Hello everyone! It's been a while huh?

Sorry for the lack of updates but I've been super busy recently with work. I'm working as much as I can on the run up to Christmas mainly because I'll be away for the Christmas week with my family plus my dad is taking my sister and I away again this year for our birthday. But here's a chapter for you all. I hope you enjoy it!

Thanks to everyone to faved and followed after the last chapter. And thanks to those who left comments. :) If you haven't done yet, please fave, follow and leave me a message! I'd like to know what you all think.

Peace – Deeny xxx

'Jesus Delsin, how many have you got there?'

Caterina gasped as she stared at the armful of parcels and boxes Delsin had piled up in his arms.

'Err thirteen. Yeah thirteen.'

Caterina had noticed that in the past few weeks Delsin had been putting a lot more effort in to selling his art and his photographs. Whatever he was doing, it appeared to be working. In just over two weeks he had managed to sell around fifty pieces; either oil paintings on canvas or large photographs all fully framed. None of his pieces sold below forty-five dollars so Delsin must have been raking in the cash. Caterina had to wonder about it, it was obvious he was up to something but she decided to let it slide for the time being. She had to go in to town to mail out Delsin's stuff as well as half a dozen pieces of her own.

The drive in to town wasn't so bad as the roads had been salted earlier that morning. Caterina still took her time though as the roads were still a bit slushy and the snow had been falling at a slow but steady rate. She had managed to find a spot outside the post office again as well as a large bag that had been shoved in to the centre glove-box of the truck. Caterina quickly shoved as many of the smaller packages she had in to the bag and settled with carrying some of the larger ones in her arms so she wouldn't have to take two trips in to the post office.

She was happy that she had managed to get out of there as quickly as she did thanks to another worker the called James who knew her and knew how much she usually brought in and how she liked everything posted. He also had help from a new girl working in the post office named Michelle who James told what to do with all of Caterina's packages should she ever have to serve her. It cost a small fortune to send everything but both Delsin and Caterina charged for postage so it wasn't so bad. Caterina left the post office still wondering what Delsin was up to. Normally in a week he would post roughly around seven to ten packages. But thirteen in one go today on the first of her usual bi-weekly trips in to town to post stuff was starting to puzzle her even more; especially after she counted up what Delsin had posted in the last few weeks.

She hopped back in to the truck and started the engine to let it warm up for a few minutes before she set off to do her grocery shopping at the local high street and supermarket. Then she started mumbling to herself.

'So he's had thirteen today and twenty-one last week… twenty-four the week before that.' Caterina muttered as she counted it all up in her head.

'That's a total of fifty-eight. If I say each one is roughly forty-five dollars…' Caterina continued to mumble to herself as she reached over to the trucks glove box and found a scrap of paper and a pen she always kept in there. She scribbled a few sums on the paper to figure out just how much Delsin may have made.

'That's just over twenty-six hundred bucks.'

Caterina sighed as she slumped back in to the driver's seat, still puzzled as to why Delsin was suddenly selling so much. The only reason why that she could think of, was that it would be Christmas in a month and maybe he was going on a gift buying binge.

She shook her head in an attempt to physically shake the thoughts out of her mind. She pulled the truck out on to the road and made her way over to the supermarket. Caterina parked as close to the store as possible and made her way inside, grabbing a cart on the way. She had a big shopping list she had written earlier on in her jacket pocket which she pulled out and scanned briefly to see where she had to head first.

It was nearly Thanksgiving. Caterina had questioned Delsin about it a few weeks back on if his tribe celebrated it or not as she knew a lot of Native tribes didn't. He confirmed it all for and gave her answers. No the Akomish didn't celebrate Thanksgiving as such but a lot of the tribe who worked were given the day off like everybody else so they took the opportunity to get everyone together in the Longhouse to eat, drink and be merry as well as remembering their ancestors. Everybody brought food and drink along to share and even though Caterina was an outsider; she was invited. Caterina had said that she would bring along some deserts; Finnish recipes that her mother had taught her which gained a lot of interest as many women of the tribe were curious to know what she was bringing.

Caterina had bought what she could at the supermarket; basically all her cleaning products, some snacks and some frozen food like pizza and ice cream along with a crate of beer, a bottle of whisky, vodka and a few large bottles of cola and lemonade. After she had bought it all and loaded it in to her truck, Caterina made her way round to the town's main street. She went in to the British shop and bought loads of goodies from back home like she did every week along with some new things that Delsin hadn't tried yet. She bought all of the meat she needed from the butchers shop then excitedly made her way to the greengrocers. A week before she had asked the owner of the grocers if he could find her some Lingonberries and he had as they were never a thing he usually stocked.

