Chapter 12
Michaela burst through the door at the speed of lightning; the rest of the family quick at her heels. "Colleen!" She yelled. Colleen squealed and rushed into the arms of her adoptive mother. Tears streamed down both their faces. "It's you! It's really you! Oh, my baby! I've missed you so!"
"Ma! You can't imagine how much I've missed you! All of you!" She released Michaela and met in a group hug with Matthew and Brian. Michaela moved her attention to Andrew and drew him in for a squeeze. Everyone started chattering at once, causing quite the ruckus. Michaela called for attention and shuffled everyone inside.
"I thought your last letter said that you and Andrew weren't going to be able to make it for Christmas this year," Sully said.
"I know, but then I remembered the promise Ma made to us all those Christmas's ago. She said that of all the days of the year, Christmas would be the day we would always be together. I knew right then that we just had to come. I talked to Andrew and he immediately agreed." Andrew nodded his head and slipped his arm around her waist.
Mabel stood back with her arms around Anna Rose as the flutter of excitement played out in front of her. She could see the love Michaela and Sully had for the daughter that wasn't theirs by blood. Mabel was surprised at just how young Colleen was. She couldn't be much past seventeen or eighteen. Young love⦠I remember the days, Memories of her own love flashed through her mind as she watched the family interact. She watched as Michaela had them set their bags down by the door and ushered them into the living room. She motioned toward Mabel, and a blush coming from nervousness rose to her cheeks.
"Colleen. Andrew. This is Mabel. She's agreed to stay with us and help out with Katie and with the house."
"Wonderful! I'm glad you'll be able to help Ma out. She always overdoes it!" Colleen said, looking first to Michaela with a glint of admiration and love and then shifting her gaze to Mabel."
"This little angel of hers is Anna Rose. Katie and Anna have become very close friends." As if proving her mother's point, Katie wiggled down from her spot in Colleen's arms and walked over to Anna. She grabbed her hand and led her over to Colleen.
"Rosie!" Katie giggled and gave Anna a hug. Katie pointed at Colleen. "Sista'" Colleen bent down with a smile and waved at her little sister's best friend. A shy grin crossed Anna's face.
"I'm assuming you'll want to be put up in your room," Mabel said to Colleen, " so I'll quickly move my things over to the girls' room and bunk in with them."
"Thank you," Colleen said appreciatively.
Like a mother hen, Michaela gathered her brood into the living room to finish their traditions.
After the story was read, Michaela set the book aside and looked around. Katie and Anna Rose were fast asleep; Katie snuggled in Colleen's lap and Anna Rose in Matthew's. Colleen and Matthew gingerly stood up and trudged up the stairs to the girls' room. They tucked them into bed quickly. "Night my darlings," Colleen said as she brushed a kiss across Katie's forehead.
"Ni' Ni'" Katie murmured even though she was in the depths of sleep.
Colleen smiled as she and Matthew returned back downstairs. The room was filled with an air of excitement and anticipation for what was next to come. Michaela wrung her hands and bounced on her toes and Sully had a grin that threatened to crack his face in two. For the several past Christmas' that they'd had, they hadn't done too much. Matthew, Colleen, and Brian were older and Katie was too young to really know what was going on. But this Christmas, everyone was home, and there were two little girls who were excited for the events to happen the next day. Sully walked to the door and motioned for Brian, Matthew, and Andrew to follow him. They slipped on their shoes and coats and went outside into the cold. As soon as the door shut, Michaela scurried upstairs and returned with a box filled with decorations, strings of popcorn and brightly colored, braided scraps of fabric. Colleen and Mabel rushed over and began rifling through the box of trinkets. Pretty soon, four sets of boots could be heard stomping up the stairs to the door. The door opened and a gust of frigid air whooshed in, followed by the men who were quietly joshing about. With them came the nearly ten-foot-tall tree that Brian and Sully had cut down earlier that week and had stashed in the barn. With some effort, the tree was propped up in its place and the real fun began.
Once the decoration box was empty, the popcorn and braided fabric ropes strung around the tree and the star placed on top, the family retrieved the wrapped gifts each one had stashed and brought them to the tree. When that was completed, Michaela and Sully sent everyone else up to bed with a mischievous glint in their eyes. They had stockings to fill after all! It was nearly a half-hour later when they finished all their shenanigans and retired to their bedroom to go to bed, although Michaela was sure that no sleep was to be had.
