The Sauna Part 199

The day had slipped away and as evening descended we began to think about dinner. We hadn’t planned anything ourselves and we were rummaging through the cupboards and the Frig for what we could use to make a meal when the phone rang. It was Stephanie.

“Dad, the snow’s letting up and the roads are clear. They cancelled the driving ban, so we wanted to know if you and Trish can come over for dinner and we can exchange our presents afterwards. Please, Dad!” she pleaded.

“Looks like our dinner dilemma is solved” Jon grinned as he covered the phone. “We’ll be over, Steph, but we need to shower and dress first” he assured her.

I was way ahead of him and already heading towards the shower. I was glad it had cleared up enough to travel and that we could see the kids. It didn’t quite seem like Christmas to Jon without seeing them and he was humming ‘Please Come Home for Christmas’ as he joined me.

“We should bring ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ with us” he teased and I groaned.

We finished our shower and got ready quickly. Jon loaded up all the remaining packages from under the tree while I finished getting dressed and I made my own duck lips at him as I saw the DVD sitting on top of the bag. I wrapped up a plate of cookies and we were on our way.

We arrived at the house just after six and John took the bag full of presents from Jon and motioned us in. We were greeted by the aroma of roasting turkey and a gaggle of kids as they swarmed around us. Jon lifted Romeo up in his arms and I headed for the kitchen to see if I could give Dot a hand.

“This smells wonderful! I’m so glad we could get together after all. Thank you for inviting us! Can I give you a hand?” I offered as Dot gave me a hug and wished me a happy holiday.

“Actually, can you take the salad out to the dining room and then give me a hand with some of these sides? We’re just waiting on the turkey” she explained.

She and I worked together in the kitchen while the guys kept the kids occupied. Stephanie came and joined us after giving me a hug and soon everything was ready and she went to call the crew. My mouth was watering as Dot pulled the turkey from the oven to cool a bit while we started on our salads. It was a meal fit for a king and we all ate heartily that night.

“This is fabulous!” I said appreciatively as I took another bite of Dot’s sausage stuffing.

“It was my mom’s recipe. It’s really easy” she beamed.

The kids chattered happily about their new stuff they had gotten that morning and Jon acknowledged their fine work on the snowman out front. Dinner was a relaxed affair and I felt pretty privileged to have been included in such a family tradition. It seemed as though we had all been together for years despite John and I being newcomers this year.

After dinner we moved into the living room and I noted that John had arranged all the gifts under the tree. It was beautifully decorated compared to our rather sparsely embellished tree and I vowed that we would be better prepared next year. Romeo climbed into Jon’s lap and Jakey hung on his shoulder as we began passing around the presents.

“On your mark, get set, go!” Jon announced once everyone had their packages.

This was quite different than I was accustomed to as everyone began tearing open their gifts all at once. I followed suit and broke with my own tradition as I tore off the wrapping and laughed. It was fun to do it like that and Jon grinned. It certainly did speed up the event and soon we were finished as everyone sat with their pile and began to talk all at once.

“I love this! It’s just what I wanted! Thanks Dad! Thanks Trish!” Stephanie said excitedly as she began programming the cell phone and I smiled as she was wearing the shawl.

“This is awesome!” Jesse breathed as he examined the collection of artist supplies and his sketchbook.

Jon was putting batteries into the remote control car for Jakey and soon it was buzzing about us on the floor as the two of them played together. Romeo was hugging his “wookie” doll as he climbed into Dot’s lap and she winked at me over the top of his head. John was smiling as he thanked us for the collection of holiday mead I’d selected and Dot was anxious to try the herbal slippers I’d gotten her as her feet hurt from cooking all day.

Steph showed me how to use the new camera phone that I had gotten from everyone and I grinned as I read her hand-written instructions about how to download the pictures. Jon used his new fancy bottle opener to crack open the wine he had gotten from Dot and the kids while John went to get glasses for the four of us. I thanked them both for the beautiful Christmas ornament that commemorated our first Christmas together.

“Oooohhh, wait! There’s one more!” Stephanie trilled as she handed me one last package.

I untied the bow and tore off the paper and began to smile as I saw the name on the box. Jon was looking over my shoulder and I heard him moan as I opened it up and began to laugh almost hysterically. Inside were the same cat “cookies” that Richie had gotten for Zeke. I poked Jon in the ribs as I offered him one with a wicked look on my face.

“Eeeewwww!” Stephanie giggled as I recounted the story from last night and I thought Dot would fall off her chair laughing.

Jon made his famous duck lips and scowled at all of us which only made everyone jeer that much more. Even Jesse, the quietest one, got in the act as he teased his dad.

“You just saw cookies and lost it, didn’t you, dad?” he jibed.

Jon turned crimson and I was delighted after all the times he had made me blush. He hung his head to hide his shame, but he was laughing now too; we could all tell. It had been a wonderful gift and the highlight of the evening as far as I was concerned and I managed to get it on film with my new camera phone.

“Okay, okay, I admit it! I’m a cookie monster!” Jon grinned as he tackled Jakey who squealed with pleasure as Jon tickled him silly.

Once the excitement died down we were ready for dessert and John suggested that we move to the Rec room and watch the DVD we had brought. I took a deep breath and sighed, knowing it was my turn now to get teased.

“Yeah, Trish has never seen the movie!” Jon announced gleefully.

“You’ve never seen ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’? It’s a Christmas classic” John asked incredulously.

“No, I’ve never been able to sit through the whole thing. I bought it for Jon so he could torture me with it” I admitted sheepishly.

“It is pretty sappy” Jesse agreed and I was glad to have at least one ally as we trudged off to the screening room.

The movie was every bit as bad as I remembered, but I managed to make it through to the end this time as Jesse and I groaned together at the most preposterous parts. Jon looked as content as I had ever seen him and he sighed when the movie ended and we made ready to leave. Romeo had fallen asleep in his arms and I was touched as he handed him to his counterpart, John, with a wink of acknowledgement.

We hugged everyone goodbye and even I was a bit disappointed that the evening was over, but I felt very fulfilled. I had never been part of a large family or experienced Christmas with children and it had been a more powerful experience than I had imagined. This was the way it was supposed to be and I was grateful to have been a part of the family.

“We should do this again sometime soon. Let’s not wait for the holidays, Trish. You’re always welcome here” Dot whispered in my ear and I hugged her back with genuine affection.

Jon yawned as we climbed into the car with a bag of gifts and very full bellies. I snuggled against him as we drove home, tired but happy. Jon pulled me closer and kissed the top of my head as we passed by house after house trimmed with holiday lights.

“Merry Christmas, baby” he purred softly.