By the time the ladies returned with the tree they decided it was too late to begin decorating it, opting instead to leave it for the next day. With Lawrence's help, they secured it in the stand, gave it some water and then retired to make the promised hot chocolate which they enjoyed in front of the fire Alan had going in the fireplace.

###

"What are you doing Caroline? I woke to find you missing." Nicola glanced at the time on the microwave and realized it was only just 6:00 a.m.

"I couldn't sleep and wandered down to the kitchen to get a jump on the day. As I was making a pot of tea, I started thinking again about seeing that mother and daughter having that snowball fight last night and for some inexplicable reason it made me want to bake something for the family so I decided to make some cream scones for breakfast." She was in the process of cutting them into rounds and laying them on the baking sheet as Nicola entered the kitchen.

"Lovely. Ohhh, are those currants you've added? I can't remember the last time I had a homemade scone."

"Yup. They should be ready in about twenty minutes. Do you want to tackle the tree afterward?"

"Can't wait. So what kind of ornaments do you have?"

Caroline turned to place the scones in the oven. "It's a hodge podge really. Every year Mum gave me an ornament for Christmas so there are lots of them. Then there are the ornaments the boys made when they were little and the ornaments I have given them every year." She went to the sink to wash her hands and then started cleaning up the flour that dusted her counter.

"Excellent. I thought we could make a special ornament together which should fit right in with the collection you described. Wait here, I'll be right back," she said as she sprinted up the stairs, returning with a huge smile. "It's a kit to make impressions of Flora's hands and feet. Thought it would be a great keepsake of her first Christmas for years to come."

Caroline was dumbstruck by the thoughtfulness of Nicola's gesture. "That's just…that's just…perfect. What made you think of that?"

"I just want to help you celebrate the fact that this is her first Christmas. I thought you might like it. Perhaps we can do that while the oven is still warm from the scones if she wakes in time."

"I have something for you, too," Caroline said as she moved to embrace Nicola. "It's my turn to disappear but I'll be back in a minute."

When she returned, she handed Nicola a small gift-wrapped package. "This one is meant to be opened before Christmas."

Nicola did as she was told and found a delicate Christopher Radko hand-painted angel ornament inside. "It's beautiful. I don't think I've ever seen a prettier ornament."

"Well, I got to thinking that you needed to have an ornament on the tree as well and I have to admit that the song Angels Will Fall made me think of this for you." Caroline moved to the oven as the timer went off. Seeing the scones looking perfect, she grabbed a mitt and pulled them out, transferring them instantly onto a wire rack to cool.

"Then it's also a great reminder of your birthday celebration as well." She stood to give her a kiss and took a closer look at the scones in the process. "Those look fabulous. Makes me wonder if we should bake some Christmas cookies one of these days. What do you think?"

"I haven't had time to do that for years. Sounds fun. We'll need to go shopping for ingredients if you want to do some baking. Let's make a list for later. Better put a bigger belt for me on the list too if we're going to bake as I can see my weight on the scale going up."

###

By noon, the tree was fully decorated and the stockings were hung, including three new ones this year—one for Flora and one for Greg and one for Nicola. There was no more room to hang anymore on the mantle. As Caroline looked at John's stocking sitting unwanted at the bottom of the box she sadly realized she never bought one for Kate as they only reconciled on Christmas Eve last year and there simply wasn't time. She quickly turned her attention to Flora as a distraction at that moment and realized she needed her nappy changed.

While Caroline was upstairs with Flora, Nicola picked up the stack of Christmas cards Caroline received and started attaching them to ribbons she then hung surrounding the doorway to the living room. When she came back down, she stood by the ladder and waited for Nicola to descend it. "That looks great. I've never thought to do that before. You're clearly very good at this decorating thing. I've never really had the time or patience to do this right before."

"I hope you don't mind, but I did buy a small but very important decoration to hang." She picked up a ball of mistletoe she had tucked away on the chair near the doorway. After centering it on the opening, she moved to Caroline to test it.

Celia entered the living room at that precise moment. Neither Caroline nor Nicola heard her enter. "Oops. Sorry to interrupt. I came over to see if you needed a hand with the tree but I see I'm too late. Looks like you two have had a very busy morning."

"Hi Celia. We've had a lot of fun sifting through the decorations. How does it look?" Celia considered Nikki for a brief moment and was instantly transported back to the image of her in her school uniform seeking her approval of the science project they put together at her kitchen table. She smiled at the memory before she answered.

"It looks picture perfect. I can tell you had a hand in this as Lady Muck here is always in a rush to decorate this time of year and doesn't put this much attention to the details. How about if I make us all a pot of tea and we have a chat about the timetable for the holidays? I'd love one of those scones I spied as I came through the kitchen." Caroline scooped Flora up and placed her in her high chair with some toys.

Caroline excused herself as Nicola and Celia settled in over their mugs. She needed a few minutes to collect herself as Celia's words unintentionally cut her and she didn't want anyone to see her reaction. Celia was right, she was often so busy rushing through all she had to do that she didn't take the time to just enjoy the moment and give her full attention to the people who were or who should have been front and center in her life. How many times did she push Kate away in favor of a phone call that could have waited?

Nicola realized there was no sign of her returning by the time she finished her first cup of tea. "Celia, would you pour me a refill while I go see what's keeping Caroline?"

She gently knocked on the bedroom door as she opened it and found her on the bed, with a crumpled tissue in her hand. She knelt in front of her, lifting her chin to peer into her sad eyes that were bluer than usual from her tears. "Oh my love, what can I do to help?"

"I'll be fine. I just didn't want Mum to see how her words affected me as I know she didn't mean anything hurtful by what she said. It's just that she's right, I was always torn in too many directions to take the time to enjoy what was right in front of me."

Nicola moved to sit beside her and cradled her in a comforting hug. "You have a big job and a lot of people who depend upon you for so much. That's why and how it happens. I've been guilty of the same thing in the past. But, as I see it, right now you are putting your all into being in the moment this holiday and the result will be a very memorable one for Flora, Lawrence, William, and the rest of us. As my Dad use to say, 'Begin as you mean to go on.'"

"There you go again, saying just what I need to hear when I need to hear it. I don't know how you do it." Caroline dabbed the last of her tears and flashed Nicola a weak smile.

"Why don't you go splash some water on your face and come back down. I'll go make you a spot of lunch while you feed Flora? Then, after Celia leaves, perhaps we can have a nap when Flora goes down for hers?" Caroline silently shook her head and gathered up all the tissues scattered by her on the bed. Nicola stood and held out her hands to help lift Caroline off the bed. They hugged for a minute and then Nicola said, "I'll see you downstairs."