“Merry Christmas, and to all a good night,” Michaela finished and sat the book on the night stand beside the bed. She looked down at Brian. He appeared to be sleeping peacefully. His blonde hair curled about his face, in the sweet manner of a child. His breathing was deep and even. His cheeks were rosy from wind burn. He’d spent nearly the entire day outside playing in the new fallen snow. She pressed a soft kiss on his forehead and rose to leave the room.

“Ma?” He whispered sleepily.

“Yes, Brian?” She turned back to him slightly, her face a glowing radiance in the light of the candle she carried.

“How many more days till Christmas?”

“Four, today is the twenty-first of December. Now, go sleep.” She whispered. He nodded, snuggling down into his warm bedcovers. Michaela turned and left the room, shutting the door noiselessly behind her. She walked across the room and stood looking around the now spacious living room; thankfully Sully had finished the repairs on the homestead just before the first snow of the year came. Colleen and Brian each had a rather small room, added to the back. The family room remained the same. She would be forever grateful to Sully for this favor. It was much less crowded this way, and she no longer had to worry about Brian sleeping out in the barn when it was cold. She sat down in her rocker.

She had received a new medical journal just that morning, dealing with the effects of diabetes. This made her remember Daniel Watkins, and she smiled fondly at the memory of him. Where was he now? Was he still able to take pictures, or had he gone completely blind by this time? She wished the best for him this Christmas season. Michaela wondered if he had any relatives to spend Christmas with or if he would be all alone. This weighed on her mind heavily as she might have had to spend many times when family should be together alone, had she not met Sully, and had Charlotte not given her the children.

“Charlotte.” She whispered. “Can you see us now? Can you see how Brian is growing, and how Colleen loves medicine, and how Matthew is a young man now? I hope you can see how lovely they are becoming. Thank you for giving them to me.” Slowly she laid her head back in the rocker and closed her eyes. In her mind she visualized a picture of Sully. There he stood, in the middle of a wide open meadow, his hair (which she’d thought quite strange at first), curling about his face, and his arms slack at his sides. All of a sudden she began to blush and tried to wipe the image from her mind. This was because Sully was shirtless. She shook her head, but that did not help. Why was she feeling this way…so… so… what? What was the word to describe it? The word love flashed through her mind, but she quickly pushed it away. That wasn’t the case here. She simply relied on him as a friend, a very good friend. He brought her food, and rented her the homestead, and helped look after the children, and sometimes he was just nice to be around. She didn’t love him and he didn’t love her, and it would stay that way. Right?

Michaela was tired, and sooner then she expected, she drifted off to sleep in the chair. She was awakened to the sound of feet beside her, and a little hand on her shoulder. She opened her eyes. “Ma?”

“Yes, Brian?” She asked, instantly awake.

“Can we go into town now?”

“It’s so early…” Michaela reminded him.

“I know…, but it’s the last day of school before break, and I want to see if Grandma sent us any telegrams or presents, and if they’ve put the Christmas tree up!”

“Alright.” Michaela agreed, smiling fondly at her excited little boy.

“Thanks, Ma!” He cried, jumping into her lap, and giving her a huge hug and a kiss on the cheek.

“You’re welcome, Brian.” She whispered. Michaela noticed a tear creeping down his cheek. “What’s the matter?” She asked.

“My other Ma used to say that.” He whispered. “Sometimes I still miss her. Does she miss me?”

“I’m sure she can look down from Heaven and see you, Brian. How much you’re growing and changing, and how you’re kind and thoughtful, how you like school. How you’re not a little boy anymore. Yes, she can.”

“I’m glad.”

“Can we please go now, Ma!?”

She just hoped he wouldn’t be disappointed. Michaela had heard there had been heavy snows along the stage coach routes. If the stage hadn’t gotten through, then neither had any presents from Elizabeth. Little did they know she was sending more then presents this year.

Colleen took out the skillet and fried strips of bacon, and made some eggs. Brian brought in the milk, and set the table. All of this was done in short order; before they knew it, they were ready to eat. Brian hardly ate a thing because he was so excited to go into town. It seemed he asked Michaela a million times if she was ready to leave before she answered in the affirmative. Matthew had come for breakfast and hitched the wagon, and Colleen slipped a piping hot biscuit with a slice of bacon, egg, and cheese into Brian’s coat pocket for later. She was sure that he hadn’t touched his food.

When they got to town, Colleen followed Michaela to the clinic. Brian straggled along behind, wishing they would hurry. He was so excited to see what Grandma had sent. Michaela checked her records, their first patient was due to arrive at 8, and school did not begin until 8:30, so Colleen agreed to stay and assist.

“Ma..?” Before Brian could get another word out, frantic knocking was heard at the door. Quickly Colleen opened it. A frantic mother rushed in, a bundle in her arms. The bundle seemed to wail, but quietly, and very weakly.

“Brian, go on and check to see if Mother sent us anything.” She said, and then turned to the baby and its Mother. She had never seen this woman before. She was young and had golden blonde hair and blue eyes, as did the baby. She wore a beautiful long cream white dress with navy-plaid trim on the sleeves and hem; as well the buttons were made from it. It was of the latest fashions in Boston, Philadelphia, New York, and Washington D.C.

“Are you Doctor Mike? The Reverend said I could find a doctor here. My baby needs help. She’s been crying all night! She can’t breathe, either!” Michaela quickly took the baby, and laid her on the table, undoing the blanket. She listened to the baby’s heartbeat, and to her breathing. She smiled in relief.

“You don’t need to worry; she has a bad case of the croup. I’m going to rub some of this salve on her chest to help her breath more easily. Try to keep a pot of water boiling by her bed. The steam will help her to breathe more easily.

“What’s your name?” Michaela asked the woman.

“Gabriella.” Michaela smiled at her.

