Nollaig feasgar (Christmas Afternoon)

Ooh child things are gonna get easier

Ooh child things will be brighter

Ooh child things are gonna get easier

Ooh child things will be brighter

During Christmas midday, Lexie stood with the mistletoe wreath, the one she had made for the 'Christmas snogging' game in her hands. The sun shone down upon her as her eyes scanned the stone carved words, Liliana MacKinney MacKay 1975-2005, she knew that just days ago, Lili's 30th birthday had passed. Lexie knelt down as her fingers were about to release the wreath…

Someday, yeah, we'll put it together and we'll get it all done

Someday, yeah, when your head is much lighter

Someday, yeah, we'll walk in the rays of a beautiful sun

Someday, when the world is much brighter

Lexie didn't come out to the grave the day of Lili's birthday, but she kept the mental note of it in the back of her mind, as she thought of the right words to say to her cousin right now. The Glenbogle church service next door hadn't begun yet, as Lexie and told Archie needed her peace at her cousin's final resting place as her mind whispered…

'Happy belated birthday, Lil…made the big 3-0…You're missing all of this…everything, every moment of Maeve. No word from Duncan quite yet. Expect to hear from him soon though…I'm still at a loss, Lil. Susan and Nigel, you never met them, although, Nigel seems to have met you as an angel---sang 'Frosty the Snowman' an' the whole time, I kept think 'bout you an' you singin' Jingle Bells, was it? The whole time we were decorating the tree in the front foyer. I'm not depressed an' I can hear you scoldin' me now! Thanks!

Ooh child things are gonna get easier

Ooh child things are gonna get brighter

Ooh child things are gonna get easier

Ooh child things are gonna get brighter

'I wish I could see you one last time, ye know…just see you smiling, opening up a Christmas present, dancing at the Hogmanay celebration an' scarin' the daylights out of your husband---I just wish…you were here.'

Right now, right now

You just wait and see

How things are gonna be

Lexie kissed the wreath of mistletoe and heaved a sigh, "There's yer holiday snog, Lil. Happy Christmas," as she rose up onto her feet and then felt arms wrapping around her waist.

You just wait and see

How things are gonna be

You just wait and see

How things are gonna be

"Okay?" It was Archie, just checking on Lexie and telling her that afternoon church service would begin soon…

"Yea, Arch, believe there are still spirits amongst us?"

"To some extent yes," Archie stoked Lexie's hair and took a breath of his wife in, "Come in, the service will start soon…"

Lexie nodded her head, gave the grave one last look, and then traveled towards the church arm and arm with her husband.

Ooh child things are gonna be easier

Ooh child things will be brighter J J J

"Aren't you done yet?" Claire asked about university, as she peered over to Jess while they sat at the kitchen table keeping watch on Lexie's meal that she informed them would be baking, before she left for church.

"I'm done, been done since a week ago…I just decided to live with Sean…"

"What?" Claire's face dropped, "You didn't just say Professor Cook!"

"Well, I did. Mum doesn't like him much. I told her and Murray to not worry. I'd think I'd know how to deal with…"

"He's twice your age, Jess!" Claire lectured, as Jess tried to hush her up, "Shhhhhh! I dun need me Da hearin' that, Claire!"

"Well…"

"You left school, and well, it left me thinkin' about where I'd live after terms."

"You just up and moved in with him? What about his wife? What about---?"

"Claire keep it secret! His wife is divorcing him! There's nothing wrong with me livin' wit him for a wee while until I figure out what I want to do…I thought about going to Thailand…I thought about…"

"Jess, land management in Thailand? Are you nuts?"

"For holiday, Claire and we're both nuts, you and I!" Jess and Claire gave a laugh, as they were sitting in the kitchen of the big house, as Nigel and Martha appeared, "Aunt Claire, Martha and I want to do something special for Aunt Lexie for Christmas."

"Okay, Nye, what do you have in mind?" Claire asked her nephew, wondering what he did have on his mind…

"We wanna help her out…" Martha replied, as Nigel nodded his head.

Jess laughed, "Help her out in the kitchen."

"How?" Nigel and Martha glanced at Jess.

"You figure it out how…think about what she does in the kitchen."

"We can't cook, an' Mum won't allow me to touch the range without her present."

"Instead of cooking, how about cleaning?" Claire suggested, Nigel and Martha glanced at each other, and both asked, "Cleaning?"

"Aye, cleanin'…" Jess and Claire wandered out of the kitchen as Nigel and Martha put their thinking caps on. Nigel noticed the mop in the corner of the room and gave Martha a tap on her shoulder as she gave him a shrug… "Let's do this! Mum lets me do this!"

