The McRae Series 01 - Twelve Days Sam and Rachel

ornaments left.
    "Oh, Jo," Rachel said, taking the box, turning the ornaments over one by one so she could read the names. Emma, Zach, Grace.
    "I believe," Jo whispered.
    "What's that?" Emma said tentatively, crowding in beside them and looking over the sides of the box to what was inside.
    Rachel held it out to her.
    "For me?" Her voice was filled with awe. Sam knew just how she felt. He remembered being awed himself the first time he'd taken part in this.
    "Yes," Rachel said, and it looked as if all they'd said about tears was going down the drain right now.
    "And me?" Zach asked, bouncing over to them.
    "Careful," he and Rachel said together as Zach reached for his.
    "Wow!" He held it up and let it spin on its string, and then he laughed. "It says Zach! Right there!" And it did, etched into one of the pieces and painted in gold.
    "Let's get it on the tree, while it's still in one piece," Jo said, stepping in when he and Rachel seemed hardly able to move. She guided Zach and Emma to safe places on the tree, to sturdy branches, and then said, "One more."
    Rachel's sister Gail had Grace, who came quite happily into Sam's arms. She was grinning at him and pressing her tiny hands against his cheeks, was about to start sucking on his nose when he sidetracked her and kissed her instead. She gave him a dazzling smile, and then her gaze caught on the ornament Rachel held up in front of her.
    "See," Rachel said, "it says Grace."
    Grace reached for it, batted it just enough to send it spinning, too, and then she started babbling a mile a minute.
    Rachel kissed her, too, and said, "I know. It's so special, isn't it? And it's just for you."
    "I think she likes it," Emma said.
    "Uh-huh," Zach said.
    Rachel handed the ornament to Emma and said, "Why don't you put it on the tree."
    She reached for one of the lower branches, near the right side, but Jo guided her to another spot, so that all of theirs ended up together. Sam, Rachel, Emma, Zach, Grace, and Hope.
    There was absolute silence in the room when Emma was done. Sam didn't remember the house ever being quiet at Christmas.
    Emma came to stand on Rachel's side, Sam on the other holding the baby, Zach in front of them, and for a moment all five of them just stood there, staring at the tree and all their names, sparkling and shining and so full of promise.
    "There," Jo said finally. "It's done. Merry Christmas, everybody."

Chapter 17

    So, the tree was done. He and Rachel turned to each other, and he pulled her close, as close as he could with Grace between them.
    "Merry Christmas," he whispered, kissing her softly.
    "Merry Christmas," she said.
    They both kissed Grace, too, at the same time. She was sandwiched between them, looking surprised and then very pleased.
    "What's goin' on?" Zach asked.
    "Tradition," Rachel whispered, grabbing him and lifting him into her arms.
    "Trahh... Huh?"
    "Something we always do," she said. "Now you're supposed to hug me and wish me Merry Christmas."
    He did and then said, "Now what?"
    "Now you hug everybody in this room. You can kiss them, too, if you want. And wish them Merry Christmas. And let them do the same to you."
    "Ever'body?" He looked skeptical.
    "Everybody," Jo insisted, grabbing him away from Rachel for her hug. Rachel's brother grabbed her, and Sam lost her for a moment in a flurry of hugs and kisses that he still found a bit awkward and disarming, too.
    When that was done, Rachel's father settled into his place by the tree and started handing out presents, one by one and very slowly, telling stories about each of the recipients as he went. The rules said nobody got to open a thing until all the presents were passed out, which had the kids groaning and trying to make their grandfather speed up. He never did.
    Emma was standing beside Sam, and he could see the surprise on her face when Frank called her over to him and treated her as he did all the other grandchildren. Zach wasn't surprised at all. He seemed to expect it, but Emma still didn't, even with her ornament on the tree.
    She came back to stand by Sam's side, inching closer and closer. He put his hand on her shoulder and said, "What did you get?"
    "I don't know."
    "No guesses?"
    She shook her head.
    "Anything wrong?"
    She shrugged and looked around the crowded room. There were about sixteen conversations going on at once, not a spare inch of floor space in the room. All those happy faces, all the laughter.
    "Is it always like this?" Emma asked.
    "At Christmas. Easter.