“Pleased to meet you.” Michaela thought Gabriella a beautiful, but quite strange name. Somehow it reminded her of the angel Gabrielle.

“Thank you. I hope this will suffice for your troubles.” The woman held up something wrapped in a handkerchief.

“You didn’t need to give me anything.”

“Oh it was no trouble at all.” Michaela opened the handkerchief. Inside were two pieces of rock candy. A look of homesickness passed over Michaela. This candy took weeks to make, and was much work. Her father used to buy it for her, when she was a little girl.

“Oh… How did you know?” she whispered almost inaudibly. The woman simply shrugged.

“Tell him how you feel.”

“Tell who… What???” Michaela stumbled, confused, upon looking up she noticed the woman was gone. “That was strange…” she said aloud, going over to the door and looking out. There was no sign on the woman or her baby. Before she could say another word, Brian burst in.

“Ma! Guess what!” He stopped, noting the dazed, surprised look on her face. “Ma… What is it?”

“Nothing, Brian…What is it?”

“Grandma didn’t send our presents yet… But she did send a letter!” He cried brightening. Michaela took the letter. She slit the sealing wax.

Dear Michaela, I’m sure the children are wondering why my holiday greetings are so late, and why I did not send any presents. Well, the answer is simply that I will be coming there for Christmas. I want to see my grandchildren, and of course you, even if I must come to the backwoods to do it. I trust that mountain man… what is his name? The one you speak of in your letters, ah yes, Mr. Sully, will not be around. I do realize you seem to think him a nice man, but you can never tell. Not to mention that he is not in your class Michaela and I think you should refrain from seeing him any longer. I will arrive on the twenty-third of December
Love, Mother

“That’s tomorrow!” Michaela realized frantically. She hadn’t the time to worry about what her Mother had said about Sully. At that moment, Becky showed up to walk with Colleen to school. Finally, Michaela was left alone with her thoughts. Who was the mysterious woman who had visited her at the clinic, why had she given her the candy, and said what she did, and how had she disappeared so quickly and quietly, and why had Mother decided to come to Colorado Springs, and why did she feel the way she did about Sully!? The last thought was with increasing urgency to do something, yet she was unsure what. She wanted to be alone, to sort things out, and be at peace with herself. That was not to be.

At that moment there was yet another knock on the door. Michaela opened it, absentmindedly. The Reverend stood there.

“Good morning, Dr. Mike,”

“And to you.” He took a second glance at her, but could see nothing different or apparently wrong. So he continued with the purpose of his coming.

“Dr. Mike, I was wondering if you had anymore of that cherry cough syrup you gave me last week. It worked wonderfully well, but I’m afraid it’s lingering slightly.”

“Certainly.” She replied, and smiled.

“What?” he wondered silently, “I’m surprised she didn’t insist on examining me again. This is not the typical Dr. Mike.”

Michaela walked over to her cabinet of medicines, and found the neatly labeled bottle of cherry syrup. She turned to give the Reverend his medicine, and the door slipped from her hand. It crashed shut, the glass shattering and raining to floor in pieces all around her. Michaela jumped a good two feet, horribly startled, dropping the jar of medicine in the process. It shattered on the floor, spilling out of the bottle.

“Dr. Mike, are you alright!?” The Reverend quickly walked over to her, picking up the biggest pieces of glass from around her feet. She let out a long-held breath, and felt like collapsing in the chair. That had been quite a shock!

“Yes.. I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Truthfully.. Not really.”

“Well, tell me, maybe I can help.”

“Well…There was this woman in the clinic..” Michaela began to tell her story of the mysterious, strange woman. Just why she was telling the Reverend all this she could not understand, but she did anyway.

“Hmm..” The Reverend pondered for a moment. “I wonder who it could have been. Anyway, I’d best be getting on over to the school house, now. I’ll come back for the cherry syrup later.”

“No.. I should get you another bottle.”

“Don’t mind it any. It’s not your fault you dropped the bottle.”

“Well, if you’re sure.”

“I am, and I’ll just come back for it later.”

“Alright. That’s probably best, I need to run an errand.”

“Oh.. Michaela, please let me know if the woman comes back. I’d like to meet her.

“I will.” Michaela assured. The Reverend turned and hastily walked out the door, toward the school house.

“Reverend, wait! You forgot your…” Michaela shook her head laughing softly. “Hat.” she finished.

Sully stood in the long grass, his fingers quivering. He held his tomahawk tight. He was shirtless, wearing only his buckskins and moccasins, and staring right down the beady black eyes of an agitated rattler. Wolf growled then whined low in his throat. “Be still boy.” Sully whispered, not moving an inch.

“Sir?” Sully did not move, but he could hear the sweet voice from behind him. He couldn’t take his eyes of the snake, even for a second. “Yes? Who is it?”

“That is no matter. I have some advice for you.. And I suggest that you listen.” Sully turned around straight away, completely forgetting the snake. There stood a woman. She wore a long white dress, trimmed in navy plaid, and her hair was blonde as corn-silk, her eyes the most pristine blue. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. There was just something about this woman. It was almost like she was magnetic.

“What’s that?” he asked.

“You’d better tell her how you feel.. Or you’re going to lose her, forever.”

“Tell who…what…why?” He closed his eyes a moment and took a composing breath. “Who are you?” He repeated his question, but there was no answer. When he looked up again, there was no one to be seen.

“I think I’m goin crazy.” Sully remarked shaking his head. At that exact moment, he remembered the rattler, and foolishly spun around, but his worry was in vain, because there was no rattler to be seen.

“MA! I’m back!!!” It was Brian. He dashed into the clinic, throwing his books onto the examination table.

“How was school?” Michaela asked, brushing his hair out of his hot face.

