The Best Gift

A year has gone by and our sweet girls and their rambunctious pups have grown.   Aleanda now toddles about the room with Lorcan following every step, while Cairine snuggles with Faolan in the window watching the snow fall outside.  Sitting there I gaze at the scrap book that started with the start of us.

A simple book it is really; a book of our emails, our messages, the photos that we have taken over the years.  It has been such an amazing trip with you over these years.  I never would have predicted how we would come out together if anyone had predicted this just 5 years ago.  God has granted me with the best blessing in the world with His bringing us together and then to give us two such beautiful little girls.  I am completely amazed with the way my life has taken a turn for the better since I met you.

A sticky little hand grasps my arm and a finger is placed upon our first Christmas picture together as I hear, “Da, da, da, da.” Smiling I look down at our Aleanda and nod whispering “Aye, that tis your Da.”

From the window Cairine whispers, “Mama, when tis da going to be home tonight? Will he be here before we go to bed for Santa’s visit?”

“Yes, sweetheart, da should be home within an hour,” I answer as I look over at the clock.  Placing our scrapbook back on the end table to my left I smile at our wedding picture upon the front.  It was such a beautiful warm day.  Rays of sunshine filled with the love and support of all we care about and our love outshined everything else, all I could see that day was you.

“Santa! Santa, Santa, Santa, ho ho ho,” Aleanda repeats over and over after hearing the name. Running across the room she grabs the book ‘Twas the Night before Christmas and runs back to jump into my lap. Lorcan seems to think this is a game and jumps into the empty part of my lap and the chair rocks.

Laughing I cuddle Lorcan for a moment and place him on the floor beside us.  “Cairine, why don’t you come over and read with us and then we’ll finish cooking da some dinner together?” Moving Aleanda to one knee I pat the other and help Cairine climb up and snuggle in.  I’m so very warm with both our girls in my lap.  Opening the book in front of the three of us those familiar words begin to flow from my tongue.  Cairine used her finger to follow along as I read and changed the pages in the correct places while Aleanda cuddled up against me her head upon my shoulder and her hands both beneath her cheek.

As soon as the words “Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night,” fall from my lips Cairine slides from my lap placing the book in its sacred place beside the fireplace in front of our Christmas tree. Tilting my head to look at Aleanda I giggle softly as I hear a soft slumbering breath in my ear.  Carefully I stand and carry Aleanda to her bed. Lorcan trips along behind me and jumps up to lay at the foot of her bed as I cover her up and tuck her in tight, placing her teddy bear  in her arms I smile as she pulls it closer and sighs softly.

Behind me I hear little feet followed by a voice, “Mama, won’t da be home soon?”

“Yes Cairine he shall. What do you say we go finish the roast and vegetables so we can eat when he gets here?” Smiling I watch her turn to run down the hall, Faolan at her feet.

Just as I pull Aleanda’s door closed I hear a crash and a “yip.”  Running down the hall I turn into the kitchen to find Cairine giggling as she stood  on her helping stand and Faolan shaking his head beside a newly turned over trashcan and surrounded by scraps of wrapping paper and tape.

“Mama, he couldn’t stop.  He tried and tried and slid across the floor. Is he gonna be ok?” the worry showed through her giggles and I smiled.

“Yes, he just bumped his noggin honey.  Faolan will be perfectly fine, now this trash is another story.  Jump down here and help mama clean it up before we finish da’s dinner.” Turning I help Cairine down and quickly we clean up the paper pieces and tape balls.

Picking up Cairine we wash our hands and I lift the lid to the slow cooked roast surrounded by potatoes, carrots, celery and even a few onions just for you. Slipping a spoon into the juices surrounding the roast I spoon up some juice dripping it over the top of the meat and then lift it to my lips blowing softly and turning to Cairine.  “Want to tell mama, if tis finished?”

Nodding quickly Cairine’s mouth opens just a bit for me to slip the spoon in and let the juices slide down her tongue. Smiling she begins to rub her tummy and her eyes twinkle, “Mama it’s so good.  Da will love it.”

Kissing her nose softly I smile. “You know I do think there are a few things he loves more than he’ll ever love my roast.”