Caterina burst out of the shop with a huge smile on her face and a massive bag full of Lingonberries which she was going to use to make Puolukkapiirakka; Lingonberry Pie. She had also bought loads of blueberries too which she was going to use to make Mustikkapulla which are blueberry buns, one of her favourite desserts she had when she was a child. She had to make plenty of everything and Delsin said he would help her the night before Thanksgiving as they would have a lot to do.
Caterina hurried home as fast as she could as she had bought a lot of frozen stuff and wanted to get it all in the freezer before it thawed out. She also wanted to get home as Betty had asked her the day before if she could go in to the cannery and help her with some office work, Caterina could at least get home and start making dinner for later before she went to see Betty. The snow had stopped so it made getting home a lot quicker for Caterina.
Delsin wasn't even in when she got back so she brought all of the shopping in by herself and put everything away; leaving out the things she needed for making dinner. As she was moving things off the kitchen counter top, Caterina found a piece of paper left at the side with a ball-point pen holding it down.

"Cat, gone out taking photos. I'll be back in a while. -Del xx."

'He's doing a lot of work, not like Delsin at all.' Caterina scoffed to herself as she read the note. She shook her head and finished putting all the groceries away before she made a start on dinner for tonight. Halfway through peeling a small bag of carrots, Cat heard a knock at the front door. She laid her peeler down and hurried over to open the door.

'Ah hi Betty. Come in.'

'Thank you Caterina. Just thought I'd pop round for a little while, I needed to get out of that office for a little while.'

'I'll put the kettle on then. I take it you've had a long day?'

'It's been nothing but phone calls, orders and failing machinery. Enough to give you a migraine.'

Caterina flipped the kettle on then beckoned for Betty to take a seat at the kitchen table whilst she finished peeling the rest of the carrots. She had the other veggies prepared already and a joint of beef cooking slowly in the oven.

Betty always popped over for ten or fifteen minutes when she wanted to escape the cannery for a little while for a chat and a cup of tea with Caterina. The cannery had shut for the day but Betty still had loads of work to do. Caterina was always willing to help out whenever she could.

'Here we go.' Caterina said as she laid down a small tray on the table with cups, sugar, milk and a fresh pot of tea. She picked up the teapot and poured Betty the first cup.

'So we're gonna be sorting out the office are we?' Caterina asked. Betty nodded as she stirred a spoonful of sugar in to her tea along with a splash of milk.
'Yes, there's loads of paperwork that needs filing and a lot of the older things can be shredded. It's getting so cluttered in there.' Betty replied. She sipped at her tea as her eyes roam around the room.

'Is Delsin out?'

'Yeah he's gone out again. Probably taking more pictures while the lights still good.'

Betty stared at Caterina for a few moments, noticing that she had a slight confused almost worried look on her face.

'Is everything okay Caterina?' Betty asked the young girl. She just smiled back at her and shook her head.

'Yes. Well, maybe. I'm not sure.' Caterina bit her lip. 'Delsin's up to something. He's really pushing for sales on his art at the moment. I don't even know how much he's exactly brought in over the past few weeks, but I think he's hoarding money for some reason.'

'He hasn't told you anything?'

'No not a thing. I mean I know it's coming up for Christmas soon but the amount of money he'll be drawing in is in the thousands. What it's for I don't know, it can't just be for Christmas presents alone. I'm beginning to not like surprises of any sort.'

Betty smiled at Caterina. 'I think that it's something you shouldn't worry about but be excited for! Perhaps Delsin is going to buy you a big present or maybe he's taking you away somewhere. You shouldn't overthink these things.'

Caterina broke out in to laughter.

'You know Betty, I never thought of it like that. I thought Delsin was planning to buy something really stupid like an extension on the house or a man-cave or if he had some massive loan to pay off or owed money to some dodgy folks.'

'Well dear I think you should start thinking a bit more positive.'

'I probably should. Every time my mother used to work every hour God sent the money usually went to paying off a huge credit card bill or other astronomical bills. I'm not used to dealing with huge sums of money in my family it was never around for too long.'

'I think you should look forward to whatever Delsin may be planning with this money he's saving. I genuinely think it is going to be a good surprise.' Betty reassured Caterina. 'Now let's finish our drinks and get my office cleaned up. That'll take your mind off it.' Betty grinned.

'I guess you're right. I suppose I better leave him a note.'

Caterina made her way back over to the note on the kitchen worktop that Delsin had left her. She turned the paper over and scrawled on the back of it.
'Gone helping Betty with her office work. Back soon. Keep an eye on the meat in the oven! -Cat xxx'.