“Great.. The Reverend says we have to write an essay, but I’m lookin forward to it. An we’re gonna all get together in town tomorrow afternoon to decorate the tree, an have supper at Graces. Well, if we volunteered to an, of course I did.”

“Who’s we?”

“All the kids from school.”

“Brian, I really don’t think it’s such a good idea…”

“Awww! Why not, Ma?”

“Because, Mother is coming tomorrow evening, and-” Michaela couldn’t get farther before Brian interrupted.

“Grandma’s coming!?”

“Yes.”

“Alright then.. I guess I don’t mind not decoratin the town’s tree if it means I’ll get to be here when Grandma’s stage comes in.” Michaela smiled at Brian, and hugged him.

“What is the topic for the essay?” Michaela queried.

“We have to write about our favorite Christmas memory. An it‘s not part of the essay, but the Reverend wants us at find out about how some other people celebrate Christmas, what‘re they‘re traditions, an stuff like that.”

“What will you write about?”

“Maybe bout getting Pup, or how we all sang Christmas carols, or maybe bout the time my Ma went all the way ta Denver ta get us Christmas candy one year. That was the year we all three had the measles over Christmas.” Michaela had to hold back a laugh.

“What’s your favorite Christmas memory, Ma?”

“Well…” Michaela thought for a moment. She pulled Brian up on her lap. “I guess it was the Christmas Eve my father took Rebecca and I out ice skating on the River Charles after it’d been frozen for over a week. It was the only Christmas Eve I ever remember him being home with us. We invited Marjorie, Maureen, and Claudette, of course, but to my delight they were much to ‘busy’ helping Mother to come. It was also the last Christmas Rebecca was at home before she got married. We skated until almost ten, and then Father told us we had to go home or Santa Claus wouldn’t come. I wondered why he and Rebecca shared a laughing glance, but I was too tired to question that. He’d even got the sleigh that seated the three of us out, and had the horses hitched up with the harness with bells on it, we sang Christmas carols on the way home, and drank hot chocolate that he’d had laying in hot bricks under the seat to keep it warm. Driving home, a load of snow slid off a tree branch, and got on our heads. We were soaked of course, and Mother was appalled.”

“That’s funny.” Brian was laughing.

“Yes, it was. Are you ready to go home now?” Michaela asked him.

“Yeah, I am.”

“Where is Colleen?”

“She’s walkin home with Becky, an stayin overnight to study, she told me ta tell you, an if you needed her to come home instead, send me to tell her.”

“No, that’s alright. I don’t mind. Let’s go home.”

“Can I run and tell Colleen about Grandma coming tomorrow.”

“Well.. It’s getting colder out.. Bundle up.. And hurry back.”

“Thanks, Ma!” Before Michaela could say another word, Brian bounded out the clinic door.

“Don’t slam the-!” too late. The door banged shut. Michaela shook her head laughing. It had been a long day!

Within moments Brian returned. “It’s getting colder Ma. The rain’s turnin to sleet.

“Alright, I’m ready except for updating this last file.” Michaela quickly finished her remaining work.

“Will you help me with my essay tonight, Ma? And will you read me a story.”

“Well…Why not?” Michaela smiled.

“Yea! Now let’s go.” Michaela stood up and put on her duster. She and Brian left the clinic.

“Do you want to pick up supper from Grace’s tonight? Since Colleen’s not here to cook, I’d have to, so if you don’t want to risk it…” Brian laughed, and slipped his hand in his Ma’s.

“Sure.. I’d like Grace’s, but your cookin IS gettin better, Ma.”

“Grace’s it is, then.” Michaela stated, and she turned the horses to go to Grace’s Café. Grace smiled and waved as Brian came bounding across the café, with Michaela walking behind.

“Gettin somethin for supper?” Grace asked. Brian nodded.

“Yeah, Ms. Grace. Do you have fried chicken?”

“Sure do. I’ll dish ya up some. Enough for 4?”

“No, Grace, there’s only the two of us tonight.” Michaela said smiling.

“Alright then.” Grace went and packed a basket. She soon returned, handing a red and white checked cloth to Brian, and the basket to Michaela. “Merry Christmas a little early, Brian.” Grace whispered and patted his shoulder, before rushing away to tend the next table of costumers. It was only five in the evening, but already Grace’s was beginning to get busy. As usual.

Michaela and Brian made it home in good time. Brian sat at the window, with an eager expression on his face, while Michaela set about preparing the table. “What are you watching for, Brian? Remember, Sully told us he was checking his traps and would not be here tonight.”

“Yeah.. I know.”

“Mind if I join you?” Michaela asked coming over and scooted her willow rocker up by Brian’s seat on the wooden cedar chest under the window.

“Sure.” Brian said invitingly, then continued. “I’m looking for snow.”

“Looking for snow?…” She asked puzzled.

“Yeah.. The boys at school said if I looked long enough it’d just start falling.” Michaela had to hold back a laugh, and did her best to keep from rolling her eyes. Sometimes the older boys took advantage of pulling pranks on Brian as he was the youngest student, and more easily fooled then their fellow aged classmates.

“Brian, I think those boys were having a little fun at your expense. I really doubt that just because you sit and watch for it that snow will come. It usually comes whenever we least expect it, and sometimes at the most inconvenient times.” Little did they all know how true that statement was going to be before the end of that Christmastide.

Brian grinned, reaching into his pocket, and pulling out the lumpy cloth Grace had given him. “What do you mean the most…’in..con..veennient’ times?” Brian asked furrowing his brow at the strange word.

“Well.. Just that sometimes a winter storm will come when it’s least wanted. Like.. Let’s say you and I are going sledding…”

“WE ARE!” Brian interrupted.

“No.. this is just an example..”

“Please, Ma? Could we?”

“I don’t see why not.. If it snows enough. Now, if we were going to go sledding and the night before it snows so much we can’t go, well then, that’s inconvenient timing wouldn’t you agree?” Brian gave a huge nod.

