Holiday in Holly Oaks

Chapter 10

Squeals of delight filled every home the next morning. Overnight it had snowed five inches and turned all of Holly Oaks into a white, powdery world. Tallie was awoken by the shouts of delight from the neighbor kids having a snowball fight in their pajamas.

She threw a hoodie over her pjs and went downstairs to find her parents at their front window, their noses pressed against the glass as they took in the white world outside. Tallie turned on coffee before joining them at the window.

"Merry Christmas!" her parents sang.

The snowy view was the highlight of their morning. They ate breakfast at the table under the front window, and her mom showed off the snow to her brother and her sister and nephew when they called later that morning.

Her parents were still sitting at the front window when she headed out a few hours later with her sweet potato casserole in her arms. She turned when she reached the end of their walk and grinned as they waved to her from the window. She had a strong feeling that she would find them in the same spot when she returned from the Shepherd's Open House.

No one had plowed the streets yet, but she didn't mind. She would have walked the few blocks to Case's house even if she could get her car out of the driveway, and the walk was more enjoyable with pristine white snow.

The Shepherd Open House had always been a part of Tallie's Christmas Day, even before she was friends with Case. Mrs. Shepherd was the friendliest person in all of Holly Oaks. She knew everyone and cared for everyone.

Every Christmas she invited the whole town to an Open House Party. The Shepherd family provided meatballs sandwiches and hot cider and opened their house up to guests ‪from noon until four‬. People brought a side dish to share and would drop in whenever it worked for them.

Tallie's family usually went mid-afternoon, after they had opened presents. It was always a mystery which friends you would see, but whatever group of kids were there were always playing a game.

Once Tallie and Case had become friends she had convinced her family to go earlier and she always brought her guitar. Her family would end up staying until the end, with her and Case hiding out in his garage playing music.

Last year there had been no Open House with the Shepherds celebrating Christmas in Arizona with their new granddaughter and it had left a strange hole in Christmas day. It felt strange for Tallie to by walking the few blocks to Case's house by herself on Christmas Day, but even though her parents couldn't be with her, she was grateful to have the tradition back.

She could hear the Open House before she even turned onto Case's street. The snow along their sidewalk had been packed down by all the people going to their house.

Tallie smiled at the familiar red fence running along the border of their front yard. As she entered the gate and headed up the front walk she could see the crowded front rooms through the big front windows.

The moment she stepped inside, she was greeted with "Merry Christmases", and the scent of Mrs. Shepherd's famous apple cider. All the furniture in the front room had been pushed aside to allow space for more people and it felt like every inch was being used.

Tallie scooted her way through the crowd, first finding a spot on the long dinner table for her casserole dish then headed towards the kitchen.

The kitchen was as packed as the rest of the house with Mrs. Shepherd in the center, directing food.
She beamed when she saw Tallie. "Merry Christmas dear," Mrs. Shepherd said.

"Merry Christmas!" Tallie said. "I put my dish on the table. I just need a serving spoon."

"Wonderful!" Mrs. Shepherd said. "Jenna, can you get Tallie a serving spoon." Mrs. Shepherd pointed Tallie towards the other side of the kitchen when Mrs. Joseph and Mrs. Hollis were talking.