Tues Dec 24

It was finally Christmas Eve and Bobbie and Maddy were all dressed and ready to go. It was Bobbie’s tradition to visit her friends and family and drop off their Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve. In the past, when Eddy and Charlie were little and they lived in Citadel City, Bobbie and Alex would drive to Crow harbour and visit their families to drop off gifts. The boys would fall asleep in the car on the hour-long drive home and Alex and Bobbie would carry them into the house, trying not to wake them so they would stay asleep until Christmas morning.

Bobbie explained this to Maddy and it turned into a bedtime story because Maddy would say “Tell me about Christmas Eve again Gramma,” when she was trying to fall asleep. This made Bobbie a little wistful to think that if Maddy’s mum was with her it would be part of her own story. That strengthened her resolve to make this Christmas special.

Their first stop was Johnny’s; he was just next door. Marla, Kirby and Johnny were there. Johnny’s place was well decorated outside. There were lights on the trees that were around the property and the path to his door was lined with candy canes and little gnomes that he’d made with boughs and bits of fabric.

He must have heard them pull in the driveway because he was at the door. “Merry Christmas guys come on up and see our Christmas tree. Marla and Kirby just made some chocolate frogs. They pressed them into a gingerbread man cookie mold and Kirby is calling them frog men.”

Bobbie lifted Maddy out of her seat and grabbed the bags that held the presents for Johnny and his family. It was so nice that Johnny and his sister Marla were closer and he was a good male role model for his nephew Kirby. “Frog men sound good. Maddy and I had a small dinner so I think we can have one.” Bobbie handed Johnny his present as they entered.

“Thanks Bobbie, I’ll be delivering your presents tomorrow when we come for dinner.”

He led them upstairs to the main living area. “So, Johnny are you sleeping on the lower level?”

“Yes, I always wanted to have a spare suite down there and Marla and I finished it so I’m there and they have the 2 bedrooms upstairs for now. She’s looking for a place. I don’t mind, it’s nice to have them for Christmas.”

“Maddy ran over to Marla and handed her a gift bag, then she went over to Kirby and shyly handed him his present.”

Johnny handed Bobbie some tea and offered Maddy a frogman. Bobbie took a frogman too. “These are so funny. They’re quite big, you won’t be eating too many.” They chatted a few minutes and then Bobbie and Maddy had to leave to visit Florence where the rest of the family would be.

They drove to Florence’s and stopped in front of the house. Bobbie carried the presents for Florence, Jarrod, James, Eddy, June and Charlie. She had a bottle of sherry for Linda, who was Johnny and Marla’s aunt and Florence’s roommate.

They walked up to the door and Florence ushered them in. Maddy barely got her coat off before Niko and Suzy rushed over to drag her up to the den to play school. Bobbie put down her packages and followed the kids up to the den. There was a big whiteboard set up and Niko was trying to teach them their letters. Bobbie remembered teaching Eddy to read by playing hang man on that whiteboard when he was about 4. They started off with words he could guess and after a few days he knew the alphabet was and what vowels and consonants were. He was reading on his own before he was 5.

“So girls, when your through with your lessons do you want to help hand out presents?”

Niko put down her dry erase marker. “We can take a present recess.”

Maddy seemed unsure what she meant and watched Suzi and Niko head back to the living room. Bobbie leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Recess means you take a little break.” Maddy squeezed her hand and they went downstairs.

Bobbie sat in a chair and as each girl took a present, Bobbie sounded out each name, exaggerating a little and the kids laughed but the presents got delivered.

Around 8 o’clock Bobbie went over to Charlie and Eddy. “Will you come out and get the presents from my car and put them in your cars?”

They snuck out and Bobbie opened her hatch and started handing out the gift bags and giant socks. “Eddy, when do you get the kids back?”

“Jen and Mac took them to Cap city to be with their family. They come back on Boxing Day. I’ll put these presents under the tree and they can open them then.”

“I have a little something for Jen and Mac too.”

“Of course you do. I’ll see they get them too. I suppose we’ll see them all at the Boxing Day party.”

Bobbie hugged them both and said Merry Christmas and they went back inside. Maddy was finishing up her own hugs and Christmas wishes and Bobbie got her into her coat and bundled her into the car. She drove along the shore road; the longer route back to the motel and when they got home, Maddy was fast asleep. Mark was just coming out the back door to the restaurant and he waited by the door smiling.

