A/N: let's go Christmas tree shopping...

The air had a sharp chill as Max and Brennan left the diner and turned down a side street to check out the tree lot. They both laughed as they reminisced about Christmases long ago.

"Your mom almost burned our apartment building down when she cooked dinner on our first Christmas together." Max grinned as he recounted the story. "She knew I was getting hungry, and since she wasn't an experienced cook, it seemed like things were taking longer than they should to get done. She wanted the turkey to get brown in a hurry, so she cranked up the heat on the oven. Little did we know the knob was wonky. She thought it was set at 400 degrees, but it was more like 55O."

"Oh no!," Brennan gasped. "And it caught the turkey on fire?"

"Yeah, it did...and there was smoke just pouring out of that old oven, even with the door shut. We finally got the fire put out, but what a mess it made in the kitchen! Our little apartment smelled bad for days afterwards." Pretending to hold his nose, Max chuckled softly. "She was upset about wasting the food, but all that was left of that turkey was a charred carcass! There was no way we could eat it, so we ended up having tuna fish sandwiches for Christmas dinner. But you know what? I didn't care. We were happy, just being together. I'll always remember that Christmas dinner."

He flinched slightly as he realized he might have touched on a sore spot. "I'm sorry, Honey. Maybe with everything that's happened between you and me in the past...well, maybe I shouldn't tell you those stories about your mom and me when we were younger. They must make you sad…"

Nodding, she sighed softly as she gazed up at the night sky. "Yes...in a way, they do cause me pain, but I still want to hear them. I feel like there's so much I don't remember about Mom, and hearing those stories may be the only way I get to know about her...you know, what she was like as a young woman."

"Okay…if that's what you want, that's what I'll do. Believe me, I've got plenty of stories to tell." Max shrugged as he took his daughter's hand. "What else do you want to know?"

They talked for several minutes as they moved down the street before pausing to appreciate the stained glass windows adorning the towering gray stone facade of St. Vincent's Church. The lights glowing inside the nave shone through the colorful panes of glass, making the figures depicted there seem to come alive as they told their stories from long ago.

"Beautiful…," Max commented as he looked up at the Rose window. "This is how a church is supposed to look…"

"Given the age of the structure, the windows were probably made in Italy." Smiling as she studied the designs, Brennan continued. "They'd make the complete windows at a glassworks, carefully disassemble them into sections, and then ship them abroad, along with a master glazier, who would supervise their installation when they reached their destination."

"Wow...all that work must've been a pain in the ass, but it was worth it, right?" Max seemed lost in a distant memory. "After all these years, those windows are still gorgeous…"

"Yes, they are…," Brennan agreed. "True works of art…"

They were soon joined by a cheerful young nun who was more than happy to explain the significance of the designs in the windows. After chatting with her for a few minutes, they strolled down to the entrance of the Christmas tree lot to make their selection.

The pleasant woodsy scent wafting from the crowded rows of evergreen trees stirred up happy memories for Brennan...memories of being a small girl on Christmas morning, playing with her talking doll and her toy ponies on the living room floor…

I remember tearing the ribbons off my presents as I rushed to open them...the ribbons were red satin...and they were so pretty. I didn't want to throw them away, so I kept them in the pocket of my robe, and then I tied some of them to my doll's hair and used the rest of them to make reins for my toy ponies...Mom said I had the fanciest ponies in town...

"What do you think about this one, Tempe?"

"Hmm?" Shaking off her memories, she looked at the sturdy fir tree her father had selected. "Oh...well, it's very large, isn't it?"

The salesman shrugged as he took out a tape measure. "Eight feet tall...and a couple of feet across. It's full and it's got a good symmetrical shape to it...and a fir is sturdy enough to hold even heavy ornaments…plus it's a bargain...90 dollars."

Somewhat surprised at the price, Brennan turned to her father. "Maybe we should look at a few others, Dad…" Seeing his disappointment, she rolled her eyes. "I suppose this is the perfect tree, right?"

"Yes…" Max wore a sheepish grin. "You see, I came down here after I called you this afternoon and picked it out. Jim was nice enough to put it back for me. Can we get it? Please, Honey? It'd make your old man very happy…"

"Fine." She laughed as he laughed and clapped his hands like a small boy. "Now...how do you propose to get it back to the car? We left my car parked in front of the diner so we could enjoy our stroll down here, so I guess we can haul the tree back there. It's not that far."

"Nah, I'll just walk over and pick up your car and drive it back here. I won't be long. In the meantime, why don't you pay for the tree and get it wrapped up?"

"Alright." As her father set off to get the car, Brennan turned to the salesman. "My dad says the proceeds from your sales go to local food banks."

"That's right, ma'am. We wanted to set up a soup kitchen down there at St. Vincent's, since a lot of folks around here are in need, but rumor has it that the diocese is going to combine that parish with St. Martin's and then sell the land and building, so I don't know what we're going to do now. It may be that whoever buys the property would decide to tear down the building, and we'll be out of luck."

Brennan was aghast. "Why would anyone want to destroy such a beautiful old church? What a shame…"

"I have no idea. It's too bad, really, but that's the way it goes, I suppose." Shaking his head, Jim shrugged a shoulder. "Anyway, no matter what happens, we'd like to help out this neighborhood, you know? And the more we contribute to the food bank now, the more we'll have to share with everyone else when we do find a place. We want to feed people year round, not just at Christmas. There's never a shortage of hungry folks, no matter what time of year it is."

"I think that's a wonderful idea." Nodding, Brennan took six hundred dollar bills out of her purse. "There you are…for the tree..."

"Oh, lady...this is way too much…" Jim was flabbergasted at her generosity. "Are you sure you want to do this? Let me get you some change…"

She held up her hand to interrupt. "No, thank you. It's a small price to pay to make my father happy and to help hungry people be fed."

"Wow...well then, Merry Christmas to you! And blessings for the New Year!" Jim gave her hand a hearty shake. "I promise...we'll put the money to good use…"

"I know you will." Brennan pointed at the fir standing next to her. "Now, let's get this tree ready to go home with me…"

I appreciate the kind reviews, the likes and the follows. They keep me going as I work on this story. Laura.