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"I don't want to call FP dad," Polly muttered as she sat down beside Alice on the couch. Alice did her best not to sigh. The last thing that she wanted was for Polly to ruin Christmas because she had a fit over Betty's new title for their mutual stepfather. They had barely finished opening presents. "I don't care what Betty does, because she claims that she doesn't remember our dad, but I do."
Alice licked her lips. "Polly, all I want of you is for your to respect your stepfather," she assured her. "I don't care if you ever view him as your father." Alice had long since given up her hopes that they would be one cohesive family. Polly was just too stubborn, too resistant. She sighed. "FP is a good man, but, you're right. You remember your father." Or, at least, Polly remembered Hal as a four year old would. She'd been too young to understand that her mother's marriage had been filled with abuse.
"What, Mommy, do you think I hate him?" Polly asked, her eyes wide. Sometimes Alice forgot that she was only seven. Mainly because the attitude she often displayed reminded her of herself at seventeen. "I don't. I like him. He's nice to me, and I know that he loves me. it's just...that word."
"I know, and I'm sorry. It's just that Betty--"
"He is her dad. I know. I shouldn't have been making fun of her for wanting to call him that. I'm just sad that everyone else, even the baby, gets to have a dad that they'll actually know."
Alice wrapped her arms around her. "Polly, it's just a word, and you want to reserve it for Hal. That's your right. FP doesn't view you any differently than he does Jughead, or your sisters. I mean, right now he lets Jellybean get away with way more junk food than any of you," she teased. "But I think that's because he gets a kick out of spoiling me since I have his baby in my belly."
Polly giggled. "I know," she confirmed, shifting her position so she could whisper in her ear. "He told me that he went to the store during his shift and bought one of every kind of frosting they had after you called to tell him how much Jellybelly made you crave it." She patted her bump. "I know you were complaining cause she wanted store bought frosting and not home made, but I thought it was sweet."
"It's canned frosting." Alice pulled a face. "I don't think that it's asking too much for my unborn child to want the homemade frosting I slaved over." Her lips curved into a smile. "He really did that for me?"
"Uh huh, he showed me when he came home from work." She paused. "Mommy? Why didn't you let us come downstairs at four? Santa was here!"
"Four in the morning is much too early for Mommy to be awake," Alice informed her. "Especially since I am gestating an entire person inside of me. It's too early for you to be awake, even, FP told me that you had fallen back to sleep."
"He brought me back to my bed. I fell asleep on the hallway floor."
"Yes, well, I'm not sure you would have appreciated being woken up by someone trodding on you in the middle of the night, would you? That would have put a damper on Christmas." Alice kissed her cheek. "I love you, Polly, so much. I know that you miss your father. I wish that I could make that better for you."
"It's okay, Mommy. It's not your fault."
"I know. I just feel sad sometimes about it."
"Why? It's Christmas. Santa brought you so many nice things!"
"He did, didn't he?" Alice mused. She met her husband's gaze over Polly's shoulder and mouthed a 'thank you'. There was no need to ruin their children's belief in Santa just then. "I must not have been on the naughty list."
FP waggled his brows. "You? Never. Not my Alice." He smirked. "Santa knows what a good girl you've been."