Page 64 of Prize for the Alien Grumpus

"Come on, you big blue idiot. Where are you?"

The silence mocks me. He should have been back by now. The knot in my stomach grows heavier.

What if he didn't make it out? What if he's buried under all that rubble?

My fingers hover over the phone, wanting to call someone, anyone. But who would believe me?

The morning sun streams through the windows, casting long shadows across the floor. Everything looks so normal, so ordinary. Like last night never happened.

But the ache in my chest tells me something different. He has to be okay. He has to come back.

Doesn't he?

The front door creaks open. My heart stops.

There he stands, silhouetted against the morning light. His blue fur matted with debris, but otherwise unharmed.

"You..." The word catches in my throat.

I launch myself across the room, nearly tripping over my own feet. His arms wrap around me, solid and real and alive. My fingers dig into his fur as I pull his face down to mine.

His lips meet mine with desperate intensity. He tastes like smoke and something alien and uniquely him. Tears stream down my face, but I don't care.

"Mommy? Krampus!" Sam's sleepy voice calls from the hallway.

The patter of small feet races toward us. Sam crashes into our legs, arms stretching wide to hug us both.

Krampus lifts us both off the ground in one smooth motion, holding us close against his chest. His heartbeat thunders beneath my ear - strong, steady, alive.

"Don't you ever leave us again." My voice breaks on the words.

"Never." His deep rumble vibrates through me. "You are my family now. Where you go, I go. Always."

Sam giggles as his fur tickles her face. "Promise?"

"I swear it on all the stars in the galaxy, little one."

The scent of maple syrup and sizzling sausage pulls me from sleep. My eyes snap open to find the couch empty beside me. Clattering sounds echo from the kitchen.

"No, the spatula goes under like this." Sam's voice drifts out. "See?"

"Ah, now I understand. Human cooking implements are so primitive."

I peek around the corner. Krampus towers over my stove, wearing my 'Kiss the Cook' apron that barely covers his chest. Sam perches on the counter, supervising his pancake-flipping technique.

Mom and Dad shuffle in, drawn by the breakfast smells. Their eyes widened at Krampus' human disguise.

"Good morning," Krampus booms. "I hope everyone likes their eggs over easy."

"That smells amazing." Mom accepts a heaping plate.

Sam bounces in her chair. "Can we open presents now?"

"Breakfast first, sweetie." I dig into perfectly fluffy pancakes.

The new kitten - Sam named her Starlight - weaves between our feet, begging for scraps. Dad sneaks her a piece of sausage when he thinks I'm not looking.

Wrapping paper flies as Sam tears into her gifts. Starlight pounces on every ribbon, tangling herself in a sparkly mess. Sam's delighted giggles fill the room.

---