“That snow ain’t gonna bother us, Ma!”

“Isn’t, Brian, and I hope not.. But you never can tell. Now come eat while the food is hot.”

“Can I open Miss Grace’s present first?”

“I think there is one in there for Colleen too. Why don’t we wait for her to come home, we can open those on Christmas Eve.”

“Alright” Brian agreed, and left his “snow watching” to come and eat.

After the supper dishes had been cleared away. Michaela sat down in her rocker with her medical journal, and Brian was about to pick up his latest book. When he stopped and said, “Ma, will you play me a game of checkers?”

“What about if I teach you to play chess?”

“A new game!” Asked Brian, wide eyed.

“Yes, I won those trophies that are in the barn boxed up right now, playing in chess tournaments.”

“Cool!”

Moments later, Michaela and Brian were seated opposite each other with the chess set at the table. “Now see, this is the Queen. She can move anywhere in a straight line, and capture any of the pawns in the way belonging to an opponent. These here are pawns. They serve the King and the Queen.”

“How do game pieces do that.”

“Well, If another piece is about to take your King, we call that being in check. Then you could move the pawn in front of the King so that you aren’t in check anymore.”

“An I heard you say ‘check mate’ and smile real big at Sully before. What’s that mean?”

“That means I beat him.” Michaela and Brian broke into grins.

“What’s this piece here?”

“Oh, that’s the Knight. He moves up one space then diagonal to the left or right.”

“That means my knight can take your rook.”

“That’s right, Brian.” Michaela smiled ruefully, and thought. “Oh dear, what have I done? He’s already beating me, and it’s the second move!” Brian raised his eyebrows as if reading her thoughts.

“Don’t worry, Ma. I promise only ta beat ya by letting ya have all my pieces but one or two.”

“Well, that’s assuring, Brian.” Michaela said. After three full games, the first of which Brian won, (then lost the other two because he was so excited at having beaten his Ma at chess), Michaela was sufficiently ready to do something else.

“Will ya tell me bout Christmas in Boston now?”

“Yes.” Michaela said patting her lap, and Brian went right over and climbed into the soft cocoon of his Mother’s arms. Michaela began to rock back and forth, and Brian laid his head on her shoulder.

“Well, at Christmas time in Boston, people put beautiful shades over the lights on their porches and they shine red and green.”

“How?”

“The red and green shades overpower the white light.”

“Light’s white?”

“Well,.. Not really. Visible light doesn’t really have a color, but we call it white, because it’s kind of white-yellow.”

“Oh. What else do they do, Ma?”

“Well.. People drives buggies with bells in the harnesses of their horses so they jingle. People go Christmas caroling, and gather at homes for cotillions, soirees, and balls. They made hot cocoa and tell stories around the fire, and children are allowed to stay up later at Christmas time then during any other time of the year. People sit and talk and visit; they read aloud from books like A Christmas Carol, or The Christmas Story from the Bible, while the children string popcorn and cranberries on thread for decorations. They spread greenery around the house.”

“What else do they do, Ma?” Michaela paused trying to think of other things.

“Well, people have Christmas trees in their homes, which they make ornaments for and buy ornaments sometimes.”

“A Christmas Tree, right inside the house!!!!” Brian exclaimed.

“shhh..” Michaela whispered, laughing. “Yes, they do. They’re very beautiful with their decorations and candles.”

“Can we do that, Ma!?”

“Do what, Brian?”

“Have a tree in our house! For Grandma.. To make her feel like she‘s at home.”

“Well.. I don’t know how.. We can’t possibly go cut down a tree and bring it back here alone.”

“We can have Matthew help us.”

“Well…”

“Oh PLEASE Ma! Please please please!” He begged.

“We will try.”

“Really!!!”

“Really.” She reiterated.

At that exact moment, there was a voice. “What’s this bout trees in the house?” Brian and Michaela turned to look. There stood Sully.

“Sully!” they both exclaimed, shocked.

“I didn’t even hear you knock.” Michaela said, surprised.

“No wonder, way that wind’s blowin out there. Thought it was kinda lookin like we might be gonna get a snow, so I decided at goin get her.”

“Where is..” Before Michaela could finish. The door blew open and Colleen, in Sully’s buckskin jacket and lots of blankets, and covered in sleet, as was he stepped into the room.

“Let’s get you warmed up.” Michaela said, handing Sully a warm cup of coffee, and quickly pouring some milk to warm in a glass for Colleen. “Now go over and warm up by the fireplace.”

“Guess what, Colleen! We’re gonna have a tree right inside the house.” he continued without waiting for her reply.

“What?”

“We’re gonna have a Christmas tree inside just like they do in Boston!”

“Really?” Colleen asked incredulously.

“Yes… that is if Sully would help us get one.”

“Be glad too. We could go tomorrow mornin”

“YEA!” Brian and Colleen exclaimed together. Michaela and Sully smiled.

“After all..” Sully continued, “Christmas’s a time for wishes ta come true.

“Hey Colleen, Miss Grace gave us presents.” Colleen smiled. It was just the thing the kind woman would do. “And guess what else!?.. Ma taught me ta play chess. An I beat her one game!” Brian continued excitedly. Michaela smiled ruefully.

“I guess I’d better be paying more attention next time.”

“What d’ya mean, Ma?”

“Well… chess is just all strategy, Brian.”

“It’s getting late, You children had best be getting to bed.” Brian and Colleen nodded, running into their bedrooms. Michaela smiled coming over to Sully.

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For getting us a tree for Mother, and for making Brian and Colleen so happy. I don’t think I’ve seen them this happy during the holidays since Charlotte died.

