Watermarks

by Estee

estee@mchsi.com

AU: Angela’s 7B Ranch

Rating: Gen, PG

Notes: Many thanks to Lacey and Niteowl for all of their help with the story. Also, thanks to Angela for encouraging me to write in her AU.

I intended to get this out in time for Christmas, but things seldom turn out the way I plan. J

Josiah glanced out the window, thinking to himself that it looked like it might snow. The weather had been unusually cold for the region and the sky had been gray and overcast for days. No snow had been forecast for the area, but from the way the sky was looking, it wouldn’t surprise him if they received a few flurries.

The dismal conditions outside only made the atmosphere inside the ranch house seem that much more cozy and inviting, in his opinion. The fire in the fireplace warmed the family room where the four youngest brothers lounged, watching a parade on TV. In the kitchen where Josiah and his other two brothers sat, there was cider simmering on the stove and a turkey roasting in the oven; delicious smells drifted throughout the house.

Josiah refilled his mug of cider, glanced at the turkey through the oven window and then sat back down at the table. The ranch hadn’t done as well this year as it had in the past, which had been expected for the most part. The loss of their parents and the custody battle for their younger brothers had taken an emotional toll on all of them. Plus, they’d had to learn so many new aspects involved in running the ranch – from business to labor and everything in between. It had taken several months, but they managed to work out a system that was finally beginning to pay off for them. But for now, any profits they made went toward the debts they’d incurred while struggling to get on their feet. Christmas was going to be tight this year, which was the basis of their conversation.

They’d each offered their thoughts and various possible resolutions, from taking out loans to taking part time jobs. The idea of taking out loans had been ruled out, mostly because they didn’t want to have more outstanding debt, especially with one of their brothers heading off to college in the near future. Nathan had already been assured several scholarships, and their parents had started a savings account for him, but that still wouldn’t cover all the expenses of college. Josiah already had a full time job as a school counselor, and Buck was needed as foreman of the ranch.

Which left Chris, who had just informed them that he’d been considering taking a job as a sheriff’s deputy in town to help make ends meet.

“I don’t know, Chris,” Buck was the first to express his disagreement. He sat back in his chair, resting his gaze on Chris. “For one thing, we need you around here; and for another, bein’ a cop – even in a small town – can be dangerous. If anything happened to you, those boys would be devastated. We all would.”

Chris nodded. He’d given that a lot of consideration and had come to the conclusion that there were no guarantees in life. He could be killed walking across the street, or have an accident while working on the ranch. The same went for all of them. “Buck, you know I wouldn’t make a decision like this without giving that a lot of thought.”

“So, you’ve already made up your mind?” Buck sounded angry, or maybe disappointed. “I guess it don’t matter none to you if you go out and get yourself killed. We’ll be the ones stuck here having to deal with your decision.”

“I didn’t say I’d made any decision yet, Buck.” Chris sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “The same could happen to any one of us – right here, out on the highway . . .hell, anywhere. When it’s ‘your time’, it ain’t gonna matter where you are or what you’re doing.”

“Maybe so, but you don’t need to go asking for trouble, Chris.”

“I ain’t askin’ for trouble.” Chris shot Buck a glare.

“Seems like it to me,” Buck returned.

“That’s enough,” Josiah intervened before things could get out of hand. For the most part, these two were the best of friends, almost always supportive of each other. But, on the rare occasion the two of them argued, neither one was likely to give in. “I thought you’d decided against a career in law enforcement,” Josiah asked calmly. He was cautious with his words, knowing that in the face of opposition, Chris was just bull-headed enough that he might take the job just to prove that he could handle it. “You said yourself that it wouldn’t be practical, now that we have the boys and the ranch to look after.”

“That was before.” Chris shrugged, keeping his eyes lowered to the mug of cider in front of him. “We need the money, and I don’t see any other options right now.”

They’d been trying to keep their voices low, not wanting for the younger boys to overhear the conversation. When JD walked into the kitchen they stopped talking. JD stood there for a moment, looking at each of them suspiciously.

“Need something?” Buck asked with a smile, trying to appear nonchalant.

“Uh . . .what are you guys doing?” he asked, walking slowly around the table.

“We’re talking, waiting for the potatoes to get done.” Josiah stood and went to the stove to check on their progress.

“When’s the turkey gonna be done?” JD asked, as he filled a glass with water, took one drink then dumped the rest down the drain.

“Soon,” all three brothers answered at the same time.

JD nodded, still watching them warily then went to look in the oven window.

“Now, go on . . ..” Buck rose from his chair and shooed him out of the room. “You know what they say about too many cooks watchin’ the pot.”

“No,” JD paused in the doorway. “What do they say?”

“Well,” Buck drawled, “if I remember correctly –“

“Which you don’t,” Chris couldn’t help but inject.

Buck ignored him. “If there’s too many cooks watchin’ the pot, the shortest cook has to go out and muck stalls for the rest of the day, and give his share of turkey to the handsomest cook.”

JD’s face lit up. “So, you’re sayin’ that Chris and Josiah would have to split my share?”

“Get out of here, you!” Buck feigned a lunge at JD and the boy hurried away giggling.

“So, where were we?” he asked, once JD was gone.

“I was saying that if I take the job, it’s because we need the money,” Chris supplied.

“Right,” Buck replied. “And I was about to say that I just don’t think we need the money that badly.”

“He’s right, brother,” Josiah agreed. “We may not be able to buy them a lot of things, but we’ll manage alright. They won’t go without.”

“I know that,” Chris began to explain, just as Vin entered the kitchen. All three older brothers sighed and ceased conversing. “Vin?”

Vin smiled at them, his eyes darting from one to another and coming to rest on Chris. “Hi.”

Chris chuckled. “Hi.”

Vin stood next to Chris’ chair and leaned against his shoulder. “Whatchya doin’?”

“We’re trying to have a private conversation,” Chris answered sounding a little impatient, but at the same time wrapping an arm around his little brother and giving him a squeeze.

“Oh.” Vin nodded. “A private conversation about what?”

“Well now,” Buck laughed, reaching out to poke the boy in the ribs, “if we told you, it wouldn’t exactly be private, now would it?”

Vin grinned, dimples forming on his cheeks, making him look like an adorable imp. “You can tell me. I won’t tell no one,” he promised.

“You sure won’t,” Chris agreed amiably. “Cause you’re not gonna have nothin’ to tell. Now, hurry up and get whatever you came for, and get on out of here.”

Vin sighed loudly and rolled his eyes. Then he walked over to the fridge, opened the door and stood there looking inside.

The three older boys waited for a full minute before Josiah stood up and joined him in front of the open refrigerator. “See anything new since the last time you looked?”

Vin shook his head. “No, but I’m hungry.”

Josiah chuckled then closed the refrigerator door and began guiding the boy out of the room. “I know you’re all hungry, but if you eat now, you’ll ruin your appetite. I promise it won’t be too much longer.”

As soon as Vin was out of the room, Buck grinned and looked at the clock. “Who wants to bet on how long it takes for Ezra to show up?”

“No thanks,” both Josiah and Chris answered.

“Aw come on.”

The timer went off and Josiah checked the potatoes again, then turned off the burner. “Well, these are done.”

“Chris, I know I can’t make up your mind for you,” Buck tried to get in quickly, “But, I just want you to know that you don’t have to take that job. We’ll be just fine without you takin’ it. We may not be able to give those boys big, expensive presents, but that ain’t what’s important about Christmas, and you know it.”

Josiah nodded his agreement. “The boys know there’s more to the holiday than how many presents they find under the tree.”

“I know that. It’s just that . . .“ Once again Chris’ reply trailed off as brother number five ambled into the room.

“Well, Ezra,” Josiah grinned broadly. “What a surprise!”

Ezra halted in his tracks, looking at them all with suspicion.

“Yeah, Ez, you’re late,” Buck told him, looking serious. “We expected ya thirty seconds ago.”

“You expected him thirty seconds ago,” Chris said, playing along. “I was sure he’d be fashionably late and not show up for another minute or so.”

“Have you three been into the cooking sherry?” Ezra asked, scrutinizing them with narrowed eyes.

“Not yet, but between you, Vin and JD, I wouldn’t be surprised if we were driven to it sooner or later.” Chris winked at his little brother. “Josiah’s mashin’ the potatoes and the turkey should be done any minute, okay? We’ll let you boys know as soon as it’s ready.”

“Alright.” Ezra turned on a heel and went back to the living room.

Quickly, Chris tried to get in what he’d been trying to say before. “I know presents aren’t the most important thing, but JD needs a new coat and Vin needs new boots too. All of them need new sneakers. I don’t know what’s happened to the quality of shoes, but they seem to wear them out before they grow out of ‘em these days. I just want to make sure they have all the things they need, and maybe a little extra. If taking this job will help—“

“Chris,” Josiah interrupted. “We have enough money to get them those things. I have some left over from the beginning of the school year, and I’ve saved a little more along with it. It’s not much, but it’s enough to buy the necessities. As soon as spring comes, things are gonna get better, you know that. We just have to make it ‘til then. We might have to do without some luxuries, but we won’t—“

“Is the turkey done yet?” From the doorway, three whining voices cut off Josiah’s appeal to Chris.

Josiah shook his head. “Almost,” he assured them.

“We’re hungry!” JD complained.

“Starving to death!” said Vin.

“I’m beginning to feel faint,” Ezra added dramatically.

Suddenly Buck sprang from his chair with a roar and took off in pursuit. The three boys screeched, bumping into each other as they turned to flee. A few seconds later there was a loud thud followed by the familiar shouts and laughter that always accompanied a brotherly wrestling match. Images of Buck being pounced on by the two youngest, his long arms reaching out to draw Ezra into the tussle, brought smiles to the faces of Josiah and Chris.

“If you really don’t want me to take the job, then I won’t do it,” Chris said quietly to his older brother. “We can think about it over the weekend and I can let Dan know on Monday.”

“Fair enough,” Josiah responded, with a warm smile. His brother had just surprised him. Josiah hadn’t expected Chris to be quite so open and willing to take their opinions into consideration before making his decision. He took a moment to send up a silent prayer, having found something else to be thankful for that day.

