Chapter 1
"Would you hurry," Zelda yelled up the stairs to her husband, who was frantically wrapping presents. "They'll be here any minute." She walked over to the tree, an eight-foot tall spruce and fidgeted with the branches trying to hide a bare spot. Every year she considered buying one of the fancy pop-up, pre-lit trees everyone raved about, but in the end, she liked having a real tree and could never bring herself to do it. "Dobie!" she yelled again. "They are going to be here any second!"
"I'm coming…" Dobie bounded down the stairs, his arms full of presents for his children and grandchildren. They were celebrating the holiday on Christmas Eve instead of Christmas Day this year. George's wife Chatsy wanted to spend Christmas Day with her mother after the unexpected loss of her father in October. Chatsworth had kept his illness a secret, even from his own daughter, and so his death was a shock. Gwen and Jack were planning to spend Christmas Day home alone together in the apartment above the former Gillis Grocery Store that was now their law firm. It was baby Gil's first Christmas and they wanted to make their own family traditions. Dobie and Zelda tried not to be disappointed. After all, their kids were grown and had their own families to worry about and at least they had dedicated Christmas Eve to their parents.
Zelda grabbed some of the presents from her husband and began to arrange them under the tree, "If I didn't know better I'd confuse you with Santa Claus," she teased. "Did you buy out the whole store?" Placing the presents neatly under the tree she smiled, "The kids will be happy."
Dobie put his arm around her and kissed her on the cheek, "We haven't spent a Christmas together in a while. I'm looking forward to it."
"What are you talking about?" Zelda looked confused. "We see the kids every Christmas."
"Not us and the kids," Dobie smiled. "Us…me and you. You know, since the divorce."
Zelda shook her head, "Dobie, we've spent every single holiday since the divorce together. Maybe we weren't speaking every time…," she teased, "but we were in the same room."
Dobie laughed, "You know that isn't the same thing." He took her hand and led her over to the doorway. "I mean together…" He looked up where the green mistletoe hung from the doorframe and winked at her. Then he kissed her gently on the lips."
Zelda smiled as she pulled away from the kiss. "Yes, together is nice, isn't it?" She leaned her head into his chest and closed her eyes.
Suddenly the front door burst open, cold wind blowing through the room, "Merry Christmas!" Gracie's voice broke the silence in the room and her grandparents looked at her with a grin as the rest of the family made their way into the living room, piling coats on the sofa and then carrying gifts to the tree. "We're gonna have so much fun!" Gracie said joyously as she hugged her grandparents with excitement. "Aren't we gonna have fun?"
"Of course we are," Dobie nodded and smiled at his youngest granddaughter. "And you Little Princess are standing under the mistletoe," he teased as he bent down and kissed her on the nose.
The little girl giggled, "I love you grandpa." Then she skipped into the other room.
Dobie laughed and gave his wife one more quick kiss, "Let's go have fun," he said, mimicking his young granddaughter, as they walked hand-in-hand to join the rest of the family.
