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It was days before Christmas, and Jada and the twins were in the kitchen, putting the finishing decorations on some of the cookies that they were practicing how to make for Santa. The actual cookies wouldn't be until Christmas Eve, when Michael, Lucas, and Zora were around to help prepare them. Only the twins still believed in Santa, but a tradition was a tradition; even the sadness Michael had never been able to break when he looked at the twins, even though he had raised them for some time, was not enough to break it. The lights were hung, the tree was lit in the back window, most of the presents wrapped and stuffed under the tree. They even had gifts for the pets, and things to deliver and donate to the pound. The twins were, for five, apparently growing very socially aware in their new classes- or from watching too many Sarah McLachlan sad dog commercials. Either was both quite likely, and quite unexpected.

Giulia was kneeling on the counter, and Aidan was sitting on Jada's knee, and the two of them were dotting little eyes onto the snowman faces, the Santa faces, and the little seal cookies the twins had insisted on in lieu of reindeer heads. They were, it seemed, quite fond of their suspicious intermittent visitor. In fact, they had elected that Santa's sleigh was pulled by seals this year. Not what Santa was expecting, and it could make flying difficult, but they remained quite certain it was fact. One of the two yelled her name, and Jada leaned in to carefully sprinkle the colored sugar where they indicated, watching their blue eyes bright with interest. Blonde hair tied back, baby-fat hands with childish (clear) manicures waving and pointing, rosy, chubby cheeks.

They had just finished the sparkly hats and were preparing to pull out the things to begin with gingerbread houses, when Castor's hackles rose and he uttered a low hiss. Pausing, the three listened, and were surprised to hear the bark and ORK that spoke of the inspiration for the Christmas cookies. "The seal!" Giulia screamed, and took a flying leap off the counter. Aidan slipped from Jada's leg, and the two were flying out of the kitchen doors and across the marble floors, crashing into the doors and screaming loud, happy welcome to the little white battering ram orking its way across the snow. Jada followed at a more sedate pace, but was there in time to let the seal in without it having to pause.

Giulia chased it across the foyer as it slipped and it inside, and Jada closed the door, listening to the laughter and loud orking. Her lips curved in a wry smile, resigning herself to a not-so-silent night, and she chased the three 'kids' across the foyer, scooping up the seal and spinning. "Giulia, Aidan, why don't you go get the presents we had in case our seal came for Christmas?" she bent her head to give the wriggly little beast a kiss to the top of its head. She figured by now it would only give her those wet snuffles she was growing accustomed to, and was not disappointed.

“I know you're not a proper seal,” she told it, carrying it across the house and towards the family Christmas setup, “But whatever you are, the twins adore you. Ergo, as long as you continue not bringing us trouble, I'll let you keep your secrets.” she plopped on the couch, settling the creature across her thighs. “You're welcome to come back Christmas day and scandalize my other siblings.” She took note of the objects in the seal's mouth and smiled.

Twin forms ran into the room, and began tearing up the gifts they had gotten for the seal. “Hey now,” Jada protested, leaning to the side and swatting their hands, “Those are for the seal to open!”

“But he has no hands!”

“Mama!”

“Let him open his own gift!” Quiet sulking ensued, and the seal slipped off its spot on her lap, depositing its gifts carefully- before flailing into the gifts with a raucous ORK. It unraveled all kinds of fish-themed candies and treats- swedish fish, blue raspberry aquariums, gummy whales, packets of dried squid and waffley fish crackers, European candy, Asian candy, homemade candy, crackers... and actual salmon and squid, neatly packaged and frozen. “What do seals eat?” she asked the twins as the packages were laid out for the creature to see more clearly.

“Candy!” Giulia chirruped.

“Fish, you dummy.” Aidan's sigh was genuine pain.

“They eat the bones of their enemies.”

“That's a walrus, not a seal.”

“It could be both.”

Pouring herself exactly four ounces of red wine, and a few sips of the catnip-infused 'cat wine' for Castor, Jada recollected the frozen meats, the candy, and the seal. “I'm going to put everything up until our Christmas Seal is ready to leave again. How about you put Seal's gifts to us on the tree?” she put the items into a canvas bag, tightly knotted and looped and wrapped to a size that the unnaturally-intelligent pinniped would be able to carry or drag in its mouth. The twins hung the snowflakes at the very bottom of the tree 'so Mr. Seal could see.'

Settling the seal back across her lap, the three read stories to him, and to each other, until they fell asleep.

When she woke up, the twins were tucked in bed, there was a throw over her, and the fish and candy was gone.