If there was one thing the women in Kezia’s family did well, it was tradition—especially tradition around the holidays. Christmas in Kezia’s family, back when she was a little girl living in a seaside suburb in Wellington, was steeped in Italian tradition. At least, her mother’s version of Italian tradition since it was now blended with their Kiwi lifestyle.

Her parents, four older brothers, and Kezia all went to midnight mass on Christmas Eve. They had a Christmas tree decorated in the green/white/red of the Italian flag with precious spun-glass ornaments they’d brought with them from Italy. There was struffoli napoletani, good red wine in Mama’s good crystal glasses for Christmas Day, but also roast lamb and pavlova. Often they’d spend an afternoon at the beach under beach umbrellas while her brothers teamed up with other local kids to play soccer.

And the tradition she’d started with Zoe, as an impatient toddler who couldn’t understand waiting for Christmas morning to arrive, was to open a ‘family’ gift on Christmas Eve. Tonight Kezia was blessed to have two daughters and a loving husband to share this tradition with.

“Amore mio, go and bring the box in our closet out,” she asked Ben.

Ben dutifully fetched the large cardboard box wrapped in sparkly paper and set it on the coffee table before Zoe and Jade. Zoe bounced on the edge of the couch, immediately losing the affected poise of a tween and returning to a younger age when she’d anticipated the magic of Santa heading Down Under. Jade pressed her knuckles to her mouth and giggled, shooting glances at her dad.

“Don’t look at me, kiddo,” Ben said. “I have no idea what your mama’s hidden in this box.”

The girls, who’d spent two Christmases as part of the Harland clan now, probably suspected there would be some delizioso homemade snacks, something for them to do together as a family, and something for them to wear. Last year they’d played a cutthroat game of Lord of the Rings Monopoly while wearing Hawaiian shirts in eye-piercing and hilarious prints. The year before it was charades with matching Team Harland T-shirts, including a doggy-sized one for Sparky.

This year…well.

Kezia smiled at her girls—her beautiful blessings that filled her heart to overflowing—and said, “What are you waiting for? Rip into it.”

Zoe and Jade launched themselves at the box, tearing off the paper and popping open the top. Jade reached in first and pulled out a bundle of white fleece. She shook it open to reveal a kid-sized onesie, the hood of which had a sparkly horn attached as well as a lilac mane and, attached to the butt, a sparkly lilac tail.

Jade laughed and handed it over to Zoe. “This must be for you!”

“Thank you, Mama,” Zoe said. She pulled out another onesie, this time a brown one with floppy ears and a tail. “Jade! Now you’ll look like Sparky.”

Jade giggled and took it from Zoe, hugging it close to her chest. Then she dropped it on the couch beside her and reached in again, dragging out a larger-sized onesie that was also brown but had cute little rounded ears and a stubby tail.

“A mama bear onesie for Mama!” Zoe yelled.

Jade handed Kezia the bear onesie and, with Zoe, peered over the lip of the box to the last garment inside. Jade clapped a hand over her mouth to try and keep a fit of giggles inside—it didn’t really work and they spilled out, infecting Zoe beside her.

“Let me guess,” Ben said from Kezia’s side. His arm tightened around her waist. “It’s a clown onesie, right?”

The girls shook their heads.

“A giant teddy bear?”

Another head shake.

“Giraffe? Pig? Abominable snowman?”

“No, no, no,” Zoe and Jade said in unison.

Zoe angled her ear-to-ear smile toward Kezia. “Mama, you have to give it to him.”

So Kezia stepped forward and pulled out the remaining garment—a red and blue Superman onesie, complete with a little cape. She unfolded it and held it up against her big, strong, gorgeous man who was looking at her as if she’d gone completely pazzo, and rose on tiptoe to brush a quick kiss across his slightly gaping mouth.

“You’re our Superman, Benjamin Harland.”

“Put it on!” ordered Jade. “C’mon, Dad.”

Ben shrugged good-naturedly, stepped into the onesie, and zipped it up to his chin. He struck a lightning bolt pose, which made the girls giggle and Kezia’s heart pitter-patter a little faster. Once upon a time, her serious man wouldn’t have done anything he considered embarrassing or foolish. Now there was nothing he wouldn’t do to make her or the girls smile.

Kezia slipped the onesie on over her clothes like Ben, while Zoe and Jade disappeared into their bedroom to get changed and admire themselves in a mirror.

“Alone at last,” Ben said once she’d zipped up the soft fleece.

Kez glanced up. Superman was bearing down on her faster than a speeding bullet, with the devil in his eye. Laughter bubbled out of her as Ben hauled her into his arms. She wrapped her legs around his hips and kissed him again. This time not quickly. This time as if he were her main course and dessert rolled into one.

So wrapped up was she in a bubble of happiness, she didn’t flinch when Michael Bublé’s “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” blasted through Ben’s fancy sound system. Michael’s smooth baritone curled around them and she pulled away, seeing Ben’s heart mirrored in his eyes. His heart that loved her unconditionally, foolishly, completely. He was better than the Barbie doll Dreamhouse she’d secretly coveted at Christmas as a little girl. Ben had made her dream house—her dream home and family—a reality.

The corners of her eyes began to sting and she blinked rapidly.

“Pine allergies again?” Ben angled his head toward the tinsel-laden Christmas tree in the corner of the room.

“Shut up,” she said with a sniff. They both knew she wasn’t allergic to them.

He grinned and turned her so she could see her unicorn and brown dog dancing into the living room. Ben lowered her to her feet and spun her out in a slick dance move.

“Christmas Eve dance party!” Zoe’s unicorn horn bobbed in time to the music.

Ben spun Kezia out again then reeled her back in. Her socks skidded on the floor and she ended up plastered against his chest. Right where she wanted to be. She wrapped her arms around him and held on tight.

Jade grabbed her onesie’s dog tail and gave it a sassy twirl. “Dad, let’s do an air guitar contest!”

“After Superman finishes kissing and dancing with the sexiest little mama bear on Stewart Island,” he said.

Mama Bear wholeheartedly agreed. Kezia grinned at her girls. “Maybe you two should party on without us—this could take a while.”