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Chapter or Story
"The right half of the house blew again, Jarod, so we are officially a half-merry house according to the PTA pigeons down the street," Miss Parker informed him while settling down in the chair across from him at the kitchen table, "oh, and the lights on the tree no longer blink all so joyfully."
Jarod smiled at what their problems had become after all these years of freedom, "We'll just have to have Katie plug and unplug the lights repeatedly. Problem solved."
"And one more attained when our child is electrocuted," she added perkily, clapping her hands together with a fake smile on her face.
He laughed, "Well, I have one more dose of Christmas cheer for you. Our family has decided that we should have Christmas at our house this year."
Her face was blank, "What?"
"Christmas, here," he stated again, carefully drumming his fingers on the table.
Miss Parker stared at him dully before placing her forehead on the table and groaning.
"Don't worry. I'll help you, and so will the girls," Jarod could hear her muffled laughs, "Hey! I will help!"
She continued to laugh as she walked out of the room, tossing a hand over her shoulder, "you'll just screw it up!"
He folded his arms in defeat as he watched her disappear.
*****
Christmas Eve
"Maggie, you have all bathrooms and the dining room. Katie, living room and your bedrooms," Miss Parker handed each of them a broom and dustcloth, "And you, little Laney, can help me out in the kitchen while your father attempts to wrap some presents."
"Mommy, I'm tired. I don't think we have to clean our bedrooms, people won't even go in there," Katie whined.
"Well its that kind of whining that pissed me off when I was hunting Daddy so too bad. Santa can see everything, and if he sees a messy room he might just pass this house on by," she casually replied while heading toward the kitchen, leaving her daughters with panicked faces as they scurried off to complete their chores. She grinned as she heard little feet patter down the hall.
Miss Parker laughed and swung Delaney up onto her hip and danced her into the kitchen where Christmas music played.
"Mommy! Cookie!" Delaney begged when she saw the cookie jar, which stood out brightly from the corner of the counter.
"Oh fine, but only one you sugar freak. Come on, you're supposed to be helping me out here, Laney!" she placed her in her highchair and slapped a bib around her tiny neck. She starting mixing, stirring, kneading, and baking. Soon, a delightful aroma filled the air of their cozy kitchen. Never before had she pictured her own home to have a cheery butter-yellow kitchen. Her thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of the telephone.
"What?" she said softly. Old habits die hard, but atleast they could be a tad more welcoming.
"Hey, Parker!" greeted Jarod's sister's merry voice, "how's cooking going over there?"
Parker snorted, "Wonderful. Now get your perky butt up here and it'll be a hell of a lot more wonderful."
"All in good time my dear sister-in-law," Emily replied, laughing.
"Please, would you quit calling me that, it sounds so in-lawish."
"Nice word to add to the Parker-ictionary. Time out of the Centre has done you well."
She laughed, "ahh, so that's what happened to Jarod."
"I think that was more about his time IN The Centre," she grumbled, "so anyway, I was calling to ask you what I should be bringing to your place tomorrow morning- that is if you havn't blown up the kitchen by then."
"No need to fret, Em. I'll make sure your piece of turkey has an extra hair in it, right next to the Delaney spit-up. Just bring some breads and dessert and I'll make sure I slip that piece to someone else."
"Jarod?"
"Why not?" The two women laughed together as if they had been friends for years.
Emily took a deep breath, "You keep that brother of mine in line and maybe I'll show up early to help out."
"Sure thing, Em. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Merry Christmas."
Miss Parker placed the phone back on the receiver and glanced at her daughter who was staring at her expectantly, "that was your aunt Emily."
"Presents?" the little girl asked, eyes wide.
"Of course she's bringing presents. I wouldn't let her in the house without them."
*****
"Pst, Maggie. Maggie," Jarod coaxed his daughter softly, who was dusting the dining room table efficiently, so that Parker wouldn't hear from the next room. He was sitting on the floor before the twinkling Christmas tree attempting to wrap a gift.
"What?" she said, echoing her mother.
Jarod grinned, "could you help me out over here? I'm not exactly sure I *know* how to wrap a present. You've watched Mommy do it right?"
The little girl skipped over to her father and knelt on the floor, "who's is it?"
"What does that have to do with anything?" Jarod inquired of the little girl who raised her eyebrows in response.
"Well, I was just wondering," she shrugged her shoulders.
"Its for your uncle, Ethan," Jarod informed her, "*now* will you help me?"
"Fine," Maggie sighed as she plopped herself in her father's lap, grasping his hands in hers. Slowly, she began to instruct with her hands on how to cut and fold the paper properly around the package. Jarod watched in awe of his daughter, so much like his wife was at that age, curious, inciteful, and a tad vindictive.
