21) Christmas Tree

The morning was brisk and wafting with the strong scent of pine needles as the Carters' set out on their little adventure.  April seemed to sense winter as it hung in the air with its inevitable coming.  The wind was even whispering a mellow, yet sweet song as it nipped at the tips of their noses and ears, making their faces rosy and bright.  They continued to tramp their way through the animated woodland as childish laughter echoed now and then.  Ella and her twin siblings took special pleasure in chasing all the scurrying creatures and poking sticks into little ponds.  They all followed Drew who was leading the way with little Jon toddling close behind.  April found it touching to watch Jon, looking up ever so proudly at his tall Papa as though he was his role model.

Often, the three younger ones would point in all directions, exclaiming as Ella had with mittens flailing in the air, "Ooooh, look at that pretty tree!  And that one over there!  And this one right here which is so very tall!" she'd said, her neck stretching upward as she did, nearly falling backwards.

April found herself chuckling on more than one occasion, laying a protective hand on her swelling stomach as she did so, enjoying how the children delighted themselves in the out of doors.  It sent a flood of memories to her mind of years ago when she had wandered hours on end in these very woods.  She had always preferred the big blue sky and rich earthy soil rather than the confines of any household task.  That's who she had been inside out; it had been the very core of her being.  She had been the adventurous one who would take on any daring risk.  She was like what Drew had said of her when she was just a young girl: "You're a bluebird, longing for the freedom to spread your wings and fly away."  April felt a soft blush warming to her cheeks at the remembrance of those words.  She couldn't have forgotten how his eyes had looked so softly into hers, as though he had been peering into her very soul.  Yet it was true.  That's who she was and always would be.  A bluebird.  She momentarily glanced down at her humpty dumpty state.  More like a fat bluebird, she thought with a chuckle.

~*~

"This one," Ella insisted, standing firm.  "This is the tree."

April's eyebrow rose in a surprising stance.  She couldn't help but wonder, out of all the beautiful stately pine trees that grew in the forest, why would Ella choose this one?  It was a pitiful sight.  Honestly, April was sure she hadn't seen anything look so sickly in all of her life.  Who knows what kind of diseases that tree holds.

She momentarily caught Drew's eye, as though they were both asking the other, "Well?"

"You're sure, Ella, honey?" April asked quietly.  "You know, there's a whole forest of trees here.  You can pick whichever one you want," she said, her arms circling in a wide expanse as emphasis.

Ella's eyes glanced around her, but then they wandered back to the little, sparse boughs of her tree and she shook her head.  "This is the one," she repeated, persistent as she wrapped her thin arms around its trunk.

~*~

April leaned back from her writing desk.  As soon as they had returned from their lively tramp in the woods, she had begun to write out merry Christmas greetings to Jenny and her family, as well as her parents.  Unconsciously, she rubbed her sore fingers together, stained from ink.  Her gaze dropped to her hands then, as though she had suddenly realized them for the first time.  She couldn't help but sigh as she looked them over.  They certainly weren't as small and dainty as they were a few years ago, but, instead, worn and roughened from hard work.  That sent an instant thought to her head.  I've completely forgotten to gather the eggs from the henhouse, she thought and then shook her head with a chuckle.  Oh well, she thought as she eased herself to her feet; taking her time as she did so.  

"I'm about ready for you to come out," April said jokingly as she looked down at her large figure.  She was beginning to feel like a clumsy bag of potatoes walking around.  Chuckling to herself, she hobbled to her doorway and just then noticed the sounds of Drew and laughing children in the kitchen.  For a moment, she leaned against the doorframe and briefly closed her eyes as the merry sounds continued to linger.  She could just picture Drew, who was most likely leaning over the antique stove, popping popcorn with Ella and the twins; and they'd be clapping whenever a small kernel would POP!  Soon enough, they'd be romping out here, preparing to decorate their Christmas tree with stringed popcorn.  It would be their first Christmas as a family.  April let those last words sink in and warm her.  As a family.  Her eyes sparkled in remarkable wonderment how the Lord had worked in their lives to bless them so undeservingly.  Simultaneously, she sighed, inwardly wishing she could cling to every moment they shared instead of watching them slip away with time.  Treasure the memories, sang a reminder into her heart as she eased her way past them unnoticed and out the door, a sweater clinging to her shoulders.

~*~

"Mama!" cried Ella excitedly as she swung the door open to the henhouse.  "We were wondering where you went off to," Ella said, smiling down; triumphant she had discovered the missing family member.

April had plunked herself down in the dirty straw strewn with chicken feathers with a basket of eggs in her lap.  Chickens had swarmed around her, pecking around for food; others squawked for attention.  April had begun to ramble on to them about the day's happenings for no real purpose when Ella had begun to call her.

"We're ready to decorate the tree, Mama," she explained, eyes shining.  "Won't you come now?  We wouldn't think of doin' it without ya!"

April was more than happy to oblige as Ella assisted her as she stood to her feet, quickly dusting off her skirts.  Then, with an unexpected jerk of her hand, Ella began running to the house with April attached to her tight grip.  April was nearly breathless when entering the house with Ella exclaiming, "I found her!"

Then she was quickly led by three pairs of chubby hands to the tree and handed all the children's homemade decorations and fancy do-dads.  One of them looked especially unique and when she asked Kate, who had handed the floppy thing to her, she asked, "And what is this, dear?"

"It's a... a thingy--" she stammered, her brow furrowing as her mind groped for the word she was looking for.

"A thingamabob," Ella finished for her.

Kate's face lit up and she nodded back at April who was quite amused as she turned to give it an honored position on one of the tree's boughs.

"A thingamabob, indeed," she said and passed along a smile to Drew whose eyes crinkled with laughter.

Author's Note

:)

I'm so glad to get back to writing this book! And I was pleased with the length, as I hope you all are!

I hope you enjoyed! And please review:)

Reviews

[Karli]

I’m so happy you finally posted this! It’s been so long since I’ve read your writing, and your talent is so ridiculously good that it makes me want to work harder on writing. This chapter was so sweet and sincere, as usual, and I love that even though their lives aren’t perfect, their love for each other is. I love that it’s Christmas time in your story because I love Christmas and it’s coming soon! I love that Drew and April are such good parents. I just love everything about it! Keep writing!

[Erinne S.]

Such a wonderful story Kelly! I didn't wanna comment on every chapter so I just read all the way through... I love reading your stories! This was so well done up to this point... I hope you continue with more! Let me know if you do please :)