“When’s the turkey gonna be done?” Another voice startled them both.

Chris looked up with a grin. “Not you too.”

“Not me too what?” asked Nathan, raising an eyebrow.

Rolling his eyes, Josiah set the potatoes on the table and opened the oven door. “Thank goodness,” he said, spying the little red thermometer gauge poking out of the bird. “It’s done. Go tell your brothers to wash up.”

Stomachs rumbling, the brothers washed as quickly as they could and scrambled into their chairs around the table. Just as Josiah set a platter of turkey on the table the telephone rang.

“Noooo . . ..” Six brothers groaned.

Josiah grinned and answered the phone cheerfully. As soon as he said hello his features had turned grim. “Go ahead and start,” he whispered to his family and excused himself from the room. The remaining brothers looked around at each other, and silently agreed they would wait.

When he returned, the food was untouched, and the other six were talking quietly. Six faces turned to look up at him, more than likely they were able to tell from his expression that the call had not been good news. Josiah put on the best smile he could as he joined them, then bowed his head in reverence and the others followed his lead. He said a short but meaningful prayer that emphasized all they had to be thankful for – most importantly each other.

By the time dinner was over and the kitchen cleaned, the phone call seemed all but forgotten. They allowed the kids to stay up late to watch The Matrix: Reloaded with them, although Josiah regretted doing so when he realized that instead of dozing off during the movie like usual, the youngest ones were practically bouncing off the walls with excitement. With no little effort they finally managed to get them to bed. Before Josiah could slip into his own room, he was confronted by Buck, Chris and Nathan.

“So,” Chris asked leaning against the wall outside Josiah’s door. “You gonna tell us about that phone call you got earlier?”

Josiah put a finger to his lips, wanting them to keep their voices down, then motioned them into his room. “There was an accident involving one of the teachers at the junior high school,” he explained to them. “Mrs. Price.”

“Oh no.” Chris groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. They were all familiar with the name. The lively, young teacher was very popular with all the kids at the school. Vin adored her, and Ezra did too. She was the kind of teacher who possessed the patience and caring to bring out the best in the students she taught. Even the students she didn’t teach thought the world of her.

“Apparently,” continued Josiah, “Amanda and her husband were headed out of town for the long weekend.” Josiah hung his head and shook it slowly. “A drunk driver crossed the center line and hit them head on. They were both killed instantly.”

Those were circumstances that hit a little too close to home for their family. Josiah’s words opened a floodgate of emotions in the room, and pain they’d thought dulled by time seemed to become instantly sharp again.

“Don’t they have a baby?” Nathan asked suddenly.

“Yes, and by some miracle she came through it all without a scratch,” Josiah told them. “I don’t have many details, except that she’s with Amanda’s parents for now.”

There was a long moment of silence, while each man tried to digest the information. They all knew what life could be like for an orphan, and could only pray that this little one had people who loved her and would keep her safe.

“Geeze, poor Vin,” Buck murmured quietly. He didn’t mean to sound thoughtless or unconcerned for the baby’s welfare, but he couldn’t help but be worried for Vin, who had just this year started doing well in school. The kid had always struggled with school, always had such a hard time keeping up, until this year. This teacher had not only gone out of her to show him new methods for learning, but she’d given him self-confidence, which he hadn’t had before. She’d changed his whole outlook on school and his abilities.

Josiah patted his shoulder. “It’s going to be tough on Vin, but we’ll make sure he gets through this and keeps up with his schoolwork.”

Buck nodded, silently vowing to do everything he could to help and encourage his little brother.

“I wanted to wait until tomorrow to tell the boys,” Josiah said. “I wanted to let them have this day. They’ve had so little to be thankful for in the past.”

“Yeah, that was good thinking,” Chris told him, with a nod of appreciation.

“There’s no school on Monday,” Josiah continued. “No funeral arrangements have been made yet, but I’m guessing the school will probably have a memorial service Tuesday or Wednesday, so the students can say their goodbyes.”

They all nodded, images of distraught children flashing in their minds.

“Well, we best get to bed,” Chris said, putting a hand on Buck’s shoulder and one on Nathan’s and guiding them toward the door. “Sounds like it’s gonna be a long day tomorrow.”

All three turned to say, “G’night Josiah.”

“G’night brothers.”

As Buck got ready for bed, he tried not to think too hard on the tragedies of life. The holidays were supposed to be a time for joy -- a happy time to share with family and friends, not a time for grieving and mourning. The younger boys had already had too much grief and pain in their short lives, and too little happiness. He was glad that Josiah had chosen to hold off on telling them about the accident. At least they’d always be able to look back on this Thanksgiving with fond memories.

~ ~ * * ~ ~

As expected, the younger boys were up first, with the exception of Ezra. When Josiah came into the family room, Vin and JD were sprawled on the floor, each had a bowl of cereal in front of them and their eyes were glued to the television.

“What are you boys watching?”

“The news,” answered Nathan, looking up from his book with a wry grin.

“The news?” Josiah repeated with disbelief. He stooped over and laid a palm against the younger boys’ foreheads. “Well, they don’t have fevers.”

Chris came into the room with a steaming mug of coffee in his hand. He took a sip and sat down on the edge of the sofa, eyeing the boys’ cereal. “Don’t tell me we’re having Froot Loops for breakfast?”

“There’s Cheerios too,” Nathan told him. “I hear they’re good for you old folks.”

Chris shot him a glare, but Nathan had a huge grin on his face and it was hard not to return it. “You better watch what you say, junior. You’re not so far behind us old folks.”

Buck joined them next, grabbing the remote from the coffee table and flipping through the channels, pausing on a ‘Breaking News Story’. “Whoo-whee! Now, why aren’t there more news ladies who look like that?” The young, very pretty, blonde reporter was standing outside a hospital, talking about the potentially deadly flu season ahead. They all listened to her relay the already high death toll, the symptoms to look for, and the importance of getting a flu shot.

“Buck, Chris? You two get your flu shots yet?” Nathan couldn’t help but ask.

“Flu shot?” Chris scoffed, shaking his head. “No, I didn’t get mine yet. How ‘bout you Buck? You get your flu shot yet?”

Buck snorted then winked at Chris “Now you know real men don’t get flu shots.”

Chris grinned at his brother and best friend. No silly little flu bug was going to scare them.

“Well, when you both end up in the hospital with pneumonia, don’t come cryin’ to me,” Nathan admonished, shaking a finger at them.

Josiah waited for Ezra to rise and eat breakfast before telling the boys about the death of their teacher. Nathan and JD hadn’t been too deeply affected, since neither one of them had ever had Mrs. Price as a teacher. Still, they couldn’t help being disturbed and saddened by the news and its timing.

Josiah didn’t miss the sharp flash of pain in Ezra’s eyes when he heard the news. It surprised him a little, because Ezra was usually so good at hiding his emotions. But, lately they could all see the outward signs that Ezra was accepting that he was part of a family and not just a visitor to their household. More and more he was referring to the others as family and brothers, openly displaying his care and concern, allowing himself to trust and seeking their trust and approval as well. He had always been protective of the younger boys, especially close to Vin, and it touched Josiah to see Ezra lean in and put an arm around Vin.

Vin tended to be more reserved than the others, although you could usually gauge everything he was feeling just by looking into those expressive blue eyes. They’d all anticipated that Vin would take the news hard, and were somewhat at a loss when he failed to say anything or show any emotion at all.

~ ~ * * ~ ~

The memorial service was held on the following Wednesday, in the high school gymnasium. In the hallway outside the gym, there were several tables set up with flowers, pictures of Mrs. Price and her students, along with other tributes and mementoes of her life. Inside the auditorium, on the wall behind the podium, was a large blown-up photograph of the young family. There were a number of speakers – former students and fellow teachers -- as well as counselors on hand to speak with any student who might feel the need. Quiet sobs and sniffles were heard throughout the service, and by the time it was over there was hardly a dry eye in the building.

Vin had been an exception to that. Other than sticking closely to Chris’ side, he remained stoic and seemingly impassive.

Josiah was familiar with the stages of grief and figured most likely Vin was in a state of denial, which was a natural reaction. He hadn’t spoken much, if at all, but Josiah had been hoping that attending the memorial service would somehow help move him along in the process so that he would open up to them. Apparently that wasn’t going to happen just yet. Josiah decided to speak with him later, or try to anyway. And if he couldn’t get him to talk, he’d let the others know what was going on, certain that between the six of them they’d be able to keep a close eye on Vin.

Chris waited until the day after the memorial service to call a family meeting to inform his brothers that he’d accepted a job as a deputy for the county sheriff’s department. “It’s only temporary,” he’d tried to assure them. “Just for a few weeks.”

Buck sighed heavily and turned away. Thankfully, he seemed unwilling to initiate another heated argument in the presence of the younger boys.

Josiah wasn’t quite sure what to say. He’d been so sure that Chris would turn down the job, and he was a little shocked by the news. Obviously, he’d read his brother wrong. He glanced at Vin, who hadn’t reacted at all. He was staring at the floor -- still closed off to them -- and Josiah couldn’t help but think that Chris couldn’t have had worse timing. As a counselor, Josiah knew that routine and stability were very important to children -- especially children who’d never had it before, like Vin and Ezra. Chris taking a new job was likely to set Vin back even more.

His contemplation was interrupted by JD’s loud protest. “But, Chris, what if somethin’ bad happens?” He clung to Chris’ arm, looking up at him with dark, solemn eyes. “Like what if a bad guy shoots ya? Please, we don’t want ya to go.”

“Nothin’ bad’s gonna happen, JD.” Chris smiled and pried his arm free, wrapping it around his littlest brother and pulling him close. “I’m not moving across the country or anything.” He glanced at Vin, directing the next statement at him. “I’ll still be here for you.”

