Music and a Wayward Elf

Waking up on Christmas morning first, Caitlyn woke her perfect woman with a soft kiss on her cheek. Gia was not a morning person; it was one of her few imperfections that somehow made the woman something more than flawless. Those hazel eyes fluttered open.

"Hey babe, I'm gonna take Tank for a walk. I thought you might want a little time to wake up. Coffees in the kitchen."

"Wait for me, Kitty. It's our first anniversary." Gia was surprisingly spry getting out of bed.

"We started dating a year and two weeks ago." Caitlyn reached out and slapped her soulmate's bare bottom. She wasn't a nudist, but neither wore clothes to bed most nights.

"Okay, so it's our sex-iversary. That's another important date!" Gia spun around from the wardrobe that served as her closet space.

The home they were building next year was going to have to have a walk-in closet and a backyard for Tank. Their pup was half golden retriever and half something low to the ground, either a very big dachshund or a basset hound. At sixteen weeks old, he had the fluffy tail and head of a golden retriever. His legs just happened to be very short.

"Oh, I agree, and we'll do a lot of celebrating tonight, but we have to get to my folks soon. I need to show you off." Caitlyn arrested Gia's movement just enough to kiss the diamond ring on her hand.

Gia's mother knew the last night of Hannukah with Gia's family was a new tradition. The seventh night of the celebration was for Gia and Caitlyn to celebrate together. Even though they didn't do Hannukah presents, Gia didn't seem to mind her making an exception for the engagement ring.

Her favorite elf didn't need the extra paycheck this year but had agreed to help Holly twice a week. Of course, Gia had to be her best Elf. Cait smiled as she watched her woman get bundled up in her Christmas attire. Gia didn't need the money, but G wanted to be sure that she could still be independent without Cait. The woman didn't often display it, but she had wounds from her first marriage that rarely showed to anyone else. Those wounds were healing, but Cait couldn't fault her for being a touch cautious. They were good for each other.

Cait's professional life had been nearly as successful as her personal one. Her score was complete, and the early buzz for the animated series had some fantastic talk, but animation projects always needed so long to come out. She picked up an indie game for a couple of months that would be released in April of next year. Most of her time, though, was going to be working on completing a score for a AAA game that had its composer pass away from cancer before she could finish it. It was an honor to be asked to carry on the woman's legacy.

Come June, the game would be released a week before they would be wed in a small ceremony. Though that term was relative given that all Caitlyn's family would insist on being there and they were a small army on their own. Gia's mother and stepfather needed to be there as well. Cait was working on getting G's father to the celebration, but it was proving complicated.

Her soulmate never landed on a single musical type like Caitlyn liked to categorize people in her life. She was never one sound. Instead, she was more capable of perfectly harmonizing with Cait. It made Cat strive to do the same for her love. The sometimes classical and, more often, rock duet was a beautiful, slightly chaotic perfection.

"I like it when you show me off, babe. When we get home, we'll have a party of our own. I have some special bath bombs for the fun later."

"Have you been holding out on me?" Cait looked up as she tied on her runners. She was a little sad as Gia's breasts disappeared under her bra.

"I gotta keep things from getting stale." Gia winked.

"That's never a thing that I've ever gotten anxious about. That and you're my soulmate, Gia, and my heart."

"I love you too, babe." Gia had to wonder back for a kiss in the middle of dressing. "You sure we can't bring tank with us to your folks?"

"And add him to the chaos? Maybe next year when he calms down a little. Your mom can come and take him on a walk later, right?"

"She'll bring the twins along." Gia smiled. She liked having siblings, even if they were of the step variety.

"Good, gotta keep those two busy over break."

"What will it be like when fluffy butt comes home?" Gia feigned worry. Fluffy butt was the unofficial name of the tabby kitten that still needed a few weeks with her mother before she came to live at the loft. They would give her a real name when they brought her home.

"Barely controlled chaos. Would you have it any other way?"

"As long as it involves you? I'm up for anything." Gia came and grabbed a kiss before throwing on her jacket.

"That's supposed to be my line." Caitlyn held her close and got lost in those hazel eyes one more time.

Gia -- Three years from the magical holiday season.

"Come on, slowpoke." Caitlyn giggled. Her arms were filled with reusable shopping bags stuffed with carefully wrapped presents.

"You did this to me!" Gia smiled as she yelled out in mock outrage.

"I was definitely there, but I think the doctor had much more to do with your state than me." Caitlyn sat down several of the bags before she pushed a stray strand of hair over Gia's ear and then came in for a kiss.

"Then what was all the sex for?" Gia did her best job to look confused.

"Fun, lots and lots of fun. Biologically? Not making one of these." Cait patted Gia's belly lightly.

"It was pretty good, babe. But then again, what isn't when we're involved?" Gia giggled.

"Thank you, GG. Have I told you how much I love you recently?"