The pair got out the bucket from under the counter, as Nigel found the soap under the open counter too and poured way too much in into a bucket. Martha pushed a chair over to the sink as she turned on the water as it dribbled and babbled into the pitcher that Nigel had handed her…they poured the H2O into the bucket with the soap as bubbles, too much lathered foam instantly appeared…

Lexie, Lizzie, Molly and Archie arrived home from the church. Paul decided he had work to do and couldn't join them (even though he didn't want to go to church at all) as they teased him about 'making Christmas a working holiday.'

Martha and Nigel were just about done with their 'Christmas surprise' for Aunt Lexie when they heard her walking in from the back way, chirping, "I've to finish the shortbread. The Haggis fer dinner needs to be looked at…lots to do lots to do!" as Lexie climbed out of Archie and Lexie's new car and traveled towards the kitchen.

"Quickly hide!" Nigel shouted as he and Martha with the mop and bucket shimmed into the pantry.

"We'll meet you in there then," Archie answered as Lexie disappeared into the house about five seconds passed and then the trio, Molly, Lizzie and Archie who were about to walk inside heard a horrendous crash and a high pitched shrill…they swiftly pranced into the kitchen to find dear Lexie on the floor…

"Lexie?" Archie stated alarmed.

Molly added with concern, "What in dear heavens?"

"Me thinks…some elves…gave me floor a good washin'…me wrist…me arm…" Lexie then clutched her throbbing right arm and hand, "It hurts to move it…"

Molly answered, "We need to phone Doctor Ainslie,"

"I dun't need a doctor…" Lexie replied stubbornly.

"Lex, you need to see someone about your arm, you can't…"

"I've a dinner to finish cookin' and veggies to clean, an'---?" Lexie started to come up with excuses, as she tried to hold out her injured hand to be helped out and once Archie took it she added, "Me arm feels much better see! Ouch!"

"Lexie, your arm, your wrist, you just said it hurts," Archie caught her trying to save face.

"Lexie, dear, maybe you should get it checked out," Molly soothed and played moment's peacekeeper.

"As for the floor, it needs to dry," Lizzie answered about to slip too, "I wonder who those elves were…"

Nigel and Martha both exchanged harried glances as they listened in and wondered what they had done…to Aunt Lexie. Lexie grumbled as she was lead by Archie, Lizzie and Molly out into the back of the house to the SUV once again.

"I'll drive!" Lizzie insisted as she climbed into the driver seat after snagging the keys from Archie. Archie and Lexie, with the help of Molly, climbed into the back of the car.

"Okay, you may, but don't go so….fast!" Archie added, as Molly shut the doors and waved them on. As Lizzie excitedly, and giddily, yelled out, "Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" as she jerked the SUV around and sped it into the direction of the doctor's house.

Archie shouted out at Lizzie and how fast she was going, "Oh my—my life is in my sisters hands!!!"

"Hey! Hey!" Lizzie scolded, as she replied, "I'll have you know I drove a race car at once an' I was darn good at it! I just need a pilot's cap and goggles—I wonder if Father's are still alive and kickin' 'round!"

"Oh really? Is that one of the misadventures of Lizzie that you never wanted to tell me about? Just like the Sahara and---?"

"I lived you know Archie! You should try it! Live a wee bit, click yer heels, an' feel the wind in your face for a change!" Lizzie continued to drive…

Lexie sat there as she started to feel sick to her stomach…

"You all right?"

"Just feelin' a wee bit ill again."

"Slow us down, Lizzie!" Archie played back seat driver to his sister once again.

"Oh, you spoil sport!" Lizzie slowed the SUV down and began to putt along down the road…

The SUV stopped at the doctor's house as Archie helped Lexie out and guided her towards the door. Doctor Ainslie met them at the door, and Archie spoke right there, "Sorry, we normally don't show up here like this…just---?"

"Dear boy, no need to worry, Molly phoned, an' said, Lexie took a spill?" Doctor Ainslie replied, as he lead Archie, Lexie and Lizzie in.

"Oh good," Archie blew out a breath.

"All right, Lexie?" Doctor Ainslie asked, as Lexie decided it was time to just give in, "My arm hurts real bad."

"I see. Let's 've a gander…" As Doctor Ainslie led them into an exam room since he rand his office out of his home, even though he also ran the village clinic too.

Doctor Ainslie took Lexie's bruised wrist and elbow, "Not sure if it broke, need an X-ray."