~ ~ * * ~ ~

Josiah waited another day, deciding he’d confront his reticent brother at bedtime Friday night. By then he’d thought up genuine questions that would hopefully prompt the boy into talking. They had rented movies as they usually did on Fridays. After supper they cleaned the kitchen, made popcorn and were just getting ready to pop in the video when Vin began to cough. When the spell was over, Josiah looked closely at the boy. His cheeks were flushed, his eyes glassy.

Nathan was first to reach for the boy’s forehead. “He’s got a fever,” he declared.

“The flu?” Josiah wondered aloud, his eyebrows drawn together in concern.

“Probably.” Nathan wasn’t a doctor, but he knew that the flu was going around. “There was a lot of kids out sick today.”

“Good thing he got that flu shot,” Chris said dryly, then he pulled the unresisting boy to him. “You feelin’ pretty bad, kiddo?”

Vin shrugged, resting his head on Chris’ shoulder.

Nathan brushed the hair away from Vin’s face and tilted his head, trying to make eye contact “You got a sore throat, Vin?”

Another shrug and a small nod.

“I thought you two said a flu shot was supposed to keep them from getting the flu?” Chris said, glaring accusingly at Nathan and Josiah, as if it was their fault the boy was sick.

“Just settle down, Chris. We don’t even know if it’s the flu,” Josiah reasoned, pulling the boy to him and placing the back of his fingers on Vin’s cheek then forehead. “It could just be a cold.”

“Or,” Nathan couldn’t help but point out, “it could be strep throat. That’s going around too.” He pulled Vin to him, tipping the boy’s face up. “Can you open your mouth, real wide, and let me have a look at your throat?”

Vin scowled at him, pressing his lips tightly closed.

“Now, Vin—“ he tried to appeal to the boy.

“C’mon, pal.” With a wink Buck reached toward Vin, who gladly took his hand and allowed himself to be led away from the mother hens. They barely seemed to notice.

“I’d say he’s got a temperature of at least 100, maybe more,” Nathan guessed.

“Yeah, Chris, why don’t you find that thermometer and check it out,” Josiah said. “Nate, you get the Tylenol.”

“One of us best call the doctor, too,” Nathan instructed.

“I’ll call,” Josiah stated, ruffling JD’s hair as he passed by. “You boys go ahead and start the movie,” he said to Ezra and JD. “We’ll join you in a few minutes.”

Throughout the ordeal, Ezra and JD had sat quietly watching their brothers. Josiah figured they probably were torn between feeling sorry for Vin and being glad they weren’t the ones being fussed over.

Vin allowed himself to be guided toward his bedroom, turning back once to glance forlornly at his brother.

”Don’t look so sad,” Buck said cheerfully, “You play this out right, and I see a nice vacation from school in your immediate future.”

Vin actually smiled and stepped a little livelier.

Nathan followed them up the stairs, unable to contain his enthusiasm over the chance to play physician.

Chris poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down at the kitchen table, waiting for Josiah to relay the doctor’s prognosis.

“Well,” Josiah said, joining him at the table after hanging up the phone, “the doctor said that it’s probably the flu.”

“Probably the flu?” Chris raised an eyebrow. “Did you make an appointment?”

“He said we could make an appointment, but he was booked solid for the next week, with the exception of emergencies.” Josiah handed a list to Chris. “He suggested that unless Vin’s symptoms get worse, or his fever gets too high that we should just give him over-the-counter flu medicine with pain reliever, keep him home from school, make sure he gets plenty of rest and fluids.”

“Can’t he prescribe something better than this over-the-counter stuff?” Chris asked, looking down at the list he’d been given.

“He said that the flu is a virus and there’s nothing much you can do but let it run its course,” Josiah answered with a shrug. “He did say that since Vin received a flu vaccine that most likely he’d just get a mild case, but to keep a close eye on him.”

“Alright, I’ll go get this stuff,” Chris said, grabbing his coat and keys and heading for the door. “Wal-Mart should have everything listed here.”

Buck had kicked back, reclining against the headboard of Vin’s bed as he read Animal Farm to his little brother. In his opinion the book was too depressing for a kid Vin’s age. What were those teachers thinking? But, then again, the story had managed to keep the kid’s attention for most of the time, right up until the last few paragraphs he’d read. He’d be sure to go back over that part the next evening.

He’d managed to keep the vultures at bay for most of the evening, assuring them that he could take care of anything that Vin needed. Chris hadn’t been too happy about that, but Chris could be a little intense at times, and that could be hard to deal with on a good day. With the three mother hens from hell watching from the doorway, Buck had given Vin his medicine and tucked him in, then told them to skeedaddle. As soon as they were gone, he’d settled down beside him, asking if he wanted a story.

He knew Vin considered himself too old for storytelling. Usually they tried to get Vin to read to them because it was good for his reading skills. With a sore throat it was best not to talk too much – which, Buck doubted Vin would have any problem complying with, since he didn’t seem too talkative these days anyway. Vin had reached over to his nightstand and handed Buck a book, and Buck had gladly read it to him. Even though it was kind of a silly book. Pigs taking over a farm. Right.

As he’d read, he’d also kept up a running commentary, confiding to his brother that they probably ought to keep a better eye on their livestock; that he thought their prize Hampshire pig had shifty eyes, and wasn’t it suspicious how the sheep were always huddled together, probably plotting against them. In a low, conspiratorial voice he’d mentioned that he thought Chaucer was a prime suspect to lead any upcoming coups. Vin had actually laughed, which turned into a coughing fit, but it was almost worth it to see the kid happy.

Buck made sure Vin’s blankets were tucked under his chin, then turned off the light and left the door ajar so they could hear him if he needed them.

~ ~ * * ~ ~

By Monday, Vin was feeling a little better, but he still had a fever. They thought it would be best to keep him home for a few days after his fever broke, hopefully to avoid a relapse.

Chris was to begin his new job and Josiah was staying with Vin, so they decided that Nathan would be responsible for driving Ezra and JD to school and picking them up afterwards.

After helping Josiah clear the table and seeing the rest of his brothers off, Buck went upstairs to check on Vin before heading out to the barn. He couldn’t help but grin, finding Vin once again sleeping sprawled at an angle across his bed, his covers tangled around his feet. He scooped the boy up and resettled him on the pillow, then straightened the blankets and tucked them around his shoulders. Vin’s cheeks were flushed, his hair was slightly damp, but when Buck laid a hand on his forehead the boy didn’t seem too overly warm. Maybe his fever had broken? Sleepy blue eyes opened, and Vin smiled up at him.

“Hey buddy, how ya feelin’?”

Vin yawned and rubbed his eyes, then turned onto his side. “Tired.”

“Well, I’m about to head on out, so you just go back to sleep, okay?” Buck said with a smile.

Vin returned the smile and nodded.

“Josiah’s downstairs. He took the day off so he could look after ya, so you let him know if ya need anything.”

Vin nodded again, snuggling into his blankets. “Okay,” he mumbled, drifting off even before Buck had left.

Vin slept most of the morning, waking up a little before noon feeling hungry. He tiptoed to the doorway, looking both ways before stepping into the hallway. The house was quiet and he wondered if he was the only one home, although he thought he remembered Buck saying ‘Siah would be home, but he wasn’t sure if that was a dream or real.

He found Josiah in the kitchen, his paperwork set out on the table, tapping his pencil to the soft jazz music coming from the radio.

“Vin!” said Josiah, looking up from his papers. “What are you doing up?”

Vin shrugged, and sat down in one of the chairs, feeling weak in the legs. He’d felt fine upstairs, but the trip down had worn him out. “I’s kinda hungry.”

“Well, that’s a good sign,” Josiah said with a smile,” but you could have called down and I would have brought you something.”

Vin shrugged again. He was tired of being in his room. He’d just as soon be out for a while.

“I guess since you’re down here, you might as well stay. But,” he held a finger up, “if you start feeling bad, you let me know right away, okay?”

Vin nodded, giving his brother a small smile. Nathan or Chris would never have let him get away with coming downstairs yet, but Josiah and Buck were a little more understanding over some things.

Josiah made him some chicken noodle soup and put some of those little bitty crackers he liked in it. Vin would have rather had a burger and fries. After he’d finished the soup, Josiah gave him a few chocolate chip cookies though, so that was a little consolation.

While he was munching on the cookies, he noticed Josiah looking at him funny. So he sat up straight and met his eyes, silently asking him what was on his mind.

“It’s just good to see you eating. You’re looking a lot better too.” Josiah smiled and Vin could tell he still had more to say. He cleared his throat before continuing, “I know that you’re probably upset over what happened to Mrs. Price, and I know that you’re going to miss her a lot. Well, I just wanted to be sure you knew that if you need to talk about that, or anything else, you can always come to me.”

Vin swallowed, feeling so much gratitude and love – for Josiah, and the others. “I know, ‘Siah.”

Josiah watched him for a few minutes longer, as if he expected Vin to say more, but Vin didn’t have anything else to say. He felt bad for himself because he was going to miss Mrs. Price, but he felt lucky that he’d known her. He’d made a promise to her the day of her memorial service that he’d work as hard as ever to keep doing his best on his schoolwork. What made him so sad, so mixed up inside, was that he knew their little baby would never get the chance to know her at all.

It had been at the service when he’d looked up at the picture of Mr. and Mrs. Price and their little baby girl and thought that their poor little baby would never get a chance to know her mom. He’d felt glad that he’d had his mom ‘til he was five, but when he’d tried to remember her, he’d been shaken to realize that he could barely remember her at all. He been trying and trying, but only tiny fleeting images came to his mind, and worse yet, he couldn’t even picture her face anymore. He felt awful about that, but he felt even worse knowing that this little baby wouldn’t remember anything at all about her mom. And Mrs. Price was one of the best ladies he’d ever known. It just didn’t seem fair.

“Vin?”

Vin looked up when he heard his name. Josiah was smiling at him from across the table. “You feel like going back to bed, or would you rather stay up for a bit and watch a little TV?”

“TV.”

“Alright, I’ll get you a pillow and blanket and you can sack out on the couch for awhile. But, no getting up! Okay?”

“Okay.”

By the time Nathan, Ezra and JD returned from school, Vin was nested on the couch watching Dragonball Z. The vaporizer had been placed on an end table and was shooting steam in his direction.

