SIXTEEN - DECORATING
Rose parked the pram outside the front door. She would ask Jack to lift it in to the house so she didn't have to take it round to the back door. She lifted Eliza out of her pram and opened the front door, Teddy walked in first. Rose was too busy watching her step to see Teddy's face. "Mummy? Why is there a big tree in the living room?" Rose looked up confused "I- erm- I don't actually know" she said confused, then she realised- it was the 1st of December. Jack had started to celebrate Christmas.
She heard footsteps as he walked downstairs holding a big box "hey" he smiled and kissed her before walking in to the living room "Jack, why is the biggest tree from the whole forest in our front room?" She laughed a little "it's almost Christmas! What do you think Ted?" He said as he bent down to his sons side and wrapped his arm around him. Teddy shrugged "yeah… it's OK" Teddy said confused, he still didn't understand. He didn't remember much from his last Christmas, what with him being only 2 at the time, and he certainly didn't remember a huge tree in the house. Rose laughed at his response as she took Eliza out of her snowsuit. "What's in the boxes?" She gestured to two big boxes on the floor "tinsel, lights, baubles, a star for the top of the tree, a garland… you name it, it's in the boxes" he laughed, she smiled at him, knowing this would be the best Christmas she'd ever had. She walked over to him and kissed his cheek. Eliza held her arms out to Jack who took her. Rose bent down and took Teddy's coat, gloves and scarf off and put them on the sofa. "Should we start decorating it?" Jack asked and Rose nodded "what does that mean?" Teddy asked, confused "it means we put pretty things on the tree and hang nice things around the house. Does that sound good?" Jack said and Teddy nodded, smiling.
They spent a few hours decorating the house, taking it in turns to hold Eliza so she could be involved and they laughed like they never had before.
"I'm just going to get a glass of water" Rose smiled and headed to the kitchen, leaving the 3 of them in the living room. Once she'd had her drink, she quietly went back to the living room. Standing in the doorway, she just stopped and stared at them. Jack was holding a child in each arm. Teddy pointing at every bauble in sight "I like that one- I like that one- oh I like that one" he said about each and everyone of them, which made Jack laugh, in turn making Eliza laugh. Rose just smiled silently, she loved the 3 of them more than anything. She didn't birth the children, but she loved them as though she did, and she didn't understand how she coped without Jack for 8 long years.
She walked over to them and wrapped her arms around them "who decorated this tree? Because it looks beautiful!" Rose smiled "ME!" Teddy grinned proudly "well it's the best looking tree I've ever seen" she wasn't lying, Christmas trees in the 'rich life' had been so particular. Always sticking to one colour, never any real thought in to it. Just whatever the decorators thought at the time. The tree she had just decorated with her family was chaotic, different colours absolutely everywhere- but she loved it. It was a family tree, not a display tree.