"Daddy?"
"Hmm, what?" he snapped back to reality.
"You really need to pay attention if you're going to ask me something," she lectured.
He smiled and apologized as she repeated her lesson.
"If you do it that way then you have a lot left over. What do you do with that?"
"Just throw it away I guess," Maggie shrugged.
"Doesn't that waste all that paper?" Jarod pressed.
"I guess, but this present just isn't big enough."
"Oh," Jarod relented and began wrapping more gifts while Maggie continued cleaning. He had just finished when he felt a small body fling itself onto his back and tiny hands sealing his eyes shut.
"Guess who?" rang a much deeper than normal voice from Katie.
"Hmm. Mommy?" Jarod guessed in mock confusion.
"No!" she shrieked, jumping up and down.
"I know! Delaney!"
"Delaney can't even talk good. Its me!" she revealed her face to him over his shoulder.
"Ahh, so it is," Jarod pulled her over his shoulder and placed her in his lap.
"Daddy, guess what!"
"What?" Jarod asked with excitement.
"Tomorrow is Christmas!" her face reflected his own grin.
"No it isn't! That's next week!" Jarod reprimanded playfully.
She stared at him mockingly, "No, its not! Don't pretend, Daddy!"
Jarod grinned to himself at the ironic words she had chosen, "I'll try not to do that anymore."
"Promise?" his daughter asked seriously.
"I promise."
*****
"No more glasses of water!" Miss Parker yelled up the stairs from the couch, immediately hearing four feet retreat to their bedrooms, then she turned to her husband next to her, "I don't care if we have to sedate them, Jarod, if they don't go to sleep soon, I'm bolting the doors."
He put his arm around her, resting on the back of the couch, and grasped her hand with his free one, "Just Christmas Eve jitters that I assume every kid gets. Didn't you when you were a kid?"
"I guess I did, when I was very little," she shrugged, taking a sip of coffee.
"Now it is 10:00 at night and you are drinking coffee. Please explain."
"Do you not remember the Santa fiasco last year with you attempting to put that Big Wheel together on the porch in ten degree weather so as not to wake the girls. We were up til three in the morning and I'm going to be prepared this year."
"In that case," he snatched the mug out of her hand and took a gulp, returning it to her hands, "that's extremely hot."
"You don't chug coffee, Jarod, especially when you can see the steam rising from it from a helicopter," she chastized playfully, slapping his hand.
"Shall we begin then?" Jarod coaxed her gently.
Parker eyed him, smiling, "Lets set a record this year."
Jarod smiled at what their problems had become after all these years of freedom, "We'll just have to have Katie plug and unplug the lights repeatedly. Problem solved."
"And one more attained when our child is electrocuted," she added perkily, clapping her hands together with a fake smile on her face.
He laughed, "Well, I have one more dose of Christmas cheer for you. Our family has decided that we should have Christmas at our house this year."
Her face was blank, "What?"
"Christmas, here," he stated again, carefully drumming his fingers on the table.
Miss Parker stared at him dully before placing her forehead on the table and groaning.
"Don't worry. I'll help you, and so will the girls," Jarod could hear her muffled laughs, "Hey! I will help!"
She continued to laugh as she walked out of the room, tossing a hand over her shoulder, "you'll just screw it up!"
He folded his arms in defeat as he watched her disappear.
*****
Christmas Eve
"Maggie, you have all bathrooms and the dining room. Katie, living room and your bedrooms," Miss Parker handed each of them a broom and dustcloth, "And you, little Laney, can help me out in the kitchen while your father attempts to wrap some presents."
"Mommy, I'm tired. I don't think we have to clean our bedrooms, people won't even go in there," Katie whined.
"Well its that kind of whining that pissed me off when I was hunting Daddy so too bad. Santa can see everything, and if he sees a messy room he might just pass this house on by," she casually replied while heading toward the kitchen, leaving her daughters with panicked faces as they scurried off to complete their chores. She grinned as she heard little feet patter down the hall.
Miss Parker laughed and swung Delaney up onto her hip and danced her into the kitchen where Christmas music played.
"Mommy! Cookie!" Delaney begged when she saw the cookie jar, which stood out brightly from the corner of the counter.
"Oh fine, but only one you sugar freak. Come on, you're supposed to be helping me out here, Laney!" she placed her in her highchair and slapped a bib around her tiny neck. She starting mixing, stirring, kneading, and baking. Soon, a delightful aroma filled the air of their cozy kitchen. Never before had she pictured her own home to have a cheery butter-yellow kitchen. Her thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of the telephone.
"What?" she said softly. Old habits die hard, but atleast they could be a tad more welcoming.
"Hey, Parker!" greeted Jarod's sister's merry voice, "how's cooking going over there?"