“How are ya feelin’, Vin?” JD asked, dropping his coat and book bag in the middle of the room and hurrying to his brother’s side.

Vin suddenly looked much weaker. “Terrible,” he answered in a voice barely above a whisper.

Ezra arched an eyebrow. He knew a con when he saw one. “Is there anything we can do for you?” he asked with the proper concern.

“If’n it ain’t too much trouble . . .I could sure use some more apple juice,” he said weakly.

Ezra smiled and nodded to JD. “JD, go get Vin some apple juice.”

“Me?”

“Yes, you.”

“Why me? You’re the one who offered to get him something.”

“Well, fine, if you don’t care enough about your poor, enfeebled brother.”

Vin moaned for effect.

“If you’re content to sit there, merely watching as he grows weaker and eventually becomes dehydrated . . .”

Vin coughed and made puppy eyes at JD.

“. . .then by all means, please carry on with your business, and feel free to disregard his lowly plea.”

JD folded his arms across his chest and narrowed his eyes at Vin. “You’re faking.”

Vin shook his head. “Am not. I got a fever and everything, ask ‘Siah.”

“Fine.” JD stomped toward the kitchen, muttering about being everyone’s slave and leaving the two older boys grinning.

“How are you really feeling?” Ezra asked, after putting away JD’s discarded coat and bag.

“Okay. How was school?”

Ezra made a face.

“They got a new teacher yet?” Vin asked, with apprehension in his eyes.

“No, not yet. They had another substitute today.”

“They’ll never get another teacher as good as Mrs. Price,” Vin said quietly. “She was the best teacher I ever had.”

“Yes, me too,” Ezra replied, solemnly. “We were both lucky to have had the chance to know her.”

Vin nodded.

They both were quiet for a long moment then Ezra spoke up again. “At least those special counselors won’t be coming back,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Today was the last day they planned to be there. It’s like everyone has been walking around on eggshells, or maybe they’re all just waiting for someone to crack. Things just need to get back to normal.”

“Did you talk to them?” Vin wondered.

“Nah, I figure I have my own special counselor if I need to talk,” he said then he grinned broadly. “Actually, I have five of them, six if you include JD.”

Vin grinned back at him. “Yeah, we’re pretty lucky, huh?”

From around the corner, Josiah smiled, patting JD on the shoulder. He was thankful that Vin had spoken of the tragedy, and thankful that both boys knew their brothers were there if they needed them.

“I thought you said we wasn’t s’posed to eavesdrop?” JD whispered loudly, a frown creasing his forehead as he regarded the oldest.

“No, I said you were not supposed to eavesdrop.”

JD’s frown deepened. “That don’t seem fair.”

With a longsuffering sigh, Josiah looked heavenward, sending up a quick prayer for patience and guidance . . .and anything else the Lord might want to throw in.

~ ~ * * ~ ~

Vin stayed home from school the entire week, just to be safe. He was still required to rest, which he didn’t seem to mind too much. The illness hadn’t been severe, but it apparently had drained him of his usual energy. Every day after school one of his brothers brought him his homework, so he didn’t fall behind. By the end of the week he was feeling much better. When snow began to fall on Saturday, his brothers nearly had to tie him down to keep him in the house.

It was later that evening when they came upon the next ‘bump in the road’. Mrs. Potter, from Family Services, called to tell them that Maude Standish had been granted permission from the court to spend a portion of the Christmas holiday with her son – if Ezra agreed to meet with her. Mrs. Potter assured them that if Ezra so desired to see his mother that the visit would be chaperoned by a court-approved third party. Mrs. Potter also said Maude Standish had been granted permission to speak on the phone with her son, and they were required to allow the phone call.

The family had been stunned, especially after the last stunt she’d pulled, snatching her son and trying to flee. They could only guess that she had somehow managed to gain the favor of someone in the court system, and they wondered what else she’d try to pull on them.

“Do you think you might want to spend Christmas with her, Ezra?” Josiah asked, trying to sound non-judgmental, even though it was no secret how he or any of the brothers felt about Ezra’s mother. Permission or not, they didn’t trust her any farther than they could throw her.

“I’m not sure,” Ezra replied, a thoughtful look on his face. There was a small part of him that wanted to believe that his mother simply wished to spend Christmas with him, but he couldn’t help but be suspicious of her intentions. He’d never known her to do anything, even the most seemingly innocent gesture, without an ulterior motive. One thing he was fairly certain of though, if he spent Christmas with Maude he’d score big in the present department. A year ago that might have been the deciding factor, but for reasons he’d rather not contemplate too closely, his priorities had changed dramatically. Hitting the jackpot, while still ranking high on his agenda, just didn’t have the same appeal anymore.

“How can you even think about spending Christmas with that woman?” Chris snapped, his voice harsh.

Vin moved closer to Ezra. “That woman is his ma,” he said quietly.

Chris snorted, but his face softened when he saw Vin put a supportive arm across Ezra’s shoulders. “I know that Vin. It just worries me,” he amended.

“Besides, it wouldn’t be the same if Ez wasn’t here for Christmas!” JD added, scowling. “Ya can’t go, Ez!”

“Well, it’s up to you, Ezra,” Josiah told him, patting him on the back. “You think about it and let us know what you want to do. No matter what you decide, we’ll understand. Won’t we?” he asked, looking pointedly at Chris.

“Yeah, we’ll understand, Ez.” Chris smiled and mussed up his hair just to irritate him.

“Maybe we should go outside and have a snowball fight to celebrate,” Vin said with enthusiasm.

Chris raised an eyebrow and put his hands on his hips. “And just what would we be celebrating?”

Vin shrugged. “Uh . . .the snow? Brothers? Christmas? I ain’t picky.”

Buck and Josiah laughed, while Nathan, Ezra and JD shook their heads at their brother’s sorry attempt to get out in the snow.

“Right,” Chris said with a smirk. “I got a better idea. Why don’t we celebrate by me putting you in bed?” With that he grabbed the younger boy, tossed him over his shoulder, and headed for the stairs.

“No!” Vin shouted, laughing. “I ain’t tired!”

“Say goodnight, Gracie,” Chris told him, continuing up the stairs.

“Gracie?” Vin squeaked. “Who’s Gracie?”

“Never mind.”

“Why’d he call Vin Gracie?” JD asked, turning toward his brothers for an explanation.

“Perhaps he’s coming down with the flu and he’s delirious?” Ezra offered.

Josiah simply shook his head and retreated to the kitchen, feeling the need for coffee in spite of the late hour. Before he was out of earshot, he heard Nathan explain, “I think it’s a sayin’ from one of them olden day TV shows, like . . .Lucy.”

“Lucy?” JD scoffed. “Who the heck is that?”

~ ~ * * ~ ~

After Chris had put Vin to bed, he’d had to get ready for work. He was on the late shift, so he’d be on call until 7am. At the four-way stop, Chris took a sip of his coffee then set it in the cup holder before continuing down Main Street. When he got to the end, he parked the patrol car in the Feed Co-op parking lot that sometimes doubled as a place for teens to gather and cars to turn around for another cruise down the street. He had to laugh when as soon as he pulled into the lot, three cars immediately drove away; apparently deciding it was no longer a suitable ‘parking spot’.

The night air was brisk and damp from the snow that had fallen and quickly melted. It made him feel chilled, made his bones ache. That couldn’t be right though; surely he couldn’t be old enough for the weather to affect his bones. But, the truth was he ached all over, a dull ache that made him feel miserable. He took another sip of coffee, hoping the warmth would remedy the feeling.

There were only traces of snow left, white patches that lingered in places untouched by the brief appearance of late afternoon sunlight. He watched the various makes of cars driving slowly up and down the street, some of them pausing every now and then to lean out the windows and talk to friends passing by. He couldn’t believe teenagers actually thought this was entertaining – couldn’t believe that as a teenager he had actually thought of it as entertainment.

He wondered if he would be able to stand this job for the few weeks he’d agreed to fill in, or if he’d die of boredom first. The county sheriff, who was also a friend of Chris’, had offered him a permanent, full-time position after one of his two deputies had taken another job in Albuquerque. After thinking it over carefully and discussing it with Josiah and Buck, he’d decided to decline. Chris had gone in to let the sheriff know of his decision and thank him for the offer, and somehow ended up accepting a temporary position. Being the holidays, there was always a little more action around town, and with the flu going around, Chris had accepted the job as a favor, but only temporarily.

His brothers had taken his ‘outside employment’ a lot better than he’d expected, especially the youngest two. At first, Vin would hardly speak to him, but then again, he hadn’t been feeling well. Chris was sure that Vin thought he was being deserted, in spite of the numerous promises Chris had made over the past couple of years that he would always be there for him. JD thought for sure Chris was going to be killed in a big shoot out. The kid watched way too much TV. As far as he could recall, there hadn’t been a shoot-out in the town in the last hundred years or so. No, there had been no gunplay needed earlier to convince the stray cattle to move off of the highway; they’d gone peaceably. And he hadn’t had to use deadly force while clearing the dangerous tumbleweeds from old Mrs. Meyer’s front door either.

He watched as a bright red souped-up Chevy stopped at the four-way and tossed a crumpled up fast food bag in the direction of the trash can set on the corner sidewalk. The bag missed the can completely and the car drove on down the street, leaving the trash lying on the sidewalk. Chris shook his head, remembering his days of youth and the skinny deputy they’d referred to as Barney Fife following them around, reprimanding them for going a mile over the speed limit, or not coming to a complete stop at the stop sign, taking every opportunity to shine his flashlight in their cars to check for liquor. He had no intention of taking ol’ Barney Fife’s place and pulling over the car full of rowdy teenagers to chastise them for illegally disposing of their Happy Burger sacks. If it was still there later, when all the kiddies were home tucked in their little beds, he’d pick it up and throw it away himself.