"X-ray?" Lexie asked getting nervous as she didn't think her injury was that serious…

"Aye, by the way, before you meet me at the clinic, are ye pregnant, short of breath, have a bad heart?" As Doctor Ainslie rambled on and on about safety measures before concluding Lexie was fit for an X-ray.

"Uh…" Lexie paused, 'Now would be a good time, Lex, to fess,' her mind stated firmly about her possible pregnancy.

"Uh?" Doctor Ainslie stared at her.

"My wife thinks there might be a possible chance of another on the way…" Archie spoke up as Lizzie stood in the corner of the room waiting to hear the answer about this…as her ESP kept telling her that Lexie must be indeed pregnant since her klutzy move in the kitchen.

"Well, why didn't you just come out and say so? Here's a cup, go on," Doctor Ainslie gave Lexie a specimen cup and she grabbed it with her good arm, "Thanks."

Lexie wandered towards the loo, did her duty, and flushed the toilet before she rejoined Archie and Lizzie in the exam room of Doctor Ainslie's house.

Roughly five minutes later…

"Lexie, Archie…" Doctor Ainslie wanted to confirm the pregnancy to the Laird and his wife, pronto.

"They are aren't they?" Lizzie added excited as Doctor Ainslie nodded his head and Lexie was then hugged by Lizzie, before replying, "Thanks, ow."

"Right, no X-ray for you, I'm afraid. Time for cast and glue…well have to set it in a sling too, sorry Lexie."

"No, I can't wear a cast or a sling! I've got Hogmanay meal and baking to finish and…" as Lexie started to rattle off everything she had to do…while Doctor Ainslie got his casting kit together for her arm.

"No worries, it'll be quick and painless, we just set it in casting and you wear it for about five weeks. Your wrist is the matter, Lexie, but we can check it in four weeks. It's black and blue and by those looks it's a good indication of a possible broken bone or two," Doctor Ainslie stated firmly while Archie nodded his head in agreement.

"Who's goin' to cook and clean?" Lexie mumbled as she gazed at Archie.

"Doctor, Lizzie, give us just a wee moment?" Archie requested politely for the doctor and Lizzie to leave them alone and they complied.

"Arch, I've got work to do-I gave Ewan the holiday off and told him not to start workin' for us until the New Year! I've to tend to the twins whilst Megan is on holiday. I can't wear a cast!"

"Listen to me, Lex. I'll phone Ewan to help out on Hogmanay…"

"An'--?" Lexie's face showed signs of disappointment and despair as she wanted to cook over the holidays and make it special.

"I'll cook. I'll clean." Archie offered as Lexie gave him a look, "What do you say?"

"Ye're a better cook than I am. I s'pose, I dun't mind seeing you putz 'bout in an apron…"

"I can do it. Consider it a gift."

"Gift without wrappin'?"

"You're the one carrying the gift without wrapping," Archie noted their bun in Lexie's oven and then the doctor and Lizzie reentered the room.

"Aye, Chef Laird."

"Well?" Lizzie asked getting impatient and wanting to hear the news.

"Cast me up then," Lexie offered out her bruised and battered arm and the doctor began his duty.

Susan entered the kitchen as she heard sobbing from the direction of the pantry. Susan carefully walked around the kitchen, noting the wet floor, to hear, Martha whimper,"I did it, ah huh."

"No you didn't, I did." Nigel sat beside his cousin and tried to soothe her. Susan appeared at the pantry door.

"Martha what's wrong?"

"I did it!" Martha cried and sniffled as Susan wrapped an arm around her trying to console the six year old, "You did what, sweetheart?"

"I broke Auntie Lexie!" Martha continued to cry.

"How do you mean?" Susan asked puzzled as she looked to Nigel for an answer.

"We decided to do something for Aunt Lexie for Christmas," Nigel began as he continued to explain, "We thought we'd give the floor a scrub."

"I see, Martha, you didn't break Aunt Lexie. I'm not sure of what happened, but you didn't break her."

"She fell down! She said ouch! She has a boo boo!" Martha kept crying and then Paul appeared in the pantry door.

"What's wrong?"

"Nye and Martha decided to do something special for Lexie and mop the kitchen floor."

"I see that." Paul knew the floor was very wet and very sudsy, "Oh and that's why Archie, Lexie and Lizzie were in such a rush. Molly mentioned taking Lexie to the doctor for her arm."

Martha continued to sob, "Boooo hoo!"

"There, there, you're in need of cheering. We'll take you in to see the twins and Minnie. Come along now." Susan carted Martha out of the pantry with Paul and Nigel traveling right behind them.

JJJOoh Child (mellow remake of 1970's song) by Beth Orton (2003)