Christmas at ours – Part One
Just a little Christmas story from our family. I hope those of you who read Ora and Ace will enjoy - my Christmas gift to you! My apologies to litminor 101 - there is a little overlap re Christmas Eve, however I had written most of this before you posted. Great minds write/think alike. I will finish Part Two before Christmas.
Caroline woke to see Kate, pen in hand, writing on an old envelope. "Morning" she whispered as she wrapped her legs around her wife, stroking her feet, which she always found a delectable way to wake up.
"Caroline, I'm thinking we should have Christmas at ours this year, what do you reckon?" Kate knew this could be a fractious idea. Christmas brought out the best and the worst in people. They already had a patchwork family; made up of individually lovely pieces but which had to be carefully positioned and put together for social events.
"Wow, well what exactly did you have in mind?"
"Well, I'd like to invite my mother over for a week or two; your mum and Alan; the Greenwoods; and of course Greg and Issy and the children."
"That's like at least fifteen people?"
"Yes, if they all come. I know it's always nice when it's just you and me and our four, but we have had Christmas at Gillian's a couple of times and we've been to my mum in the last four years. The girls would love it if the other little ones were here too." Ellie and Raff had produced a little boy, Rory; and Issy and Greg a little girl, they'd called Katie, (Caroline was still secretly trying to work out how she felt about this) both of whom were now nearly two. So with Ben and Emily that would be six children under eight.
"Can I think about it? Later, much later..." Caroline took the pen and paper away from her wife and rolled her over to face her. She brushed the hair back from Kate face and leaned in to kiss her good morning; pulling her close in and gently stroking her face.
"I still get goose bumps whenever you say the word Christmas. Waking up on Christmas morning seven years ago and seeing you beside me in bed; slowly remembering all that happened the evening and night before. Just imagine how life would be now if you hadn't driven back and danced with me."
"I can't imagine it Caroline. Truthfully, I used to try. I would sometimes lie here and think about being in my cottage with these two. How happy I would be as a mum; but how lonely I would be on my own without you."
Suddenly the girls ran into the room both brandishing pieces of paper. "Mummy, Mama, we've done it!" each shoving a piece of paper under their mothers' noses.
"What have you done?" Kate asked as she lifted the duvet for them to climb in.
"We've done our letters for Santa. Mama told us how she used to write one and ask Santa for the things she wanted for Christmas, so we did ours."
"That's lovely girls, but Christmas is over a month away yet, Santa doesn't open his letter box until December the first."
Grace started to pout;"That's not what Mama said, she told us that we could do it when we were ready, so we did it this morning when we woke up." Flora nodded; "we didn't want to be late."
"Erm, when did Mama tell you this?"
Caroline began to squirm and look sheepish.
"Yesterday, when she was driving us home from school." Kate turned and shook her head at Caroline; "Don't you remember that we have to wait until Santa's post box is open?"
Caroline by this stage had closed her eyes and was pretending to be asleep, avoiding the inevitable telling off. She had a habit of getting the twins worked up and excited about things way ahead of the actual event. Kate found it annoying trying to contain them afterwards; but also endearing to watch her wife get down to their level.
"Well show me your lists." Kate reached over and retrieved her glasses. "Let's see now; Grace you want a new Ipad, a bicycle; a trip to Disneyland..."
"You've got to be kidding!" Caroline soon opened her eyes and grabbed the paper. Kate threw her head back and laughed; the twins looked shocked. "No mummy those weren't on my list."
"I know darling, I'm just teasing Mama."
Flora held her paper towards Caroline, "But I can put them on mine."
After trying to read the spidery writing on the letters and finding that in actual fact their requests were quite manageable, Caroline assured the twins that they would keep their letters to Santa safe and on the day they went to get their photo with him, they would put the letters in his box. This seemed to calm the girls who snuggled down in bed with them against the freezing late November snow outside.
"Have you girls thought about the little presents you would like to buy for your brothers and Granny and Grandad?" Kate asked as she winked at Caroline.
Flora started, "Well we thought we might buy Granny some chocolate; the one that looks like Father Christmas." Grace joined in; "we can buy Willy a book and Rence a comic. Grandpa can have some chocolate too, the Christmas tree one." Their mothers looked at each other knowingly. Despite all their attempts to monitor the amount of junk food the girls ate, Granny and Grandpa were always a good hit up for chocolate.
Celia had grown to be more gracious as she got older. More and more she realised what a joy she had in her daughter and family being so close and having the little ones around her. She knew now that the all fear and angst she'd had about Kate and Caroline and their marriage had all been in her head. Caroline continued to be happy and content like Celia had never seen her in all her time with John. Kate was an attentive and gentle daughter-in-law who had never held any grudges against Celia. Alan was becoming frailer as his heart condition deteriorated and every Christmas with him was going to be a bonus from now on. Everyone was aware of this and Gillian in particular was struggling as she watched him become an old man. Without needing to be explicit, it was the main reason Kate wanted Christmas at their place. To give him a happy time, and take away the need to travel in the cold weather; he rarely ever made it to the farm these days. The more Caroline thought about it, the more she realised what Kate was doing; her thoughtful and loving wife always seemed to be one step ahead of her.
After decided that indeed this is what they would do, they set about inviting everyone and doing all the planning. Greg and Issy said they would be there; they would spend Boxing Day with Issy's parents and family and New Year with Greg's. Sometimes Greg wished he could take the twins with them to his family but he knew it was a non-starter. They had all agreed that this could or might happen when the girls were old enough to understand the dynamics of their extended family.
