ring, but even more
overcome by love for Lon.
Now the rings were gone,
but she still had the man. After almost 15 years, Annie was
satisfied with that. With three mini-thems and the obligations of
daily life, there was never enough time and more stress than Annie
would have liked, but there was always love. So she had to be
grateful for that. Lately, though, she just didn’t feel
it.
Annie’s thoughts were
interrupted by Lon coming into the kitchen. “Hey, everybody!” he
said. Maybe Annie just imagined it, but it seemed like everyone in
the room cheered. Even Ryder came out of his room to say hi to his
dad.
“Now there’s a guy who’s
fun,” Annie said, and Lon planted a kiss on her cheek.
“What are you talking
about?” Lon asked with a smile.
“He is fun,” Grace agreed,
patting her only child on the back.
It took just a few more
minutes until dinner was ready, and then the family of six sat down
and ate quickly. Lon and Ryder talked about football. Hannah,
Carter, and Grace talked about their school projects and Christmas
wish lists: Hannah wanted a hair styling wand and concert tickets,
Carter wanted superhero action figures and a skateboard like
Ryder’s, and Grace wanted some new books to read. Annie took it all
in and ate silently.
After dinner, Lon helped
Carter with his foam ball snowman project, Grace looked over
Hannah’s and Ryder’s homework, and Annie cleaned up. The boys took
baths (Hannah was a morning shower girl), and the kids went to bed.
Evening family time went by too fast.
Annie did a little work,
but really dreaded the thought of starting on the holiday cards as
her to-do list dictated. In fact, there was nothing Annie really
felt like doing to prepare for Christmas. The only thing Annie
wanted was to go to bed, not stay up doing Christmassy things. Lon
and Grace were watching TV, so Annie lay down.
“I will just settle down
for a long winter’s nap,” Annie said out loud to herself, quoting
The Night Before Christmas. “Because my heart is full of unwashed
socks, my soul is full of gunk,” she quoted from Mr.
Grinch.
And that was the last thing
she remembered.
- - - - -
Lon found his wife lying in
bed. “Hon, you awake?” he asked, resting his hand on Annie’s
shoulder. Angel was nestled near Annie’s head.
“Hmm?”
“I thought I’d see if you
want to hurry out and get a tree?” Lon asked. “That lot on the
corner is still open. It would surprise the kids, and we don’t have
much time left before Christmas to enjoy a tree.”
“Go on without me,” Annie
mumbled. “My face is having a meeting with my pillow.”
“How about gift shopping?”
Lon suggested. He started to massage Annie’s back. “You said
something about the kids’ teachers’ gifts. We could get some cocoa
while we’re out.”
“I got them gift cards,”
Annie said. “And the weather is too warm for a hot
drink.”
“Then let’s just get a
smoothie,” Lon said, hoping the third time would be a charm — and doing his best to
lay on the charm. “You and me. I know you can’t resist the sweet,
fresh goodness of a strawberry-banana-peach concoction. Come on,
while the kids are in bed and Mom is here to watch over
everything.”
“You’re trying hard, and
I’m sorry,” Annie said, looking up at Lon. “I’m just wiped out
tonight. And I’m … not feeling up to Christmas this year. I’m the
Grinch.”
Lon pushed his dark blond
hair back from his forehead. His hair was getting wavy over his
ears and made it look as though he had wings. He would need to get
a cut before Christmas. “Let’s try for tomorrow night then?” Lon
asked. “Maybe you’ll feel like it then. Tree, shopping, smoothie
date … Broadway show, paintball, karaoke, whatever you
want.”
Annie giggled, then sighed.
Lon liked the sound of Annie’s laughing, and he liked that he had
made her laugh. “OK,”
overcome by love for Lon.
Now the rings were gone,
but she still had the man. After almost 15 years, Annie was
satisfied with that. With three mini-thems and the obligations of
daily life, there was never enough time and more stress than Annie
would have liked, but there was always love. So she had to be
grateful for that. Lately, though, she just didn’t feel
it.
Annie’s thoughts were
interrupted by Lon coming into the kitchen. “Hey, everybody!” he
said. Maybe Annie just imagined it, but it seemed like everyone in
the room cheered. Even Ryder came out of his room to say hi to his
dad.
“Now there’s a guy who’s
fun,” Annie said, and Lon planted a kiss on her cheek.
“What are you talking
about?” Lon asked with a smile.
“He is fun,” Grace agreed,
patting her only child on the back.
It took just a few more
minutes until dinner was ready, and then the family of six sat down
and ate quickly. Lon and Ryder talked about football. Hannah,
Carter, and Grace talked about their school projects and Christmas
wish lists: Hannah wanted a hair styling wand and concert tickets,
Carter wanted superhero action figures and a skateboard like
Ryder’s, and Grace wanted some new books to read. Annie took it all
in and ate silently.
After dinner, Lon helped
Carter with his foam ball snowman project, Grace looked over
Hannah’s and Ryder’s homework, and Annie cleaned up. The boys took
baths (Hannah was a morning shower girl), and the kids went to bed.
Evening family time went by too fast.
Annie did a little work,
but really dreaded the thought of starting on the holiday cards as
her to-do list dictated. In fact, there was nothing Annie really
felt like doing to prepare for Christmas. The only thing Annie
wanted was to go to bed, not stay up doing Christmassy things. Lon
and Grace were watching TV, so Annie lay down.
“I will just settle down
for a long winter’s nap,” Annie said out loud to herself, quoting
The Night Before Christmas. “Because my heart is full of unwashed
socks, my soul is full of gunk,” she quoted from Mr.
Grinch.
And that was the last thing
she remembered.
- - - - -
Lon found his wife lying in
bed. “Hon, you awake?” he asked, resting his hand on Annie’s
shoulder. Angel was nestled near Annie’s head.
“Hmm?”
“I thought I’d see if you
want to hurry out and get a tree?” Lon asked. “That lot on the
corner is still open. It would surprise the kids, and we don’t have
much time left before Christmas to enjoy a tree.”
“Go on without me,” Annie
mumbled. “My face is having a meeting with my pillow.”
“How about gift shopping?”
Lon suggested. He started to massage Annie’s back. “You said
something about the kids’ teachers’ gifts. We could get some cocoa
while we’re out.”
“I got them gift cards,”
Annie said. “And the weather is too warm for a hot
drink.”
“Then let’s just get a
smoothie,” Lon said, hoping the third time would be a charm — and doing his best to
lay on the charm. “You and me. I know you can’t resist the sweet,
fresh goodness of a strawberry-banana-peach concoction. Come on,
while the kids are in bed and Mom is here to watch over
everything.”
“You’re trying hard, and
I’m sorry,” Annie said, looking up at Lon. “I’m just wiped out
tonight. And I’m … not feeling up to Christmas this year. I’m the
Grinch.”
Lon pushed his dark blond
hair back from his forehead. His hair was getting wavy over his
ears and made it look as though he had wings. He would need to get
a cut before Christmas. “Let’s try for tomorrow night then?” Lon
asked. “Maybe you’ll feel like it then. Tree, shopping, smoothie
date … Broadway show, paintball, karaoke, whatever you
want.”
Annie giggled, then sighed.
Lon liked the sound of Annie’s laughing, and he liked that he had
made her laugh. “OK,”
Similar Books