Parker snorted, "Wonderful. Now get your perky butt up here and it'll be a hell of a lot more wonderful."
"All in good time my dear sister-in-law," Emily replied, laughing.
"Please, would you quit calling me that, it sounds so in-lawish."
"Nice word to add to the Parker-ictionary. Time out of the Centre has done you well."
She laughed, "ahh, so that's what happened to Jarod."
"I think that was more about his time IN The Centre," she grumbled, "so anyway, I was calling to ask you what I should be bringing to your place tomorrow morning- that is if you havn't blown up the kitchen by then."
"No need to fret, Em. I'll make sure your piece of turkey has an extra hair in it, right next to the Delaney spit-up. Just bring some breads and dessert and I'll make sure I slip that piece to someone else."
"Jarod?"
"Why not?" The two women laughed together as if they had been friends for years.
Emily took a deep breath, "You keep that brother of mine in line and maybe I'll show up early to help out."
"Sure thing, Em. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Merry Christmas."
Miss Parker placed the phone back on the receiver and glanced at her daughter who was staring at her expectantly, "that was your aunt Emily."
"Presents?" the little girl asked, eyes wide.
"Of course she's bringing presents. I wouldn't let her in the house without them."
*****
"Pst, Maggie. Maggie," Jarod coaxed his daughter softly, who was dusting the dining room table efficiently, so that Parker wouldn't hear from the next room. He was sitting on the floor before the twinkling Christmas tree attempting to wrap a gift.
"What?" she said, echoing her mother.
Jarod grinned, "could you help me out over here? I'm not exactly sure I *know* how to wrap a present. You've watched Mommy do it right?"
The little girl skipped over to her father and knelt on the floor, "who's is it?"
"What does that have to do with anything?" Jarod inquired of the little girl who raised her eyebrows in response.
"Well, I was just wondering," she shrugged her shoulders.
"Its for your uncle, Ethan," Jarod informed her, "*now* will you help me?"
"Fine," Maggie sighed as she plopped herself in her father's lap, grasping his hands in hers. Slowly, she began to instruct with her hands on how to cut and fold the paper properly around the package. Jarod watched in awe of his daughter, so much like his wife was at that age, curious, inciteful, and a tad vindictive.
"Daddy?"
"Hmm, what?" he snapped back to reality.
"You really need to pay attention if you're going to ask me something," she lectured.
He smiled and apologized as she repeated her lesson.
"If you do it that way then you have a lot left over. What do you do with that?"
"Just throw it away I guess," Maggie shrugged.
"Doesn't that waste all that paper?" Jarod pressed.
"I guess, but this present just isn't big enough."
"Oh," Jarod relented and began wrapping more gifts while Maggie continued cleaning. He had just finished when he felt a small body fling itself onto his back and tiny hands sealing his eyes shut.
"Guess who?" rang a much deeper than normal voice from Katie.
"Hmm. Mommy?" Jarod guessed in mock confusion.
"No!" she shrieked, jumping up and down.
"I know! Delaney!"
"Delaney can't even talk good. Its me!" she revealed her face to him over his shoulder.
"Ahh, so it is," Jarod pulled her over his shoulder and placed her in his lap.
"Daddy, guess what!"
"What?" Jarod asked with excitement.
"Tomorrow is Christmas!" her face reflected his own grin.
"No it isn't! That's next week!" Jarod reprimanded playfully.
She stared at him mockingly, "No, its not! Don't pretend, Daddy!"
Jarod grinned to himself at the ironic words she had chosen, "I'll try not to do that anymore."
"Promise?" his daughter asked seriously.
"I promise."
*****
"No more glasses of water!" Miss Parker yelled up the stairs from the couch, immediately hearing four feet retreat to their bedrooms, then she turned to her husband next to her, "I don't care if we have to sedate them, Jarod, if they don't go to sleep soon, I'm bolting the doors."
He put his arm around her, resting on the back of the couch, and grasped her hand with his free one, "Just Christmas Eve jitters that I assume every kid gets. Didn't you when you were a kid?"
"I guess I did, when I was very little," she shrugged, taking a sip of coffee.
"Now it is 10:00 at night and you are drinking coffee. Please explain."
"Do you not remember the Santa fiasco last year with you attempting to put that Big Wheel together on the porch in ten degree weather so as not to wake the girls. We were up til three in the morning and I'm going to be prepared this year."
"In that case," he snatched the mug out of her hand and took a gulp, returning it to her hands, "that's extremely hot."
"You don't chug coffee, Jarod, especially when you can see the steam rising from it from a helicopter," she chastized playfully, slapping his hand.
"Shall we begin then?" Jarod coaxed her gently.
Parker eyed him, smiling, "Lets set a record this year."
