Construction

Mack was sitting on the living room floor into the morning, working on building the presents that he had gotten for his son for Christmas. It had been a few hours since he'd started drinking as he worked on it - the work was just so tiring and monotonous. Sticking bits and pieces together, slowly screwing them together, trying his best to make as little noise as possible so as not to draw his son's attention. These were all to be presents from Santa. Even though he knew his son had stopped believing in Santa, it was a tradition in the family, and it meant that he could take the night to make the presents, so that they joy of opening wasn't spoiled by then having to build his own presents.

But Mack had sorely underestimated the length of time and the effort that would be necessary for it all this year.

There were just so many things that needed to be screwed into place. So many little moving parts, each needing to individually be connected. So many similar parts, and he had made mistakes so many times on which went where, so he'd had to redo parts time and time again. Admittedly, the alcohol was not helping with that, but it helped to keep him from raging about it. His wife had gone to bed early, so that she would be able to finish the wrapping of the presents in the morning. That would give him a little time to rest. He would still be tired, certainly, but at least he wouldn't be completely dead on his feet.

Or at least that had been the plan.

When Matilda came out in the early morning, she found her husband asleep on the floor, his head resting on the just short of being finished home gym. There were a few pieces still scattered on the floor, but she could easily see where they needed to go. Carefully she pulled Mack away from it, resting him against the couch so he'd at least have something soft against his face, and got to work. It would take about half an hour she guessed to finish, and another hour after that to wrap it up and make it look pretty.

But it would be worth it to see the look on her son's face just a short while after that.