“Aww.. Don’t go makin me somethin I ain’t Michaela. I wasn’t doin anything that someone else wouldn’t’a done.” Gently he took Michael’s hand, and then gave her a smile. They stood for a full moment just gazing into each others eyes. He leaned forward slightly. Then, changing his mind, he released her hand and just smiled at her.

“How bout a game O chess. Think I might have as much luck as Brian?”

“I don’t know… why don’t we find out.” Michaela said raising an eyebrow. “But, I hope you don’t beat me to awfully. I’m not sure I could handle two losses in a day.” Sully grinned good naturedly,

“I’ll take it easy on ya then.”

“Oh, I don’t want you to let me win!”

“Well what DO you want?”

“Um… I don’t know.. I’ll let you know when I make up my mind.” Michaela said, but she wondered if that question had been about more then the chess game.

The next morning Michaela woke the children an hour earlier then normal. They’d need to leave for the woods soon so they would return to town in time to meet Elizabeth’s 4 o’clock stage. Sully sat at the table while Michaela bustled about dusting every crack and corner. He had never seen her this flustered before. “Why’re you frettin? She’s your Ma, an she’s gonna love ya and not think anything different then that if everythin ain’t perfect.”

“Sully.. You don’t understand.. My Mother isn’t like most mothers.” Michaela informed him, and promptly returned to cleaning up the breakfast dishes.

“I guess I don’t.” He whispered. Then thought to himself. “Any Ma ya gotta try’n impress like this ain’t very much of a Ma. Least not one like I ever knew.”

While Michaela finished her morning ritual and cleaning process, Sully got out boots and coats and snowshoes. It had snowed some 5 inches during the night. It looked like Brian’s wish for a white Christmas would be granted. Sully sat at the table watching her, letting his thoughts drift. She was beautiful. That smile on her face made her look so…what was the word? Radiant? No… that wasn’t good enough. Her long coppery brown hair was flowing down her back in soft waves, which indicated it had been braided overnight from a fresh hair washing. Her eyes, to him, seemed to fairly dance with excitement, as she remembered going with her sisters and occasionally her Father to pick out their Christmas tree.

“Are you ready to go?” Her words broke into his thoughts.

“Yeah. Here though, I want ya ta come try on these snowshoes. Wanna see if they fit ya.”

“Whatever for?”

“Cause the snow’s pretty deep in some places, an ya’ll need em goin out’n the woods with us.”

“Alright.” She agreed. A small smile graced her lips, as she came over to try on the snowshoes he’d indicated. They were rather big.. But she did not want to bother him. So she pretended that they fit perfectly. The second Michaela stood up she toppled over head first. The children fought to contain laughs. They had been on snowshoes in several occasions, and the sight of their Ma trying to learn to walk on them for the first time was pretty funny. Wolf bounded into the house, shaking snow all over, and on Sully and Michaela. Michaela shrieked in surprise, as a big piece of snow went down the front of her dress.

“It’s only snow, Michaela.” Sully joked. She raised her eyebrows, shivering as the snow melted. She could do nothing but wait, because it was hardly proper to try to pick the snow from her dress with Sully standing there! They were soon ready to begin on their Christmas tree trek.

“Christmas is in two days!” Brian sang happily, as he bit into a warm apple turnover that he’d saved in his pocket since breakfast.

“Yep. Can’t wait ta see Grandma again.” Colleen said.

“Maybe Grandma will help Ma take care of patients like the last time she was here.” Colleen smiled.

“I doubt it, Brian. I think the only reason she helped last time was because it was an emergency.”

“Well then, maybe she’ll tell me another story.”

“Maybe so.. Or maybe she’ll tell us all a story.” Little did they know that was not to be.

They walked along in a grove of evergreens that Sully knew of. There must have been a good fifty some trees, and Colleen and Brian wanted to look at every tree there…..at least twice.

“Brian?” Brian did not answer Sully’s question. “Brian?” Sully reiterated. Still no answer. On the third chance of his name being mentioned, Brian looked up, still obviously lost in his thought. Sully noticed the boy had been quite thoughtful lately, and wondered about this sudden change in his behavior.

“Somethin on your mind, Brian.”

“Well, kinda.”

“I’m here if ya wanna talk bout it.”

“Well.. How d’ya know if someone’s in love with ya.” Sully sucked in his breath. That was a good question!

“Well.. Guess they like spending time with ya, doin things with ya, look nice; least in your eyes, like doin some o the things ya like doin, ya believe the same things mainly, an ya got some common ground, an mostly ya can be yourself an be happy when you’re with em. Why? You thinkin someone’s in love with ya?” Sully asked, tousling Brian’s hair and smiling.

“Naw.. Not me.. Just thinkin is all.”

“That’s an awful deep topic.”

“Yeah.. But it’s for someone real special.” Sully smiled, just like Brian to want to help, even if he didn’t always go about it the right way.

Brian detached himself to a more quiet, unobservable place in the grove, and knelt in front of a small tree. The snow was cold, even with his warm coat, but his task was more important. He folded his hands and prayed, “Please…help me get my Ma’n Sully together…so we can have a real family again. I’ll be good all year an never do somethin naughty again if you’ll just grant this one wish. I promise. Amen.” He said finally.

As if by sign when he rose, he bumped his head on a branch of a tree, and affixed to it was a strand of mistletoe. He took his knife and cut the sprig down, and stuck it in his pocket. “To remind me” He whispered. Now he knew what he had to do. He had a plan… one that was sure to work.

They looked for trees, and finally chose one, taking turns with the axe to fell it. After, they made snow angels and snow men, enjoying their day in the snow. It was then that Sully rolled the wet snow into a rather large ball and lobbed it at Michaela, and it hit her straight on. “Hey!” She cried, reaching down and packing the snow, and throwing her own ball back.

