Grey Hearts and Flowers

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

This is just a little literary (belated) Christmas card to all of you who have supported all my stories and my writing throughout the year. I appreciate and love you guys so much! Merry Christmas! I promise more fun things to come.

This hops ahead a few months, but don't worry, I'll go back to the story as we left in the last chapter again.

🎄🎅🏼☃️❤️⭐️❄️😘

"'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house..." I read to my family from the fine aged parchment of a leather-bound first edition. The fire is going. A featherlight snow falls outside. And Ana and all four children lie tucked around me on our big, floppy couch. Matching snow people pajamas and cocoa and blankets abound, as they listen to me recite this Ye Olde Christmas tale under the sparkling lights and baubles from our towering evergreen boughs.

"Not a creature was stirring not even a mouse..."

Well, maybe one errant rodent...

Like a playhouse lead on cue, Chester—in his sock footed Grinch print onesie and long candy cane striped silk sleeping hat, pops his head out of Phoebe's front pocket, just sniffing for mischief. After a yawn, he looks left and then right and then left again, before he spots his next prey. Like a flash, he scampers off of her shoulder, flies to the cushions, and then scurries to the coffee table to take down the succulent grab—the red discarded bow tie of a gingerbread man.  

"The stockings were hung by the chimney with care..."

I glance up at the roaring fireplace and the names of the most important people in the world all stitched in script on the dangling knit socks. There's Teddy's blue and Phoebe's sparkle pink, with little Archie and Olly's red and green check brand new to the mix. Taylor and Gail have gained place up there, too. As have Chester and Boone —or should I say Liberace's more flamboyant rodent brother and The Bachelor of The Barn? And then there's Ana's and mine at the center of the glowing hearth. Mama and Papa and their babies beside. Every year, when I look at this glorious Christmas born scene, I pose the same question. Each time with a little more wonder and a lot more awe.

How did I end up with a mantle so full?

I do notice the toe of my sock has casually crossed over Ana's and I can't help but smile. Even my stocking can't keep away from hers.

"In hopes the Saint Nicholas soon would be here..."

"Is he almost here, Daddy?" Phoebe asks, looking up at me with a smile just like Ana's and eyes like my own. But hers are filled with a kind of magic and wonder that I never knew existed until I knew her mother. They hold the kind of faith that has no second thoughts, no crossed fingers and toes. That believe because believing is all that they've ever known.

"He'll be here soon," I say and then kiss her head as she tucks into me close.

"The children were nestled all snug in their beds..."

I look down at my Olly, who's nestled snug across my chest. He has the littlest button nose and pink pouty lips. And there's the softest curl of strawberry hair peeking out from under his winter blue striped baby hat. I then look to Ana, who holds our other small son. Archie coos and smiles in his dreams as he sleeps safely held in his mother's arms. It's hard to believe we didn't know these little wonders last year. Now, I can't remember life without double onesies and double socks and taking quadruple the time to get from this point to that. I don't remember a time before we were six. Or when we were just two. Or a time, so long ago now, when I thought that forever I'd be just one.