As he watched the activity on Main Street and sipped his coffee, his mind wandered. He thought back to another time, one that didn’t seem all that long ago, when he and Buck would cruise Main Street. He wondered if that would still be the thing to do a few years down the road when Ezra, Vin and finally JD hit their high school years. Nathan occasionally went out with his friends, but not as often as he and Buck had. But then, Nate was a lot more studious than he or Buck had ever been.

Chris had no trouble picturing Vin in a macho, souped-up car cruising the strip, revving his engine at the stoplights. Ezra? Maybe in some spiffy little sports car. JD was bound and determined to get a motorcycle, much to their dismay. They could only hope that by the time he got his license he’d change his mind.

He took another sip of coffee, noting that in spite of the momentary warmth he felt as it went down, it didn’t seem to be helping him feel any better. In fact, he thought maybe he was feeling worse. He was definitely getting a slight headache. The town was all decked out for Christmas with big red bows hung on every street lamp, and all the store windows were trimmed with lights and sprayed with fake snow. He thought about Christmases past compared to this year. His parents had always made Christmas such a special time for them; he wanted nothing more than to do the same for his younger brothers.

Vin had spent two Christmases with them before their parents had been taken. The first Christmas he’d been so apprehensive, as if he expected that at any moment everything around him would disappear. He barely spoke for the first six months he lived there, and when Christmas came around, he’d refused to open any of his presents, certain that in the end they’d be taken away from him anyway. After being prompted by his mother, Chris had settled the boy on his lap and one by one opened the presents for him. With each present, he’d offer Vin the chance to take over, but each time, Vin just shook his head. Yet once the wrapping paper was stripped away, Vin’s eyes would go wide and he’d reach out hesitantly tracing his little fingers over the contents before pulling his hand back as if stung, apparently not willing to set himself up for disappointment.

The next year had been easier, but the boy had still been reluctant to believe that anyone would actually give him gifts, and even once they’d been opened he had a hard time believing that he actually got to keep them.

Ezra on the other hand, just couldn’t believe that the family members were so appreciative of such simple little gifts and gestures. Their parents would ‘ooh and ahh’ over the boys’ messily handmade ornaments, lumpy clay ashtrays and picture frames made out of macaroni or matchsticks. Every year his mother unpacked the treasured handmade decorations she’d collected over the years, handling them as carefully as if they were made of spun glass. Chris could understand Ezra’s bafflement. He doubted Maude Standish would show any such appreciation over receiving similar gifts, in fact he could see the woman holding them at arms length and dropping it into a wastebasket.

JD had been so young when he’d come to live with them that by now he anticipated Christmas in the same way as any kid his age would. He wrote his list out for Santa and usually got most of the things. Well, there was the time they’d taken him to the air show and he’d been given a ride in a helicopter. Afterwards, he’d been obsessed with helicopters and made sure to include one on his Christmas wish list. Oh, he’d gotten a helicopter, but it hadn’t been quite the one he’d had in mind. He’d gotten over the disappointment quick enough when he realized that the smaller version had a remote control and really did fly.

He hoped this year they wouldn’t have to disappoint anyone too much. At least this temp job would give them a little extra cash.

Suddenly he felt overwhelmingly drowsy, almost to the point of dozing off. He shook his head, quickly drank the rest of his coffee and put the car in drive. He needed to get some more coffee, do something to wake himself up.

~ ~ * * ~ ~

Ezra sat with his chin resting on his hand, staring forlornly at the telephone. He simply didn’t know what to do. For some reason Maude’s plea for the two of them to spend Christmas together was actually making him feel guilty. Not only that, but images of big, fancily wrapped presents, a table set out with a veritable feast of fine cuisine and platters filled with special desserts and candies tempted him all the more.

Just when he thought he’d made up his mind, another image, uninvited, would pop into his head. His brothers all gathered around their cozy little fire place early Christmas morning, sipping hot cocoa as they eagerly waited for the older boys to finish whatever last minute preparations they were attending – probably taking an extra long time, just to torture the younger ones – and settle down with them so they could pass out the presents. Their tradition wasn’t anywhere near the extravaganza his mother put on, but for some reason he’d come to cherish the simple tradition, and any thought of not being present made him ache inside.

“You look like you’re carrying a world of burden on your shoulders, son,” Josiah said, startling him from his thoughts.

Ezra let out a long sigh. “I don’t know what to do.”

Josiah sat down in a chair across from him. “About . . .?

“Well, I’m supposed to call mother and let her know if I plan to join her on Christmas day.”

“And I take it that this is proving to be a much more difficult decision than you’d thought to would be, huh?”

Ezra nodded, sighing again. “On one hand, I feel a strange sense of obligation to accept her invitation . . ..”

Josiah raised his eyebrows. “You’d probably make out like a bandit.”

“Yes, I’m sure,” Ezra smiled wryly. “But,” he lowered his voice, “well, I also feel obligated to spend Christmas here.”

“Ezra, you know we want you to spend Christmas with us, but nobody will fault you for wanting to spend it with your mother.”

“It’s just that . . .” he glanced up at his oldest brother, “I’d hate to disappoint the children.”

Josiah turned away, but Ezra didn’t miss the smile on his face. “What?”

When Josiah turned back, he was still smiling. Before he even realized what was coming out of his mouth, he’d already said, “Well, you could always invite your mother over here for Christmas.”

Ezra’s jaw dropped and he almost fell out of the chair. “Don’t be absurd.”

Josiah shrugged. “Just trying to help.”

“Chris would probably shoot her before she got out of the car,” he muttered, then raised his eyebrows meaningfully. “You know, I still can’t believe they gave him a gun. Especially when my mother’s in town. What were they thinking?”

Josiah laughed, shaking his head. “I’m sure it was only out of desperation.”

“Still . . ..”

“Well, the offer’s there, Ezra. If you’d like to invite Maude over I’m sure everyone would treat her respectfully – even Chris.”

“Yes, but would she return the favor?” Which was the real reason for his hesitation. Maude would probably mock their whole tradition, the lowly decorations, the meager gift exchange, the simple meal. He didn’t think he could bear it if she insulted any of his brothers, or their special traditions.

“Ezra, I doubt she could say anything that would surprise us. It’s no secret that her tastes and expectations are quite a bit more . . ..” He waved a hand searching for a proper word.

“Extravagant? Outrageous?”

Josiah shrugged. “We know that no matter how hard we tried, we couldn’t possibly measure up to anything she’s accustomed to.”

“But you already do!” Ezra insisted. “The thing is, you can’t really compare the two. It’s like apples and oranges.” He paused for a few seconds, uncharacteristically at a loss to explain. Then he looked Josiah in the eye and said, “Whatever happens, I don’t want you to change anything. Not one single thing. Deal?”

Josiah smiled warmly at him. “You have yourself a deal. By the way, where is everyone?”

“Chris is sleeping, Nathan is studying in his room, and Buck took Vin and JD out to help him do chores.”

“I see.” Josiah looked at his watch. “Well then, I guess it’s up to me to start dinner.”

“I’ll help if you’d like,” Ezra offered, thinking that helping with dinner might be a good distraction. Afterwards, he could try to figure out what to do about his mother with a refreshed perspective.

“I could probably use a little help,” Josiah said, gesturing for Ezra to precede him into the kitchen. “Thanks.”

“Oh, by the way,” Ezra paused in the doorway, “Chris is sick, I think he has the flu.”

“Great. That’s all we need.”

~ ~ * * ~ ~

Chris was unable to work for the next week. In fact he was barely able to get out of bed. One night he was so sick that Josiah wanted to take him to the emergency room, but Chris somehow talked him out of it, promising that he’d go in morning if he wasn’t feeling better. By morning he did seem a little better though, so Josiah said they’d wait and see.

After that, Chris seemed to start slowly recovering and by Friday morning his fever broke and he’d started to feel lots better. He told his brothers that he had never been that sick in his entire life and vowed to Nathan and Josiah that from that point on he would always get a flu shot.

Friday afternoon the kids were let out of school for winter break. JD was practically bouncing off the walls in anticipation for Christmas -- ecstatic to have two weeks of free time to do whatever he wanted -- well, not counting chores. “We get two whole weeks to sleep late, watch TV and not do any schoolwork!” he exclaimed.

Vin and Ezra were somewhat less enthusiastic. Vin had been worried about Chris, although he was glad to see his brother sitting up reading when he got home from school. He’d done everything he could to help out while Chris was confined to his bed. He’d taken on extra chores, helped a lot more around the house, and whenever he had a spare moment he would spend it at Chris’ bedside.

Ezra was not only worried about Chris, he was also anxious about meeting with his mother. He did his best not to show his anxiety, but he was pretty sure the others were able to tell. Especially the evening he’d gone through his wardrobe, trying to find suitable attire for the occasion. He’d rummaged through his clothing, tossing shirts and slacks onto the bed and floor, growing more and more frustrated that nothing seemed to fit him any longer. Living on the ranch, he hadn’t need of the style of clothing his mother would expect to see him in and he’d outgrown all of his suits.

In the middle of his frenzy, Vin had walked into the room. He’d stood looking at the clothing tossed all over, then at Ezra and immediately detected the problem. “I reckon if she wants to see ya bad enough, she won’t care what you’re wearin’, Ez.”

“You don’t understand,” he growled. “In her mind, appearances are everything. That’s what she always says, anyway.”

Vin nodded, a thoughtful look on his face. “Well, ya got lots of nice sweaters, and these pants ya wear to church,” Vin said, picking up his gray dress slacks that had landed on the floor. “If she don’t like your clothes, the worst she can do is send ya home.”

Ezra shook his head. Vin had no idea what sort of cutting remarks his mother could make, but Ezra did, having been the recipient of them on numerous occasions.

“And, I heard Josiah say that Mrs. Potter’ll be there. She won’t let your mom say anything bad to ya.”

Ezra looked up and almost smiled, wondering how Vin always managed to read his mind. He was right too. His mother wouldn’t dare belittle him in front of Mrs. Potter….or so he hoped.

“Besides, I know she’s your mom and she’s important to ya, but you got all of us now and we like ya just fine the way you are.”

The words sent a rush of warmth through Ezra and he tossed a look of gratitude to his little brother, who seemed to be growing up fast. “Help me pick up this mess?” he asked sweetly.

