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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
And all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
Christmas Morning
The pounding of little fists on the bedroom door stirred Miss Parker from her deep sleep. As she had predicted, a record had indeed been made this year. They had never stayed up til 4:00 in the morning until this year. Congragulations to them. Three kids and a lot of toys, Jarod must have been delusional, thinking they would finish by 11:00.
"Jarod, the munchkins are awake and crashing through our door as I speak," she whispered softly.
"Mmm," he rolled over onto his back, yawning, and with a raspy sleep-worn voice asked, "what time is it?"
"6:38," she groaned, "I swear it gets earlier and earlier every year."
"Mommy! Daddy!" Katie's voice came through the cracks of the door, "can we come in?"
"No! Christmas is over!" Miss Parker replied.
"Parker," Jarod chuckled slightly, "come in, girls."
A blast of wind erupted as the door was thrown wide open, causing the half-councious couple to pull the covers up tighter around them, and three little girls bounded onto the mattress.
"Daddy!" Delaney spoke in her soft, yet excited voice as she climbed onto him, "Chwismas!"
"That's right, Angel," he replied, sleepily stroking her soft auburn hair.
"Did Santa come?" Maggie bounced up and down energetically.
"Maybe. We weren't there so how would we know?" Miss Parker answered unknowingly and then added, "how long have you been awake?"
"A hour," she spoke quickly, glancing at her sisters.
"An hour!" Jarod exclaimed as he sat up, still clutching Delaney, "Wow, I guess you guys really want to see what Santa left for you then."
"I wonder if he ate my cookie," Katie pondered seriously.
"He ate mine first I bet," Maggie challenged her sister.
Jarod intervened slyly, "I'm sure he thought they were all perfect."
Parker laughed as she remembered him feasting the night before. She stood and wrapped a silk scarlet robe around her causing Jarod to do the same.
"Onward to the living room," she ordered in a declaring voice. The children cheered while the adults followed, watching their every delighted move. The journey down the stairs became a race, but when Maggie reached the bottom, she froze, causing Katie to ram into the back of her ubruptly, leaving them both sprawled about the floor oddly giggling. Miss Parker picked them up together and threw them onto the couch playfully. Once there, they could see all of the assorted gifts that lay arranged on and around the Christmas tree. Jarod struggeled to keep Delaney from falling to the ground with her arms flailing about wildly. Therefore, he set her on the floor and watched her toddle to the presents, mouth gaping.
"Santa good," she murmured. They all laughed and began toy inspection.
Half an hour later, Jarod was showing his daughters how to use each and every toy, enjoying himself just as much as they were. Miss Parker sat on the couch under a beige quilt with Delaney, who after the excitement seemed to have been too worn out to continue playing, sipping a cup of steaming coffee.
"All right," Jarod announced, "I think its time that Mommy had something to open."
Miss Parker smiled, remaining silent, while she clutching Delaney to her chest maternally, "Give me whatcha got, Wonderboy."
"It will be my pleasure," he spoke while reaching under the tree to receive a small box the size of a shoebox with glittering gold paper concealing it sloppily.
"Hmm, wrapped it yourself I see," she commented when he handed it toward her.
His hand pulled back and he stared at her with hurt eyes, attempting to hide his grin threatening to emerge, "I guess you really don't want it then do you?"
"Oh, you know how I love presents," she referred back to when they were children, searching for her father's gift.
"Open it, Mommy!" the two eldest children chorused while their mother laughed, tearing the paper back delicately. When she saw what it was, she rolled her eyes, smiling.
"Jarod!" she criticized between laughs of amusement, "what do you expect me to do with a snow cone machine, Wonka? And I'm sure these oompa's helped you out."
Jarod laughed, "well I thought it was clever. Anyway, here's your real present."
Miss Parker smiled when she received a much smaller box, with a simple white bow resting on top. Carefully, she flipped the lid up with a soft pop and gasped, tears rimming her eyelids.
"Oh my God," she whispered in awe, "Jarod, how did you- where?"
"I remembered a little girl who told me a story about this ring once," he whispered back while he watched her slip it on to a perfect fit, "I hoped you hadn't forgotten."
"Of course not. How could I have? This ring is so special, girls," she spoke, never tearing her eyes from the shining oval-carved diamond, hugged by a glittering silver, as it reflected the colorful lights from the tree, "I just can't believe it. When I was just a little older than Maggie, my mother showed me this ring and told me that her mother had given it to her before she died for when she would become a mother, which she supposedly forsaw. My mother was going to give it to me when I became a mother."
She choked on the final words as she recited the story to her own daughters, flipping the ring over she smiled when more tears appeared. On the surface hidden by her finger, were the letters M, K, and D. Miss Parker looked at Jarod, who had moved to sit beside her, with teary eyes, embracing him sweetly, "Thank-you, Jarod. I owe you everything. But how did you find it?"
"Through the magic of Christmas," he answered bluntly.
Shaking her head, she replied, "you are so corny."
