by Eric Vall
“Ever heard of knocking?” Betty laughed.
“This is a common area,” Paige chuckled. “I didn’t think we needed to.”
“Well, uh.” Rolly cleared his throat. “Dinner is coming along nicely.”
“I’m sure it is,” I smirked.
“You wipe that look off your face,” Betty teased.
“Yes, ma’am,” I said with a grin.
“Focus,” Paige whispered.
“What’s going on?” Betty asked with concern.
“I think Paige has a plan,” I said.
“A plan for what?” Rolly asked.
“Bailey suggested we do Christmas tomorrow,” Paige said. “We’re going to give everyone their comfort items and make a big dinner.”
“That sounds lovely,” Betty said.
“Yeah,” Paige agreed. “But we don’t have anything for Kimmy.”
“I see,” Betty said.
“So, what’s the plan?” Rolly asked. “We can’t exactly make a run to get her anything.”
“No.” Paige shook her head. “But I had another idea.”
“What is it?” I asked.
“Rolly, do we have any spare wood around?” Paige asked.
“Yeah,” Rolly said. “There’s some in the shed.”
“I think I know where she’s going with this,” Betty said with a smile. “Great idea, honey.”
“I’m confused,” Rolly said.
“That makes two of us,” I laughed.
“A crib,” Paige said.
“That’s a good idea,” I said with a smile.
“Would it be difficult to make one?” Paige asked Rolly. “I know it’s asking a lot. I’ll help.”
“It’ll be simple,” Rolly said with a wave of his hand. “I can get it done quickly.”
“Really?” Paige asked with wide eyes.
“Of course,” Rolly said. “Kimmy is the one who hooked up the power for us. She deserves something nice too.”
“You are the best!” Paige exclaimed, and she jumped to hug the old man.
“Thanks,” Rolly chuckled as he patted the brunette on the back.
“Oh!” Betty said. “I have another idea!”
“What is it?” Paige asked.
“Well,” Betty started. “The crib is a wonderful idea, and it will be great for Anthony, but it’s not exactly a gift for Kimmy.”
“You’re right,” Paige said with a frown.
“But,” Betty said with a raised finger. “Cathy is a seamstress.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “I’m not exactly following though.”
“We can make her something!” Paige said.
“Yes.” Betty grinned.
“We don’t have a sewing machine,” Rolly said.
“That’s alright,” Betty said. “I’ll hand sew. I just need Cathy’s help with a pattern.”
“Great idea,” Paige said.
“What about fabric?” I asked.
“Oh, I’m sure we can figure something out,” Betty said. “It looks like Kimmy has been wearing that dress of hers forever.”
“I did notice it was pretty dirty,” I said.
“I think she didn’t want to change since she felt like she would be taking from someone else,” Betty said.
“Let’s go find Cathy,” Paige said, and she pulled up Betty by the hand.
“You need any help with that crib, old timer?” I asked after the women had left.
“I’m sure I could use some,” Rolly said with a smile. “It’ll go by quicker that way.”
“Alright,” I agreed. “I’ll wake you up at dawn.”
“I’ll be ready,” he chuckled.
I headed back out to the living room and found the other girls and several more clean civilians seated around the coffee table.
“What was all that about?” Anna asked as I sat down.
“I’m sworn to secrecy,” I laughed.
“This is some sort of sick revenge for Thanksgiving, isn’t it?” Tara teased.
“I would never,” I said with feigned indignation.
“Yeah, yeah,” the platinum blonde chuckled.
“Christmas songs!” Bailey exclaimed, and she looked at Tara.
“May as well forget it,” Anna said. “She got her drink, the bargaining is over.”
“Hey,” Tara said. “I’m not a monster. What do you want to hear, Bailey?”
“Jingle bells!” Bailey exclaimed with the joy of a small child on Christmas morning.
“Jingle bells it is,” Tara laughed.
