The Problem with Dreams

Chapter 63 - The Family for Christmas

Susan's family had invaded their house for the holiday of Christmas. With the rest of her family already there, Susan's brother Stephen and his wife Jenny arrived an hour before the Christmas Eve services they planned to attend. Greg helped in any way he could, but much of the time he found the best thing he could do was simply sit back, watch and stay out of the way. It was probably the way Susan felt at Julie's house, he reflected, when his family gathered to celebrate Chanukah.

With all of their company arrived and settled, Susan and her mother worked to get as much of their Christmas Eve dinner prepared ahead as possible before they left for church. Then they all piled into cars, dressed in their Christmas finery and drove away, leaving Greg home alone, tending to some last minute wrapping Susan asked him to do for Jessie. There was also the gift he'd bought for Susan he wanted to bring in and wrap himself, so he stayed busy while they were away, barely finishing and placing the appropriate items under the Christmas tree, just as the family and all their relatives arrived home.

Suddenly, the cooks in the family were in full swing. With the table laid ahead of time, and warm dishes left in the oven or the food warmer on low, it was only a matter of putting the foods on the table. Greg was pressed into service, carrying large dishes of potatoes au gratin, cranberry sauce, baskets of fresh baked rolls, salads, and a green bean casserole to the table from the kitchen. He wasn't precisely sure when it happened nor where it came from, but on his last trip from the kitchen to the table, Greg noticed there was an enormous platter of warmed ham slices resting in the center of the table.

"You got a Christmas ham," Greg commented to Susan as she came up behind him from the kitchen.

"It's precooked; I didn't prepare it here," Susan rushed to tell him.

Greg arched his brow. "I am glad you found a way to preserve your family's traditions. I was concerned. I saw no sign of the ham in the kitchen."

"That's because it's never been in the kitchen," Susan said.

Greg regarded his wife curiously, but he didn't pursue the question of the ham. Susan and her family were trying to respect his faith and religious practices, apparently by keeping it elsewhere. There was something to be said for that, and he did appreciate the effort they'd gone to. He still didn't think it was precisely necessary ... Susan kept a clean kitchen, well within the spirit of kosher cleanliness, but the depths of her respect for his traditions never ceased to amaze him.

Mr. Abernathy said the Christmas blessing, and everyone prayed, entirely in English. Then they all sat down. Michael had decided to stay and was seated between his two sons, across from his wife. Susan was in her usual place beside Greg, with Jessie on her other side, while Jenny and Stephen sat across from them. The food was passed and everyone mounded their favorite dishes onto their plates. There were so many good foods, Greg found he had absolutely no problem finding enough to eat, even without the ham. But everyone else seemed to be enjoying it thoroughly.

c

That night, before going to bed, Greg found Susan in the library, drawing lines in her new little book.

"What are you doing?" Greg asked.

"Getting this ready. See?" she showed him the columns she'd been creating. "I want to use this before going to bed tonight."

"Would you like me to take your blood pressure for you?" Greg asked.

"Would you like to practice?" Susan asked.

"I would like to try it again. Maybe you could help me with it if needed?"

"I'll try," Susan said. She moved to the chair beside the end table and pushed up her sleeve before retrieving the equipment from the cabinet. She sat patiently while Greg wound the cuff around her upper arm, lining it up carefully before putting the stethoscope in his ears and pumping it up. He let the air out slowly, listening for the telltale sounds, but they were hard for him to hear, and he had to repeat the process two more times to be sure of the reading.