Chapter Seventy-Two
"Oh, I wish we could have come in our Sleigh!" sighed Allie wistfully.
"That would have been nice, but our Trees will fare much better loaded on the Wagon. You'll see when we put them up tonight, without any damaged limbs! It will be worth the sacrifice, I promise," assured Nathan.
"It couldn't be a more perfect day for finding a couple of Trees, could it, Love?" asked Elizabeth, excited for their Afternoon and Evening together.
"No, Elizabeth, this is absolute perfection," and he smiled as she tightened her grip on his arm. "Even a bit warmer than last year, but not too warm. Just perfect."
"Jack, Big Guy, what do think about all this? We're taking the Horses to find our Christmas Trees!"
"Kissmas Twees?"
"Yes, Jack, Christmas Trees. You're going to love this, Son!"
"I'm so excited, I can't stand it!" squealed Allie. "This is one of my most fun parts of Christmas, and decorating the Tree, of course, after we get it home. But this year the Trees have to be even more perfect than last year because we're going to be a real Family!"
"Allie, I think we might already be, a real Family, that is!" and Allie beamed at her beautiful Teacher in response.
"Should we try the same area as last year?" asked Nathan. "Or should we head in a different direction?"
"Dad, I won't know till we get there. We'll just have to get a feel for everything," declared Allie.
Elizabeth put a gloved hand to her face to hide her smile.
"Allie, you take this job very seriously, indeed,' praised Elizabeth. 'But thanks to you, the payoff is huge, as we'll no doubt end up with the two most beautiful trees in the Forest! And without a doubt, we'll have the two most beautiful Christmas Trees in all of Hope Valley!"
Allie's smile couldn't have been any broader!
For an instant, Elizabeth thought back to her Childhood.
"Do you know, I just realized, I never once got to do this as a Child! The most gigantic Trees you ever saw just magically seemed to appear inside our house. And they were always decorated perfectly by the Staff before we could barely realize they were there. We, Children, only got to place one Ornament on the Christmas Tree each year. And that was after the Tree was completely decorated. By the time it was our turn, every single Branch was already filled to the hilt with Ornaments, so no one could even see the three little Ornaments we added to the Branches. Viola, Julie, and I had no idea what we were missing out on!"
And Elizabeth vowed to herself and then out loud, "We are going to have the very best Christmas ever! So, get ready, Allie and Jack!"
Allie clapped her hands, and Little Jack joined in!
Elizabeth had noticed now for some time, that Jack idolized Allie and that she had gotten him to do things Elizabeth couldn't begin to get him to do. Whether it was trying new food, behaving a bit better, or just saying a new word, Little Jack would try his very best to not disappoint his Allie.
'They are already Brother and Sister,' realized Elizabeth as she thought. 'And they've figured it all out on their own, without any help from us!'
She looked at Nathan amazed at her realization, and by the way Nathan glanced at the Children and then smiled back at her, she knew he knew exactly what she was thinking, and completely agreed.
Mounds of snow spread out before them, and the afternoon sun seemed to kiss the snow, emitting tiny splays of light everywhere its rays touched.
The scenery all around them was extraordinarily beautiful, and the wintry air was chilled just enough to let them know it was Christmas!
But the sun's rays still broke through, warming them in spite of the cold surrounding them.
"We're here, Allie!" and Nathan brought the Horses to a full stop. She could barely restrain herself from jumping out unassisted.
"Hold on just a minute, Allie Bean!" cautioned Nathan, as he tied the reins and came to the other side of the Wagon to lift her down.
"Big Guy, you're next!" and he lifted Jack down into Allie's outstretched arms.
"See the Forest, Jack! We're here to get our Christmas Trees!" reminded Allie.
"Kissmas Twees?"
As Nathan lifted Elizabeth down, it was almost reverently as he quickly brushed his lips against her cheek, smiled his most alluring smile, and took her hand to follow the Children.