Vin surveyed at the disaster, the clothes strewn everywhere as if a tornado had gone through. “What do I get if I do?”

Ezra pursed his lips as he tried to come up with a fair exchange. “Well, how about if I help you clean your room?”

“My room is always clean,” he reminded, but he was already picking up clothing, straightening it on the hanger and handing it to Ezra to put away in the closet.

“Okay…how about I don’t tell Buck that you’re the one who spilled grape soda on his girlie magazine?”

Vin’s eyes went wide with shock. “You’re the one who showed me where it was hid!”

“Yes, but you’re the one who turned Miss October purple.”

Vin huffed, glaring at the other boy, who was grinning at him with satisfaction. “Fine,” he said. Snatching up another shirt, he straightened it and handed it off to the devil.

Little brothers, ya gotta love ‘em, thought Ezra.

~ ~ * * ~ ~

“We’re gonna go get the Christmas tree today, ain’t we?” JD asked, as he drizzled syrup over his pancakes.

For as long as there had been children in the household, the weekend before Christmas had been set aside for the traditional selecting of the Christmas tree. Although Josiah found himself lacking his usual holiday enthusiasm, he would never think about letting the boys down. Hee wondered if any of them, besides JD, would actually care. Chris was sick; Buck had been working 12 hours a day; Nathan studied all the time, whether he needed to or not. Vin wasn’t acting at all like he cared one way or another that Christmas was a week away, and Ezra was on the verge of a breakdown over the upcoming visit with his mother.

“Of course we’re going to get the tree today, JD,” he assured.

Vin frowned, looking up from the breakfast he’d barely touched. “What about Chris?”

“Well, I don’t think he’ll be able to go this year, but he can still help us decorate.”

Vin sighed and went back to moving the food around on his plate. “It won’t be the same without Chris there.”

“What won’t be the same without Chris there?” A familiar voice questioned from the doorway.

“We were just talking about getting the tree today,” Buck supplied good-naturedly. When he paused to get a good look at Chris, his eyes narrowed. “Shouldn’t you be in bed, pard? You’re lookin’ a mite peaked there.”

“I’m fine,” Chris grumbled, walking past Buck to get to the coffee machine.

“Ya don’t look fine,” Nathan pointed out, rising to take his plate to the sink. “Ya look terrible.”

“Thanks brother,” Chris replied with a false smile.

“I was just telling Vin that you probably wouldn’t be able to come with us to get the tree,” Josiah explained, moving toward Chris and gesturing for him to sit down before he fell down.

Chris set his mug on the table and dropped into a chair, apparently worn out from the short trip down the stairs. “Don’t be ridiculous, of course I’m going with you to get the tree.”

“Chris . . .” Josiah questioned in warning tone. “I don’t think you’re up to it this year.”

“I feel much better; besides I have to work tonight anyway.”

Six voices exclaimed, “What?”

“Scott Turner came down with the flu, so Dan’s been on duty for two days straight. I told him I’d try to make it in later.”

“The flu ain’t nothing to mess around with, Chris,” admonished Nathan. “You might feel okay now, but you do too much too soon and you could have a relapse.”

“Thanks for the advice, Nate,” he said, forcing a patient smile, “I promise I’ll take it easy.”

Vin wouldn’t look at any of them, but by his expression it was obvious he was not happy. He stood up, grabbed his plate and set it in the sink with a loud clang. “I’m goin’ to do my chores,” he mumbled as he left the room, not waiting for a response.

“What’s up with him?” Chris asked, as if he hadn’t been living amongst them for the past few weeks.

Ezra rolled his eyes and quickly put his plate in the sink as well. “Wait up, Vin!”

“What?” Chris asked, when he noticed everyone staring at him.

“What do ya think, Chris?” Buck answered, coming back into the room, zipping up his Carhartts. “He hears about all the people dyin’ from the flu . . .his teacher just died – albeit it wasn’t from the flu . . .things have got to be a little overwhelming for the kid.”

“Chris could die?” JD spoke up, his fearful voice reminding the others of his presence.

Josiah shook his head. “Don’t worry, son. We just don’t want Chris to get sick again.”

JD nodded, but he didn’t look convinced.

“I’m fine, JD,” Chris tried to reassure the youngest. “Besides, I’m just going in until tomorrow. Dan called the highway patrol and they’re sending a few officers over to give him a hand until he finds another deputy.”

They all knew it would be pointless to argue with Chris. Once he’d made up his mind, nothing short of falling on his face was likely to change it.

Later that afternoon, all seven brothers piled into the Suburban and headed out in search of the perfect tree, with JD reverently holding the burlap encased sapling that would replace the one they cut down. Of course when it came time to choose one, there was the traditional bickering of the boys that they’d also come to expect. JD wanted the biggest tree and Vin thought they should take the lonesome lookin’ one off to the side. Buck noticed Chris leaning wearily against the truck, and after a few minutes grabbed the saw and began sawing the trunk of an entirely different tree, leaving JD and Vin speechless. Which was fine by everyone else.

That evening they decorated the tree with the same care that their mother always had. And like every year, Ezra did his best to dissuade them from using the tinsel – “Tinsel, is so last . . .century.” But the younger boys were united against him, arguing that it wouldn’t be a proper Christmas tree without tinsel.

Once it was finished, they sat around drinking cider and gazing at their handiwork with awe.

At some point, Chris had fallen asleep on the couch and the others were hesitant to wake him. Josiah was weighing the positives and the negatives in his mind. On one hand, Chris wasn’t well enough to go anywhere; he’d already overdone it by accompanying them to get the tree. On the other hand, Chris was likely to blow a fuse if they didn’t wake him up and he didn’t want to find out what Chris might do to spite them. Josiah could just see him taking off in a fit of anger, the results of which could turn out much worse than him just going in for a shift.

“Sure looks pretty, don’t it ‘Siah?” JD said gazing at the tree with awe.

“Sure does, JD.” Josiah looked down at him with a fond smile.

Nathan sat in a chair with Vin on the floor leaning against his knees. He leaned forward and ruffled Vin’s hair. “What do ya think, buddy?” Vin didn’t say anything, but he tipped his head back and smiled at Nathan.

“If you ask my opinion,” Ezra began, “I think—“

“The tinsel stays,” five voices called out before he could complain again.

“Fine.”

Buck sneezed loudly, startling them all and waking Chris. “Sorry,” he apologized, then cleared his throat and sniffled.

“You alright?” Josiah questioned, reaching automatically for his forehead.

Buck swatted his hand away. “I’m fine, just feelin’ a little . . ..”

“You ain’t feelin’ a little sick now, are ya?” Nathan asked, before Buck had finished his sentence.

“No, no . . ..” He shook his head then waved his hand at the tree. “I guess . . .this all makes me think about mom and dad. I guess I’m just missin’ them a little.”

“Yeah, me too,” JD agreed sadly.

Vin rested his cheek against Nathan’s leg, his eyes even more sad than they’d been before.

Chris leaned forward, looking around at all the discouraged faces. “When I first came to live here, the first Christmas I missed my real parents so much, and in my mind it didn’t seem right to have Christmas when my parents were dead.”

The others nodded understanding, all having had similar feelings.

“So mom sat me down and somehow got me talking about the stuff we used to do for Christmas . . .our traditions and such. When she saw me smile at some memory, she said ‘See, you can still smile about Christmas after all, can’t you?’ Which made me real mad. So then she apologized, and she said, ‘I’m sorry, it must be a terrible thing to have all those happy memories. What were your parents thinking?’ I couldn’t believe it. I just looked at her like she’d just sprouted horns. ‘They must have made those memories on purpose just to taunt you through the years, so you’d feel awful whenever you thought of them, right?’”

Josiah chuckled softly, the words sounding so like the woman he’d come to think of as Mom.

“I remember rolling my eyes, because I could see by then where she was heading. Then she got serious again and told me, ‘I can’t speak for your parents, Chris, but I know if anything ever happened to me, the thing I’d want most to leave my children with would be happy memories, so they would smile when they thought about me.’”

There were sniffles and low murmurs around the room. JD wrapped his arms around Josiah and Ezra leaned closer to Chris. Even though their eyes were brimming with tears, they all had smiles on their faces. Except for Vin.

“Vin?” Chris looked at his little brother. Vin was staring up at the tree, his eyes filled with despair. “What’s wrong?”

They all turned their attention to the boy huddled in front of Nathan.

“I . . .I can’t ‘member what she looks like anymore,” he said softly, his voice anguished. “My momma . . .I can’t hardly see her at all.”

They all knew he was speaking of his birth mother, whom he’d lost at such a young age. He had no pictures, nothing to remember her by.

“Vin . . ..” Chris started to apologize, feeling guilty for causing his brother pain.

But Vin ignored him, jumped up and hurried out of the room.

“Chris, it’s okay,” Josiah said in a soothing voice. “Don’t feel guilty. You did a wonderful thing by sharing that with us. I can’t tell you how much it meant to me.”

Chris tried to smile, but he felt awful and he was really worried about his little brother. “I should go talk to him,” he said, starting to get up.

Josiah held out a hand. “Let’s give Vin a little time to collect himself, okay? Besides, I thought you were going to work? Not that I’m in favor of you going . . .but, if you are, shouldn’t you be getting ready?”

“Yeah, guess I better.”

Josiah was hoping maybe he’d had a change of heart, but apparently not.

Vin pretended to be sleeping when Chris stopped in to say goodbye. Chris sat on the edge of the bed, wishing he knew what to say. What could anyone say that would make Vin feel better? His mom would probably know of something. She’s always had a way of making sense of things that seemed hopelessly senseless. Unable to think of anything adequate, he combed his fingers through Vin’s tousled hair and whispered in his ear, “I’ll be here in the morning, little brother.”

Less than an hour after leaving for work, Chris returned to the house. JD had fallen asleep on the couch, but the rest of his brothers were sitting around talking quietly.

“Hey, Chris. What are you doing home?” Buck asked.

Chris smiled sheepishly. “Dan sent me home. Said I looked like death warmed over.”

