Charlie's First Birthday

[Sanctuari Ellison]

When Sanctuari first mvoed away from Honduras to New Zealand she had never expect that her life would change so dramatically. It all started with one package. Misdelivered because of her mother's sloppy handwriting. The first day they'd met the atmosphere had been so tense, Sanctuari ever the friendly person hadn't noticed it. She was lucky that a rock came through her window not that much longer. Otherwise they may have never had pleasant conversation again. Then his daughter. Abby... The brunette felt a pang in her heart thinking about such, but she wasn't going to let that show. No, everything, every moment, led up to the cake that Ri was bringing out at the intimate get together. Her mother and father were out in the kitchen area, Charlie in a high chair screeching and giggling like babies do. The brunette had a minute more to wait for the cake to cool so she could frost it. It was more for her family, but it would be amazing to watch little Charlie dig into their first cake, and spray frosting everywhere.

Sanctuari smiled at the thought, and soon was frosting the cake, getting it just right before frosting the smaller cake, made for Charlie to smash and play with - as most likely that's what the child would do. "Zander! Can you help me with these?" She asked, when they were ready to be carried out to everyone so they could sing to her beautiful, bouncing, child. One year had passed so quickly.

 

[Zander Ellison]

Zander had to wonder where all the time had gone, he couldn't believe that little Charlie was already celebrating their first birthday. He had never thought that this would be the path his life took him on, when he could feel mostly at ease with all the death that had occurred in his family, all of the loss that he had suffered, this was where he now was, happy, with his emotions being dealt with, making the darker days far more manageable. He was just so happy. He had not felt this sort of happiness in years, and Sanctuari, a woman who'd been his neighbour had been his saving grace. She was amazing, and he hoped that their child took after her more than it would take after him. Zander liked spending time with her travelling with their baby, but it had been the right thing to do to visit family, and since he didn't have any left he was more than happy to spend the time with her family. It helped that they lived in a beautiful part of the world. A place he had come to quite adore over the last few days they'd spent there.

"Coming," Zander called back as he grabbed the magical camera to catch this moment forever. He loved their sweet little Charlie, more than anything in the world and he knew the mistakes he had made before. The sadiness which Abby had taken on in the years before her death. Zander walked into the room with the camera around his neck. The man smiled at his wife, "Do you want me to hold the cake while you sing?" he knew that he also had the camera, but he was a wizard he could multi-task this. He couldn't help but feel warmed by her, by her expression, just everything, "Charlie's going to demolish this cake," the man joked lightly think of Abby with her first cake, and his siblings with their's, but he knew Charlie would the same, the baby did have some Valentines traits after all. "You ready for this?"
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[Sanctuari Ellison]

Sanctuari looked at the man she'd fallen in love with, something she never thought would happen after Link had passed. Her previous lover was in her memory, however she lived for the present, for the moment she was in now. The brunette smiled as he entered and first, before answering to any of his comments or questions she wrapped herself around him and kissed him solidly on the lips, conveying the love she felt in her heart through the passion of a short kiss. "I love you." She said, almost seemingly out of the blue. however when he'd walked through that door with a camera around his neck, a new light in his eyes, she felt the need to tell him that this was the Zander she'd seen past his shell and fallen in love with.

"Hmm..." She smiled for a moment. "I can hold the bigger one for the adults, you can hold Charlie's? Once we get out there I want my dad to take the camera. I want you in these pictures." She remarked, leaving no room for argument. The Brunette grabbed hold of the bigger cake and left the kitchen, setting it down on the small end serving table before turning to face her father, and requesting in Spanish he take the camera from Zander as soon as possible, and thus began singing, hoping that Zander was going to follow her quickly and sing with them. No matter how off key.

 

[Zander Ellison]

It was easy to lean into the short kiss, and feel his heart grow with the words. She always knew what to say in moments like this, just a little reassurance of their love for each other. He had come to enjoy how often it was said, how often his love for her grew. How often it was the device he needed to help him out of bed in the morning, or how much her warmth and love, and the now additional love from their child help keep the bad days to a minimum. It had also allowed him to seek out professional help wherever they ended up, he had known he would need more than just her and their baby to keep the bad days at bay, and he wanted to be happy and warm with his baby, and that was the crucial step he had always missed. His worth was not just dependent on those around him and how much they needed him, no matter how often that was what he thought or how intrusive those thoughts could be. Achieving the balance was easier now, than it had ever been. he was more happy and comfortable now than he had ever been.

It was as if leaving behind his old name, had allowed him to move on, finally. "I love you too," he replied with ease, listening as she explained what she wanted to do, "The star of the show is little Charlie here," he replied looking loving at their child, kissing the baby's cheeks to illicit a laugh from them. Zander allowed Sanctuari's father to take the camera from around his neck before grabbing to small cake for Charlie. he sang along, slightly more in key than others, but just happily singing for their child who seemed both to understand that this day was all about them, but also just be happy for all the attention. He was hardly surprised when in placing the cake in front of their child, they immediately dug their hands in and began making a mess. "Charlie gets that from you," Zander teased lightly, but his face and expression were warm. How perfect this all was.
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[Sanctuari Ellison]

Over the years that Sanctuari had spent with Zander she had learned so much more about compassion and understanding than she thought she was capable of learning. After losing her first husband and her sister and her falling out after years of being so close she never thought she would find another person that completed her the way that Zander did. Even on his darkest days, when he struggled to move from the unlit bedroom, when he struggled to eat regularly - he was the light of Sanctuari's life. Sanctuari didn't mind singing happy birthday out of key, she didn't mind that the baby didn't quite know what was going on, only that it was time to smile and giggle, and clap hands together in joy. The brunette woman looked to Zander, smiling the way he did, it warmed her heart and she felt the ever familiar flutter of butterflies. She'd never lose those butterflies.

When Charlie dug fingers into the cake Sanctuari laughed. Her father snapped photograph after photograph of it, and she couldn't help but give a playful tap onto Zander's arm. "What is that supposed to mean, Mr. Ellison?" she asked, chuckling. Wrapping her arm around his waist she pulled him close to her side as grandma and grandpa cooed over the beautiful child the two had managed to produce. "You know my parents love Charlie." She whispered to him. "And they're pretty okay with you as well." She said with a teasing tone. "I'm sure they would watch the little devil for the night..." She spoke quietly, Zander and Sanctuari hadn't had a night alone since the birth of their child, it would be nice to remember each other, eat junk food, and maybe watch a movie uninterrupted.

 

[Zander Ellison]

In all of time he'd spent looking after his siblings, the biggest problem had been that Zander had never taken any time for himself, to do things independent of them that wasn't work. The man knew that leaving their child on their first birthday to have a night alone wouldn't be too bad. it wasn't often with their situation that they could get any time alone. They were always with Charlie, and while he loved Charlie and loved spending all the time that he had with the baby, but it would be nice to get a little time just the two of them. Remember themselves and each other alone, and keep themselves going. It wasn't a bad thing. He looked at Sanctuari, "They do love Charlie, and they don't see each other often," He agreed with a small smile. It was true too, at the very least they could both take advantage of the situation. Allow Sanctuari's parents some time with Charlie and them without. "If they're willing, I'm happy to," Zander agreed, "We won't be too far if Charlie needs us too," the man added the justification, but he was sold on the idea, and was sure that Sanctuari's parents would be more than capable of taking care of little Charlie for a night.
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