The Christmas Cabin: A short story

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve morning dawned clear and bright. The storm, having passed on, left fluffy mounds of perfect diamond snow. Mama knew the kids and cousins would be heading out later on. Upon waking, the kids followed their noses to the kitchen, where Dad was making his homemade cinnamon rolls.

Mama was busy cleaning, baking, and setting up the Christmas craft table in the basement. The aunts and cousins would be gluing, glittering and whatever else there after dinner. The little Christmas drum was the craft Mama was looking forward to making; all year long she'd been saving the metal lids of the concentrated juice cans. Those would be used for the bottom and tops of the little drums. Back then you didn't buy pre-made juice when you could buy concentrate. You could add an extra cup of water to make that juice go further. And Mama did that pretty often. Who needed full-flavored apple juice....

The cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents arrived, bringing in the cold and brightly wrapped gifts. Mama hugged her own mama, knowing this would be the last Christmas they had together. Cancer didn't care who it took from this world. Mama sniffed, smiling through the tears she so wanted to cry. The aunts all laughed and talked over each other. The cousins bundled up and headed out to the sled run. The uncles turned on football, adjusting the rabbit ears for better reception. Dad, not really into football, sat quietly, more an observer than anything else.

The kids, cold and tired, came in and headed to the basement to play He-Man and Barbie. He-Man absolutely had a crush on Barbie, but she wasn't interested, she had Ken. Totally Hair Barbie was the coveted doll to play with and had to be shared among the girls. Out of nowhere, Skeletor nabbed Barbie and had to be rescued by He-Man, after that she kind of had a crush on him.