“Uh!” Sully cried in pretend indignation as the snowball hit him. Before they knew it they were all in on the snowball fight, making, packing and throwing fast as they could. Pretty soon they had two small “trenches” made in the snow to hide in. Michaela rolled and rolled until she had a nice stack of icy cold snowballs. Sully could see her efforts to make a stock and he quickly made a snowball with some ice in the center, and torpedoed it at her stock. The ice ball cracked and broke the pile of her snowballs in half. “Now.. What do you have to say to that” Sully asked, proud of his accomplishment. But before he could get out another word, Michaela was rolling her own “ice ball.” She would show him.

“Better watch out!” She warned in a too sweet voice, and the ice ball came straight for him. Sully quickly ducked, but it was too late, and it exploded right in his face.

“Ick!” He exclaimed.

“It’s only snow.” She whispered sweetly, returning his earlier remark. He rolled his eyes at her.

“Hey Colleen, let’s go finish loadin up the tree while Ma an Sully finish their snowball fight.” Brian whispered, seeing Sully was ready to fire another “ice bomb” on Michaela. Colleen nodded with a soft giggle, the two snuck into the grove of trees again, unseen by the adults, who were too involved in their snowball fight to notice the absence of the children.

By this time it was later in the afternoon, and Brian knew Michaela would be wanting to head into town soon. So, he had best get his plan into action. “Hey Colleen, It looks like It might snow really hard again doesn’t it.”

“Yeah, don’t worry Brian; it will be a white Christmas.”

“Well, don’t you think maybe we should go ahead and take the tree we picked home? Sully put it on the sled not long ago, an home isn’t very far.”

“What about Ma an Sully. They will be worried.”

“They’re much to busy to notice anyway, and we can take Wolf. We’ll be back to get them before they notice we’re even gone.”

“How’d you get so grown up so fast anyway?” Colleen asked, hugging her little brother. Christmas certainly was the time for affection! He merely shrugged. Together they loaded up the tree on the sled, binding it fast.

“Come’n, Wolf.” Brian whistled, and Wolf, and Brian’s faithful companion, Pup, came running over. The two had cold noses and wet licks for the children, brushing their icy fur against the children’s cheeks. The wolves had been frolicking in the snow nearly all morning, as the children and Michaela and Sully had.

Finally the children got the got the tree bound to the sled. The wind was getting higher, and Colleen was beginning to worry about heading home alone, but the wolves were ready to go, and it was barely a half a mile. “We’d better go, before we get caught in this snow storm.” Brian had to shout above the wind, but still it whipped his words away.

“Maybe we should get Ma and Sully!”

“No. we’ll be back soon! Got to …” Colleen didn’t hear the rest of Brian’s words, because they were carried off in the winds.

Meanwhile, back in the clearing, Michaela and Sully were still throwing snowballs and laughing. They hardly noticed the escalated snowfall, and the drop of nearly ten degrees in the temperature. All of a sudden, Michaela heard the wind let off a high pitched whistle. She stopped stock still. “What was that!?”

“It was the wind…” Sully looked around. “It’s lookin nasty over there’n the west. We’d best be findin the children an settin out for town ta get your Ma, or she might end up bein stranded in town overnight.” Something told Sully that this, Elizabeth Quinn would not find that very agreeable, and it was his every intention to try to get along with her no matter how aloof and unfriendly he might find her.

“We’d better.” Michaela agreed. “Colleen! Brian! Let’s go!” She called.

“No use, they ain’t gonna be able ta hear ya the way that wind’s whistlin, we’ll have ta go get’m. They’re probly loadin up the tree on the sled.” Nevertheless, Michaela’s instinct told her something was not right, and that there was a reason to be worried.

Michaela and Sully wearily climbed the now steep embankment up to the grove of trees. As they’d stacked up the snow, that hill was getting taller, “But…” Michaela thought gravely. “It couldn’t have gotten that high alone… That means the wind is drifting it.” The thought made her uneasy. She hoped they would not have a severe of storm as they’d had her first Christmas with the children and in Colorado. They looked all over the grove, but just as Michaela had feared something was wrong. The children were nowhere to be seen.

“Brian!!!!” She called echoed by Sully’s, “Colleen!” They looked at one another disconcertedly.

“What do we do now?” Michaela asked, fear evident in her voice.

“We….” Before Sully could finish his sentence, the air before, around, and behind them became a whirling wall of white. Sully quickly caught Michaela about the waist, and even at this terrifying moment, she blushed, but as were the conditions, she did not try to move, and he was glad.

“It’s so cold!” She cried, her teeth chattering, while she did her best to keep her expression neutral. The temperature had dropped twenty some degrees since they’d left the homestead that morning. Sully felt absolutely helpless. What was he to do?! Quickly he pulled Michaela up close to him and spread his blanket around her shivering body. Her face was red with the cold and her hands felt like ice.

“We’ve got to keep moving, or we’ll freeze!” He shouted grimly above the roaring, whistle-moaning of the high winds.

“What about the children!?” Michaela asked.

“They’ve been here their whole lives; an they got Wolf with em. Surely they can find shelter, an maybe they’ve already made it back to the homestead.”

“I hope so!” In the frantic search for the children, and the pickup of the wind and snow and the cold, neither Michaela or Sully noticed the waving paper nailed to a tree.

“Look, I know a place where we can wait out the storm! We’d better go there.”

“Alright!”, but the wind took her words away. It was getting nastier by the moment. “I don’t think the stage will ever get in!” Michaela lamented.

“Don’t worry; your Ma’ll be fine.”

Without further exchange, the two set off back through the grove in the northerly direction Sully pointed to. “There’s a cave up ahead we can stay in. Stayed there a coupla time myself. Got some o my furs there an food an fire wood an….”