"I think we go in this direction, Jack!" decided Allie.
Jack pointed in the direction Allie had chosen, and as the Adults were no longer in charge, they also followed their Tree Master as directed.
"No, this one's not tall enough."
"This one's crooked…"
"This one has too many bare branches!"
"Definitely not, just not right at all!"
"Look, Jack, this is exactly what we DON'T want!"
And the two wandered ahead a bit…
"This, my Darling, is what I wanted to do last year…" and Nathan kissed his Elizabeth in a way which made her feel she was the Queen of the Forest. "And there's still no place I'd rather be."
"And this, my Love, is what I wanted to do last year…" and Elizabeth's kiss left no doubt where and who had her heart. "I've never been happier, Nathan."
Suddenly Allie shrieked in delight!
Elizabeth and Nathan ran…and there before them was not one, but two of the most perfect Trees they had ever seen.
Elizabeth couldn't believe it!
"Allie, they're like they are twin Trees! They're identical and they're perfect!"
"You and Jack can't do any better than these, Allie! They really are perfect!"
So, Nathan began the process of cutting the first Tree down and loading it onto the Wagon.
"Cut Twee?" asked Little Jack.
"Yes, Jack, we're cutting our Christmas Trees! We have one more to go! We get to take them home with us…" explained Nathan.
"Home?"
"Yes, Big Guy, home!"
And Jack smiled a huge smile.
He was learning!
Elizabeth and Allie held Jack back, while Nathan proceeded to cut the second Tree.
When Nathan finished loading the second tree onto the Wagon, Allie ran to hug him.
"Thanks, Dad!" and Nathan bent to kiss the top of her head.
"Dat, twee!" and Nathan reached for Little Jack and wrapped him in his arms.
"You want a kiss, too?" he asked.
"Dat, Kiss!"
And Nathan gave Jack the biggest kiss filled with love, which left the Toddler perfectly content and ready to climb in the Wagon with his 'Na'tan,' his 'Dat.'
Elizabeth's heart was ready to burst with love…
Nathan decided it would be best for him to set up each Tree at the respective Homes, first, as that was the messiest and most difficult part of the entire Tree Trimming process.
At each house, Elizabeth and Allie directed him with a critical glance from every angle, until each Tree was positioned perfectly.
Now, with that process completed, the Trees were ready to be decorated at both houses.
"Let's start at your House, and then end up at mine for Dinner just before we decorate the 2nd Tree!" suggested Elizabeth.
Allie loved that idea, "Yes! We get to decorate two Trees, Jack!"
Nathan got out all the Ornaments and remaining Christmas Decorations and placed them in his Living Area, just in front of the Tree.
He then made Hot Chocolate for everyone and while they drank their Chocolate and ate some of the Café's Sugar Cookies, he started stringing the Lights around the Tree.
Elizabeth was rummaging through some of the boxes.
"Nathan, I don't remember these from last year. They're stunning!"
"That's because Mother just sent them to us last Monday. When she was putting up her Tree, she realized she had quite a few extra she had meant to give us but had overlooked. They are really beautiful, aren't they, Darling?"
"Yes, they are. They look like they're all handblown! And look at the painting. It's all done by hand. They're really exquisite…"
He finished stringing the Lights around the Tree from top to bottom, and came over to whisper in her ear, "They're all ours, Love! And more where those came from."
Then he added out loud, "Just imagine all of our Ornaments together on one Tree next year!"
Elizabeth smiled, "We're going to have to have really tall ceilings in our new House, because that's going to be one humongous Tree!"
And Allie beamed just thinking about it!
"Can we get Little Jack a Train, and let it run around the base of the Tree, just like we did at Grandma's?" she asked.
"Yes, Allie," and Nathan's face flooded with memories. "Yes, we can…"
For it had been his Train that they had always placed around the base of the Tree.
