"To Sycamore House!" Beryl said, lifting a glass of eggnog.
"To Sycamore House!" came the response from the others.
"Thank you all for being part of my life this last year," Polly said.
Sal stepped forward and hugged her. "I'm proud of you," she said. "I knew you had this inside you. Your dad would be proud."
She moved back giving way to Joss and Nate. Joss hugged her as well and then whispered into her ear, "Our lives are getting bigger next year, too. We've finally decided to do something about adopting and everything is in place. We weren't going to say anything until we were approved, but it's starting!"
Polly looked up at Nate with excitement. "I’m so happy for you two. Did you know?" she turned to Henry.
"Know what?" he asked.
"They're adopting a child!"
"Congratulations, man," Henry clapped his friend on the back. "Before you know it, you’ll own a minivan instead of the Impala."
"Bet me," Nate laughed. "That was the first conversation I got out of the way. No minivans allowed."
"He's not kidding. He made me promise that we wouldn't ever park a minivan in our garage," Joss said. "I can agree to that."
Polly hugged her, "I really am excited for you. This is going to be a great year!"
When she had finally spoken to everyone and they were milling around the food buffet, she stepped back into Henry's arm. "You know, it's hard for me to believe all that has happened this year."
"It's been a good year."
"I barreled through, hoping I wasn't making some huge mistake. But when I kept meeting all of these wonderful people, I knew it wasn't a mistake. Can you imagine what next year is going to be like? I'm going to need a bigger place just to have all of my friends in the same room at once."
"Pretty girl, I love watching you make friends. Nothing stops you when you decide someone is going to be part of your life."
"I'm glad you are part of my life."
"Me too. We've had a lot of fun so far."
"And we're going to have more fun next year!"
They had backed away from the main party and were standing next to the Christmas tree. Polly reached over and took a small package off one of the branches and handed it to Henry. "This is for you," she said.
He took it. "I thought we were exchanging gifts on Wednesday with my family."
"I know, but I want you to have this now."
Henry opened the box and kissed Polly on the nose. "You're a nut," he said.
The engraved pen and pencil set read, "Sturtz & Giller, Partners, Bellingwood, Iowa."
"I had one made for myself, too. We're official now."
"I like being official with you," he laughed and kissed her on the lips. "Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas, Henry Sturtz. I love you."
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Last spring, a friend posted pictures of a donkey at church for Palm Sunday. I asked questions and discovered Lusco Farms Rescue in Malvern, Iowa. My friend told me I should introduce donkeys into the Sycamore House family and the more I watched what Lusco Farms did for the animals, the more I knew she was right. There are a lot of great rescues out there, but I love seeing what this group does for donkeys … and goats, ponies, mules, dogs and cats and whatever else shows up. They’re awesome and have been very helpful when I asked crazy questions – like what does a donkey’s ears feel like? (Soft and fuzzy).
Vikki O’Hara pointed me to the donkeys and is also a Master Gardener. Last summer, she gave me a wonderful information on what could happen in a garden the size of Polly’s. I owe her a great deal of thanks.
A very special thank you to Rebecca Bauman, Tracy Kesterson Simpson, Linda Watson, Nancy Quist, Carol Greenwood, Alice Stewart, Edna Fleming, Fran Neff and Max Muir for continuing to help me tell my stories. I am always surprised at the care they give to my books when they proofread and edit and I have the best time reading their comments and asides, knowing that they want things to be written well. Without them, this would be impossible.
THANK YOU FOR READING!
I’m so glad you enjoy these stories about Polly Giller and her friends. You can find out more details about Sycamore House and Bellingwood at the website:
http://nammynools.com/
Check out the Bellingwood Facebook page at:
https://www.facebook.com/pollygiller
for news about upcoming books, conversations while I’m writing and you’re reading, and a continued look at life in a small town.
Diane Greenwood Muir’s Amazon Author Page is a great place to watch for new releases.
Recipes and decorating ideas found in the books can often be found on Pinterest at:
http://pinterest.com/nammynools/
And, if you are looking for Sycamore House swag, check out Polly’s CafePress store:
http://www.cafepress.com/sycamorehouse
Room at the Inn (Bellingwood #5.5) Page 9