“Well, that’s the smartest thing I’ve heard all day.” Nathan commented.

“Did Vin ever come down?”

“I checked on him a bit ago and he was sleepin’,” Buck answered then shook his head sadly. “Poor kid.”

“Yeah.” Chris yawned, swaying with weariness. “I’ll talk to him in the morning.”

“You best get some sleep yourself, brother,” Josiah advised, wondering if he had the strength to make it up the stairs. He kept a close eye on the man as he ascended the stairs, feeling relieved when he heard the creaking sound of footsteps down the hall.

~ ~ * * ~ ~

By Christmas Eve things had settled down somewhat. Josiah was still having a hard time getting into the so-called Christmas Spirit, but he was grateful that things were getting back to normal. Chris was feeling much better and able to help out with chores and help Buck a little too, which made Buck’s workday a little shorter. Nathan had made an effort to spend more time with his brothers, realizing that soon he’d be away at school and might not have the chance to make it home next Christmas.

As usual, Ezra and Vin had spent a lot of time together, although that day Ezra was so nervous about meeting with his mother that he hadn’t been very good company. Vin had been even quieter than he normally was, but he didn’t seem overly upset. He hadn’t spoken of his mother again. When his brothers had asked if he needed to talk, Vin had shaken his head no.

JD was driving everyone crazy. He was excited enough about Christmas to make up for everyone else. Finally, Chris had ordered him out of the house, handing him a long list of outside chores to do. Vin decided to join him, having nothing else to do. The chores Chris had given JD weren’t the usual ones, so he didn’t mind so much helping out.

One of the chores on the list was: Put extra oats in the old feed trough for reindeer. Vin wasn’t sure that reindeer even ate oats, and he didn’t believe in Santa Claus, but he went along with it for JD’s sake. Although, he had the feeling that JD didn’t believe in Santa anymore either. He suspected the boy was faking he believed, thinking he’d get more presents. He wasn’t sure though, so he didn’t question his little brother.

As they were emptying a bag of oats into the trough, Buck drove into the yard. Both boys turned to watch just as he practically fell out of his pick-up truck.

“Buck!” JD let go of his end of the bag and ran to his beloved brother, while Vin tried unsuccessfully to take up the slack. He wasn’t strong enough, and all he could do is watch as the oats spilled all over the ground.

“JD!” he shouted angrily. “Look what you made me do!” He couldn’t help but be concerned when he saw Buck stagger, so he left the bag on the ground and hurried to Buck. “Buck? What’s wrong? You sick?”

“He’s hot!” JD cried out. “I think he gots the flu!

“Now, hold on there, pard.” Buck was going to deny that he had the flu, but he couldn’t because he doubled over coughing.

As soon as he straightened up, Vin and JD guided him slowly toward the house. Once the front door was open, JD shouted at the top of his lungs, “’SIAH! CHRIS! BUCK’S GOT THE FLU-U-U-U-UU!” Which made the pounding in Buck’s head nearly unbearable.

“JD, quit yellin’!” Vin snapped, then looked up at Buck with compassion. “Come on, Buck. I’ll help ya up to your room.”

“Thanks, pard,” he managed to get out before coughing the rest of the way to his room.

Buck was sure he was at death’s door, but he forced himself to get ready for church. They always went to church on Christmas Eve. When he got downstairs however, his brothers insisted he go right back up to his room. “But it’s Christmas Eve,” he protested.

“Yes it is, and you’re sick, brother Buck,” Josiah said, pushing him toward the staircase.

“But . . ..”

“Buck, I know you want to go to the service with us, but not only is it not a good idea for your own health,” Nathan lectured, “it won’t be good for you to go spreadin’ your germs all over the place.”

Buck sighed, knowing his brother was right. “Okay, okay,” he said tiredly and headed back up the stairs.

“We’ll be back in an hour,” Chris called after him.

“Yeah, okay.”

So, only six of the seven brothers attended church that evening. It was another tradition left over from their parents, and that Buck couldn’t go was somewhat of a disappointment to them all. Josiah considered himself a spiritual man and attended church on a regular basis, usually taking the younger boys with him. Buck and Chris didn’t accompany them very often, but they always made a point to attend Christmas Eve service every year. Josiah knew some people frowned on those who only showed up for church on Christmas and Easter, but he figured a little Gospel was better than none at all.

After the service, Mrs. Potter met them on the steps outside. She had volunteered to be the chaperone for Ezra’s rendezvous with his mother. Ezra was so nervous he’d shifted and squirmed, unable to sit still in church. At the moment, he felt like he might throw up. He straightened his sweater, reminding himself that his clothing was perfectly fine. Still, he couldn’t help be apprehensive about what his mother would say. He could just hear her now. “Ezra, did you dress this way just to spite me? You know perfectly well that you’re supposed to dress up!” He kept trying to work out a suitable response in his head, but he still had no idea what would he say.

Ezra bid his brothers goodbye, walking toward Mrs. Potter’s car as if he were walking to the gallows. They all smiled encouragingly, and then Vin called out from the bottom step, “Remember Ez, your family loves ya just the way you are!” That simple statement seemed to give him the extra boost of courage he needed. Giving his brother a two-fingered salute, he climbed into the car.

As soon as he was buckled in, Mrs. Potter turned to gaze at him sternly. “Whatever you do, do not throw up in my new car.”

“You call this a car?” he teased.

She laughed. “It’s better than your car.”

“I don’t even have a car.”

“Exactly.”

~ ~ * * ~ ~

Maude Standish met them at the door, seemingly overjoyed to be reunited with her darling son. “Ezra!” she gushed, kissing his cheek then smiling a huge toothy smile and pulling him into the suite.

“Mother, you look lovely,” Ezra greeted in a way he felt was appropriate. While he was truly glad to see her, at the same time he was reluctant to let her know that.

Things went downhill after that. They talked small talk for a while, catching each other up. But their lives seemed worlds apart -- which they were, really. After too short a time, they ran out of things to talk about. Mrs. Potter sat apart from them, appearing as if she was reading a book. After an extended period of silence she tried to initiate a new topic. “Ezra, did you tell your mother about winning at the fair?”

Maude perked up, either at the thought of her son winning, or perhaps at the possibility of a new topic of conversation.

“Well, unfortunately you are looking at the only brother who did not win at the fair,” Ezra said, giving her a look of gratitude for her effort. “Although, I did win at some of the games at the carnival afterwards.”

His mother smiled and patted his hand, then let out a long sigh. “If you don’t mind, I need to check my messages,” she said after another period of silence.

“Do you mind if I call home? I’d like to make sure Buck is okay.”

“Of course, darling.” Maude got up and went into the bedroom, turning back to him before closing the door. “I’ll be right back.”

Ezra picked up the phone and started to dial. Mrs. Potter interrupted him. “You know Buck is being well taken care of.”

“Of course I do.”

“You miss them?”

“Why ever would I miss a bunch of loud, uncouth, irritable, untidy, Napoleonic barbarians?”

“Because they’re your brothers?”

Ezra ignored her; Mrs. Potter watched his face light up as he spoke into the phone.

“Chris! How is everyone? How’s Buck? Good, that’s good.”

His eyes narrowed and his grin turned into a smirk. “Mother’s fine . . .as if you care. Of course I’m not calling because I miss you,” Ezra said, grinning once again. “You really should work on that ego of yours. Hey, Vin! I’m fine. No, nothing’s wrong. Don’t worry, if you’re sleeping when I get home I’ll fill you in on everything in the morning. Okay, tell everyone hi . . .no, no scratch that. I’ll just talk to you later.”

When he hung up he purposely didn’t look in Mrs. Potter’s direction, so he didn’t see the warm, knowing smile on her face.

~ ~ * * ~ ~

When Ezra got home, four of his brothers were waiting for him. Buck was in bed, of course, and JD had passed out shortly after they’d gotten home from church.

“So . . .?” Vin asked, eyebrows raised expectantly.

“So . . .what?”

“What did ya get?”

Ezra rolled his eyes. He still couldn’t believe all he’d gotten was a stupid suit.

“I take it Maude bought ya that fancy suit, huh?” Nathan asked, eyeing the obviously expensive clothing appreciatively.

“Yes, believe it or not, you are all looking at my Christmas present.”

“Here are your other clothes, Ezra.” Mrs. Potter handed him a box.

“Thank you, Mrs. Potter,” Josiah grasped her hand. “Let me walk you to your car.”

“No, no . . .I’m perfectly capable of making it to the car, thanks anyway,” she said with a wink. “You boys have a Merry Christmas.”

“You too, Mrs. Potter,” they called after her. “Thanks again!” They waved as she drove off then closed the door, turning their attention to Ezra.

“That’s all she got ya?” Vin spoke up first, unable to hide his disappointment.

“Yes,” Ezra sighed. “This is it.”

“Are ya sorry you went?” he asked hesitantly.

“Nah, it was a bit awkward, we really didn’t have much to talk about, but I’m not sorry I went.”

Josiah wondered if Maude Standish was even aware of the gift she’d been given.

Vin smiled at Ezra. “I’m glad.”

“Oh, and I brought you something,” he said, reaching into the pocket of his expensive jacket and pulling out a napkin full of crumbs? “Oops,” he grinned. “Mother would not approve.”

His brothers chuckled, knowing how very much she would disapprove. “What is that?” asked Vin.

“It was Tiramisu.” He handed the napkin to Vin. “I’m sure it still tastes the same.”

“Thanks.” His brothers watched as Vin crammed the chunks of dessert into his mouth and grinned. “Yum.”

Shaking their heads, Josiah, Chris and Nathan walked away, one of them muttering, “That boy’ll eat anything,” and the others nodding in agreement.

~ ~ * * ~ ~

It was well after midnight, the house was dark except for the lights on the Christmas tree. Josiah relaxed on the sofa, admiring the tree and appreciating the silence of the hour. He glanced at the presents beneath the tree, thinking they’d done all right by the boys. No, it wouldn’t be the best Christmas ever, but it would be okay. He knew the boys would never complain. They’d appreciate anything they got. Josiah was thankful for that – thankful for his brothers.

