chapter fifteen.
DALLY AND MILO sit with their family in the kitchen, plates of food in front of them. "Hey, Austin, how would you like to participate in a tradition that is as old as me?" Paul asks.
"A hundred years old?" Austin asks.
"Ha-ha. Yeah, very funny, laugh at Paul. Haze the new guy." Paul says.
"What's the tradition?" Austin asks.
"Every year, my dad and my brother and I go chop down a Christmas tree." Paul says.
"With a weapon?" Austin asks.
"With an axe, yes." Paul nods.
"Can I use a laser?" Austin asks.
"Probably just an axe. But what do you say, you in?" Paul asks making Austin nod. "All right. And you can meet your new grandpa and uncle before they come over for Christmas Eve dinner."
"Are they rich? Dally said they're rich." Austin says.
"I said, they're proper, you know, they use butter knives." Dally says.
"My place settings. I don't have butter knives." Georgia panics.
"Mom, it was just a joke." Dally reassures.
"No, if they use butter knives, we should get butter knives." Georgia says.
"I can assure all Millers that my family does not care about butter knives." Paul says.
"No, I want out dining room table really fancy, like that first Christmas Martha Stweart had when she got out of jail fancy. I want 'em to leave impressed, so they don't think I'm this terrible moster marrying their son." Georgia says.
"What she means, kids, is that she would like to share the Christmas spirit with family." Paul says. Everyone goes quiet. "Uh, Milo, are you staying for Christmas?"
"Just Christmas eve dinner, if that's ok. I'm going to George's house for Christmas day." He says. Paul nods.
"Its more than ok. You're welcome any time you like." Paul smiles.
"Hey, mom, why don't we go Christmas shopping in Boston? We can get butter knives there." Ginny says.
"That's a great idea. You should go." Paul smiles.
"Sure." Georgia smiles.
"Besides, that way we could start our own tradition, since I didn't hear our invite to the mustache, manly, hee-haw, Paul Bunyan Christmas tree destruction." Ginny says.
"Yeah. I'm just gonna shower." Georgia says as she gets up and walks up the stairs.
"I broke mom." Ginny says.
"No, you didn't. She just needs a little bit of time, that's all." Dally reassures.
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