CHARLES'S CHRISTMAS CAROL-31
Hello dear people...Thank you for all the reviews and nice words after yesterday's chapter. Things like that always make me want to continue. Today, as I promised, we will celebrate Christmas with our favorite family. I know that life is rarely like this, but this chapter will be all about lovely and sweet. Let's celebrate another Christmas with the Carsons!
Christmas Eve 1905
Elsie was spinning around the living room with an amazing vigor, preparing a delicious dinner for Charles and the children. Charles was still at the Abbey, making sure that everything was prepared for tomorrow, but Elsie decided that Mrs Brown should be able to take care of housekeeper duties herself this time and instead she choose to prepare the perfect Christmas for her own family. Dear Mrs Patmore didn't fail and she helped Elsie with all the important kitchen stuff, because Elsie was aware that her cooking skills were not as half as good as Mrs Patmore. So she let her friend help her out, while she took care of the smaller things.
It was already dark and Elsie was hoping that Charles will be back any minute now. He promised to be home as soon as possible, but Elsie was working at the Abbey long enough to know, that there are always some last minute complications. As she set the table and prepared herself to dinner, wearing a blue dress, she focused on forcing the children to dress elegantly too. The whole happy bunch was extremely frisky this night, as they were so excited for Christmas. Elsie watched with pride as the girls were both dressed in identical dresses, which they normally didn't like to do, because they were both such different characters. Charlie has wore a little, grey suit and he looked adorable. They all came downstairs to find that the table was already set to dinner.
"Mommy. Can we dress the Christmas tree now? It's dark already and we don't know when daddy will come home"-Charlie was impatient about the tree.
"We will wait Charlie...I'm sure that daddy will be home any minute...Girls please don't run around, you will spoil your dresses. I need to sit for a while, I'm quite tired.."
"Mommy, mommy is it true that the stork will bring our little brother?"-Charlotte asked, sitting on Elsie's lap.
"Who told you that sweetie?"
"Aunt Beryl.. I asked her how our little brother will appear in our house and she told me that the stork will bring him. Is it true mommy? Did the stork bring me and Victoria too?"
"The stork didn't bring me! You are lying Charlotte. I was brought here by an angel..."-Victoria was disagreeing with her sister, as awlays...
"Girls, girls...Hush...Enough of that...The stork didn't bring any of you, nor an angel.."
"So how did we get here mommy?"-Charlotte's inquisitiveness was sometimes overwhelming..
"You are both here because mommy and daddy love each other very much and you were created from this love..."
"What about me moomy? Was it the same with me, because the boys at school are saying different things about that..They are saying that.."
"Nevermind abbout that Charlie...There is no time to discuss it now...Daddy will be home soon and you need to help him decorate the Christmas tree.."
"Yes! We will decorate the tree!"-the girls started to dance around the room, singing Christmas carols and Elsie sighed with relief, because she wasn't preprare for those kind of questions...She left to go to the kitchen and soon she heard that the main door has opened and Charles finally came back home. The loud yelling of the children, fighting for his attention, made Elsie smile...
When she entered the living room, Charles was already holding their daughters and tousled little Charlie's hair. He kissed Elsie softly and even though he was tired, he was fully ready to start a Christmas celebrations with his family..Elsie went back to the kitchen and she listened as the children were happily decorating the tree with Charles...She looked outside the window, saw the falling snow and she thought for a millionth time, that she was extremely grateful for everything that she and Charles had so far..And for all the things that were ahead of them...Smiling to herself, she touched her belly and she was about to go back to the living room, when Charlotte entered the kitchen with a sad face...
"Charlotte baby what is wrong? Why are you that sad?"
"Because Victoria won't let me nearby daddy. She sat on his laps ten minutes ago and she won't let me do the same...She told me before that daddy loves her more than me...Is is true mommy? Does daddy love Victoria more?"-tears appeared on her face and Elsie's heart clenched...
"This is certainly not true Charlotte...Daddy loves you as much as he loves Victoria and Charlie...He loves you all equally. Don't listen to Victoria."
