Regan looked at her baby girl, who’s skin was the perfect match of her dark skin and her husband’s milky white complexion. Other than that it was difficult to say how the baby would look in the future. Sticking to the winter and holiday theme Jack and Agnes had started, Regan and Claus agreed to call their daughter Mistletoe, after the flowers that brought so much romance around the holidays.

With nothing to do while her husband was out and her daughter was sleeping, Regan would exercise in front of the TV, even though her body immediately bounced back after having Mistletoe, Regan had to keep in shape for her job.

Claus was at work even when he was home, he always had reports to write up, especially since he was doing an extra investigation on a closed case. Every minute he would look up from the computer screen and stare at the baby. She had been home a week but he still couldn’t believe that she was here and she was his. Claus thought that Mistletoe was the most beautiful thing in the world.

He was completely entranced by the little person. He grinned at how big the huge bottle seemed when placed beside his tiny daughter and he turned to mush when she grabbed the bottle with one hand and his thumb with the other.

Claus finally caught up with Kate Winter, his father’s ex-wife who left suddenly. He stood on the woman’s porch, trembling with anticipation. However, his sister’s words about understanding a father’s love for his child came back. What if Kate had found out something that could put Jack behind bars? Would Claus really be able to out the man who had raised him? If his father felt for him what he felt for his own daughter, then that was some strong, nearly suffocating feeling.

“Hello Claus. My you look like your father, even moreso now than at your party. I heard you’re now a father yourself?”“Yes I am. It’s good to see you Kate.”“You said you needed to ask me something. Is everything okay?”“I guess so. I just wanted to know why you left Daddy so suddenly.”Kate blinked. “Strange things happened in that house Claus, I don’t think your mother liked having me there.”“But there was something else, wasn’t there?”

Kate stared at Claus. “I don’t want to sound like a freak, kids already think I’m a witch. Your mother’s ghost, she was restless. I saw Agnes in my dreams, she kept telling me to get away from her kids. But she also told me to get away from Jack before it was too late. Later I came to find that he only married me so I could babysit you and your sister. But I didn’t like you much, and Agnes seemed to know it.”

“You were our house keeper while my Mom was alive. Were you there the morning my mother died?” Kate sighed. “Please Kate, you have to tell me.”“I was cleaning the kitchen, they were arguing again. There was a thump and Jack’s voice for a while, and then there was nothing. I continued cleaning, it wasn’t my business. I didn’t know until the next day that Agnes was dead.”

“What do you think happened Kate?”“He said she slipped and hit her head, perhaps she did.” Kate bit her nail “I’m uncomfortable with this Claus. Perhaps you should go.”Claus stared at Kate for a while, he was too close. “What was on the computer Kate?”“Clause, leave.” The woman pushed him toward the door, Claus frowned as the door was shut in his face.

Claus went home and picked up his daughter, holding her small, warm body was comforting. “Mistletoe, Daddy is obsessing.” He told her finally coming to grips with this whole situation. He was suddenly obsessing over his mother’s death, obsessing over his trust and mistrust of his father, obsessing, obsessing, obsessing.

Claus climbed into bed beside his wife without even changing his clothes, after he put Mistletoe to bed he was suddenly exhausted.

After her exercise the next morning Regan bounded into the bedroom. She mused at how Claus had wallowed from his side of the bed to hers, it didn’t matter, in a minute they would be all over the bed anyway. Regan pranced onto the bed, jumping up and down until she woke her husband. She wanted attention and she wanted it now.

That evening Jack came over to see how his new grandchild was living. He frowned at the shack Claus had chosen to move his young family into. Jack rung the doorbell not happy at all with his son’s living arrangements. He was caught off guard when Regan bounded out the door and greeted him, he figured he would never get used to his daughter-in-law’s childish antics.

“What do you want?” Claus demanded coming outside behind his wife.Jack gave his son a bored look, “I want to see my granddaughter.”Regan grabbed Jack’s arm, “We just put her to bed but I don’t know if she’s sleeping yet. Come on.”

When Regan picked the baby up she gurgled her displeasure. Regan tilted Mistletoe up so that Claus could see her, he grunted his approval and waved goodbye. “Wait, you’re not staying?”“Nope, I have my own family to get home to.”

In a few weeks, Regan’s fun with her husband had caught up with her. She found herself with her head in the toilet spewing partially digested food and bile. She never had sickness with Mistletoe, and hoped that this pregnancy wouldn’t be rough.

In a few months, it was time for Mistletoe’s birthday, Claus was so excited he didn’t even waste time bathing and changing out of his sweaty uniform. He picked up his daughter and took her to the cake he’d bought for her. Regan stood in the background with a party horn while Claus sang happy birthday.

Agnes’ genes presented themselves in her first grandchild, the girl had Agnes’ blond hair and Claus’ blue eyes which he inherited from Jack.

Jack came over after the party, he was taken aback by his granddaughter’s blond hair and couldn’t help but grin when he saw the blue eyes blazing out of Mistletoe’s head. “Claus!” He shouted, his son groaned which amused Jack. “How close are you to solving our family mystery?”

“Maybe you should just tell me what happened, and we can get this over and done with.” Jack smirked. “Why don’t you just drop it? I’ve raised you, we had a happy life and look at the man you turned out to be. Why should it matter what happened to a woman you don’t even remember?”

“Because she was my mother.”“And I’m your father, you’re my son and I love you.”“She loved me too and she was senselessly murdered.”“Murdered? I would never have murdered Agnes. I played a role in her death but I didn’t murder her.”

“Manslaughter then?” Claus questioned.“Yes.” Jack smiled. “But you’ll never prove it.”“Are you going to tell me what happened?”“One day, but not tonight.”“So you came over here to taunt me?”“But of course, you’re amusing.” Jack twinkled his fingers at his son and left.

Regan invited her friend Melissa over the next day. The two were reconnecting and Melissa marveled over her friend’s round stomach, unable to believe that Regan had found a man who was willing to give her the five children she wanted. Melissa lived in a house with four other adults, she couldn’t even fathom a house with five screaming kids and two adults.

Claus sat at the computer listening to the women chatter on and on about children and families. It amused him, especially when Melissa voiced her inability to grasp a house filled with kids. In truth Claus couldn’t either, but he knew he loved his daughter and already loved his unborn child.

Later Mistletoe demanded her father’s attention by screaming loudly from her crib. Claus picked her up and set her on the floor. “This won’t do, we’ll have to teach you some words won’t we?” He smiled at his daughter and got to work teaching her different words, Mistletoe was amused by her father’s actions when she said a word right. Especially ‘Dada’, she understood that this was how she was supposed to refer to the man who played with her all the time.

From the one who she called ‘Mama’ she learnt a new way to move around, this way she enjoyed because it stopped her from getting rug burns on her knees and she got a better view of her surroundings.

One day Mistletoe’s Mama started screaming, and her friend came and took her away. This would be the day Mistletoe met the new baby, Mistletoe won’t remember this particuler day but there will be many others like it.

Mama brought home a little person who looked just like her and Mistletoe learnt that his name was Ice. He was a boy like Daddy and he was her new little brother. Her parents told her that she was now a big sister and would have a lot of responsibility, one of which would be looking out for her new brother but Mistletoe was more interested in her xylophone toy than the small person who cried all the time.

Mistletoe got a new room, one she shared with her brother. She hated being locked in a room with the screaming baby.

Mistletoe was just happy that her parents didn’t forget about her now that they had a new baby.

Even with two young children, Regan still jumped her husband whenever she could, not that Claus was complaining.