“I’m still amazed that you just remember how to play all these songs without music,” Donna said as she dried her hair.
“Well, I had a lot of practice as a kid,” Tara said. “Plus, once you know the notes you can play anything.”
“It really is incredible,” Kimmy said. “I always wished I could play music like that.”
“I’m sure you could,” Tara said. “It just takes a lot of practice.”
“Anybody can learn to play something,” I said. “But some people are more naturally talented.”
“Right,” Kimmy agreed.
“Don’t go giving her a big head now,” Anna chuckled.
“She deserves some praise,” I laughed.
“Thank you, Tav,” Tara said, then she glared at Anna. “No requests for you, Grinch.”
“That’s fine with me,” Anna teased back.
Tara began to play the piano, and everyone joined in to sing Jingle Bells. Soon all the civilians had come downstairs except for Paige, Betty, and Cathy.
I grabbed a bottle of vodka from the storage closet, some cups, and snuck out while everyone was singing to find the women.
They were in Cathy’s dorm room upstairs.
“You all still plotting in here?” I asked as I looked over the room.
“We’ve got it figured out,” Cathy said with a smile.
“Good,” I said. “You all are doing something incredibly nice, and I’m very proud of you.”
“Thanks, Tav,” Paige said. “But Kimmy deserves it.”
“She has been nothing but sweet since she arrived,” Cathy agreed.
“You’re right,” I said. “But I just want to remind you that you all are sweet for doing this too.”
“We know,” Betty said. “Now get out so we can work.”
“Alright, alright,” I laughed. “I brought you some drinks. Is there anything else I can do for you?”
“I think we got it covered,” Cathy said.
“Dinner should be ready soon,” Betty said. “See that it doesn’t burn.”
“Alright,” I agreed. “Don’t stay up here too long though, you’re missing Christmas songs.”
“Thanks,” Cathy said.
I left the girls with their drinks and headed back downstairs. Nobody seemed to realize I had left except for Anna who gave me a knowing smile when I sat back down.
I really was proud of everyone in my tribe. They all had exhibited great character today. I was especially proud of Paige though. She had come up with a great way to treat Kimmy.
I knew Kimmy didn’t feel like part of the tribe yet, but in the short time she had been there she had shown that she was not only a good mother, but a good person, and someone very useful to have around.
I watched the dark complexioned woman as she sat baby Anthony on her lap, and he giggled happily as everyone continued to sing.
I had been in awe of the girls for planning a wonderful Thanksgiving, but now they had planned a Christmas for us as well. It was good to know that even in the midst of a disaster we could still find comfort in small traditions.
I took another look at all the people who surrounded me and smiled. They all had survived through so much. The preparation for winter had been hard on them, I knew, but at that moment all our hard work paid off. Even grumpy old Briar had joined in with the singing.
Christmas Eve with my family had never felt so great.
I took another sip of my cupcake flavo
red vodka and joined in on Santa Baby.
“Take it, Tav!” Tara giggled from behind the piano.
“I’ve really been an awful good girl,” I belted out, and everyone laughed.
Chapter 16
The next morning I woke early and rolled out of bed.
“Where are you going?” Paige grumbled.
“Yeah,” Anna said. “It’s not even dawn yet.”
“No, it’s not,” Tara groaned. “Why is everyone talking?”
The platinum blonde wrapped her pillow around her ears to shield out our voices.
“I’m going to help Rolly with the crib,” I whispered.
“Oh, right,” Paige said, and she sat up quickly. “Do you need any help?”
“I think we can handle it,” I said gently. “Go back to sleep.”
“Alright,” Paige said with a yawn. “But let me know if you need any help.”
“I will,” I said.
I headed downstairs, but Winchester followed me and ran to the door and whined.
“You need out, buddy?” I asked the black-headed dog.
I opened the door, and he darted out and peed on a nearby tree, so I closed the door and waited a few moments while he did his business. When he was done, he ran back over to the door, and I let him back in.
