Page 85 of Once Upon a Holidate
“You’re so strong,” she said, remembering when he’d been younger and smaller. “This growing thing is starting to freak me out.”
It didn’t take long to get the tree secured and in front of the window. They left it a few feet out from the wall so they could move around it to decorate, then push it in when they were finished.
“I’ll go get the ornaments, Mom,” Hunter said.
She followed him onto the front porch and saw Garrick and Joylyn pulling in next door, a tree sticking out of the back of his SUV.
“Which one did you get?” she asked, crossing her driveway.
Joylyn smiled. “The wider one so more ornaments will fit.”
Wynn looked at Garrick. “You were sensible.”
“Don’t sound surprised. I saw the value of your point and agreed with you.”
“Still, a man who can be reasoned with. Impressive.”
He winked at her, then picked up the tree as if it weighed nothing and carried it inside. Wynn sent Hunter to help him get the tree into the stand before heading to the garage and carrying in the last of the bins. Joylyn followed her.
“I’m not going to be much help,” she said, patting her belly. “I’m not sure I can get close enough to hang anything.”
Wynn pointed to the sofa. “Why don’t you keep me company while I decorate?”
“I wouldn’t want to get in the way of your traditions with Hunter.”
Wynn shook her head. “You won’t. He likes putting on the lights, but after about five minutes of hanging ornaments, he wanders away.”
“Oh, okay, then sure. I’d like to stay.”
She settled on the sofa. Wynn had just pulled out the various strings of lights when Garrick and Hunter walked in.
“Our tree is in its stand,” Garrick said. “We’re here for light duty.”
“Because putting on the lights is man work?”
“Of course. Decorating is more a woman thing.”
She put her hands on her hips. “It’s Saturday. There’s no professional football on today.”
Hunter shifted his feet. “There’s a great college game on, Mom. It’s the end of the season so who wins is important.”
Wynn glanced at Joylyn. “Too bad you’re having a boy.”
Joylyn laughed. “I can see that it might be a problem.”
The guys made quick work of the lights. Garrick plugged ineach string to make sure it was working, then he and Hunter wound them around the tree. They all squinted at the finished product and declared the lights were even, then the two of them disappeared next door to do the same to Garrick’s tree.
Wynn turned on Christmas music, made hot chocolate for herself and Joylyn, then put out a plate of cookies before opening the bins and studying the contents.
“I still have all the ornaments Hunter made for me in school,” she said. “Some of them are pretty fragile. Last year I freshened all the glue so they would last a few more years.”
Joylyn picked up a star made of popsicle sticks and glitter. “You must love these.”
“I do. They’re silly, but so special.”
She sat on the floor and started pulling out other ornaments. “I have a few from my mom.” She held up a wishing well ornament. “She said as long as we could make wishes, it was going to be a good Christmas.”
“When did she pass away?”
