Page 55 of Snow Blind

She’d reached the point in the process where she needed to start saying it aloud for it to sink in. Her life was changing. The Cranberry needed to prepare mentally for the work ahead.

Chapter 16-Coincidence

The family fun festivitiesrequired an entire plan, which Helen looked forward to taking part in with the Neary family. Helen and Cherry’s previous holiday celebrations had simply consisted of her mother putting up a tree and baking a cake for Christmas, but the holiday meant lots of overtime at the hospital which left Helen and Cherry to make the best of it on their own. As the years had progressed with Cherry stationed in Japan, Germany, and even Korea, the desire for a Christmas tree and holiday traditions just didn't mean as much. However, now that Cherry was a mother, new plans could be undertaken and her cousin slash sister appeared pleasantly happy to take part in the activities.

As far as Helen understood, today being two days before Christmas meant the cutting down of the holiday tree. Dinner at the Neary home would consist of eggnog making while the tree was being trimmed and a new ornament added for each family member. Helen was informed that she, Abigail, and Naomi would add their first ornaments to the tree. Abigail would need to work on her ornament for next year for Luke. As a Christmas present for each member of the family, Helen had found an embroidery file to make tree ornaments, which was one of the gifts she'd made for each Neary.

Christmas Eve morning was a time set aside for the men to hunt game. If a deer were taken down, it would get field dressed, and sausages would be made for the grill as well as a good venison roast. The womenfolk would take over the kitchen to begin baking holiday yummies. The cakes went into the oven, along with pies and this year, Ruth Neary planned to build mini-gingerbread houses where Naomi would be the village queen. Helen was excited to do it all with Ruth, whom she absolutely loved, and enjoyed being in the kitchen learning from the family matriarch.

Christmas Day activities were brunch and present opening, along with a sit-down holiday dinner. A turkey, from what she understood, would get deep fried outside, and inside a ham or a goose would bake. Side dishes, how many Helen was uncertain, would be made for the holiday feast and the family would begin to wrap up the end of the year.

This year was a major life change for Mustang. Usually, when he returned for Christmas and Ruth's birthday, he stayed in the guest room at the familial home. He wasn't too excited to tell Ruth he wasn't staying this year. However, first there were things to be done in his own home that he would share with Helen.

"I need to get a tree stand for a live tree," he told Helen.

"No worries; I brought one with me," she said, showing him the holder near the window.

Just as he'd suspected, she'd done her thing, nesting the place while he was out tree hunting, chopping one down for them and growing alpha male chest hairs. In the bathroom were embroidered towels he couldn't use to wipe his hands or he would get scolded like a child. This made him smile. In the bedroom, there was a heavy holiday quilt with matching shams and foo-foo pillows. Helen had even added matching heavy drapes. The living room had festive red curtains and embroidered pillows rested on the couch next to a heavy wool red throw.

Mark helped bring in the tree, spotting the differences from earlier in the home. He stood still in the space, wondering what their home in Indiana was like. There were photos of Helen and his son on the mantle, and on the wall was a framed photo of what he assumed was their wedding day. Mark felt emotional standing in the living room. He thought of his son's home in Oregon. It was a house which held his stuff, but it didn't feel like a home. The house in Oregon felt like a place where his son ate, slept, and made furniture. He truly wanted to visit the new home his son shared with Helen in Indiana, but Mark wouldn't push it. Jay would invite them out when the time was right, and Mark was looking forward to it because he really liked Helen. She had a nice energy even after what she'd been through; he appreciated how she embraced the negative, but didn’t allow it to engulf who she was meant to become. Initially, he’d had doubts and questions, but looking about the space and how quickly she’d transformed it for herself and his son, he nodded.

"Ruth is looking forward to seeing you this afternoon," he said to Helen.

"And I can't wait to see her! I have so much to share with her," Helen replied, smiling widely. "Her biscuit recipe is becoming quiet famous. I am so excited to get in there and start baking with her."

Helen’s smile was like a ray of sunshine and Mark felt choked up. He’d worried about Jay being so far from his family and alone. This pip of a woman had gotten his son to move closer to home and take a safer job. For that, he was grateful. He only wished her job wasn’t so dangerous, but they were learning. Love, he'd found out through nearly forty-five years of being the man for Ruth Neary, was about learning.

A Christmas tree was in her home. A lovely tree which filled the home with the smell of pine, and tonight, with the few lights and ornaments she'd brought along in one of the tubs, Mustang and she would decorate their first tree. It wasn't much, but a start.

"Be back soon," Mustang said. "I’ve gotta help Michael get his tree in the cabin, then take the big tree to the house with Daddy."

"I'm fine, go," she said, watching his strong back. Suddenly, she decided to go over to the main house again to see Naomi's reaction to seeing Jay. More than anything, she wanted to know what revelation her niece would share with him.

She entered the back door as the child launched herself in the air. Mustang held her high above his head, bringing her in for a squeeze. To her surprise, he accepted the butterfly kisses to his cheeks even though he thought kids were walking petri dishes.

"Uncle Jay! Guess what?"

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