He was cold, damn cold!

As he took Sandra for a walk around the farm that Christmas Eve morning, all Danny wanted to do was get back inside and get close to the fire that Tom and Rafe had started in the parlor fireplace before he and Sandra had gotten up.

"I don't know about you, but I'm just not used to these cold Christmases anymore." Sandra laughed softly.

"This comin' from the girl who told me she missed the snow." He grinned at her.

"Memories are far kinder that reality, I'd say." And she stepped closer to him.

He laughed and put his arm around her. "This is a reality I like."

"So do I." She smiled back and kissed his cheek. "It didn't seem to be this cold when we were in Ohio."

"I don't know about that Sandra. I was pretty cold there too." Danny laughed. "I guess we've just gotten too used to our Hawaiian winters."

"Spoiled is more like it." Sandra replied and they continued to walk. He didn't think about where they were going until they ended up at the plot where Danny's parents were buried.

He stood frozen on the spot. "I'm sorry honey. I don't know how we ended up here."

"It's all right Danny. It's Christmas Eve and you wanted to spend it with your parents."

"I don't remember much about Mama." He frowned.

Sandra put her arms around him. "Tell me what you do remember about her. After all, these are things our children will want to know."

Danny smiled at her. "She had a real soft voice and she always seemed to smile. She would read to me at night and when I got old enough, started to help me learn to read. I remember that she would hum and I thought she had a real pretty voice."

"What happened to her? You've never told me how she died."

"I always thought it was a broken heart, even though the doctor told Daddy it was tuberculosis. I was little when he had to go to France, so all I remember about him is what he became when he got home. Mama kept tryin' to tell me that he had been a real sweet, kind man before he left and she tried to help him. But whatever it was that he saw over there, he couldn't talk about it so he drank."

"I'm sorry Danny."

He kissed her cheek and pulled her closer. "Every once in awhile when he was sober, I could see who she was talkin' about and that was the man that I tried to help after Mama got sick. He took real good care of her and me and even stopped drinkin'. But once she was gone, he started drinkin' again. He missed her somethin' fierce and sometimes he'd take it out on me. That's when I would run over to the McCawley's and stay with them until Daddy sobered up."

"That's no way for a boy to grow up." She said it almost to herself.

"I miss him too sometimes. He was a real good daddy when he wasn't drinkin' and I think that's why I could never hate him. The problem was that the longer that Mama was gone, I saw less of that man she tried to tell me about." He explained to her and could sense that there was a question that she wanted to ask, but couldn't bring herself to do so. "You want to know how Daddy died." He stated.

"I don't know why it is that I could ask about your mother, but not your father." She sighed.

"Maybe it's because I remember too much about what it was like. I think Daddy died of a broken heart too. He came real close to losin' Mama when I was born and I think he always resented me for that. Then when she died, he didn't have a reason to go on anymore."

"What about you?" Sandra's eyes filled with tears and Danny pulled her to him.

"Mama was his whole life and when she died, I think he did too." He sighed. "I found him in his bed one mornin' after I'd come home from the McCawley's. He looked like he was asleep and when I couldn't wake him up I knew he'd finally joined Mama."

"So that's when you went to live with the McCawley's."

"Yea. If it hadn't been for them I would have ended up in an orphanage or a boy's home. I probably wouldn't have learned to fly or join the Air Corps with Rafe."

"And we would never have met." Sandra whispered and she started to cry.

"Please don't cry honey."

She put her arms around his neck and held him close. "I'm sorry. I just can't imagine that you might not have been a part of my life and become my husband."

"Or a father to our baby." He whispered back as he tried to lighten the mood. He took her arms from around his neck so he could look at her. "I'm the one who's sorry for makin' you cry. It's Christmas Eve and it should be a happy time."

"I'm glad you told me though. There's so much about your life here that you've never talked about and I wish that you had told me."

"Why? It's somethin' that's in the past and I was real lucky to have the McCawley's. It's because of them that I got to grow up in a real family and not worry that I was goin' to get a beatin' for somethin'. It's because of them and my mama that I know I'm goin' to be a good daddy."

"I love you."

"I know you do honey and I love you too." He smiled at her and kissed her. And then he started to laugh.

"What's so funny?" She looked puzzled.

"I just realized that I was kissin' you in front of my folks." He grinned.

"Well since we're here, don't you think it's time you introduce me?"

"Sandra." He could feel his face warm.

"Humor me Danny."

"All right." He took her hand and faced the markers of his parents. "Mama, Daddy I'd like you to meet my wife Sandra. She makes me real happy and if we're lucky, you would have been grandparents by next Christmas."

She looked at the markers. "And I'll do my very best to make your son happy."

He smiled at her. "You do Sandra, more every day."

She looked up at him and kissed him. "And you make me happy, more every day."

"You make it easy honey. Let's get back to the house, I think my toes are frozen."

Sandra smiled at him and nodded. "Mine too. And I think I could stand a nice hot cup of Sarah's cocoa."

"That sounds like a nice idea. And we can drink it in front of that nice big fire in the parlor." And he took her arm and walked her back to the house.

When they got there, Tom was on the front porch. "We were startin' to get a little worried about you two."

"Sorry about that Tom. We were walkin' and talkin' and somehow ended up at the plot where my folks are buried."

He nodded. "Sarah goes over there every couple of weeks to take care of it. You never asked, but she thought it was somethin' that should be done."

"I'll have to thank her."

Tom shook his head. "Please don't let on that you know. It's somethin' that means a lot to her and she don't want a big fuss made of it."

Danny nodded. "All right then."

"Come on in before we all freeze to death. Sarah's got hot cocoa on the stove and that son of mine has been stokin' the fire." And he led the way into the house.

It wasn't until Danny had helped Sandra off with her coat that he saw her look up. Over the front door was a sprig of mistletoe and he grinned at her. "Merry Christmas Sandra."

"Merry Christmas Danny." She answered just before he put his arms around her and pulled her to him for a kiss.