Disclaimer: These characters belong to S. Meyer; I just use them for my vivid imagination on the short bus.
All chapters are pre-written, so there are no edits done by a beta. All errors are my own.
I'm keeping things short and sweet, so thank you for all the kind words…
On we go…
-Leslie
March 24, 1997
Dear Abby Bean;
Your arrival is so close now, sweet child, I'm even worse this entry than I was last entry. This has been such a whirlwind, like I've blinked and missed so much, when in reality I haven't missed a thing. I'm in the panic mode, no lying. Your kicks have surprised your mother a time or two, causing me to freak and want to rush her to the hospital as soon as the 'oow' comes from her lips, which in turn makes your mom laugh at my frantic state. Please, Abby Bean quit making me look like a wimp!
Alright, I guess I need to share a new story with you. It's so hard for the two of us to pinpoint one story to share over the many other stories because, to us, there all equally memorable.
I do believe one of our Christmas tales would do some good here.
After we were married and moved into our house, since we had lived in the tiny apartment together beforehand, we decided to scrap our tiny Christmas tree for a large, real Christmas tree. Of course we decided to wait until a couple weeks before the holiday, so that the mess wasn't so bad. The real trees must be watered often, and you should always keep the needles swept up, dear child. I figured I should give you a heads up for when you buy one, if you ever do.
I had decided to wait until dark before we ventured off to find our tree at the tree farm. The tree farm was always lit with thousands of Christmas lights during the night, so it always felt more special doing it at night.
Once we were loaded up in the car, each of us filled with our own excitement and your mother's famous hot chocolate in our travel mugs, we exchanged our wants and preferences in the perfect tree. Your momma was adamant in that the tree must be a Douglas fir, and I all but demanded that it must be over six foot tall. The large cathedral windows begged for a massive tree to fill its open space.
When we had arrived, I hadn't even had the car stopped before your mother threw the door open and sprinted happily into the maze of trees. Quickly stopping the car and parking, I followed hastily behind her in the direction she had rushed towards. The sweetest of laughter filled my ears as I speed through the maze myself. It had come from the right of me three rows down, which is where I had come to a complete stopped in amazement.
There before me, your mother was squatting, perched on her heels giggling with a little girl and her mother. The sight was simply beautiful. I watched in fascination, no one else really paying attention to the scene before me. I suppose it wasn't beautiful to them.
The two women listened with complete rapture as the young girl spoke excitedly while using hand gestures to describe the perfect tree. Her cheeks were rosy red, reminding me of your precious mother. With each word or laugh, pillows of clouded moisture escape from behind their lips.
It wasn't long after I was caught by the three of them, causing me to stutter out my apologies. It was then determined by little Hope, that she would find us the perfect tree for our own home. She demanded our specifications, the proceeded to drag us from tree to tree, explaining exactly why each would make the perfect addiction to our home.
It was always such a treat getting to watch your mother interact with children, she was so maternal and loving to anyone, so adding a child into the mix and it was all tripled. Each child she encountered added new levels to her outwardly glow.
By the end of the night, we had a seven foot Douglas fir tied to the top of our car, both of us extremely happy and thankful for little Hope, the tree farms very own tree picker. It turns out; little Hope was the granddaughter to the owners of the farm. She truly was a blessing to us that night.
Hope, even in her young age, schooled us in tree care before we pulled out of the lot that night. It was a night that we always look back on with fondness in our hearts.
Our tree, standing proudly in the Cathedral windows, was a hit with all those who witnessed its beauty. Your mother and I decorated each full limb with precious ornaments; some from our own childhoods, other's we had purchased, and even some that were handmade that year. Hundreds of white lights dotted the tree as well, causing it to glow beautifully.
It was one of my fondest memories.
Words of Wisdom: Cherish your fondest memories, sweet child; they will warm your heart in the darkest of times.
Love,
Your Proud Papa
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