My First Kisment Christmas

Prologue

Judy

Present Day Christmas Eve

Katie handed Erin a box of Christmas ornaments.

"This is so cute!" Erin pulled out a handprint wreath that the children made for me when they were in elementary school. She held it up in the direction of Kaleb, my firstborn, and her fiancée.

He nodded. A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips and his neck reddened under her gaze. "It was Kurt's idea."

All the women in the room turned to Kurt, the second oldest. He lounged in the Lazy Boy chair.  He shrugged and pulled his fiancée, Lindsay, closer into his lap. "Ma was so happy with us when she opened the box."

"We did something similar for my mom." Erin hung the ornament on the tree. "We painted pinecones with glue and rolled them in glitter to give to her. She wasn't thrilled." She dug in the box for another ornament. "She vacuumed glitter out of the carpet for months."

"I know the feeling," I said.

"It's only because we weren't into glitter, Ma." Kade, my youngest son, handed me a cup of hot chocolate.

"I'm thankful for that." I smiled at him. He winked back before distributing cups of hot chocolate to the rest of the family. 

"Erin, what's your family doing today?" Tim, my husband, stood behind my chair. He dropped a hand onto my shoulder, squeezing it gently.

She placed an angel on one of the top branches. "Mom said that it's supposed to snow buckets overnight."

"Snow." Kaleb shuddered.

"It isn't that bad." Erin grinned at him. "It was just a dusting at Thanksgiving. Anyway, Mom is baking pies and Dad is getting the tractor ready."

"Ready for what?" Katie, my youngest and only daughter, draped tinsel over the branches.

"The snow. He digs all the neighbors out and delivers Mom's pies on Christmas Day. They do it every Christmas." She stepped back from the tree.

Katie hung the last bit of tinsel. She put her hands on her hips and tilted her head. "We just need the star on top." She pulled it out from the box. "Daddy?"

"That's my job." With a smile for Katie, Tim took the star and placed at the top of the tree.

"Perfect." I clapped my hands together. It was a perfect. Tim and I were home from our mission trip. Our children were all there with their significant others. My house and heart couldn't be more filled.

"Ma, Erin hasn't heard your Christmas story, yet." Katie folded herself into sitting position, leaning back against her husband, Levi's legs. 

"It's been years since I've heard it, too," said Kade's wife, Delilah as he stood behind her.

Tim smiled at me. My insides warmed at his look. Over thirty years together and he could still make me feel like the first time I met him.

"As long as your dad will help," I said.

"Of course, darling." He sat next to me and draped his arm over my shoulders. "Do you want me to start or you?"

"I always like how you start the story." I turned my face towards his.

He kissed my lips gently. "Alright then." His eyes pulled me in until it was just the two of us all those years ago.

Author's Note: This story is the love story of my characters' parents. More chapters are available on my Substack at AllieBock.substack.com. The book is available at books.alliebock.com/myfirstkismentchristmas. Thanks for reading!