“Are you finished for the day and headed home for Christmas Eve. You’ve been in this restaurant almost every day since it opened. Are you nervous to take a break?”

Mark saw Maddy asleep in the back. “Ha, I think I can manage one day away. Do you want me to carry Maddy up to your place?”

“Thanks Mark, I have some other stuff to carry up and will go call the elevator. Try not to wake her.”

They got Maddy upstairs and Bobbie gently removed her coat and boots and pulled her knitted dress over her head and left her in bed wearing her leggings and tee-shirt. They moved out of her room. “Thanks Mark, I have some Santa duties to tend to, to get ready for Maddy for tomorrow morning.”

“That’s right, it’s her first Christmas. You have to make it special. I could stay a while and help you.”

Bobbie’s knee was aching a little. She was glad to have help. “Mark that’s a lovely offer but don’t you have your own family?”

 “Well, remember how I was sort of falling for that girl Brit from the rafting company? Brit and my sister Amy and Rose for that matter, are thick as thieves and have a study group because they take all the same biology classes. Brit and her dad Chuck are living in our guest house and Brit and Amy are together now. I don’t have any hard feelings; I just feel a little awkward around them.”

Bobbie nodded and really wanted to give Mark some advice but she had to stop herself. It was helping Mark just to talk about it. She didn’t want to meddle. “I’m sorry to hear that Mark, hopefully it will get easier. Does your dad know Chuck?”

Mark paused from setting up the toy train that was to go around the tree. “Yes, Dad went to high school with both Chuck and Beau. They all played football together too. Chuck was the quarterback. They sit around and talk about their glory days and watch football and hockey and any other sport they can find.”

“Your Mom must love that.”

Mark laughed. “Mom hasn’t got time to notice. Her and Jane and Dorey are busy in her craft room sewing aprons and potholders and even quilts. They’re busy in the garden too and they take over the kitchen, are sharing recipes and canning and bottling everything they see.”

“So are Jane and Rose, Chuck and Brit, and Beau and Dorey going to be at your Christmas dinner?”

“Yes, and Mom won’t let Jane help in the kitchen. It’s going to be hard for her to sit still.”

“You can send her over here, I’ll probably need the help.”

“Really Bobbie? I can come over and…”

“I’m just kidding Mark; I’ll have lots of kitchen power struggles of my own to navigate tomorrow. My mom will be there. You stay with your family and try to enjoy your day off.”

Mark sat back on his knees. “Yes, I can’t avoid them all night and I’ve got that big Christmas dinner to get ready for at our house.”

“You’re Mom actually shares her kitchen with you?”

Mark Laughed. “Not really but I’m allowed to cook the turkey. I’m going to brine him when I get home.”

Bobbie hugged him. “Thanks for all your help and have a very Merry Christmas Mark.”

“You too Bobbie.”

Mark left and Bobbie looked around. The tree looked great and the train was ready to turn on. The mantle was resplendent with lights and garland and a part of the big wall shelf held a lighted Christmas village. With Santa and carolers and a post office box that Charlie painted blue and called the Tardis, when he was a teen. Maddy’s giant sock was set up beside the tree. So many other presents were under the tree for Maddy. It was going to take her hours to unwrap them all. Everyone who knew about her wished her well. Bobbie went down the hall to Maddy’s room and gently picked her up, took her to the bathroom to set her on the toilet. Maddy shifted when Bobbie carried her back to bed and Bobbie sighed in relief as she settled back into sleep.

Bobbie took a pain pill for her knee and went to bed. Her mind was racing a little and she thought of Mark, brining the turkey. Alex used to brine their turkey. She got out of bed and got the big cooler out and emptied her ice machine into it. She put salt sugar and summer savoury, garlic powder and onion powder and some chicken spice she bought when they travelled to Malta. Then she wrestled her mostly thawed turkey into the sink, washed it and got it into the cooler with the ice water and spices. She left it on the kitchen island. Alex would have put it in the garage but she thought it would stay cool enough in the cooler.

She sighed, had to change her turkey-juice splashed jammies and went back to bed and slept until her phone started ringing the next morning.