinking. She did everything she needed to do for us and more, far more, and she was so damn loving that I couldn't imagine a better woman to care for us all. Oh, and especially since I had seen Annie. Goodness, was I glad I didn't get brought to an orphanage like that.

Anyway.

I volunteered here all the time, and with the ever-constant stream of kids coming and going from the home, there was always someone new to meet, and there was always something to do, something to help with, something they needed.

And I was more than happy to help them. A few years ago, before we'd gotten engaged, Levi and I had come to repair the railing leading upstairs. A few too many of the planks had been broken, and so we came by to do it for free, so she didn't have to spend more money than necessary. The railing we installed was strong and sturdy, and the money saved for that little repair job went towards ensuring the kids got new workbooks for their schoolwork, which made me feel so incredibly good.

We did what we could for Ms. Fields and all the kids, because we owed so much to her. From our wedding, for example, the registry for gifts had gotten messed up so we accidentally got quite a few duplicate items. Those went right to the orphanage, because having say, an extra toaster might make the morning routine go by a little easier when all the kids demanded pop-tarts.

Today, we came bearing gifts, and we planned on taking two little ones home. We'd gathered up some old books and things to donate, and I insisted that we buy a few toys and things for the kids because it was the holiday season and the kids deserved new toys at the happiest time of the year.

Over the past few days we'd talked quite a bit, and we decided that we wanted to adopt two kids. Life would be more fun with two, for one thing, and for another, I couldn't imagine breaking up a duo. I'd seen it happen so many times during my time in the orphanage: best friends being separated, I mean. Oh, and I'd experienced it as well.

Some duos were lucky like Levi and me, and reunited later in life, like what happened with Mikasa, Eren, and Armin. Some pairs weren't so lucky. If I could keep a pair together, then I would, because I knew firsthand how sad it was to be suddenly left without your dearest friend and I could only imagine how scary it was to be the one adopted, heading into unventured waters on your own.

Specifically, we figured we would adopt the cute little duo we met when visiting before, should they still be there: Gabi and Falco. Gabi was incredibly spunky and fiery and absolutely adorable, and Falco was just the cutest, shyest little thing I had ever seen and all I wanted to do was hug him and tell him that everything would be ok.

When finally we were let into the home, with me holding three trays of cookies and brownies and other fun treats, including a bag of carrots to leave out for the reindeer, and Levi holding the bag of goodies like an incredibly disgruntled mall Santa, we were greeted first by a group of young children all beaming happily at us, reaching for the baked goods.

"Excuse us," I said through my laughter, "excuse us! Let us get through please, and then we can share the treats!"

A few of the kids listened but not many, and it took quite a bit of work to get the both of us inside and through the wall of children and into the living room. As soon as we managed to break through the crowd, only for it to reform around us immediately, Ms. Fields came into the living room from the kitchen and the delighted laugh that escaped her made me grin widely.

"Back away from them," Ms. Fields told the kids, and finally they obeyed with little to no resistance.

Ms. Fields rushed up to me to pull me into a hug, giving me no time to set the trays down to return her affections. "You're going to have to tell me how to get them to listen that quickly," I said only once she drew away and pressed a kiss to my cheek.

"Hm? Why?" But then she caught herself, and she pulled me right back into a much tighter hug. "Is today the day?!"

"Yes," I said, confused now. "We did call the other day. Andrew said that he'd let you know."

"Oh," she said with a flippant wave of her hand, "he didn't. You know him."

"Not really," I admitted. "Your new assistant, right?"

"My nephew," she replied. "He's going to take over this place in a few years. I'm getting too old to do this on my own."

Something about that was so terribly sad to me, but I knew that she would teach Andrew to do it the right way. And besides, just as I now said to her, "We'll still be around. If either of you need any help, don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you, my dear," she said. "Now, Levi, you aren't getting out of a hug!"

"Yes, I am."