He closed his eyes, trying to capture that peaceful contented feeling that he usually had on this particular night of the year. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t quite grasp it. It was like the feeling was right there, yet out of reach. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes, looking to the star that topped the tree. He wondered what it was that made the difference this year, compared to years gone by. The season was stressful, plain and simple, but stress or not, he’d always been able to find that peace of mind that filled his soul with the meaning of Christmas. What was different about this year?

“’Siah?” He heard his name spoke quietly, and when Josiah opened his eyes Vin was standing in front of him. He hadn’t even heard the boy approach.

“You should be sleeping, little brother,” he said, but he lifted his arm, inviting the boy to sit beside him.

“It’s okay, I know there ain’t no such thing as Santa,” Vin said, with a mischievous smile.

“Well, I’m sure you do, but it’s after midnight.”

Vin nodded, suddenly looking nervous. Josiah noticed he had a folded piece of paper in his hand. “I was wonderin’ . . .” He chewed on his bottom lip, glancing up at his brother. “I-I’s just thinking . . .” With a heavy sigh, his shoulders slumped. “It’s probably a dumb idea.”

“Why don’t you tell me anyway,” Josiah said, his voice deep and soothing.

“Well, I’ve been thinking a lot about my mom . . .my real mom . . .” he swallowed hard, “and I can’t remember her much anymore. I used to be able to, but it’s like all I see are these little flashes of what she looked like. I try so hard, but I just can’t see her face no more.”

Josiah hugged him closer. “I’m sorry, Vin.”

Vin didn’t look up, but he nodded, leaning more heavily into his brother’s side. “Well, ya know Mrs. Price has a little baby girl, and I keep thinkin’ that she won’t ever know her momma. She won’t ever have no memories to make her smile. She won’t know how special her momma was, and how much she meant to everyone. And . . .and I’s thinkin’ how much it would mean if I had someone that could tell me about my mom.”

Josiah didn’t have any words. He wasn’t sure there were any. He blinked back his own tears, wanting to give Vin the chance to unburden his heavy heart.

“I was lucky to get a chance to know Mrs. Price and have her for my teacher . . .and my friend.” Vin sniffled and wiped his nose on his sleeve. When he looked up at Josiah, his eyes were glistening. “I wrote this,” Vin held up the piece of paper, “for little Grace. Maybe someday when she’s bigger, she’ll want to read it and maybe it might make her happy to know how special her mom was.” Vin placed the letter into Josiah’s hand. “You can read it if ya want.”

Josiah took the paper, almost afraid to read its contents. He looked at Vin, who was looking back at him with wide expectant eyes, and he knew that he couldn’t not read it; so he slowly opened the paper and began to read.

I thought maybe someday you might want to know how special your mom was….

The entire piece of paper, from top to bottom, was filled with wonderful details. While he was reading, it occurred to him that every description of Mrs. Price brought a pleasant image to mind. There were no platitudes, no exaggerations, just a simple, honest, heartfelt eulogy – memories given as a gift from one child to another.

Josiah didn’t respond right away. Not that he could have. His throat felt suddenly tight and he had to clear it a few times before he felt confident that his voice would work.

Vin sat forward, glancing sideways at him. “You think it’s dumb, don’t you?”

“Lord no, Vin.” Josiah pulled him back. “Dumb? It’s…it’s about the nicest gift anyone could give. It’s beautiful. I’m just so . . ..” He couldn’t find the words so he simply pulled the boy into a hug.

Minutes later he felt Vin relax, and his breathing alter into a soft snore. He maneuvered the boy around, wanting to have another look at the letter. That’s when he noticed the small, slightly discolored splotches scattered over the paper. He looked more closely and realized what they were. Watermarks. Vin’s tears of grief over something lost, and tears of healing over something shared.

Josiah felt a tear of his own spill down his cheek. He looked up to the star atop the Christmas tree, taking a moment to ponder its meaning. Then he looked down at the boy curled up against him and whispered, “Thanks for helping this wise man find his way.”

~ ~ * * ~ ~

Christmas morning they all settled around the tree, gazing up at the colorful glass balls, the handmade ornaments collected throughout the years, strings of popcorn and cranberries, the tinsel and lights. The fresh scent of evergreen filled the room, helping to imprint every detail for future reference. Buck always got to be the one to hand out presents, but he was sick and restricted to the sofa. They’d decided the duty would fall to Nathan, who had just handed out the first gift, when they heard the sound of a car pulling up outside.

Ezra, Vin and JD hurried to look out the window, wondering who would be visiting on Christmas Day.

A long white limousine was parked in front of the house.

Ezra groaned. “Mother.”

Seven faces peered out the window as a man got out of the car then opened the back door. Sure enough, Maude Standish exited from the back of the limousine.

Chris groaned, and Buck whistled and said, “Nice.”

Chris scowled at him. “Aren’t you supposed to be lying on the couch?”

“Oh, right.” Backing up he settled again on the sofa.

“Well, we did invite her,” Josiah said with a smile as he opened the front door.

“Josiah, how lovely to see you!” Maude greeted, sweeping past him into the foyer. She wore a long white fur coat and matching cap, which made her rosy cheeks and ruby red lips stand out. “Where’s my darlin’ boy?”

“Mother.” Reluctantly Ezra went to her and placed a quick kiss on her cheek. “I didn’t think you’d come.”

“Well, I can’t stay,” she told him, looking around the rooms as if inspecting the place. “I just wanted to drop off a few things and say thank you.”

As much as the idea of hitting the jackpot in Christmas gifts appealed to Ezra, it also unsettled him because he didn’t want to be the recipient of the mother-load of gifts while his brothers had gotten so little. As he glanced toward the doorway, he was stunned at the amount of presents being carried in. The chauffer had already dropped one load and was bringing in another.

Josiah was a little stunned. He had a brief thought that maybe he should deny the gifts, but wasn’t certain if that would be the right thing to do.

“Well, I just wanted to say Merry Christmas,” she said to Josiah, her arm still holding onto Ezra. “I’m off to spend the rest of the holiday in Paris.”

Ezra stood gaping at the enormous pile of gaudily wrapped presents. What on Earth was going on and where was the real Maude Stnadish? He wondered if perhaps there was an empty pod back at the hotel room.

“Close your mouth darlin’,” she whispered to him, reaching to push his jaw up. “Appearances.” Ezra could only nod.

Meanwhile, JD and Vin had worked their way past the adults and were inspecting the presents with awe. “Hey! This one has my name on it!” JD shouted, pointing to a large rectangular shaped gift.

“Well, I must be going now,” Maude said apologetically, then spun on her high heel and pointed to a plain paper sack. “Oh, I almost forgot, there’s homemade chicken soup in here.”

Ezra looked astonished. “You cooked?”

Maude laughed out loud, then pinched her son’s cheek. “Don’t be silly, darling. It’s homemade from the hotel restaurant. I had some yesterday though, and it tastes divine . . .as far as soup goes anyway. There’s also a little treat for you.”

“Tiramisu?”

“Yes, and in the future, I implore you to refrain from putting food in your pockets, Ezra.”

“Hey!” JD called out again. “This one says ‘Vin’!”

“Well,” Maude smiled affectionately at her son. “Merry Christmas, darlin’ boy.” Then she swept out the door just as she’d swept in, leaving seven stunned brothers in her wake. Then she climbed into the back seat and the chauffer closed the door, and hurried around to the driver’s side.

“What just happened?” Chris wondered aloud, as the limo’s back window lowered. He knew for a fact that Maude Standish was not the sort of person to give anything without expecting something in return. She might be able to fool the others, but she couldn’t fool him.

Maude looked at the seven stunned faces and shrugged, her eyebrows lifting. “Ho, ho, ho, darlings,” she said, then smiled and blew them all a kiss as the limo drove off.

“Look, ‘Siah!” JD squealed. “This one’s for you!”

Josiah raised his eyebrows and glanced at Ezra who seemed fascinated watching the limo cruise down the long, winding driveway.

“This one says ‘To Christopher’,” Vin informed them, patting a hefty square package wrapped in brightly colored holly print paper. “That’s you,” he told Chris as if Chris didn’t know.

Ezra glanced at Vin then up at Josiah, a small smile playing on his lips. “Perhaps she was visited during the night by three spirits?” he theorized with a shrug. “It could happen.” Unfortunately, he surmised, it likely had more to do with guilt, than generosity or Christmas cheer. He knew from experience that anytime Maude bought him anything she didn’t consider a necessity it was always because she was feeling guilty over something. She wasn’t looking for forgiveness; she was seeking self-redemption, appeasing her conscience – from what, he didn’t even want to consider.

Josiah put an arm across Ezra’s shoulders and they watched until the tail end of the fancy limousine disappeared into the foothills.

~ ~ * * ~ ~

Epilogue:

Ezra sat at the end of the couch, smiling at the chaotic scene before him and thinking that there was no place he would rather be. Vin and JD were chasing through the rooms, slapping bows on each other and bombing each other with wadded up paper. Josiah was trying to make it to the coffee table without spilling the tray he was carrying, only relaxing once the mugs of cider were safely on the table. Chris was carrying around a garbage bag, trying his best to pick up the mess and shouting at the boys to settle down. Nathan skimmed through a new book, seeming oblivious to everything going on around him.

From his makeshift sickbed, Buck sneezed loudly. He’d felt sicker than a dog the last day, but at the moment he was feeling a small burst of energy. Propping himself a little higher against the arm of the sofa he reached out, helping himself to a mug of cider, then he waited for the perfect moment. When he felt the time was right, he smiled and raised his mug in a toast. “God bless us every one!” he called out in what he felt was a touching and dramatic imitation.

Vin and JD stopped in their tracks, Josiah choked on his cider, Nathan looked up from his book; Chris dropped his bagful of discarded wrappings and Ezra groaned. Chris looked around at each of his brothers before reaching down and snatching a section of torn wrapping paper from the floor. With an evil grin he crumpled the paper into a tight ball and said, “Let’s get him, boys.”

~ end ~

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