Before he could continue, Michaela lost her footing, and began to slip-slide on the well concealed ice, a hidden danger under the new fallen snow. He watched helplessly as she careened away from him, over the ridge, and out of sight. Then he heard her screams of fear and anguish. They struck absolute and complete terror into his heart.

Sully walked on toward the ridge as fast as he dared. He was almost afraid of what he might find! The high hill of snow which had drifted up was crusted over in ice through and through now, making walking treacherous and it would be easy for Sully to lose his footing and fall down the steep embankment as Michaela surely had. All of the factors made him slow his gate and walk carefully even though he longed desperately to run after her and see where she was, and if she was alright.

At the edge of the ridge, Sully kneeled, and looked over. Michaela laid face first in the snow. “MICHAELA!!!” Was his frantic cry as he rushed, shaking and slipping to where she was. Getting down beside her. The cold snow seeping into his buckskins didn’t even seem to bother him.

Quickly he turned her over. “Ohhh!” she moaned so quietly he almost couldn’t hear.

“Michaela! Are you alright!?” She didn’t answer. Sully didn’t know what to do. Nothing like this had ever happened before! One thing he knew for sure and certain he had to get her out of there. They couldn’t stay out in these extremes much longer. Gently he put his arms around her, and lifted her into the safety of them. She was so tired she almost didn’t notice. “Michaela, ya gotta stay awake!” He shook her. She could barely nod. “Michaela talk ta me. Tell me somethin anything at all.”

“What to say?” She asked drowsily.

“There, that’s good. Just keep talkin. We’re gonna get out of this!”

“I don’t know.. Are we Sully?” She asked finally awakened.

“Of course we are! Why would you ask such a thing!?”

“It’s so cold.. And I’m so…” Michaela could not finish for the huge yawn that engulfed her. Her temples throbbed with pain, and she could no longer feel her toes, but she was just so tired. She was too tired to worry about the frostbite risk. To tired to worry about anything. Her teeth weren’t chattering anymore, but Sully didn’t think that was a good sign. Her clothes even had ice and snow in them.

“Michaela, ya gotta try an stay awake! Ya got to!”

“I’m trying…” She said more awake. The relief was momentary as another flood of tiredness washed over her once again. Sully pulled her even closer, putting more of his blanket over her, and he sat off walking toward the cave.

Meanwhile, back at the homestead, the children were beginning to worry. They were all alone with Wolf and Pup. Matthew couldn’t get out in this storm to come, he was surely stuck in town with Miss Olive. “C’leen..” Brian addressed his big sister in a voice that let her know he was worried, and a little scared. Gently she placed another log on the roaring fire, and pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders. It was comfortably warm inside, but for some reason Colleen did not feel the safe, secure feeling she had when she smelled the wood smoke burning as she sat reading or doing homework after supper evenings with her Ma and Sully.

She placed her hands on Brian’s shoulders, and turned him away from the window. “Why don’t Ma and Sully come back?!”

“I don’t know Brian, except it must be too bad out there for them to have gotten back yet is all. They’ll be home soon.” She tried to assure, but to her the words sounded brittle with worry and the elements of the unknown.

“C’leen what if they don’t come back?” Brian asked, biting his bottom lip. She smiled softly. Brian had grown up and changed a lot in the past months, but it was times like now that she remembered her little brother was only eight and a half years old.

“They’ll come back, Brian.. I promise they will.”

“But…Pa went away an didn’t come back.. An Ma died, what if my other Ma dies too!”

“Dr. Mike isn’t gonna die!” Colleen exclaimed in a horror stricken voice.

“How do you know?”

“I just do is all.” Brian raised his eyebrows at her, not content with that answer. “Here, why don’t you come sit over in the rocking chair with me.”

“Will you tell me the Christmas story?”

“Sure..” Colleen sat down in Michaela’s rocker, and patted her lap. Brian climbed up, resting his head on her shoulder. She covered them up with the soft afghan. “A long long long… time ago in a little town called Nazareth..”

“Where’s that?”

“Across the ocean.”

“Oh.”

“There lived a couple who were engaged to be married.”

“Like Matthew’n Ingrid!”

“Exactly.. Just like them. Except their names were Joseph and Mary.”

“Mary what??”

“What do you mean Mary what?”

“Didn’t they have last names.”

“Oh I suppose they did, but I don’t think anyone knows what they were. In any case, One day an angel visited Mary.”

“An angel!”

“Yes, an angel. The angel was named Gabrielle.”

“That’s a strange name.”

“Kind of.. Gabrielle was God’s messenger. He told Mary..”

“Gabrielle was a man!”

“Well.. Yes.. I think so at least..”

“That’s a strange name for a boy.”

“He told Mary she was gonna have a baby. And she was very surprised, because she wasn’t even married yet.”

“What’s that got ta do with it?”

“Nothing.” Colleen said firmly.

“Then why was she surprised?”

“Do you EVER stop asking questions?”

“No.. But that’s how ya learn. Ma said so.”

“She did, did she”

“Yep, an Ma knows everything.”

“Not quite everything, Brian.”

“I’m scared, C’leen.”

“I am too.” He looked up at his sister in astonishment.

“What? You’re never scared.”

“Everyone’s scared sometimes, Brian.”

“Even Mr. Bray, an Ma, an Sully?”

“Even them..” Colleen began to rock the chair and hum a lullaby that Brian couldn’t name. He felt very sleepy even though it wasn’t late yet.

“Get up.. Giddyap! Now that’s a good horse. Keep a’goin my old brute, that’s the way to tote the weary load lassie.” Elizabeth Quinn looked out into the world of white, the snow blew furiously about the tiny stagecoach, and she could hear the driver calling to his team. She was anxious to get to Colorado Springs, she’d been days coming, and she wanted a nice hot bath and a clean, soft bed. “Well.. Providing the uncivilized world my daughter is living in HAS such as thing as a soft bed. Not to mention the hot bathwater.” She wondered if they would ever arrive. The stage coach was biting cold, and it was very bumpy. Elizabeth felt as if she’d been jounced around enough that day that at any moment her bones might crumble to pieces.