He would remember to get it from his Mother and give it to Little Jack next year, placing it around their first Tree in their new home together on Christmas Eve, so Jack would wake to the Train moving around the Tree as his special Christmas Morning Surprise!
Elizabeth squeezed his hand, deducing the Train had been his childhood toy.
Then they started adding all the Ornaments to the Tree, together, just like they did last year!
Except this year was different...
Yes, it was different because Nathan and Elizabeth were together as a Couple now, but it was also different because the four of them were also together as a Family, which was the most wonderful feeling in the World at Christmas time!
Little Jack was with them to help decorate the Christmas Tree this year for the first time, and it was the very first Christmas Tree he had ever even attempted to decorate!
Allie was showing him how to place the Ornaments on the lower Branches of the tree, although for everyone he placed, he knocked two or three more off the Tree!
But Allie was so patient, putting them back on when he couldn't see, and helping him all over again.
And he was loving his little task, totally oblivious to the sweet chaos he was causing.
Nathan and Elizabeth worked on the higher portions of the Tree. But, this year when he helped her place the Red Cardinal Ornament up into the highest branches, she turned and fell into his arms, kissing him with total abandon, and he kissed her back with the pure joy of knowing not only were they together, but that next Christmas they would be Husband and Wife together.
Quite a dramatic change from the awkwardness and frustration of last year, when their bodies accidentally brushed against each other.
As Nathan recalled that previous moment, forever etched in his mind, he much preferred this new moment of intimacy between them.
And he smiled to know that even this new intimacy would only continue to deepen.
When they finally finished placing all the many Ornaments on the Tree, Nathan lifted up Allie to place the Angel on the very top of the Tree.
"Just a little to the right…It's perfect, Allie!" said Elizabeth in awe, as she and Jack stood back and admired the completed Christmas Tree.
When they finished decorating Elizabeth's Christmas Tree, Nathan lifted Jack high to the Ceiling so he could help place the Star at the top of the Tree.
Jack clapped his little hands in glee, as the Star lit up when Nathan stepped back to adjust it.
"It's so beautiful, Mrs. Thornton! I love that the Star lights up!" said an enthralled Allie.
"I have an idea, when I was growing up after we finished decorating the Tree, we always ate our Dinner, whatever it was, sitting on the floor around the Tree. But all the lights had to be turned off, except the Tree Lights! That's the rule! What do you think?" suggested Nathan.
"Why, that's a lovely tradition! Let's do it!" enthused Elizabeth.
"I love that Dad! It's a Christmas Picnic!"
"Yes, Allie that's exactly what it is!"
So, Nathan spread a blanket on the floor in Elizabeth's Living Room, directly in front of the Christmas Tree, then went to help Elizabeth fill their Dinner Plates and carry them into the Children.
As they all got comfortable on the floor, Allie, ever attentive and thoughtful where Little Jack was concerned, arranged Little Jack's food along with hers, where both could easily reach their Plates without any accidents.
But as Nathan dimmed the lights, the Children gasped! Then oohed and aahed.
The Tree was suddenly awash with colorful Lights, and it was a magical sight to see!
"Never has a Christmas Tree looked so beautiful," whispered Elizabeth.
And the Children just sat there in the near darkness mesmerized by the glowing Lights with all the bright colors flickering before them.
A huge reflection of the Tree Lights danced on the window in front of the Christmas Tree, doubling the number of total Lights in the little space, making the Lights seem to dance all over the room, from the Ceiling to the Floor!
As Nathan sat down beside Elizabeth, he reached to kiss her lips, then she leaned into him, watching the Tree.
"Pure magic," whispered Elizabeth. "This is pure Christmas magic!"
And it truly was…
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Will be Back Next Week with Lots more from Hope Valley, starting with Little Jack's Christmas Eve Birthday, the Bouchard's Christmas Eve Wedding, and Lots More Christmas Excitement & Surprises for the Grants & Thorntons! You Don't want to Miss Any of It! Look Forward to Seeing You Then...