Tis the Season

"Hey, honey", Jacob said answering his phone call from Lauren. "How's it going?"
Lauren had been busy with her last week of student teaching, and had a ton of papers to go through and fill out so they didn't get a whole lot of time together.
"It's going good", she replied getting into her truck. "I'm about to start heading home. I'm exhausted."
"Yeah? You about done with your student teaching?"
"My last class is tomorrow and then it's just finishing up paperwork before graduation."
"Awesome! You got this!"
"Thanks, baby. Hey, I've got to let you go, I've got another call coming in." She looked at her phone after it beeped.
"Ok. I love you."

"I love you. Bye."

"Hello", Lauren answered the incoming call.

"Hey, lil' sis!" her older sister, Kristen, answered. "So, I have a question for you."

"Sure, what's up?" Lauren was curious.

"You know Christmas is coming up."

"Yeah? What about it?"

"And your graduation is going to be a couple weeks before."

"Yes? What are you getting at?"

"Well,... I was wondering would you rather have two small gifts or one big gift at Christmas?"

"It would have to depend on what it was." Lauren was a little skeptical.

"Trust me, you'd rather have the big one." Kristen insisted.

"Ok, big one...I guess."

"Awesome! You're going to love it!"

"Ok. I better!"

"Well, I've gotta let you go. I wanted to ask you that."

"Ok. Thanks I guess. Haha!"

Lauren started her truck and began driving home. The afternoon was cool, clouds littered the sky above blocking the sun. The town was in high spirits as the Christmas season was beginning. Many faces smiled as she drove down the Square. They were busy putting up lights, ribbon, bows, and wreaths. The church had the Nativity Scene set up on the front lawn. Good cheer filled the air. She wondered when the first snow fall would come this year.

She also wondered what Kristin had in mind for a "big gift." If she knew her sister as well as she thought she did, big meant like a horse or something like that. Christmas hasn't been on her mind lately, graduating was. Her last semester has been incredibly busy to where she hasn't spent much time with family or Jacob for that matter. She has spent the passed four years of her life at West Texas A&M and she was ready to be done.

Her father was sitting on the front porch with a cup of coffee in his hand as she pulled up. He was looking out over the field where the horses were grazing with a pink sky over head. She walked up the steps, toward him.

"Hi, Daddy", she said looking at him.

He looked up at her, "Hello, Sweety."

"What are you doing?" She followed his gaze back toward the pasture.

"Just enjoying an afternoon coffee." He grinned, his gray mustache widened.

"It's a beautiful afternoon. How many of those have you had today?"

"Five, don't tell your mother."

"Haha, I won't. You know you need to cut back on it."

"Ha, it hasn't killed me yet. They're lucky I'm not the same way with whiskey like I used to be." His grin widened into a smile.

"You drank that much whiskey?"

"I was about your age. Working cattle all day will do that to you."

Both of them fell silent for a few moments as they looked out at the horses again. The sun began to fade away and the light fell darker. Lauren's father took her hand in his. It was rough and leather like against her soft hands.

"Lauren", he began to say as she looked at him. "I'm very proud of you. Of who you became and who you choose to be."

She smiled at him, her eyes watered.

"Go get settled, your mother will have dinner ready soon." He smiled back and kissed her hand. She got up and hugged him before she went into the house.

The house smelled of her mother's Leg-of-Lamb in the oven. The air was warm and inviting. Her mother began decorating the house. Boxes were scattered into almost every corner. She walked down the hallway into the kitchen where her mother was cooking mashed potatoes and gravy to go with the lamb.

"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes", her mother greeted.

"Hi, Mom", she greeted back as she sat down at the bar, looking into the kitchen.

"I feel like I haven't seen you in a long time."

"I don't think you have. It's been crazy busy."

"You've been crazy busy is what you mean to say."

"Yeah that." Lauren grinned. "Life of an Ag Teacher."

"No kidding there! I remember when I was an Ag Teacher."

"Mom..." Lauren didn't want to hear her mother go on and on.

"Ok, if you don't want to hear my stories, than so be it." Her mother kept cooking. "Oh, I did call Jacob earlier and invited him to dinner. Is that alright?"

"Of course, why wouldn't be?" Lauren looked confused at her mother's invitation.

"I've noticed you two haven't spent that much time together lately."

"No, we haven't. I hate it, but we get busy."

"That's right, and that's why I invited him. Also, because of his butt."

"Mom!" Lauren's eyes shot open, and a grin formed on her face.

"What? I can't look?" Her mother turned with a smile.

"No, you can't!"

"Oh, well. Don't tell your father."

"Tell me what", Lauren's father walked in. She gave her mom a look.

"That Jacob's butt looks good." Her mom blurted out, Lauren sank in her chair.

"Oh... Leave me out of it." He reached for the whiskey.

"Daddy, Mom said Jacob was coming over for dinner."

"She spoke to me about it. He's a good kid." He poured a little into a glass.

"John, must you start early?"

"What? Tis the season, isn't it?" He looked at her mom, smiled and took a drink.

 

Author's Note

If you feel there's anything I need to add or change, let me know.