Life was much better at the Hendersons’ than it had been in the tent. It seemed everyone was more relaxed and content. Melody stopped by often, and many times Eve volunteered to watch Carrie so that Marybeth and Melody could work on one of their projects for the sale. Sometimes she invited them to come to the house, where they all worked together. It was such great fellowship for Marybeth, who had been absent good friends since Janey’s and Sarah’s deaths.
The twenty-first of December was the day of the sale, and Marybeth had no trouble whatsoever in selling her pies,bread, and cookies. None of the ladies had to work very hard at all to sell their baked goods and sewing projects, and Dr. Scott declared that several hundred dollars had been made. And all well before noon.
Before she knew it, Christmas was upon them, and Marybeth was excited to present the gifts she’d been working on. Since the blizzard, Marybeth had been determined to see to it that Edward and Carrie had better coats to wear. She squirreled away money after their arrival in Cheyenne for emergencies and decided this was a critical need. After speaking to Eve, they arranged to have Fred pick up fabric for the coats at Armstrongs’. Enough, in fact, to make both coats from the same fabric. She figured that would amuse Carrie. Marybeth had worked every day on the creations after Edward went to work, and now she had them ready to present for Christmas.
“Who’s ready for presents?” Edward asked, coming inside. It had been snowing that morning, and he was sprinkled with flakes all over his head and shoulders.
Marybeth gave it no thought and went to him with a dish towel and wiped the snow away. “I see it’s still coming down.”
“It is. I remember when I was a boy, snow on Christmas seemed magical.” He smiled and looked at Carrie, who sat in her chair playing with her doll. “Who wants a Christmas present?” he asked, moving to where she sat. He pulled off his coat and casually draped it over the top of the child. Carrie giggled, and when Edward pulled it away, she squealed with delight. “I’ll take that as a yes.” He set his coat aside and looked at Marybeth. “How about you?”
“Me? What about me?”
“Are you ready for your Christmas present?”
Marybeth was surprised by this. “Are you ready for yours?”
Edward laughed. “Didn’t know I had one coming, but sure. I’m always ready for presents.”
They started with Carrie. Edward completely surprised Marybeth by presenting Carrie with a set of alphabet blocks. Each block was cut from a square of sanded wood that was painted with a letter of the alphabet on each side. It would be a most helpful tool in teaching Carrie how to read.
“Oh, Edward, what a perfect gift.” Marybeth picked up one of the blocks. “Wherever did you get them?”
“Fred made them. He makes all sorts of wood toys and tools. He’s especially good at making ax and sledge handles. Right now, he uses one of the spare bedrooms, but once we move out, he’ll have all this space to really expand.”
“These are quite beautiful, as well as useful. I can see why he wanted to build this place as a workshop.” She put the block down. “I have a present for you too, Miss Carrie.”
Marybeth went to her suitcase and opened it up. She lifted out the dark navy coat and held it up for Carrie to see. “Look here. You have a new coat.”
Carrie looked up but wasn’t all that interested. Marybeth laughed. Why should she be? A coat was nowhere near as much fun as a set of blocks. She put the coat aside.
“I guess I can’t compete with blocks.”
“She’ll appreciate it when she has to walk to church.”
Marybeth went back to the trunk. “Oh, I don’t mind at all. She’s a baby and has a right to enjoy her toys. Hopefully, my next endeavor will be met with more approval.” She lifted another item from the suitcase and brought it to Edward.
He took the folded material and shook it out. His eyes widened. “A coat for me? Marybeth, this looks perfect.” He quickly tried it on for size. “It fits like it was made for me.”
“Because it was. I wanted to make sure you had a new coat since your old one seemed so thin.”
“This will be much better suited to the cold. Thank you!” He grinned and shook his head. “You continue to amaze me.”
“Thank you ... I think.” She went to the crate where she usually sat and picked up her teacup. The contents were cold, but she didn’t care. She sipped the last of the cinnamon tea and smiled to see her family so content.
“I guess it’s time for your present,” Edward said, heading for the back laundry room.
Marybeth frowned. What could he have back there? She hadn’t even expected him to get her anything.
He returned shortly carrying a rocking chair. She gasped, unable to contain her surprise. When had he managed to hide that there?
She jumped to her feet as he placed the rocker near Carrie. “Now you have a proper chair.”
“Oh, Edward, it’s too wonderful.” She approached it in awe and ran her fingers along the beautifully curved arm of the chair.
“Are you gonna try it out?”
With only a bit of hesitation, she sat down and felt the chair sway back. She smiled and began to rock in earnest. It was perfect.
