December 25th, 1887, Calendar Home

December always seemed like the busiest time of year. At work, with family, it seemed to speed by and then next thing she knew it was Christmas! She'd been working over time at the shop, helping to finish off all of the gowns for the holidays that the Lyttons had designed. She felt terrible, missing out on being home, but the deadlines were extremely chaotic. Rather fortunately, since everyone wanted their gowns for Christmas and New Years, once they were all out, a few days before Christmas itself, she'd been able to relax a little and be home on time and more often.

Christmas even had been spent with family of course, celebrating and exchanging presents, but honestly since her marriage, Adella much preferred to spend Christmas morning home with her husband, just the two of them. When they had children, she would insist they continue the tradition. Later in the day they would go see more family, but the morning was just for them.

She woke in bed alone and she realized it was later than she intended, she hoped Philip hadn't been waiting long! She hurried to find her dressing gown and slippers and quickly tamed her blonde mess of hair into a braid before making her way downstairs. "Philip?" She called cautiously once she reached their living room where the tree was stationed. Her presents for him sat untouched beneath it, but her husband was nowhere to be seen!

---

Philip Calendar

  

---

“I can't get enough of
this every day love.”

deep quote code by Soph ♥

One would have thought that a man in his position, and with his resources, would not have quite so much difficulty finding a new familiar for his spouse but the abundance, of which he was only too aware, had stumped him. First he had thought about owls, but they were a little too stately for his liking and he had never enjoyed the way their sharp, clever eyes sometimes watched him, as though they knew he could be food for them with only a single transformation. So that put the kibosh on all avian possibilities.

He had also decided against anything with a cottontail and long ears – frankly he didn’t care for the competition. And then there were the magical beasts at his disposal. Amelia had tried to talk him into a Pygmy Puff but he knew she was only joking, or at least he dearly hoped she was, and the fashionable thing this year seemed to owning a fwooper: which was curious as to Philip’s mind it would be liking owning a silent and especially grumpy parrot.

Eventually his eyes had been drawn to something much more lovable. Something much more fitting. Unfortunately he was currently having the very real problem that it did not, in fact, fit into anything. So far he had attempted to put the little kitten into a basket - it had escaped - then transfigured it into a cat bed wrapped in a ribbon - which it had promptly torn off before escaping - and finally an actual cage - which had caused such loud protests that he had worried Della would wake before he was ready. After letting the kitten free again it had, inevitably, run away again, leading him into the kitchen and unable to reach the ridiculous thing to lure it out.

With a sigh he had transformed and shuffled under the kitchen sink too, nudging the belligerent kitten in vain hope until his ministrations proved a little too effective and the kitten turned towards him, swiping out with mostly useless claws. Leaning forward for one last nudge he set the kitten off in a run, chasing after it and trying, luckily with success, to direct the kitten into the living room where they both barreled promptly into his wife's feet.

  

---

never ever changing this Soph set <3

Perplexed, but mostly amused, Adella started to wander toward the kitchen when she heard the sound of scurrying feet coming her way. Wait what? They had no critters and unless Philip was, for some unknown reason, hopping around as a hare this morning, she was now well and truly confused.

The next thing she knew though, two small furry bundles were running straight into her legs, a small kitten, an absolutely adorable fluffball of a ragdoll, followed immediately by the animagus form of her husband. Adella all but squealed in delight, sweeping down to scoop them both up gently into separate arms. There was something that came over a woman where small furry creatures were concerned and she all but snuggled them right up to her face and sighed.

Realizing this would make it particularly difficult for Philip to transform, she gave him a quick squeeze before setting him back down. She held the kitten tight to prevent it from escaping and waited to give her husband an actual hug.

---

  

---

“I can't get enough of
this every day love.”

deep quote code by Soph ♥

Being held against his wife was far from an unpleasant way to spend the morning but doing it in his transformed state felt like an utter waste and the moment his hind legs touched the ground he turned himself back, grinning from ear to ear. The kitten was still clutched in Della’s arms, quite content in ways it had never been when around him, and that was probably a good thing even if it did leave him imagining future conflict with the little menace.

“I hope you like her? She’s already proving herself a troublesome tyke,” he said ruefully, reaching up to smooth his hair back into place, having found himself becoming ruffled in the scuffle.

  

---

never ever changing this Soph set <3

It was such a little flurry of activity that Dell hardly knew where to focus! Though she didn't see it often, she was always completely flabbergasted by the animagus transformation; it was simply breathtaking and such a feat of skill. Needless to say she was impressed, as always. How fortunate she was to have such a talented husband!

Adella was positively beaming by the time Philip was himself again and the wee fluffball in her arms, was purring contentedly, even if it was glaring at her now-human husband. "She's beautiful! Are we watching her for the holiday?" Certainly she belonged to somebody! The little critter was absolutely adorable, with her big blue eyes and fluff! The thought that Philip would present her with a kitten as a gift simply did not cross her mind. Though she had taken care of Dora while Elsie was still in school (and frankly credited the pup for meeting Philip in the first place) she had never really had a pet of her own.

However Adella also knew that Philip spent his entire day around animals. Of course he liked them, otherwise he wouldn't own a pet store, but she imagined he probably didn't want to deal with furry little scamps at home either!

