Full Circle

Chapter 2

Between the new jobs and the new home, the first six months of marital bliss seemed to fly by in a whirlwind of activity. The holidays seemed to pop up out of nowhere and offered no real reprieve from the hustle and bustle. Thanksgiving was stuffed full of family and turkey and church services. Gabby's first real break didn't happen until just before Christmas. December had announced itself with a few decent snowfalls and on Gabby's last day of school before winter break it didn't disappoint. The radio announced the cancellation of classes, extending her Christmas vacation. She pulled herself out of bed anyway, donned her robe and shuffled to the kitchen. After brewing a cup of tea she sat before the windows in the breakfast nook, watching the snow fall and enjoying the peace, letting her mind reminisce about Christmases past.

"Hey sweetheart, why didn't you come back to bed?" Austin called softly, leaning against the door frame. He still looked rather sleepy.

"It was just so peaceful. I couldn't pass up watching the snow fall. I haven't seen snow like this in years." she explained, smiling and extending a hand to him. It never snowed in Danington the way it did back in Miller's Creek.

Austin shuffled over to her and accepted her hand, bending down to give her a kiss. "If this keeps up, Dad will have me on the barn roof shoveling snow." he commented.

"I know it's a pain to clean up but it's so pretty, especially at Christmas."

Austin turned to go make his own cup of tea, asking, "So what are the plans for Christmas?"

"Lunch on Christmas Eve with my family followed by presents and the church service at our old church. Christmas day and the noon meal with your family."

"And we're just staying over night with my parents, right?"

Gabby nodded. "Yep. And speaking of gifts, I still have some to wrap."

"Oh really? Did you wrap mine yet?"

Gabby gave him a bemused smile. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I did."

"You did, huh? What did you get me?" he asked.

"Don't even try Austin. My lips are sealed." With that she stood to take her mug to the sink.

"Are you sure about that?"

She pretended to lock her lips and throw away the key. Then she smiled innocently.

"Come here." Austin growled playfully, pulling her in for a knee-weakening kiss.

"That was nice," Gabby breathed, pulling away. "But I'm still not talking." Then she left Austin standing in the kitchen, waiting for his tea to steep.

"You're mean! Santa's gonna leave you coal!" Austin called after her.

Gabby just laughed. She headed to the bathroom for a shower before she started her day. She was looking forward to relaxing, wrapping, packing and getting ready for the Christmas holiday. She stopped in the hall to pull a fresh towel from the closet and as she did her eyes drifted to the top shelf and the 2 boxes of pregnancy tests that sat unopened.

Austin had bought them not long after they got home from their honeymoon in the hopes that there would be a positive one in the near future. In the six months that had passed Gabby hadn't needed to open one. In some ways she was relieved but she new Austin was disappointed every month it didn't happen. Their doctor had told them not to stress, that it can take healthy, normal people a year to get the timing right. Gabby was perfectly fine with that time line. Despite her willingness to try, she still wasn't 100% committed.

She closed the door to the linen closet and her mind to the tests. Whatever happened, happened. She had other things to think about today.

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