"Frequently, but don't stop." Gia collected another kiss. "Do you think you'll ever call me GQ instead of GG?" Quay had been her last name, too, for quite a while.

"Maybe when we're old women, and you're a grandma, just to keep the grandchildren on their toes." Cait giggled.

The baby, currently known as One-Nineteen as it was the first grandbaby for Gia's mom and the nineteenth for Caitlyn's parents, would be due to arrive in the late summer. Today was the first time they would inform Caitlyn's family of the great news. They had told Gia's mother on the final day of Hannukah a few days ago. Spending the last night with her mom and stepfather was a new tradition she had with her soulmate.

Caitlyn's anxiety still had its occasional issues, but the one thing she had never questioned since they got together was their relationship. Her wife loved her with all her heart. Panic attacks still reared up sporadically, but they had declined each year steadily they were together.

She slid a tray of Mexican wedding cookies into the backseat of her sedan. That cookie was not represented before she arrived at the family Christmases, but it was such a hit that they were assigned the same cookie every year. Strange how that's another year with those drawn from the hat.

Gia was driving today as it was warm, and her car was much better on gas. "You know One-Nineteen will be freakishly tall like the rest of your family." Their baby's nickname had a second meaning; that was the time of day when Caitlyn summoned up the courage to call Wayward Elves. She had to scroll back on the call log a long way to prove it, but it did make a beautiful addition to their story.

Cait disappeared back into the house for just a second to grab Tank. The nieces and nephews may have made them return home to get the goofy dog had they not brought him along. It took her a moment to fasten the squat retriever in the seat so he couldn't attempt to climb into the front of the cabin during the drive. The positioning also kept him from making a meal of cookies on the way. Fluffy butt, whose real name was Eloise, but that was hardly used, would enjoy being the queen of the castle for a little while. As standoffish as she seemed, the kitty liked to have Tank around most of the time.

"You're lucky you fell in love with the runt," Cait yelled while arranging the presents in the back when she added Tank's leash to the trunk.

"You're still half a foot taller than me!"

"Amanda is only two inches taller than you."

"Yeah, but it's a tall two inches," Gia argued. "Our kid will be taller than me at five years old."

"I keep telling you that's not how it works. You don't get to be blessed by my DNA."

"Again, then, what was all the sex for!" Gia loved playing dumb, playing on the joke until it got funny again.

"Because we love each other." Cait finally got in the car and leaned over the console for a kiss and a slight, welcome grope of her breast.

"That's a damn good reason." Gia smiled as she pulled slowly out of the garage. "You know twins run in the family." GG teased again.

"Those are your step-siblings; I don't think your mom married into different DNA for you, GG." Cait laughed and shook her head.

After Caitlyn's now breakout work on animation that started when they first got together, they moved out to the suburbs. Within fourteen months, they were living together in their new home. It would have been quicker, but they built the house to support a studio. Cait had gone from super busy to a more sedate schedule. She was now more selective about the jobs she took; next year, she had a feature film that had a reasonable probability of becoming a series and an indie game booked. She did at least one indie title a year, which was where her success originated.

Gia's beautiful wife had even gone to the Emmy Awards in person with Gia on her arm. Fortunately for her, no one paid the composer much mind when she walked the red carpet. That awards show appearance took a lot of preparation with her therapist to role-play what she would do. Cait even went to the stage to accept her trophy, hanging onto Gia's hand with every step, though she let the producer handle the speech.

The speech had highlighted Caitlyn's triumph over anxiety and had triggered a genuine, if brief, conversation about mental health in Hollywood. My wife is incredible. Cait said all her recent success was inspired by Gia. When she listened to the drafts of her music, Gia got out her tablet and drew what the music conveyed to her. It was an essential touchstone for Cat to know if she was on the right path. When a score was turned into an album for streaming or pressed into vinyl, Gia's drawing was used for the cover art.

"What will we do to escalate things for next year?" Gia mused as she turned onto the highway. Caitlyn's family was now only a half hour away in good weather. The house was also fifteen minutes from Gia's mother.

"I think last year was already the combo breaker." Cait waved away the concern.

"Nonsense, your award season win was a big deal." Gia appreciated that her wife was humble but needed to relish her achievements occasionally.

"Maybe, but it wasn't nearly as important as the years before. Don't get me wrong, I love my job, but you and One-Nineteen are infinitely more important than some awards." Cait put a hand atop Gia's.

On the first Christmas, they had let the family know, quietly, about their relationship. The following year Gia showed off her engagement ring. After that, it was time for Gia to boast about Cait's end-of-the-year wins and the simmering buzz for the upcoming awards season.

"I'm so happy that Holly pawned you off on me." Gia smiled.

"I keep telling you it was a Christmas Miracle." Caitlyn paused for a moment as a more extensive smile spread. "And a Hannukah Mitzvah. I can't wait to add another stanza to our incredible symphony."