---

  

---

“I can't get enough of
this every day love.”

deep quote code by Soph ♥

The smile on his wife’s face was already well worth the effort he had put in picking out the kitten and the trouble it had given his this morning, although really it was a small price to pay when he would have happily done so much more. They were still in the first flush so nothing was too much; especially when they did not have another shared joy to see them through Christmas.

This would be enough. If it never happened it would be enough.

“We most certainly are not. I wouldn’t dare try to take her out of this house, so unless she destroys the entire sitting room I daresay we can keep her,” he grinned, reaching to scratch under the kitten’s chin and being soundly growled out. He withdrew his hand, sensing he was about to get swiped, but the creature purred for Adella and that was the main thing.

Still, it would be nice to have its affection given that he wrangled animals for a living! He would just have to be patient, but at the moment it was terrible difficult to stomach.

“Assuming you’d like to of course?”

  

---

never ever changing this Soph set <3

Adella was making faces and cooing at the kitten so intently that she almost missed what Philip said. When it dawned on her, she looked at him in awe. "Really? She's ours?" She all but chirped happily.

You wouldn't destroy the sitting room would you?" Such an adorable, innocent little creature certainly couldn't be capable of that level of chaos, could she? "Does she have a name?" Della turned wide blue eyes up at her husband, brain already thinking through possibilities. If she had a hard time naming the cat think of how hard it would be to name their children! The latter was still a sticking point that worried Adella to the point of nausea sometimes, but she was not about to let it ruin the moment right now. Someday they'd enjoy Christmas surrounded by babies, someday.

"Thank you Philip, I love her. This is the best Christmas present." Her smile was soft and sincere. Dell blinked back a few happy tears and leaned in to give her husband an affectionate kiss on the cheek.

---

  

---

“I can't get enough of
this every day love.”

deep quote code by Soph ♥

It seemed the kitten had done the trick but even seeing Della so happy could not entirely quell the reason for his present. By now he had expected they might have a child or two to celebrate Christmas morning with and, with each passing month, he began to wonder whether it would ever be a blessing they would receive. It was something he desperately wished to discuss with his wife and yet the one person he wanted to talk to most was the one it would upset the most: and he could not conceive of upsetting Della deliberately.

And yet, it played on his mind. He agonised over the question as he settled the books in the backroom of his thriving shop, when he woke next to his beautiful wife and whenever he saw some comfort in the eyes of a child who looked frightened to be away from home alone and he knew he had helped: if everything else in his life was so perfect, was it some sort of balance to deny them a child?

“Call her something Christmassy,” he suggested, returning the kiss to her cheek. “We should save our best names for now.”

  

---

never ever changing this Soph set <3

"Something Christmas-sy," Della agreed, her smile faltering every so briefly about saving their good names. The whole thing was starting to make her ill to think about. Nearly a year and a half after their marriage and still no children. Dell forced herself to try and stay outwardly positive about it, but statements like that always sent her into an inward downward spiral. She knew Philip didn't mean anything by it, of course he didn't. They both wanted children and it made sense that he would want to save their favorite names for their children, but the panic over the what ifs was starting to creep higher and higher.

Outwardly she kept herself together, accepting the kiss on the cheek eagerly, trying not to let it ruin her mood when she knew he hadn't said it to upset her (not that he ever did anything to upset her). And so Della mused through her options aloud, "Let's see, Holly? Joy? Noelle?" She liked Noelle the best, the kitten was rather fluffy and mostly white she had more options outside of that. "Winter? Snowflake? No you don't look like a Snowflake. What about Noelle, I think that's pretty." She cast a glance up at her husband with a warm smile.

---

The following 1 user Likes Adella Calendar's post:1 user Likes Adella Calendar's post
   Philip Calendar

---

“I can't get enough of
this every day love.”

deep quote code by Soph ♥

Noelle was most definitely not the sort of name he would ever think to name a child so Philip thought it a perfect fit for the cat. He might be getting ahead of himself but it seemed a shame not to think about it at all purely because it had not happened yet. It would, they had probably just been unlucky. He would never say it to Della, because Merlin it sounded crude even in his head, but he knew from a lifetime of working with animals that sometimes things just had to be in the right season to take seed!

“Perfect!” He leaned in for a kiss, taking his time despite the wriggling creature still held in his wife’s arms, savouring this and once again coming to the conclusion that if this was all the family he was supposed to have then it would be enough. Della was enough. How could he tell her though? There was no way to bring it up without risking upsetting her further.

“I’m told there is to be snow later,” he told her with a warm smile. “And a little bird told me they’re running carriage rides around the park this afternoon. What do you say? I know it’s not Irvingly but I think I fell in love with you on that carriage ride and I’d very much like to see if I can fall more on another.”

  

---

never ever changing this Soph set <3

Della's smile was slow, but sincere as she leaned toward him and into the kiss. The worry ebbed as always, though sat deep down waiting to rear its ugly head. It was easy to get lost in the moment though, with her present and him, it was everything she needed, for now.

She leaned back, just a little, lashes fluttering open slowly, her smile turned dreamy. On a sigh, she chuckled a little at how romantically cheesy he could be sometimes; she absolutely loved that about him. "I don't think I knew that." Della wasn't sure she'd ever heard him admit that was when he fell in love with her. She had been a little slower, but not far behind in all honesty. He always knew just what to say to make her feel better, even if he didn't know it. "That sounds positively lovely." She agreed as she leaned in for another kiss.

---

  

---

“I can't get enough of
this every day love.”

deep quote code by Soph ♥