Oh বড়দিন Tree

December 2022,
    
“Mom…” Abby groaned her face flustered as she fumbled through the boxes of ornaments.
“What?” Lisa asked as she placed a red glass bobble atop a branch of their Frasier পশম বড়দিন tree.
“Where’s the অ্যাঞ্জেল for the শীর্ষ of the বৃক্ষ I last year? It’s not in any of the boxes” Lisa thought for a moment.
“I think it’s in on one of the shelves downstairs.” She said, fixing a nutcracker ornament onto the tree. Abby sighed and marched her way down to the basement, her blond hair whipping along behind her. Suddenly, the front door opened to reveal a skinny brown haired, twelve অথবা so বছর old boy walking in carrying a bundle of বড়দিন and Hanukkah presents hidden in plastic and paper bags. The boy was followed দ্বারা his father who limped in and added another bag to the young boy’s armful.
“Take these into your room. We’ll মোড়ানো them at the very last মিনিট okay?” House whispered to his son who snickered and bounded up to his room, almost knocking over a menorah sitting on a small টেবিল along the way. House limped into the living room, carefully avoiding boxes as half melted snow dripped off of his sneakers and onto the carpet, and sat down on the পালঙ্ক to rest his bad leg after limping all over the mall all afternoon. Lisa, after finally placing the last little ornament on the tree, plopped down পরবর্তি to him.
“And to think that I am thoroughly atheist.” House ব্যক্ত with a sigh. Lisa smiled.
    “Oh please, I don’t know about Hanukkah, but বড়দিন barely registers as a religious holiday anymore, House.” Lisa ব্যক্ত smirking.
    “You’re Jewish!” He complains.
    “I’ve told আপনি Greg, only half. My dad was Christian.” She says triumphantly.
    “Whatever.” House says grumpily.
    “Besides, আপনি get presents.” Lisa says, getting up when Abby comes in holding the angel.
    “When’s the বছর we’re going to get that বড়দিন rock I’ve been talking about?” Abby glares daggers at him.
    “The বছর I সরানো out.” She says cruelly and starts to put the অ্যাঞ্জেল on the tree. House scoffs at her as though she just shot a puppy.
    “You know why they put an অ্যাঞ্জেল on শীর্ষ of the বড়দিন tree?” Greg says, eager to bother his wife and daughter.
    “Don’t আপনি dare tell that story Greg, I don’t need আপনি corrupting our children any more.” At that very moment, Ben, House and Lisa’s twelve বছর old son bolted downstairs.
    “What story?” He says curiously. Lisa rolls her eyes, realizing that there was no use resisting. House smiles.
    “Da-aaaad!” Ben whines. “Tell me! Tell me!” He demands eagerly, and sits down on the couch. Grinning evilly at Abby and Lisa, House begins his lovely tale.
“One দিন on বড়দিন Eve, Santa's workshop was absolutely chaotic. The elves couldn't make toys because they were all drunk and the reindeer were all nursing a hangover and couldn't power the sleigh. Now Santa was rather exasperated at all this and he goes into his wine closet to take a drink to cool his nerves, but alas the elves and the reindeer already drank it all. Now this got Santa really pissed and to শীর্ষ it all off his doorbell rang and an adorable little অ্যাঞ্জেল stood at his stoop holding a বড়দিন tree. Santa in a particularly grouchy mood said,
‘What?’ ready to slam the door on the little angel's face. Now the অ্যাঞ্জেল didn't
seem bothered and motioning the tree, so sweetly asked,
‘Where would আপনি like me to put this Santa?’” Ben suddenly burst out laughing, and Abby couldn’t help but যোগদান in. Lisa smirked, despite not wanting to প্রদর্শনী House that she approved of sharing this joke with Ben.
                * * *
As a kid, House never really enjoyed Christmas. It was always a fairly hostile time. His dad always demanded him to help his mother clean around the house, and to write sincere thank আপনি notes to all of his বন্ধু and relatives. Every gift his father got him was some kind of weapon fake অথবা real, camouflage shirts and pants, and boring military themed toys that House certainly had no interest in. His father clearly was determined to get him into the military, much to Greg’s irritation. However, now with Cuddy, he got to know what the holidays were like with a somewhat normal family. And he even got to celebrate Hanukkah too.
Cracking Abby’s door open a tiny bit, House looks at his daughter sleeping soundly in her bed. Now almost fourteen years from the বড়দিন when Lisa accepted her as a foster daughter, only to later be adopted দ্বারা her, House couldn’t help but remember how happy Lisa was. House remembered that he was worried that Lisa would just ignore him so she could take care of Abby. But somehow, things worked out. Don’t ask him how, they just did. And before he knew it they had Ben, and they became a family. And because of this, House was for once in his life…

…happy.


Author's Note: I forgot to mention this on the other spots but I have to give credit to my dad for some of the jokes House ব্যক্ত in the story. He told me the story of the অ্যাঞ্জেল on the tree, and he's the one who wants a বড়দিন rock