Christmas Time

The house was decorated for the season. The tree was up and filled with lights and decorations, but something was missing. In front of the tree on the floor, enjoying the colourful, twinkling lights of the tree was Tara and Zoe. There was a pile of cut papers and an open container of paste. On the coffee table beside them were two cups of hot cocoa topped with marshmallows and a plate of freshly baked gingerbread cookies that had been iced. The house smelled of holiday spices as Tara showed Zoë how to create connecting hoops from the colourful paper strips.

“Oops,” Zoë said with giggles as her papers came apart.

Tara smiled. “Well, try again,” she said gently.

It wasn’t long before Zoë had a nice chain going. “Pretty!” she said as she showed her mom.

“That is! Very pretty!” Tara replied, caressing Zoë’s cheek. “Its fun, isn’t it? Your mum here use to make these when she was a little girl.”

“And cookies?” she asked as she put the chain down and grabbed a cookie to munch.

“Yes and cookies. Your grandmother taught me how to bake them,” she said. “I wish she could have lived long enough to see you . . .” Her green eyes filled with momentary melancholy, but were soon sparkling with joy again as she watched Zoë. “She would have just loved you!”

“Grandma?” she said as she pointed to the photograph on the table.

“That’s right,” she smiled.

“Grandma watches us,” she replied with certainty.

“You’re right, I bet she does watch over us . . .” Tara said.

“She told me,” Zoë said as she finished the cookie and went back to the paper chains.

“What?” Tara asked curiously.

Zoë nodded. “Talks to me,” she said.

Tara sat back surprised for a moment. “When does she talk to you?” she asked.

“I sleeping,” she said.

“In your dreams?” Tara asked.

Zoë nodded.

Tara ’s smile grew. Having seen Ta’al in her dreams enough times she knew that her daughter was indeed seeing her grandmother.

“I wonder why she hasn’t come to see me,” she said playfully.

Zoë smiled. “I’m special.” There was a giggle behind her brown eyes as she spoke.

“That you are!” Tara replied, hugging her little girl to her. “And I bet your grandma will always be watching over you.”

Zoë just nodded as she concentrated on another link for the paper chain.

After the cookies were eaten and the cocoa drank, the door opened. Jayson walked in with a handful of packages. Zoë immediately jumped to her feet and ran toward him.

“Daddy!!!” she cried as she wrapped her arms around his legs.

“Zoë!!” he said with a smile and laugh. “It’s good to see you too.” He put the wrapped packages down on the nearest table and lifted his little girl into his arms. “What have you been doing with mommy today? The house smells great!”

“We bake cookies!” she smiled. “Gingerbread!”

“Oh, any left for me?” he asked.

She nodded vigorously and her daddy laughed and kissed her cheek. “Well, thank you!”

“Make paper chains too!” she added excitedly.

Jayson turned to see Tara still on the floor nodding. “Its right here,” she said holding up a length of it. “I think it’s big enough to go around the tree now.”

“Wow, that’s long!” he said as he carried Zoë over to the couch and put her down.

“Well, once I showed Zoë how it went, she created a long chain all by herself,” Tara said proudly. “Then we added that to mine . . . Want to help me put it around the tree?” she asked.

“Well, of course,” he smiled. “But I have something else for the house too.”

“Oh really, what?” Tara asked.

Jayson walked back to one of the unwrapped packaged and opened it. Inside he pulled out three stockings. Each one had been personalized with their names.

“Oh!” Tara said as she went to him and kissed him. “Those are wonderful!”

“I figured we’d put them up on the mantel. I’m sure Santa will want to fill those up,” he grinned.

“Oh, indeed!” Tara smiled.

Zoë immediately grabbed one of the stockings. “Mine!!” she said.

As Tara and Jayson looked, they saw that she was holding the one that said Zoë. They smiled and kissed again. After another moment, Jayson helped Tara wrap the paper chain around the tree and Tara helped Jayson put the stockings up.

Jayson looked around the room and smiled. “I do believe it’s Christmas time,” he said.