"Mommy...What about you? When the new baby will be born, will you still love us?"
"Sweetie...Of course I will love you...Your brother or sister's arrival won't mean that I will stop loving you...You are all my children and nothing is going to change that...My sweetheart..Come to mommy..."- Elsie took Charlotte in her arms and she kissed her auburn hair..."Now come on, we will go back to the living room and make sure that Victoria knows that it's your turn to sit on daddy's laps now.."
"Ok mommy, let's go now..."-Charlotte took Elsie's hand and they joined the rest of the family in the living room. Elsie couldn't take her eyes from the Christmas tree, Charles and the children really did an amazing job.
Very soon they all sat and ate the dinner and when they finished, Charles and the children made Elsie rest and they did all the washing up...As they got back to the room, Charles sat besides Elsie on the sofa, with all the children fighting to be near daddy and he read them "Twas the night before Christmas".
Victoria, Charlotte and Charlie all sat, listening carefully and when Charles finished, they sang few carols together...On this night, it was particularly difficult to make the children go to bed, but Elsie and Charles found an effective way to do that, saying that if they won't go to sleep, Father Christmas won't bring them presents the next morning. Reluctanlty, still being very excited and itchy about tomorrow, all the little Carsons have finally decided to go to sleep and Elsie with Charles sighed with relief, being able to go to bed...
"It took you much longer to get home than I thought...I was ready to give up on our dinner together.."
"I'm sorry Elsie...You know how it is...So much to do...So little time...But I'm here now...All for you..."
"I'm glad...I've missed you today...If you could only hear what questions the children asked before you arrived.."
"What did they ask?"
"They wanted to know where they came from..Apparently Beryl told them that the stork brought them and Charlotte wanted to know if it's true..."
"And what did you tell them?"
"Don't laugh at me Charles Carson...! I told them that they are all here because mommy and daddy love each other very much..."
"And this is definitely true..."-Charles kissed Elsie's lips..."Mmm...How are you feeling love? Is everything ok? How is our little one?"
"We are both fine...And don't you imagine that we will be able to avoid the question of are inquisitively children...Soon we will have to talk with them about the birds and the bees...Charlie told me that the boys at school has already told him something about that.."
"Did he say what?"
"No, because I stopped this conversation..."
"They are much too young to know about things like that...There will come a time when we will tell them, but not now..."
"You mean the time when I will have to tell them, because knowing you, you won't be able to stutter a word about that..."
"You know me so well Mrs Carson...You know that I'm not very good at words regarding this subject, I much rather act than to speak..."
"To quote our dear friend Mrs Patmore, I would say that we are all aware of that, considering my fourth pregnancy!"
"I would say you sound about right Mrs Carson, as always...How is our little boy?"
"He is very well...I think he sleeps soundly by now...Our little Logan..."
"Is that the name you choose for him?"
"Don't you like it? It's a traditional, Scottish name..."
"Another Scot in my family...I don't know about that..."-Charles pretended that his face frowned, but Elsie knew that he was kidding..."
"You should be grateful. If it wasn't for one brave, Scottish woman, you would have no family at all!"
"I know that..My Elsie...My sweet, darling Elsie...Do you know how much I love you? How grateful I am for you and our family? Each day?"-Charles glided his hands over Elsie's body, enjoying her curves and stopping on her pregnant belly, to gently stroke it, as was his constant habit...
"I know that..But it's always nice to hear you say it...Always...I love you too...We are both blessed to have what we have...Even though, ten years ago, when we started, I would have never predicted that..That we could have all of this...Just think..If it wasn't for your decision, we wouldn't be together today...We would be a grumpy old bachelor and a severe spinster...Can you imagine this?"
"I can't and I don't even want to...Everyday, I bless myself for my decision, but I have to tell you that it wasn't totally my decision...I was advised by someone..."
"What do you mean?"
"I just realized, that so many years have passed and I have never told you the story about Charlie Grigg and his Christmas visit in my dream..."
"I know nothing about that! Please tell me everything..."
