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Since I am a writer, and wanted to give you a Christmas gift, I thought the best present would be a new story--written special for you.
This story will be posted in sections on the remaining Mondays and Wednesdays during the advent season and end on Christmas.
My Christmas wish for you is a special blessing from God, one that surpass what you'd think to ask from Him.
Blessings to you and yours,
Mary Vee
Purple Memories
By Mary Vee
Leah's two daughters unsnapped their seat belts, bolted out of their tiny Kia, and raced to Grandma's front door before she stepped out of the car. Her foot slipped on the icy driveway. She grabbed the car handle and regretted, again, refusing her mother's offer to take ice skating lessons at her ninth birthday. "Annie. Jackie. Come help carry in the packages, please."
She didn't need to look at her daughters' response to know an eye roll flashed her way. "We already rang the bell."
"Good, then the door will be open by the time you get back there."
Her mother-in-law's house, affectionately called by Grandma's house by everyone in the family, had been the favorite place to visit for all the grandkids. Leah knew. She felt the same way. The sooner the three of them could be inside the large home, the faster they'd smell something delicious baking in the kitchen and receive a warm hug from Grandma.
Jackie loaded her arms with gifts and gracefully slid down the driveway to the front stairs. She dashed up the steps and knocked on the door using her foot. "Come on, Uncle Luke, I see you there. These are heavy."
The door mysteriously swung open. Annie and Jackie carried their packages through the dining room and turned toward the family room. Leah bumped her backside against the open door until it contacted something squishy. "Thanks for opening the door, Luke."
"Very funny, Leah." A much lower male voice groaned from behind the door.
And so, Christmas officially began. The uncles started the teasing and received a fair dose of good natured retaliation. In the distance Annie and Jackie's voices warmly said, "Merry Christmas, Grandma."
Leah's heart fluttered with the festive joy, the best medicine for a lonely heart. Jerry's family had always been kind and gracious to her, welcoming her as a daughter even before they spoke their vows. She carried her load to the family room and added the stack to the mountainous stash spilling outside the bottom branches of the tree.
White Christmas lights had long replaced the traditional candles once decorating the tree. How this favored woman managed to keep her large brood from tipping a candle in their growing up years boggled Leah's mind. Once the first grandchild became toddler sized and batted at the tree, Grandma switched to electric bulbs.
"Leah!"
She turned and saw her mother-in-law's smile. "Merry Christmas, Grandma."
A gleeful hug and her usual spirited laugh quickly followed. "I hadn't seen you yet. I thought the girls came by themselves."
"There is no way I would miss Christmas at my favorite place." Leah pointed to the gifts under the tree. "Is this a good place for our presents?"
"Of course! Anywhere is good, you know that." She looked down at the packages and held her gaze on one area. "The light must be playing games with these old eyes." She bent a little closer to the newly added gifts and squinted.
In all the previous years, no package had caught her attention. Leah became concerned. "Is there a problem?"
She turned away, with the same concern in her eyebrows. "No. I--it's nothing to be concerned about. We better get these doors closed before the little ones try to sneak in here."
………The second layer of this six part story will be unwrapped Wednesday
As for me, I am looking to reach 200 followers by Christmas.
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I would be so very happy to have you as a follower.
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God bless you!