“And this is Mari,” Jillian said, after giving her older daughter a moment to introduce herself.
“Welcome,” Charlotte said, with a smile. “We’re all making Christmas ornaments for Allie and Ash’s tree. You guys can help us with that if you want, or you can go find the other kids upstairs.”
“I think they’re playing hide and seek,” Dulcie said.
“I want to make ornaments,” Posey announced, scrambling into a chair right away.
Mari went with her sister, taking the seat next to hers and scanning the items on the table with big eyes.
“You go to my school,” Elizabeth said to Mari, her eyes lighting up. “You’re in second grade.”
“Yes,” Mari said, the tension on her face relaxing a little. “I see you on the playground.”
The two of them began to chat about theirteachers and what they liked to do at recess. And Jillian felt her heart warming as she watched her daughter relax and enjoy herself with a new friend.
“Do you like making decorations, Posey?” Tripp asked.
“Yes,” Posey said. “I made snowflakes for Great-Gram’s window.”
“She sure did,” Jillian said.
“Well, my sister, Allie is a newlywed,” Tripp explained. “This is her first Christmas out of this house, so we’re making her some classic Lawrence family Christmas decorations for her own tree.”
“That’s my mama,” Maya piped up importantly. “Mynewmama. She was my teacher last year.”
“And she’s your teacher this year, Posey,” Jillian said. “Isn’t that cool?”
“No,” Posey said, shaking her head. “My teacher is Mrs. Tailor.”
“Allie is her first name,” Maya said. “And she’s my mama now.”
“And she’s my baby sister,” Tripp added.
Posey cracked up, tossing her head back and really laughing, clearly tickled at the idea that her kindergarten teacher was also someone’s mom and someone else’s baby sister.
Mari looked around at everyone smiling, and she laughed too.
Jillian was growing less nervous by the second. It was easy to feel at home when everyone was so friendly and accepting.
Maggie Lawrence grabbed a few pieces of felt andshowed Posey and Mari how to mark and cut out a bell shape using a piece of chalk and one of her cookie cutters.
The next thing Jillian knew, both girls were hard at work with the other three kids.
“Popcorn,” Tripp said appreciatively as another man came to the table with a big bowl.
“It’s not for eating, Tripp,” the man said, laughing. “This is to string for the tree outside.”
“The birds love it,” Daniel said to Jillian.
“Can I help?” Jillian asked.
“You three fit right in around here,” Maggie said approvingly, pushing a tin sewing kit across the table to Jillian.
Jillian took a nice big sewing needle and some thread, then passed the tin to Dulcie, who also seemed to want to help.
“I’m Zane,” the man with the popcorn bowl said.
“Ah, the brother,” Jillian said. “I thought I remembered you.”