Charles drew Elsie closer, into his arms, he let her put his head safely on his chest, wrapping his arms protectively around her and he told her about his Christmas dream from ten years ago, when his old pal Charlie Grigg visited him and showed him two different versions of his future life...When he finished his story, Elsie was astonished...
"How is it that you never told me this before Charles?"
"I'm not really sure...In the beginning we were so happy and ocuppied with one another, that there was never any time for that, then Charlie came and the girls and there was no time at all...I never meant to hide it from you..No doubt about that- my old friend has helped us to get to this point"
"I'm so very grateful to him...Bless his pour soul...I will say a prayer for him from now on...So you are saying that in the terrible version of your life, I went away and married Joe?"
"Yes. That's how it was in my dream..Luckily that is not true...I wouldn't be able to live without you...If I hadn't proposed to you back then Elsie, would you have married Joe?"
"I don't think so Charles...Ever since I've met you, I knew that you were the one...I'm not one of those women who were desperate to get married, but it's a good thing that Charlie Grigg showed you such possibility in your dream, because it pushed you to action..Immediate action...If you waited few years longer, we wouldn't have Charlie, the girls and possibly Logan..."
"Oh yes..Let's not forget our little Logan...Our youngest miracle...I'm grateful to Charlie too...He once destroyed my life, taking away Alice from me, but he fully rewarded that loss to me later...Even after his dead...He fixed something that he broke while he was alive..."
"Charles...Do you sometimes regret that you didn't marry Alice instead of me?"
"Elsie...How can you even ask? Alice was my youth infatuation, you are the love of my life..."
"Do you mean that? You are not just saying that to calm me?"
"No sweetheart...If there is one thing I'm sure of, is that you are the most darling woman in my life..Elsie...You gave me so much happiness, so much love..You brought joy and sense into my life...What would I be without you? A grumpy and pompous old fool..Thanks to you I'm the luckiest husband in the world and a father of four...Can there be anything more precious than that?"
"I guess not...It's the same for me Charles...When I think that I could be alone right now, without you, without our family...That thought is unbearable...So let's just pray for Charlie's poor soul, because we owe him a great deal..."
"We certainly do...My dearest Elsie...I wish I could capture this moment...When all the children are little and they are still with us, it will pass so soon...They grow up so fast...I wish I had more time for them and for you..."
"Charles...Don't be so hard on yourself.."
"Sometimes I'm wondering, if maybe I should give up the Abbey and be with you all the time...To have some job in the factory or any other place and be with you..."
"No Charles...I would never let you do that...Never...It would make you unhappy...You love the Abbey..."
"Yes, but I love you more...All of you..."
"And we know that and feel that..Everyday...Even when you are very tired and irritated...We still know that you love us all and we love you as much...See how much you already taught Charlie? Who knows, maybe he will be a butler someday too? I know how proud it would make you...And as you said...They are growing up so fast...They will once leave the house and you will still have the job at the Abbey that you love and need so much.."
"How are you that wise Elsie? You seem to know and understand eveything.."
"Scottish women have that quality..."-Elsie smiled to her husband, placing a sweet kiss on the side of his neck..."And that, particular Scottish woman is a very lucky one, because she has a very handsome and loving husband by her side..."
"And her husband has the wisest and the most beautiful woman in the world as his wife, so I would say that he is pretty lucky too..."
"I won't object to that description...I will definitely not object...Charles...My dearest...Look...It's almost midnight...Merry Christmas my beloved one..."
"Merry Christmas sweetheart..."
They've kissed with love and Elsie put her head in the crook of his neck, stroking his arm gently...He held her tightly and they both watched the falling snow, saying silent blessings for all the great things that life gave them so far...
Sweetness overload...Still it was a very pleasant thing for me to write this chapter. Still crazy in love Chelsie with their "happy bunch" and another one on the way, plus a family Christmas. Who could want more? Not to mention a curiosity of their little ones ;-) I hope that I have given you a moment of joy. Thank you for everything and take care. Will see you soon!