Miss You More

Chapter 27

Christmas Day arrived, and Joe's house was packed with family milling about. There was going to be a huge meal that Anabella was in the kitchen. helping to cook with his sisters.

Jennifer was setting the giant table, slowly one by one placing a piece of silverware or a plate on the table. She was really struggling with the decision she made, but she knew eventually with the counseling she was getting she would get thru it. The guys were watching football in the living room.

You could hear them cheering when their team was doing good, and screaming if something wasn't fair. They were the loudest bunch of men ever. Anabella started to bring out prepared dishes that were covered, there were still several things cooking. The oven had chicken roasting. Anabella set a basket of rolls on the table," How are you feeling Jen?" she asked her. Anabella was wearing a red dress.

She had chosen it because it was one of Joey's favorite dresses of hers.

"Fine." Jen shrugged, wiping her eyes, "Dealing the best I could."

"What'd you do with that guitar?" Ana asked.

"Wrapped it and set it aside. I am still deciding what to do with it. You really look great Ana" Jen said, trying to change the subject at the end while fixing her own dress.

"Jen you look fantastic yourself. Try to enjoy today. It's Christmas, we are having this insane brunch and then exchanging gifts and hanging out," she told her friend.

"I know, it's just hard," she shrugged, "I am trying to focus my mind on the happiness around me."

" I hope that you still manage to have a good day today," she said softly," want to help me ice the cookies that are cooling in the kitchen?" Joey had two ovens in his huge kitchen, which helped the cooking and baking a great deal.

"Yes! I would love to help, just think, maybe in a few years you'll have little ones to help you!" Jen smiled.

"Well, I wouldn't jump that far ahead yet. I'm just happy that Joe and I are living together finally," she said to her friend as they walked into the kitchen to ice the Christmas cookies.

"But you still want those things, don't you, a ring on your finger, little ones running about, to be a mom?" Jen asked as they got to the big counter where they were all laying out and cooled.

" I can't make him want those things, and I don't think that has changed since I've been gone. I can always adopt a puppy or two," Anabella said transferring some already-cooled cookies to a flat board for them to work on. She started to measure the powdered sugar to make the icing.

"A puppy or two wouldn't be a bad thing..." Jen giggled, "I have max, but he's a fat lazy kitty."

Anabella giggled," Yeah. If I get some puppies I can get out of the house more, not that I don't get enough exercise moving around it," she said. She made different colored icings for them and began to put them in piping bags. Each of them had a red, green, frost blue, yellow, and white to work with for cookies. The girls decorated cookies and talked. 

**~ After a fantastic brunch with everyone in the dining room, which was three times the size of a normal one. They were headed to the living room to exchange gifts when the doorbell sounded," Baby doll why don't sit on the sofa while I get that," Joey said with a smile. " But we're just about to exchange gifts," Anabella said to him. " I'll be there just a minute," He promised to go to the front door to answer it. Anabella was sitting on the sofa when Joey returned grinning as he held a black and white Shih Tzu puppy," Merry Christmas Baby doll," he said handing her the puppy. I thought you could use a little buddy or at least company besides me," Joe told her.