“You wanna hang out with me and Rolly?” I asked as I reached down to pet him.
Winchester let out a bark, but I hushed him. I didn’t want him to wake up the whole building.
Winchester and I found Rolly in the laundry room. He had the wood laid out for Kimmy’s crib, along with some tools, and a fresh pot of coffee with two cups by it.
“Morning, old timer,” I said as I walked in.
“Mornin’,” he said with a grin. “I made coffee.”
“I see,” I said. “Thanks.”
“Yes, good morning Winchester,” Rolly laughed when the black headed dog greeted him with kisses.
I poured each of us a cup of coffee and handed him his.
“I have a confession to make,” I said.
“What’s that?” Rolly asked as he stroked Winchester’s back.
“I’ve never actually built a crib before,” I chuckled.
“I think we can manage,” the old man said, and he clapped me on the shoulder.
“I did think of one thing this morning though,” I mused.
“What?” Rolly asked.
“Don’t cribs normally have mattresses?” I asked.
“Oh,” Rolly said with a slight frown. “You’re right.”
“I don’t think all of the mattresses from the dorm rooms are being used,” I said. “We could cut one up.”
“Good idea,” Rolly said, and he took a sip of his coffee.
We sat in silence for a moment and drank our coffee. It was delicious as always. The old man never disappointed, not in getting things done, or brewing the best damn coffee I ever had.
“The girls seem to have taken a liking to Kimmy,” I said as I looked around at the materials on the floor.
“I think everyone has,” Rolly chuckled. “She’s a really nice gal.”
“She is,” I agreed.
“Well,” Rolly said, and he took one more drink of his coffee, and then set it on the floor, “we better get this show on the road.”
“Right,” I said. “I know the girls are really excited about this.”
Winchester lounged by the wood stove while Rolly showed me the basic design he had drawn up, it looked simple enough. We started screwing pieces of wood together, and just as the dawn hit the horizon we had something that resembled a crib.
“This looks pretty damn good,” I said.
“It’s not bad,” Rolly agreed.
“I’ll go grab a mattress for us to cut,” I said.
“Good idea,” Rolly said. “I’ll pour us some more coffee.”
“Save some for me!” I heard Tara call out, and then a second later she came through the door with the other girls in tow.
Tara had her hair down for the first time in a long time, and her long blonde locks sat against her chest and framed the cleavage that pushed through her red tank top.
Paige had opted for a Christmas sweater in place of her usual college hoodie, and her long brown hair was down as well, cascading down her back in a wave of chestnut.
Bailey wore a matching set of red flannel pajamas. She looked adorable and like the picture of a perfect Christmas morning. The only thing missing was a cup of hot cocoa in her hands.
Anna seemed to not get the Christmas memo. Her long red hair was pulled back into a braid, and she wore athletic pants and a jogging sweater. She may not have looked cheery, but she was still sexy as hell.
“Oh, my God!” Paige exclaimed as she looked at the crib. “This looks amazing!”
“It’s not too bad,” Rolly chuckled.
“You’re selling yourself short,” Anna said. “It looks very well made.”
“I like the wood you used,” Bailey said. “It’s a nice soft color.”
“Thanks,” Rolly said. “And we can always paint it for her if she fancies any of the colors we have in the shed.”
“I’m sure she’d like that,” I said.
“What about a mattress?” Tara asked as she poured herself a cup of coffee. “Don’t babies normally have, like, something soft to sleep on?”
“I was just about to go grab one to cut,” I said.
“I’ll help!” Paige exclaimed.
“I don’t think it will take two of us to get a mattress,” I chuckled.
“He’s right,” Tara agreed. “These dorm mattresses weigh nothing.”
“Alright,” Paige said with a frown. “If you’re sure.”
“I’m sure,” I told the brunette. “Have a cup of coffee, after all, it is Christmas.”