“What else would he love more, mama?” Cairine asked confusedly.

“Well, sweetheart he loves you and your sister more than he loves that roast.  In fact I do believe he loves the two of you more than he loves anything in the world.”

“Do you really think so mama?”

“I know so, babygirl.  You know how I know?”

Shaking her head no, Cairine looked up at me with her big brown eyes.

“I know this Cairine, because I love you and your sister more than anything in the world.”

Astounded with that answer Cairine threw her arms about me and whispered, “Even more than da?”

“Hmmm… well… that’s a close one how about I say I love all three of you an equal amount and each of those equal amounts is more than anything in the world.” Wrapping my arms tight about Cairine I pick her up and turn using one hand to slide the loaf of bread into the oven on warm.  Kissing her nose and snuggling her close I carry her to the living room.

“Cairine why don’t you get da’s Bible and place it in his chair so he can read to us the real reason for this wonderful holiday as soon as he gets home.” Letting her slide from my arms I smile and look out the window to a solid white landscape with a single light coming closer as the rumble of a bike is heard.  Turning to our sweet girl I see her curled up in your chair and there she is trying to read the story of Christmas to Faolan.

Grabbing my coat by the door I turn to Cairine and whisper, “Stay right there honey, mama wants to check something outside.”

“Yes, ma’am. I’m reading to Faolan.”

“I see that babygirl, now mama will be right back so read him a good story.” Slipping out the door I stand in the cold watching you turn slowly into the drive and stop behind my little Kia.  Watching you slide that muscled leg over the back of your bike to stand beside your bike. Turning you pull your carry-on bag off the bike and finally notice me standing on the sidewalk beneath the soft lighting of the front porch.

“Amanda, tis everything alright,” you quickly walk towards me as you ask worriedly.

Nodding yes I slip my arms about your waist and whisper, “Everything is perfect, Terry. I don’t know of much that could make it more perfect than it is now.”

Slipping one arm around me, your other hand slides beneath my chin lifting it to look into my eyes as you question, “What tis one thing that could make it more perfect, my wife?”

Smiling, I slip my arms from about your waist and lay them about your shoulders with one hand softly against the back of your head.  Standing on my tiptoes I pull your head down letting my lips meet yours. Kissing you sends so much through me; sparks of my sexuality, rays of love, blazes of passion, and pure amazement for everything with you.

Tightening your arms about me, you lift me from the ground and I tighten my arms about you giggling and feeling like a school girl in love. Suddenly I feel us spinning and kissing your face over and over again I burst out laughing.

Soon you’re laughing with me and we fall together into the snow. Laughing together we make snow angels in the fresh snowfall.  Hearing a “yip” at the window we look up and see Aleanda and Cairine with their pups all nose pressed to the window laughing at us.

Turning to you, I’m smiling and whisper, “I was wrong, Terry.”

“Wrong?”

”There is nothing that could make this night more perfect than everything we’ve been blessed with since we first met.”

Sitting up together, we look toward the window at our beautiful home; two pups licking the window, two little girls noses and hands pressed to the window, a Christmas tree in the corner with beautifully wrapped gifts beneath and in your chair a book so very special; our wedding Bible with special passages marked with different colored ribbons and opened to the pale blue ribbon marking the birth of our Savior.

“I love you, Terry.  You were the best gift I’ve ever received.” Turning back to you I softly kiss your lips again and again. Standing I reach out my hands to pull you up. “Let’s go eat, my dear, our wee ones want to hear their da read them the Story of Christ’s birth before Santa comes this evening.

Holding hands we walk to the porch and turn to brush each other off, slipping into the front door and into the giggling warmth of our home with such happy girls. Smiling I watch you slip your coat off and onto the hanger behind the door, kneeling down you spread your arms wide. I laugh not as our two girls run into them but as our two girls and their ferocious protectors run into them knocking you back against the door.

Laughing with me you look up with such a sparkle of love and joy in your eyes and it brings a happy tear to mine. On your lips I see a smile unlike any other and I know that this is the real gift of the season, not all of those baubles and toys wrapped beneath the tree.  This gift of love, this family means more than anything there could ever be and together we shall adventure through life as one with love and God in our hearts.