Even though this is a Christmas story, I was determined to get it posted before Hanukkah was over, and since tonight is the last night of Hanukkah for 5778/2017, I just got it up on time! I had to shuffle around the family dynamics and make a few changes to earlier chapters before posting this one. Thanks again to Countrylover99.

My entry for the Christmas challenge at the Plight of the Little-Known Fandom forum.

"I had such dreams about all of 'em livin' around, dozens of children, visitin' back and forth on Christmases and birthdays."

Winter arrived again on the Pontipee farm, but to Caleb, it was a world away from the long, cold, dark days of last year. That winter had seemed to drag on for years, first from the loneliness of missing Ruth, so far away in town, and then from being banished to the barn and fearing that Ruth would never forgive him for kidnapping her. He remembered spending last Christmas Eve night up in the barn hayloft with his brothers, where the horses snorted and stamped all night right under them, keeping them awake, and everything smelled like manure. He remembered thinking that it was the most miserable Christmas ever – but then, he felt so guilty for kidnapping Ruth that he wondered if maybe he didn't deserve it.

He could never have imagined, then, that only a year later, he and Ruth would be spending Christmas Eve together, here in front of the fireplace in the cozy cabin that they shared with Daniel and Martha. This evening, Daniel and Martha were still on their way back from town, where they'd gone to spend Christmas Eve with Martha's parents, so Caleb and Ruth had the cabin all to themselves. Ruth had decorated the mantle with red candles, evergreen boughs, and sprigs of holly. She'd hung a bit of mistletoe in the door of their bedroom too, and Caleb made sure to kiss her under it at least once a day.

They were all gathering at the main house tomorrow morning, to eat and exchange gifts – and at Alice's insistence, read the Gospel passages about Christ's birth and sing a few Christmas hymns. Life in Oregon Territory was hard and left little room for luxuries, but the Pontipees had drawn names last month for a Christmas gift exchange. Caleb had carved a new boot-jack for Adam, and Ruth had sewn some new aprons for Dorcas.

But tonight, Caleb and Ruth were exchanging gifts just with each other. Caleb was waiting on the bare floor in front of the fireplace when Ruth walked in from their bedroom, carrying a box so big that Caleb wondered where she'd been hiding it. She grinned wide enough to burst as she walked over and sat down beside him.

"I been just dyin' to give this to you for so long," she said excitedly, setting the box in his lap and giving him a kiss on the cheek, "but I made myself wait till tonight. Merry Christmas, Caleb."

Caleb grinned back at her, but his face fell a bit when he opened up the box. He tried to think of some kind way to tell Ruth that she'd made a mistake. She'd given him the wrong gift, for inside was toy for babies – the kind with little wooden beads that were pushed about on twisted wires. Ruth must have bought it to give to Hannah for Christmas, the last time she'd gone to town.

"Well, this is a mighty nice gift," Caleb said slowly, chuckling, "but I'm not sure it's for me."

But Ruth just grinned wider, even after Caleb tilted the box to show her that she'd given him the wrong thing. "Oh no, it's for you, all right," she said. "I wanted to surprise you."

Caleb blinked at her, then at the toy. She'd wanted to surprise him with this?

"Oh, for land sakes, Caleb!" Ruth burst out, when he still looked confused. "Do I have to draw you a picture?"

Caleb blinked again, and then, suddenly, he understood. He gasped and laughed and cheered all at once. Ruth laughed too, and he leaned forward and hugged her so hard that they both almost tumbled over. "Oh Ruth, are you really?" he asked in a rush, kissing her. "Are you sure? Say, when's it comin'?"

"Right 'round when we harvest the squash, I reckon," Ruth said, putting one hand to her stomach. Squash was a late summer harvest.

"This is the best Christmas present I ever got." Caleb began babbling away excitedly. "Let's see, Dorcas, Martha, and Sarah are all expectin' now... that'll be I-J-K, so we'll land on L. Say, L's a swell letter, ain't it? There's Levi and Luke and, uh, and other names too, I bet. What do you think of Luke Pontipee, Ruth?"

"Oh, and just what makes you so sure it'll be a boy?" Ruth asked him teasingly, putting her hands on her hips. "I think Leah Pontipee is a right fine name."

Caleb laughed. "'Course it is, and I'll bet if she's a gal, she'll be just as pretty as her ma. Ruth, let's tell everyone the news tomorrow, when we're havin' Christmas."

But Ruth hesitated. "Well... I ain't sure," she said slowly. "I'd rather just keep it between us for a little while. Let's wait till after New Year's."

"All right," Caleb nodded. He did like the idea of him and Ruth having a secret all their own for a while. He tried to imagine his brothers' reactions when he told them the news. "I know, when we do tell everyone, I'll say I knew what you meant by givin' me that baby toy as soon as I opened the box."

Ruth laughed again. "And that reminds me, don't you owe me a present?"

In all the excitement, Caleb almost forgot about his present for Ruth. He had gotten her a rug – a real store-bought rug from Mrs. Bixby's general store in town. Just last week, Ruth had looked over the rag pile and sighed, "I don't know when I'll ever get enough rags to make into a rug," and Caleb had said nothing, but smiled secretly to himself. He couldn't wait to surprise her with it, but now, compared to the news that she'd just given him, a store-bought rug seemed like nothing at all.

"Well, it ain't nothin' so fine as your gift," he admitted, as he pulled the new rug out from where he'd hidden it behind the lean-to.

But Ruth was delighted with the rug. She had them scoot to one side so that she could unroll it in front of the fireplace, and then they both spread out on it. Ruth leaned back against Caleb, settling into his arms, and ran one hand over the thick rug beneath them. It was real upholstery, Mrs. Bixby had said, not hooked or crocheted like most rugs.

"Ooh, I love it, Caleb," Ruth said, sighing happily. "It's so much nicer than just sittin' on the floor."

Caleb smiled and stared into the fire, thinking about how much life could change in a year. Last Christmas, he was a bachelor sleeping in a hayloft with his brothers, and Ruth was still angry at him. This Christmas, he and Ruth were married, and they were sitting here enjoying the fire together. Even though this winter was every bit as cold as last year's, Caleb barely seemed to feel the cold anymore, for now, every time he thought of Ruth, he felt warm – as if it were summer inside him, all year long. And next Christmas, God willing, there would be a baby with them, a little Luke or Leah sleeping in Ruth's arms, or perhaps crying and fussing to be fed, or pushing the beads on the toy that Ruth had bought. Caleb sighed and remembered his mother's old saying.

"God say the same," he whispered.