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As the lights come to life, bathing the room in a warm and magical glow, I help Taeli carefully climb the ladder and secure the star atop the tree. A reminder of the Star of Bethlehem that guided the three kings to baby Jesus.
Caleb claps his hands in delight. “It’s the best tree we’ve ever had,” he exclaims.
“It is perfect,” Taeli says.
I pick the green-and-red bag up from its hiding place behind the sofa.
“Not quite,” I say as I hand it over to Taeli.
She gives me a curious look. “What’s this?”
“Open it,” I prompt.
She plucks the white tissue paper, tosses it aside, and gasps as she tugs the red ribbon, revealing a white farmhouse ornament with a wooden tag hanging from the bottom that readsOur First Christmas 2023.
She turns to Leona, her eyes filled with tears. “It’s the ornament Daddy made for you,” she whispers.
“Yes, he carved it and painted it himself. He had the cuts on his hands to prove it,” Leona says.
“I added the new tag on the bottom, the one with the original date,” I explain.
Taeli lifts the model in the air, reads the date of her parents’ first Christmas together, and shakes her head. “I can’t take this. He made it for you, Mom.”
Leona walks over and covers her hand that’s holding the ornament. “He would want you to have it. It’s time for you to hang it on your tree to signify your new beginning. So he’ll always be a part of your celebrations. He’d be so happy that you found your way home.”
Taeli collapses in her mother’s arms, and they let the tears flow before they place the ornament front and center together.
Pop shares stories of his own as we move on to the other rooms and continue to decorate, reminiscing about the Christmases I celebrated with my parents and brothers when we were boys.
Taeli and I stand back and watch as Caleb listens intently with his eyes wide and a smile that stretches from ear to ear.
He looks back at us and says, “Can we go sledding Christmas morning too?”
“Sure, buddy,” I answer.
“This is going to be the best Christmas ever!”
“It definitely is,” Taeli agrees.
Our first Christmas together under this roof is something we have all been eagerly anticipating, and as I take in their joyful faces, it’s a reminder of the beauty of new beginnings, the power of love, and the magic of the seasons.
I’m filled with gratitude for the memories we’re creating and the love that binds us together.
My family.
Jena
Ipick Erin up, and the two of us head to our best friend, Ansley’s, shop in Market Square—Well-Bred Café and Bookstore—where all the girls are meeting tonight for our last official hurrah before the big day.
Ansley, Erin, and I have been friends since we were little girls. We’ve seen each other through all of life’s big events. The two of them were in my wedding, and Ansley and I were in both of Erin’s.
Our girl gang has grown exponentially over the past few years, and we couldn’t be happier.
We never thought the day would come when we’d get to celebrate Ansley’s nuptials, but that devil Garrett Tuttle, her high school sweetheart, popped back up in Balsam Ridge and swept her right off her feet.
Truth be told, we always knew the two of them would eventually find their way back to one another.
We stop to pick up the pizza order that Taeli called in earlier, and when we arrive, everyone is already settled in with a glass of wine in hand, so we pour ourselves a glass and join them.
