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Doreen entered the room and said, “Oh no, they are not. You’re missing one.”
The kids all grumbled, and I knew the last thing they wanted was to get up and start again. Another thing Hendersons all hated. Our pictures being taken.
I looked around for Adilyn. She wasn’t anywhere to be seen.
Paul said, “We need a Henderson group photo. This is a family reunion after all.”
He was right. Most of us were here, and who knew when the next time would be that this happened.
The adults all stood and their children, including me, all either kneeling or sitting on the floor in front of them. A few minutes later after all being told to smile again and again, she slipped her phone into her apron pocket and said, “Now that was a perfect Christmas picture.”
Lexi turned to Cayden and asked, “Daddy, can we open presents now?”
CJ, her older brother said, “How many times are you going to ask?”
“I’ll stop when he says yes,” she smiled, innocently.
Lexi was five and this was her magical Christmas. You could see it in her eyes. She was filled with Christmas joy.
Looking around the room filled with all that joy was contagious. I’d never seen my family so relaxed, so at peace.
The Winterberry Christmas magic is still at work.
Cayden said, “We will open them in a minute.”
“Ho. Ho. Ho,” came a deep sound from the hall. I turned around and there stood Santa, fat and jolly, and the cutest little elf I’d ever seen. Even with her face all covered in make-up, I’d know Adilyn anywhere.
Lexi ran over and wrapped her arms around Santa screaming, “You found me. You found me.”
Santa said, “Of course I did, Lexi. I know where to find all the good little girls and boys. And I hear you have been very good this year.”
She shrugged. “I didn’t eat all my vegetables like mommy told me to. I fed them to the puppy, and he got sick. But I was good the rest of the time. Do I still get a present?”
“Yes, Lexi. But you need to promise to eat your vegetables from now on,” Santa said.
“I will. I will. I promise,” she said, hugging him again.
Santa took her hand and led her to a chair by the tree. He sat down and Lexi hopped on his knee. My sweet elf reached into the large red sack she was carrying and pulled out a wrapped box. Santa took it from her and said, “This is for you, Lexi.”
She hugged him and said, “Thank you, Santa.”
When she got off, Adilyn continued to pull out gifts for each of them, both young and old. Seeing my Uncle Brice sit on Billy’s lap was priceless, especially dressed in his candy cane PJ’s. I couldn’t recall ever seeing him dressed casually. I can’t imagine how Aunt Lena got him to agree to wear the PJ’s. I wish I had brought my phone, but Alex was snapping pictures. Hopefully, we got to see them before he had to delete them all.
It was great fun and a reunion that will never be forgotten. Part of me knew that there would be many I would miss like my father and Uncle Bennett had before me. But that just made the ones that we were all together all the more special.
After Santa and my sweet elf had left, the rest of the gifts were opened. I had one under the tree as well. When I opened it, I found a picture of me and Adilyn sitting on the swing cuddled up in a blanket while it snowed. I don’t remember seeing anyone around, but when I was with her, the world vanished.
I looked around to see who it had come from. Doreen was standing with Paul, smiling. She nodded and mouthedMerry Christmas.
It was a very thoughtful gift. This photo will be coming with me to boot camp for sure.
Adilyn and Billy entered the room and she said, “I guess we missed all the fun.”
Logan’s daughter Cleo said, “Guess we will have to do this again next year, so you won’t miss it.”
Pearl turned to Zoey and asked, “Mom, can we do this next year? I mean all of us come back and have another reunion?”
Shaun looked around at his brothers and said, “I’m for it. I know we would love to bring Tyler with us next year.”