"No, you're not," she pressed, going to him. "Come here!"

With the swarm of kids and the bag of toys he was trying to keep their grubby little hands of, he didn't have very many options to escape, and so he was yanked into her hug and was forced to deal with it. "Hi," he said grumpily. "We brought stuff."

"Oh," she chimed, pulling away. I gaped at him, wondering how he knew that distracting her with that would work. The responding look on his face when he glanced at me told me that he didn't know it would work. It was a gamble, and it had worked.

Lucky bastard.

As Ms. Fields brought Levi to find a spot for the presents where the kids wouldn't get them until Christmas, I looked around the living room at all the kids that hadn't followed Ms. Fields and Levi, whining that they wanted the presents now. I smiled at each child who met my eyes, but I was in search of two in particular: Gabi and Falco. Were they still here?

I couldn't see Gabi, but she could've just been elsewhere in the house. The entire place was abuzz with excitement; I couldn't rule out that there were children tucked away into each room of the house, talking about the upcoming holidays.

I soon caught sight not of Falco, but who I remembered to be his older brother. And immediately, my heart plummeted into my stomach. How could I have forgotten...? I couldn't possibly split brothers up. Their family was already fractured enough; what good would it do to adopt one but not the other?

Colt looked up from his cup of what was likely hot chocolate. His eyes of hazel met mine and the look in them... I knew that look well. When I was younger, I saw those eyes whenever I looked into the mirror. It was the look of a kid who was losing hope that he was going to get adopted. The look of a child who thought he wasn't worth the trouble. The look of a kid who thought he wasn't ever going to be part of a family.

Levi returned to the room then, Ms. Fields following and talking to a rather whiny child. "Levi," I called, and immediately he came to my side. He was pushing himself today, opting to leave the chair in the car for now. If all went well, this wasn't to be a terribly long trip anyway and his therapist had cleared him to at least walk a little at a time.

Did the doctor mean for him to carry heavy loads while doing walking? No, of course not. Not yet. But Levi was too headstrong to let me carry it in myself while he brought nothing in, and he'd already decided not to use the chair, and so I let him do it so long as he'd let me know if anything started to hurt.

When he was standing at my side, I took a hold of his arm and leaned close so I could whisper to him. "Him," I said, gesturing with the slightest movement of my head towards Colt. Levi discreetly glanced over in such a way to ensure Colt was none the wiser we were talking about him.

"What about him?"

"The little boy we wanted to adopt, Falco," I said. "That's his older brother, Colt. Remember?" Levi nodded. "We can't split brothers up. And look at him."

"He's a teenager."

"Yes," I said, "but if he's even a fraction of the sweetheart that Falco is, then he's sure to be an incredible kid."

"(Y/n)," Levi said, "what about what we talked about?"

"I was thinking about that, too," I murmured. "It's obvious that Falco was smitten with Gabi. What if they're like us? What if they're meant to be?"

"Don't say cheesy shit."

"Levi," I protested. "Come on. Think about it."

"I am."

"And?"

"Two boys will be trouble."

"So will a girl," I said. "I haven't even seen Gabi today. But I'd feel awful if we adopted one brother and not the other."

He seemed to be thinking it over. When at last he spoke, it was quiet. "So would I."

It was at that moment, when a silent understanding passed between us, that Ms. Fields finally managed to pry the child she'd been speaking to from her leg. She came to us then, smiling widely. "So. Are you two ready?"

"I think so," I said, glancing at Levi to ensure that he was actually on board with this. He nodded at me, and I smiled before looking back to Ms. Fields. "First off, is Gabi still here?"

"No, actually," Ms. Fields said. "A relative of hers found her, a cousin. He has custody of her now."

"Well," I said, "I understand if you can't, but do you suppose we could have his contact information?"

"Whatever for, dear?"

"We would love to adopt Colt and Falco," I said, my smile growing when she smiled so brilliantly at me that I thought she might burst with happiness.

