More Than Fine. (Complete)

51- MTF Christmas Memories

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     Jolie couldn't stop smiling Monday morning as they left New York. She'd never been on a plane, much less out of the New York City area. The only other state she'd been to was New Jersey and that was just barely out of the city. Throughout the flight she stared out the window at the view, and Gia let her use her phone to take pictures. She had a phone waiting for Jolie under the Christmas tree at home. The tree was left undecorated waiting until they could do it together. With only four more days to Christmas, Gia had taken the rest of the week off so they could make as many Christmas memories as possible for Jolie's first Christmas at home. She envisioned hot chocolate by the fire with Christmas music in the background, Christmas music, and of course pancakes the day of before opening presents, and later a Christmas walk on the beach once they arrived in Lawrence.

     She'd already warned Jolie that her friends would be waiting at their home with a welcome celebration. Evie and Matt had done their first two honeymoon days at a cottage on a nearby beach so they wouldn't miss Jolie's homecoming. Evan and their parents would be part of the group as well as Holden, his sister Haley, and Haley's children, Abby and Grant. Gia had been picking Haley's brain about raising a teenager, and they had planned to get them together as much as possible during the winter break so Jolie would feel like she had a friend when starting school. The women were hopeful the girls would do well together.

     Balloons, posters, cake and an abundance of food greeted them upon arrival. Jolie was overflowing with happy tears as she looked around at the room of mostly strangers, who would hopefully soon become close friends and family, and already showed they cared enough about her to go to so much trouble. Gia felt her eyes moisten too watching the scene. Her first child may not have come about the way she'd always imagined, but this was even better than her plan and there was still plenty of room in her heart for other children later if God so blessed her.

     "Looks like those two hit it off." Holden nodded towards his niece and Jolie.

     Gia met him with a smile. "It's more than I could have hoped for. What are the odds of you having a niece the same age." She shook her head. "What a blessing."

     "When do you guys leave for Lawrence?"

     "Not until after she opens her presents Christmas day. I want her to have the full Christmas experience at our home as a family. Wake up to presents, french toast for breakfast, then we'll go to Lawrence for the weekend and come back Sunday."

~~~

     The next few days were filled with baking cookies, decorating the tree while listening to Christmas music, wrapping presents for Evie's family, and watching holiday movies. A candlelight service on Christmas eve was the perfect final preparation before Christmas. In the morning Jolie was wide eyed in anticipation of her first meaningful Christmas celebration. As she opened her gifts she kept thanking Gia profusely, and it broke Gia's heart a little that Jolie had to wait until she was thirteen to experience a Christmas filled with love. It made all that Gia had endured pale in comparison.

     Gia could hardly wait for their visit to Lawrence so she could share another part of her life with Jolie. Barb and Brent would be Jolie's only grandparent figures, and they'd already proven how excited they were when meeting Jolie at her homecoming celebration.

     With so many firsts for Jolie, Gia worried she would be overwhelmed, but Jolie managed it well. It wasn't until Sunday after Christmas when they were discussing Jolie staying with Abby's family while Gia was at work during the last week of school break that Gia noticed the first bit of anxiousness. Even though Abby had been kind to Jolie, she was starting to worry about making new friends. In the past she had moved so much that her friendships never lasted long. Now she worried she wouldn't know how to be a long term friend. "Was that different than what she'd experienced before?" Jolie questioned Gia. By the end of the evening, Jolie's mind was settled and Gia was thankful that their first mother daughter heart to heart conversation had gone well. With a teenager she knew there were many more difficult conversations to come.