“That reminds me,” Bailey said excitedly. “Rolly, do we still have the Christmas decorations that the school used to put up?”
“I suppose we do,” Rolly said. “I think they’re in my shed.”
“What about a tree?” Paige asked.
“The school always opted for a real tree,” Rolly said with a frown. “But I have the stand with the other Christmas stuff in the shed.”
“Well,” Bailey said with a wide grin. “I know where the axes are.”
“You’re seriously going to go cut down a tree?” Tara asked with a look of shock.
“Of course,” Bailey said. “What’s Christmas without a Christmas tree? Besides, we can just use the tree for firewood when we’re done.”
“I think it’s a great idea,” I told the blonde. “If you wait a few minutes, I’ll come with you, just let me go get a mattress first.”
“We can do that,” Paige offered.
“Are you sure?” Bailey asked the brunette.
“Yeah,” Paige chuckled. “You’re going to do all the hard work of cutting the tree, this is the least we can do.”
“Yay!” Bailey squealed with a clap of her hands. “Come on, Tav!”
The blonde ran out of the room with Winchester close behind her, and by the time I made it out to the common area she was already half dressed to go outside.
“Wait for me,” I laughed as I threw on my jacket and snow pants.
“Sorry,” Bailey breathed. “I’m just really excited.”
“I had no idea,” I teased.
“I love Christmas,” Bailey gushed. “And this will be our first one as a new family.”
“You’re right,” I said with a smile. “It’s good to want it to be special.”
“Come on, boy!” Bailey called out to Winchester as she rushed out through the door.
“Bailey!” I laughed as I hurried to put my other boot on.
I made it outside a moment later. Snow flurried lightly around, but it was soft, and the day was warm compared to the storms we had gotten recently.
I found Bailey in the woods near the makeshift horse pen we had built when we got Gray Lady and Buttercup. She walked around slowly
, inspecting each tree carefully.
“What exactly are we looking for?” I asked.
“Shhh,” Bailey said as she reached out to touch the branches on a large pine tree near her. “No, it’s not the one.”
“What are we looking for in a tree?” I asked with a laugh.
“We need it to be fairly large,” Bailey said. “But not too big.”
“Right,” I agreed, even though I almost laughed at how much she sounded like a suburban mom giving her husband unclear directions in a TV sitcom.
“And it should be nice and bushy,” the blonde continued. “With a good top on it that will support our Christmas star.”
“Alright,” I laughed. “Should we head a little further into the woods?”
“Yeah,” Bailey said. “But not too far. We have to carry it back.”
“I don’t think that will be a problem,” I said with a raised brow.
“Right,” the blonde said with a smile.
We wandered further into the woods. Winchester happily ran back and forth in front of us as he jumped on snow piles and found trees to pee on.
“So,” I said as we walked. “Did you and your family pick out trees every year?”
“No,” Bailey sighed. “We had a fake one, but I always liked real ones better.”
“They do smell good,” I said.
“What about you?” Bailey asked. “Did you have real trees or a fake tree growing up?”
“I had a fake one too,” I said. “My mom would bring it out on December first every year, and we’d put it up together.”
“That must have been nice,” Bailey said with a smile.
“It was,” I sighed. “She would make cookies, and we would watch It’s a Wonderful Life on TV.”
“My family used to watch that every year too,” Bailey laughed. “I think it’s one of those movies that everybody grew up with.”
“I doubt it,” I said. “I bet Tara and Anna never watched it as a kid.”
“Hm,” Bailey said. “You’re probably right. I’ve been watching it so long I figured everyone knew about it.”
“Nah,” I said. “You’re just kind of an old soul.”
“Is that a compliment?” the blonde asked with a raised brow.
“Absolutely,” I said with a grin.
“Thanks.” Bailey blushed.
We came up to a large patch of pine trees and stopped for a moment to survey the surrounding trees. The snow still flurried down at a leisurely pace, and the air was dry and cold on my face.