A/N: With thanks to Miss Peg and Lothlorien Aeterna for reviewing Like Clockwork.
x tromana
Title: Cinnamon Spice
Rating: K+
Characters: Van Pelt
Notes: Written for Dec 2nd in the Winter PIRvent Calendar on Paint It Red.
Cinnamon Spice
2nd December 2012
A day off from work was always bliss in Grace Van Pelt's eyes. Even more so when it was the first day off she'd had in December, and therefore, she could officially start her Christmas preparations without any fear of embarrassment. After all, Thanksgiving was now over and there were no important birthdays to consider until next year. That meant she was free to express her excitement for what was officially her favorite holiday by far.
She never told anybody that she mentally prepared for Christmas months in advance. Occasionally, Van Pelt even bought presents as early as August if she ever happened to see what she considered as being 'just the right thing' for somebody. In Wayne Rigsby's case, she had bought it just after his most recent birthday, in July, but that had been under special circumstances. It was unique, handmade and she knew she had to grab hold of the chance while she could. If she dared tell anybody that, they would have ridiculed her for her 'overzealous' planning, but Van Pelt knew it was far better to be over-organized than having to endure the mad dash to the shops in late December.
Her fingers curled around her cup of hot cocoa, with whipped cream and cinnamon as her lips curled into a smile. She hadn't okayed it with her boss yet – Lisbon always loathed the mention of Christmas until approximately fourteen days before the event – but Van Pelt had big plans for the bullpen this year. This time, she was really hoping she could get the others immersed in the Christmas cheer. As far as she was concerned, they all deserved it. It had been one hell of a year, and they needed to remember the nicer sides of life as well. It had taken Van Pelt a long while to get over Craig O'Laughlin and only now, was she feeling truly like she was back to herself. Her enthusiasm for this year's festive celebrations said as much to herself as it did to other people. And if she was smiling again, all she could do was hope it was infectious.
Piles of colored paper and enchanting pictures of kittens and puppies wearing Santa hats surrounded her. Streaks of glue ran down her jeans and her lounge looked like it had come off worse in a glitter factory explosion. Van Pelt didn't care though; in fact, if anything, she felt like she was in a rush. It was later than she would have ordinarily liked to have started her Christmas card making routine, but work had kept her particularly busy this year. Still, she was determined to get it done. As far as she was concerned, people always appreciated it just that little bit more if people put the effort into making their cards over buying them with the weekly food shop. Besides, she wanted to show just how much she cared to her family and friends, and this was one of the many ways she chose to do it.
It was also tradition. This was something she had done with her mom every Thanksgiving in preparation for Christmas. Time and distance prevented them from doing it together, but Van Pelt continued to do so just to feel that little bit closer to her parents. She knew her mom – an ardent cat lover and owner of three raucous tabby boys – would utterly adore the tabby kitten she had glued onto her parents' card. Van Pelt knew she would lament about the fact their only daughter would be spending yet another Christmas away from her when the mailman delivered it. But she also knew that the card would remind her that her family was always on her mind, even if work constraints kept her away from them at this special time of year.
Slowly, she placed the cup of cocoa back down and licked a spot of cream away from the corner of her lips. She had to continue making these cards before she ran out of time for posting them, but she didn't mind in the slightest. The Christmas season was well and truly upon them and for the first time in a long while, Grace Van Pelt could honestly say that she couldn't have been much happier.