Christmas Morning
The pounding of little fists on the bedroom door stirred Miss Parker from her deep sleep. As she had predicted, a record had indeed been made this year. They had never stayed up til 4:00 in the morning until this year. Congragulations to them. Three kids and a lot of toys, Jarod must have been delusional, thinking they would finish by 11:00.
"Jarod, the munchkins are awake and crashing through our door as I speak," she whispered softly.
"Mmm," he rolled over onto his back, yawning, and with a raspy sleep-worn voice asked, "what time is it?"
"6:38," she groaned, "I swear it gets earlier and earlier every year."
"Mommy! Daddy!" Katie's voice came through the cracks of the door, "can we come in?"
"No! Christmas is over!" Miss Parker replied.
"Parker," Jarod chuckled slightly, "come in, girls."
A blast of wind erupted as the door was thrown wide open, causing the half-councious couple to pull the covers up tighter around them, and three little girls bounded onto the mattress.
"Daddy!" Delaney spoke in her soft, yet excited voice as she climbed onto him, "Chwismas!"
"That's right, Angel," he replied, sleepily stroking her soft auburn hair.
"Did Santa come?" Maggie bounced up and down energetically.
"Maybe. We weren't there so how would we know?" Miss Parker answered unknowingly and then added, "how long have you been awake?"
"A hour," she spoke quickly, glancing at her sisters.
"An hour!" Jarod exclaimed as he sat up, still clutching Delaney, "Wow, I guess you guys really want to see what Santa left for you then."
"I wonder if he ate my cookie," Katie pondered seriously.
"He ate mine first I bet," Maggie challenged her sister.
Jarod intervened slyly, "I'm sure he thought they were all perfect."
Parker laughed as she remembered him feasting the night before. She stood and wrapped a silk scarlet robe around her causing Jarod to do the same.
"Onward to the living room," she ordered in a declaring voice. The children cheered while the adults followed, watching their every delighted move. The journey down the stairs became a race, but when Maggie reached the bottom, she froze, causing Katie to ram into the back of her ubruptly, leaving them both sprawled about the floor oddly giggling. Miss Parker picked them up together and threw them onto the couch playfully. Once there, they could see all of the assorted gifts that lay arranged on and around the Christmas tree. Jarod struggeled to keep Delaney from falling to the ground with her arms flailing about wildly. Therefore, he set her on the floor and watched her toddle to the presents, mouth gaping.
"Santa good," she murmured. They all laughed and began toy inspection.
Half an hour later, Jarod was showing his daughters how to use each and every toy, enjoying himself just as much as they were. Miss Parker sat on the couch under a beige quilt with Delaney, who after the excitement seemed to have been too worn out to continue playing, sipping a cup of steaming coffee.
"All right," Jarod announced, "I think its time that Mommy had something to open."
Miss Parker smiled, remaining silent, while she clutching Delaney to her chest maternally, "Give me whatcha got, Wonderboy."
"It will be my pleasure," he spoke while reaching under the tree to receive a small box the size of a shoebox with glittering gold paper concealing it sloppily.
"Hmm, wrapped it yourself I see," she commented when he handed it toward her.
His hand pulled back and he stared at her with hurt eyes, attempting to hide his grin threatening to emerge, "I guess you really don't want it then do you?"
"Oh, you know how I love presents," she referred back to when they were children, searching for her father's gift.
"Open it, Mommy!" the two eldest children chorused while their mother laughed, tearing the paper back delicately. When she saw what it was, she rolled her eyes, smiling.
"Jarod!" she criticized between laughs of amusement, "what do you expect me to do with a snow cone machine, Wonka? And I'm sure these oompa's helped you out."
Jarod laughed, "well I thought it was clever. Anyway, here's your real present."
Miss Parker smiled when she received a much smaller box, with a simple white bow resting on top. Carefully, she flipped the lid up with a soft pop and gasped, tears rimming her eyelids.
"Oh my God," she whispered in awe, "Jarod, how did you- where?"
"I remembered a little girl who told me a story about this ring once," he whispered back while he watched her slip it on to a perfect fit, "I hoped you hadn't forgotten."
"Of course not. How could I have? This ring is so special, girls," she spoke, never tearing her eyes from the shining oval-carved diamond, hugged by a glittering silver, as it reflected the colorful lights from the tree, "I just can't believe it. When I was just a little older than Maggie, my mother showed me this ring and told me that her mother had given it to her before she died for when she would become a mother, which she supposedly forsaw. My mother was going to give it to me when I became a mother."
She choked on the final words as she recited the story to her own daughters, flipping the ring over she smiled when more tears appeared. On the surface hidden by her finger, were the letters M, K, and D. Miss Parker looked at Jarod, who had moved to sit beside her, with teary eyes, embracing him sweetly, "Thank-you, Jarod. I owe you everything. But how did you find it?"
"Through the magic of Christmas," he answered bluntly.
Shaking her head, she replied, "you are so corny."