The Greenwoods were all coming and Gillian and Robbie were very grateful that it was at Caroline's. Kate's mum would come over for ten days just before Christmas and Willy and Roxy would come with Ginika from New York. The boys would spend Boxing Day with their father. John had been invited to the farm one Christmas and it had been a disaster in terms of his drinking and behaviour and ended up almost spoiling the day. Robbie had stepped in and sent him packing. No-one had invited him since.
Two weeks later, they were all rugged up in their puffer jackets, thick trousers and boots ready to go to Fountains Abbey at Ripon to see Father Christmas at the Grotto, have their annual photograph taken with him and hand in their letters. The girls were wild with excitement. Their mothers had made them wait all this time since they wrote their letters.
"Do we really want to keep perpetuating this idea of having a photo with Santa, Kate?" Caroline dreaded the crowds, the inevitable queue and all the squealing and carry on that went with it.
"Of course! You and I both got to do it. It's part of the fun for kids Caroline. You did it for the boys." "Actually, after the second time, I made John do it. Couldn't stand it."
"OK Mrs Hoity-Toity, well you're just going to have to suck it up. Let's get going."
They arrived at the Abbey and went straight to book in their time for photos. They had half an hour to wait. "Well at least an appointment is a little more civilised than the half hour queue we had to endure in Leeds last year." Caroline mumbled away. Kate had long since stopped taking any notice of her when she started mumbling and grumbling. The less sympathy she got the shorter the episode.
Smiling brightly to counteract the grumpiness, Kate offered; "Let's all have a hot chocolate while we wait, and... If, we are ALL happy we might have a mince pie as a treat too."
"Yes Mummy", the twins danced around and ran over to the cart that was selling them. Kate turned to Caroline; "Shall I queue my darling or will you?" Caroline graciously offered to. As they all sipped at their hot drink and munched on their pies, Caroline's spirits began to improve. She put her arm around Kate and kissed her cold red nose; "You're such a tonic."
They came away from the Abbey, having posted the letters and with several lovely pictures of the girls with Santa and indeed a family portrait. Caroline had thought better of moaning about that one and managed a genuine smile as she cuddled into her Kate and their bundles of joy. "I think we could get this family one printed up as a Christmas card don't you?" Kate smiled and nodded. It didn't take much to melt Caroline after all.
In the lead up to Christmas Eve, there had been a flurry of activity. All the shopping had been done and they had all had a massive session wrapping presents and writing cards. Caroline had insisted that no matter how it looked, the girls must write their own cards; or at least sign their own names, and wrap their little gifts. The food had been decided and everyone had been told what to prepare and bring. Ginika, Willy and Oxy had arrived from New York, they only had one more semester there and then they would both finish their Masters degrees; and Rence from Durham. Despite the original plans, William and Roxy had continued to live with Ginika, who enjoyed them immensely; it had also saved Caroline and Kate a lot of money.
Christmas Eve was here; the buzz in the house when everyone was home, was wonderful, and they had enjoyed a meal which Ginika and Roxy had cooked. As much preparation as possible had been done, and everyone was ready for bed. Ginka had gone as she was staying with Celia and Alan. All Caroline and Kate had to do was fill the stockings and get them into the girl's bedroom without waking them.
Caroline went up the stairs ahead of Kate and switched a low lamp on in their retreat. Both women jumped into the shower and then put on a beautiful negligee; one that they kept for this occasion, safely wrapped in tissue from year to year. Walking in to their retreat, Caroline started their Christmas Eve song and drew Kate into her arms; Roberta Flack began to sing to them as they swayed together; this had become perhaps the most significant and romantic thing they did each year. Caroline had vowed never to stop remembering how Kate gave her the chance to have the life she had now. It was a debt she would never ever be able to repay, but nothing would stop her from trying.
Once the music stopped, Kate guided Caroline back to their bedroom for the second part of their Christmas Eve ritual. Each had put their special gift for the other on their pillow. Caroline picked up a small box wrapped in gold paper, with a carefully crafted bow. She undid the wrapping and opened the box to find a pair of exquisite pearl drop earrings. She pulled Kate into her arms, kissing her passionately as if she couldn't wait, "they're beautiful my darling."
There was an envelope on Kate's pillow; as she opened it her eyes widened in delight; two tickets to the London Symphony Orchestra and a night in a hotel. "Perfect, you're always perfect; thank you darling."
The presents were set aside and the third and final ritual began in earnest; Kate whispered; "dance with me, dance with me here and now". Caroline responded; "only if it's forever." They slipped out of their negligees, letting them fall to the floor; their bodies rose and fell together as they re-lived the passion of that night and their promise never to let anything come between them.
"He's been! He's been Mummy, Mama, wake up." The twins shouted as they started the climb up to their mothers' room each with a present in one hand and dragging a large stocking behind them as they bumped them up each stair.
"Ok so what time is it this year", Kate asked herself as she sleepily reached out for the clock. "Ten past six, well it's slightly better than the ten to six of last year." She appeared not to be talking to anyone in particular, her naked wife still in a deep sleep beside her. "Caroline, Caroline, wake up; Santa's been. The elves are on their way up the stairs. Do you want to slip your pyjamas on?"