Chapter 48 – Frosty Badass

Bella

After being so frightened by the stranger in the window, I had nightmares every time I closed my eyes. The only relief I got was when Edward was next to me, so his presence back in my bed was resumed, with the promise of behaving until after the wedding. I was sure Edward could behave, but I had doubts about my own self-control.

Christmas was upon us so quickly I barely had time to finish shopping. Edward and I were headed out to Carlisle and Esme's house for a Christmas Eve party, and we were laden down with gifts for our friends and all six girls. Joy Noelle had become the newest member of the household, recovering nicely from her rough start and rescue from the drug house. We were still searching for the baby's identity, but nothing had been found yet. The other children who had been with her had thankfully been taken in by another good foster family.

"Miss Bella, come play with me," Marisol demanded, as she dragged me through the front door. Edward sat the packages down and grabbed Dorianne, as she leaped into his arms from the sofa.

"He-wo!" she exclaimed, grinning at him with a crinkled nose and patting the sides of his face. Stacey and Madelyn were busy with Joy, passing her back and forth between them like a live doll.

"I have to wait my turn with her," Esme laughed. "If this child's feet ever hit the floor, it'll be a miracle." She handed a bottle to Rose, and Madelyn placed the baby in Rose's arms, while she sat cradled in Emmett's lap in the recliner. Esme beamed, as she watched the three of them rocking together gently, no doubt imagining her grandchildren. She had started helping Rose plan her wedding, since she and Emmett had set their date for late summer and were anticipating a huge ceremony and reception.

Jasper and Alice came in shortly behind us, carrying a big load of gifts as well. I almost fell over laughing when I saw Alice's outfit. She was dressed in the cutest Christmas elf costume, ready to play Santa's helper.

It had been snowing all day, and the girls begged to go outside for a little while and play. We helped Esme bundle them all up and went outside with them, all of us working on building a big snowman. Edward and Emmett were skilled snow packers and had the snowman base stacked in no time. As I watched them, I started laughing hysterically, and everyone looked at me like I was insane.

"I hope you aren't making fun of our snowman building skills, Bella. Emmett and I happen to be the champions here. We have stories that'd make even Santa himself proud, or cringe, depending on the year." Edward was so cute when he boasted. However, I was quite sure I had him beat on this one.

"I'm sure you have great stories, guys, but how about years when there wasn't enough snow to build a snowman? What did you do then?" I asked with a mischievous gleam in my eyes.

"Well, we obviously didn't build one," Emmett grumbled. "No snow, no man."

"That's too bad, guys. We never had that problem. However, the first time we built one of our special 'snowless snowmen,' he had a last name, not just Frosty. Poppa called him 'Frosty Badass.' He got in trouble with Grammy for the name, but there was really nothing else that fit," I laughed again, trying to control my giggles to tell the story.

"I was nine that year. It was a really warm winter, with hardly any snow, and I was very upset we wouldn't be able to build our Christmas snowman. Poppa decided to surprise me by making a snowman out of that expanding foam you use to insulate around pipes. He ordered beach balls in different sizes to form the foam around, but what he didn't consider was how much the foam would expand overnight." By this time, I was having a hard time controlling myself.

"He went out to the shed, where he'd sprayed the beach balls with the foam and left them to harden overnight. He brought the two smallest balls out into the yard, but the third one had expanded so huge he couldn't get it through the door." Everyone was looking at me now, trying not to laugh, so I finished telling the tale of Frosty Badass.

"After trying everything, Poppa finally took his saw and cut the huge ball in half. He then used construction glue and an old barrel band to put it back together. Once he had it round again, he sprayed it with white Christmas tree flocking. We poked several rows of long nails into its head to give it a Mohawk hairstyle and a goatee. He was the toughest looking snowman you could imagine, especially after Poppa went to a thrift store and got an old ratty fake leather jacket and a pair of leather gloves for him. He made him a bandana headband and put a pair of cheap sunglasses on him, and then he got him a spike-studded goth belt for his neck and a chain dog lead to finish off his costume.

"By the time we finished with him, he looked like a rowdy biker snow dude. Grammy even got into the act, using upholstery thumbtacks and café curtain rings for his piercings. He was so popular, the manager of Spikes, a biker bar in the downtown area, begged Poppa to sell him the silly thing. From what I've heard, they still display it in the corner there during the holidays."

By now, Edward and Emmett were doubled over. "We concede and bow to the greatness that is Swan ingenuity and creativity!" Emmett howled. "Bella, I'm glad we're keeping you around. You definitely keep us laughing!"

After watching the girls grow more and more restless, Carlisle and Esme decided it was time to go in and warm up then pass out gifts. Stacey and Madelyn opened their gifts slowly, so grateful to be having Christmas at all. Marisol and Abigail were very enthusiastic, sending paper flying in every direction, as they plowed through their piles. As we all finished exchanging and opening gifts, Carlisle called us all to attention.

"I have one last gift for the girls, if they'll have it," he said, holding up a large brown envelope. "Inside here are adoption papers. If you girls are willing, Esme and I would like to make you our own, legally and permanently."

Madelyn, Stacey, and Abigail looked at each other, and then they flung themselves into Carlisle and Esme's laps, squealing joyfully. Marisol and Dorianne climbed in to join the group hug. Jasper pulled out his camera and had Rose and Emmett come and stand behind Esme and Carlisle, holding Joy Noelle, while the other girls arranged themselves on the floor and in their laps for a family picture. I watched, tears threatening, as my work came full circle. This was what it was all about. Seeing children happy in good homes, with true, loving families.