Ellie had barely slept a wink, far too excited about the day ahead. It was Christmas, the first one she'd ever been able to celebrate, and the first time she'd actually had a family to do so with. The year had been huge for all of them, the fallout from some events still lingering. But just for today, she wanted everybody to put everything else aside and enjoy themselves. Their guardians had agreed to let her and Sam camp out on the lounge room floor, and they'd stayed up far too late discussing presents, what food the town might serve at the feast, how best to wake the adults up the next morning, and if, in fact, ice-cream trucks really existed. Sam was insistent, drawing different types on a sketchpad, but Ellie wasn't so sure. She'd have to check with Joel.
Finally, the sun started to rise, Ellie admiring the colour of the sky outside Tommy and Poe's front window. She decided she'd love to draw the dawn one day. Maybe she could do an outline and Sam could add the colour. Believing she'd been patient enough, she moved to shake an exhausted Sam awake, signing that it was time. He seemed dazed, but excitement soon followed, and the two kids quickly skipped upstairs, Sam with a pot and wooden spoon in hand. Barging into Joel and Tess' room, Ellie proceeded to dive onto their bed, Sam taking it as his cue to start banging. "Wake up, let's go! It's Christmas!" She made sure to keep bouncing with her knees, poking Joel a few times in the shoulder. "C'mon, you lazy asses, get uuuup!"
