Page 50 of The Blessings of Christmas
Nathan and Justin were so eager to start. She remembered that feeling. “When we feel hungry, we’ll eat. How's that?” Everyone nodded and Ryan continued working on the lights. But her mind and heart were still back in the attic, and her body was definitely still in his arms, where she’d felt safe and warm. After dropping one ornament, that promptly shattered on the floor, she let the boys do the decorating. Her hands were shaking. And it was more than a kiss that made her lightheaded. Being here with Ryan and the boys felt so right. Sarah felt as if she’d walked into a room she’d never been in before but it felt familiar.
“I thought your mother might be here.” Ryan looked around.
Laughing, Sarah scooped a cranberry garland from one of the tubs. “She had other plans.”
“Grandma has a boyfriend,” Nathan said solemnly.
Picking up a box of ornaments, Ryan smiled. “Do you like Stuart?”
“He’s nice,” Justin said.
“For an old person,” Nathan added. Ryan and Sarah both laughed.
Ignoring their advice about size, Nathan hooked one of the largest green ornaments on a bottom limb. The poor branch quivered and sagged to the floor.
“Oh, no!” Nathan looked horrified. “I broke the tree.”
“I think we have to be careful with this little guy,” Ryan said, handing Nathan one of the angels made from colored yarn and glitter. As soon as Nathan made the switch, the lower branch sprang back to life. Decorating this tree was like giving someone artificial respiration.
“Will the tree grow?” Justin asked very seriously as they decorated.
Ryan stepped back. “We'll just wait and see.” When he clicked on the lights, the tree blazed to life. Sarah was amazed by all the color. The old bulbs brought back fond memories and hid the tree’s shortcomings.
“It’s beautiful.” Nathan stood back to admire it.
“Wow.” Justin’s eyes couldn’t get any bigger.
Ryan slipped an arm around Sarah’s waist and whispered words for her ears alone. The room grew very quiet. Looking up, Sarah saw both boys watching them intently. “Guess I’ll check the chili.” She leapt toward the kitchen.
Ornament by ornament, the little tree took shape. The boys kept the decorations smaller and lighter, which helped. Still, in spots Sarah feared the branch would break. Since theirtraditional Christmas angel was way too big for the top, they settled on a simple straw star.
“It’s perfect.” This tree sure wasn’t what Sarah had in mind. But if the boys thought it was beautiful, she was satisfied.
“It looks just like the Charlie Brown Christmas tree,” Justin said with satisfaction after they’d added some tinsel to fill in the bare spaces. Nathan nodded.
Sarah glanced over at Ryan, who seemed to agree. “Is that your stomach I hear growling?”
“Maybe.” He patted his flat stomach with one hand, a lazy gesture that rocketed her from the sofa.
“Just give me a minute.”
“Want me to start a fire?” Ryan gave her a look that warmed her clear to her toes.
Maybe he already had. “Sure. The wood’s outside the back door.” This would be the first fire of the season. Between work and the boys, Sarah never had time to fuss with the fireplace. Before she knew it, the boys were helping their uncle. Together they carried in pieces of firewood and crunched up newspaper to get the fire started. Working in the kitchen, she soon heard the crackle of the fire in the living room.
Coming to the doorway, she smiled. “This is beautiful.” The fire gave the room a warm glow that made her wonder why she didn’t do this more often.
Crouched in front of the fire, Ryan turned. “Pretty cool, right?”
“Spectacular.” Besides the fire, the only light in the room came from the tree, reflecting on the ornaments. Caught in the spell of the homey scene, she set the dining room table instead of the kitchen so they could see the tree. As they chowed down on the chili and sour dough bread, the boys couldn’t stop looking at the tree and the fire. Their excitement reminded herthat the beauty of Christmas lay in small things. The lights. The old ornaments. The fire. Having Ryan here.
Which reminded her. “You’ll come for Christmas, won't you, Ryan?”
“Yeah, you'll be here, right?” Nathan said.
“All day Christmas,” Justin added.
Sprinkling more cheese on his chili, Ryan threw her a shy grin. “Thought you'd never ask.”
