Movie Night

Chapter 6 - A Charlie Brown Christmas

Chapter Description: Christmas and movie night at last! There will be movies, singing, dancing, and SO MUCH FOOD!

December 24, 2006 - Sunday afternoon.

Most of the guests opened their gifts on Sunday morning before traveling to D.C., rather than waiting until they got home after Christmas. Elizabeth was delighted with Bride and Prejudice. "I didn't realize there was an adaptation I hadn't seen yet," she told Neal and Sara on the train from New York to D.C. "Of course there wasn't time to watch it before we left, so I'm looking forward to trying it out when I'm back home."

Neal smiled, more at El's enthusiasm than about the movie. She looked and sounded blissfully happy. He caught Sara's eye and glanced at the box at their feet, filled with the origami he'd folded yesterday.

Sara smiled back and squeezed his hand. "Worth the effort?" she asked softly.

"Absolutely."

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This wasn't the first time Neal had seen his grandparents' home decorated for the holidays as an adult. Three years ago, he and Henry had let themselves in when the family was away, as part of Henry's campaign to convince Neal to connect with their Caffrey relatives. But the experience was different now, as a fully-embraced member of the clan.

It was beautiful, and noisy, and warm, and comforting. It said home to him in ways he was just beginning to understand. This was what he wanted to achieve, when the remodel of June's mansion was complete. When he and Sara hosted events, Neal wanted their guests to feel this same sense of welcome.

He got it now, why his grandparents felt it was so important to host one last Christmas here.

He gravitated to the kitchen, as he was sure his mother did when she was his age. The caterers had done most of the work, but he supervised the remaining preparation, making sure everything happened in the correct order. He dispatched Noelle, Irene, and Eric to send dishes out to the dining room or to gather items he needed from the pantry. He felt a bit like a sorcerer, adding items to a magic spell.

Angela entered the kitchen with a checklist, and she conferred with Neal to confirm that he had everything under control. She seemed to relax as she checked items off the list. Then she burst into tears.

"Hey," Neal said, taken aback. Suddenly she hugged him. "It's going great," he promised, leaning into the hug while keeping an eye on a saucepan to make sure it didn't boil over. "You got us everything we need."

"I know," she sobbed. "It's perfect." She stepped away and wiped her tears. "It's baby hormones. I keep crying, even if it's happy tears. This is going to be the best Christmas."

Noelle swooped in to deliver another hug for Angela. "Oh, sweetheart. I know exactly how you feel."

"You do?"

Noelle nodded. "This is going to be a magnificent Christmas, and they're going to keep getting better every year. Holidays with a little one are absolutely magical."

"Did you cry a lot when you were pregnant?" Angela asked.

"I had to take a box of tissues with me everywhere I went," Noelle confirmed.

They seemed to have things under control, especially when Angela's mom joined the throng around her, so Neal returned to his cooking wizardry.

Celeste consulted with him on what drinks would best complement the meal, and Neal enjoyed collaborating with Sara's aunt. They were still getting to know each other, and he predicted they would make a habit of discussing the best pairings of drinks with meals.