"Oh, my stars," she gasped. "Really? Oh, oh my goodness, I... they're going to be so happy, they-"

"Calm down," I said with a laugh. "You're going to give yourself a heart attack.

"Don't worry about me," she continued to dither on. "Andrew? Andrew! Someone go find Andrew, would you please? No, not you Colt. No, you stay right there! Actually, go find your brother! We've got exciting news for you both!"

I shared a look with Levi, equal parts mischievous, exciting, and loving.

Only a few short minutes later... the size of our family doubled.

Only a few short minutes after that... Oh, we were stopped at the door.

"(Y/n)," Ms. Fields called, "could I speak with you before you all leave?"

"Of course," I said, unsure though I was. We'd already said our goodbyes, and she'd already started ushering us all out. But now... to call me back in was suspicious. It must have been important.

I stepped back inside, following her into the living room which was all but deserted by now. "Julie," Ms. Fields said, "could you read somewhere else for a moment, please?"

"Mm-hm!"

"Thank you, dear," she said. As soon as the little girl left the room, Ms. Fields let out a breath.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she assured me. "Just thought it was time to tell you something I should have told you a long, long time ago."

"I'm listening," I said gently.

"I know," she responded, the smallest of smiles gracing her face. "Do you remember the day you got adopted?"

"Yes," I said. "I remember it clearly. It was one of the weirdest days of my life, honestly, but one of the best."

"I'm glad," she said. "Do you happen to remember what we talked about?"

"Uh," I began, trailing off immediately as I started to think. "I think I remember you telling me that you had something to tell me, but I don't think..."

"I never told you," she said. "I was scared to tell you for weeks even before that. I had made the decision to adopt you for my own."

My heart seemed to stop, for a moment. "What?"

"I wanted to adopt you. I was going to tell you when the Williams came in and decided to adopt you with Eren."

I could think of no better way to react than just... hugging her. Tears brimmed in my eyes as I thought about this woman who had so kindly raised me and had wanted to make me part of her family. I considered her family, and so did she. But to be bound together by name, that was another matter entirely. To think she loved me so much...

Much to the chagrin of the boys, I held her for a while. But I made them wait. I had lots of things to say to her, and lots more hugs to share with her.

They could wait.

---

I glanced back into the rearview mirror for the third time in about fifteen seconds. I'm sure I looked like some kind of freak, but I just couldn't believe that my kids – my sons – were in the backseat of the car. "Focus on the road," Levi said, glancing sidelong at me.

"Sorry," I said sheepishly. We were at a red light; there was no harm done or anything! I was just excited! Falco was looking around the car happily, taking in the details of the interior. Colt, on the other hand, was looking out of the window. I couldn't tell what kind of expression was on his face, though.

I didn't have much time to decipher it, not with the way that the light turned green and I had to actually start driving again. I did what I could to focus on my driving as we went home. God, it still hadn't set in yet. I was bringing my boys home. Not just Levi. My three boys...

Holy shit.

A smile threatened to overtake my features, but I didn't fight it. I just let myself smile for the entire rest of the way home, or nearly. When nearing our exit, I hesitated.

"We're going to need new furniture," I said.

"We're borrowing the air mattresses for a few days from your parents," Levi reminded me. "They'll be fine on those for a few nights."

"No," I said immediately. "No, that's not right. What kind of welcome into our family is that? These are our sons now and I want them to sleep on their own beds."

"So what are you saying?"

"I'm saying..." I trailed off before clearing my throat and saying loudly enough for the boys to hear, "Family trip to IKEA!"

Levi pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. "Here we go."

"What's IKEA?" Falco asked.

"Just about the most fun store of all time," I explained. In the rearview, I could see his eyes light up and a smile break out on his face. "We'll pick out some furniture for your rooms, and we'll all help dad set them up, right?"

"Right!"

"Sure."

"Fuck."

"Levi!"