It was in this condition, and several hours later when Elizabeth Quinn finally arrived in Colorado Springs, and actually none the worse for the wear. It was nearing on 8 in the evening, though. The stage had been nearly four hours late. Yet, somehow, she expected Michaela and her family to be waiting to meet her. Of course, there was no one.

Elizabeth, her nose quite out of joint, gathered up her luggage looking around, and wondering what to do. She had no where to go, and no one was there for her. She looked bitterly around to see the last few passengers leaving to go about their business.

The little town was bleak and seemed almost devoid of life to her. “No doubt,” She thought bitterly, “the families are tucked away, snug in their warm beds by now.” She realized the storm was bad, and that Michaela herself might not have been able to get into town from the far-off little place she called a house. She had thought that Michaela would surely have made arrangements for someone to meet her stage, and take her bags, and give her a place to stay for the night. But this didn’t seem to be the case.

Sully reached down and touched Michaela’s cheek. It was like ice. He had long since given up trying to keep her awake. Just so long as she was breathing…he kept trudging on through the snow, which was piling ever higher. It was all he could do to place one foot in front of the other. The burden in his arms seemed to grow ever heavier as the hours wore on, but he couldn’t stop, he had to get them to the cave, to safety, to warmth.

The snow was up to his knees now, and hurt bitterly. Every movement was a battle. His clothes were beginning to freeze into solid layers of ice, as were hers. This was bad. It was the worst blizzard Colorado had had in many years. The last time something like this had happened he’d been about 12 years old. “A few years older then Brian.” He realized with a chuckle that caught in his throat. He hoped the children weren’t too awfully worried. He knew they would be.

Even for someone who was as used to braving the outdoors and weather as he was, the conditions were beginning to take their toll. He had used his energy earlier in the snowball fight, and chopping down the Christmas tree. Where WAS the cave?! Surely they should have been to it long ago. Or was it just because he was so worn out? He had to keep going, so he did. His brow furrowing more and more as the hours wore on.

“C’leen.” Brian stirred, rousing his sister from a slight doze.

“Yes, Brian?”

“Can we go ahead an decorate the tree for Grandma?”

“But.. What if she can’t get here, Brian?” Colleen didn’t want to worry her little brother, but she was quite sure that stage would not come in, and she knew he would be crestfallen.

“Well then, it’ll be decorated for Ma’n Sully when they get here.”

“If they get here.” She thought, and was horrified by it, quickly trying to chase the horrible notion from her mind.

“Alright.. But what will we decorate it with?”

“Look over here, I found them yesterday.” Brian said, motioning earnestly with his hand to Colleen. He knelt by Michaela’s bed and pulled out a wooden crate. He lifted the lid. Colleen gasped in amazement.

“Look at these!” She exclaimed, holding up two of the items. Inside the crate were the most beautiful Christmas ornaments the children had even seen. They were all shades of red and blue and green and gold and purple and silver. They were spheres made of glass and beautifully patterned.

“These are so intricately detailed it would have taken hours to make just one!” Brian said thoughtfully. Colleen nodded. It wasn’t just balls either. There were other ornaments as well. There were little stuffed sachets of sweet smelling cloves, beautiful golden rings, and even a brilliant star to place on the top. It was wooden carved. It was handmade, but literally seemed to glow with inner light. The star was covered in beautiful shiny paper, and glittery substance.

“Oh look!” Colleen cried, as she uncovered another layer of ornaments underneath, which had been well concealed by hay.

“These are the most beautiful decorations I have seen in my entire life!” Colleen whispered breathlessly.

“Where did Ma get them?”

“I don’t know Brian.. Maybe from Boston.”

“Let’s use these on our tree. We can use candles too, an there’s even some popcorn and cranberries for makin strands for the garlands.”

“Look at this..” Colleen uncovered more. This time it was long spools of beautifully decorated garland ribbons, and lacey bows.

“The tree Ma says they have in the White House every year at Christmas couldn’t possibly compare to these!” Brian whispered. They didn’t know why they were whispering, but it seemed the thing to do at the moment.

Sully began to wonder if the cave even existed anymore in the whirling world of white. He shifted Michaela onto his shoulders more, and trudged on. At that exact moment, he came head on with something hard. “What is this?” He wondered. Drawing his gloved hand out, he brushed at the white solid thing. No use. The ice had frozen so he couldn’t tell what was under it.

All of a sudden the hard thing seemed to give way, and Sully stumbled forward with Michaela in his arms. He nearly dropped her with the unexpected movement of the solid thing before him. In the process she was clasped up close against him hard, and she moaned softly. He looked down in concern, and was barely able to keep his footing on the slick ground. He was thankful for the fact he was wearing moccasins and not slippery heeled boots!

Sully noticed it was not so cold where he was standing. He inched a little to his right. This was even better. He couldn’t feel the air whirling around him quite so much. At that exact moment, he saw the well concealed, yawning mouth of the cave!

“Look at all this!” Brian cried, he was uncovering more things in the large wooden crate by the instant. Colleen was smiling.

“I bet Grandma sent these, and Ma was hiding them until Christmas.” Colleen figured.

“I guess so.. Here we better get to work decorating the Christmas tree or we won’t get done in time for Grandma.”

“Brian.. I gotta talk to you.”

“Bout what, Colleen?”

“I can’t see you get hurt.. So I gotta tell you.”

“Tell me what?”

“There’s a chance Grandma won’t make it here for Christmas.”

“I know. But there’s a chance she will too.” Colleen smiled at her little brother, and pulled him into a hug.

“Hey!” He wriggled away, but smiled at her.

Moments later the two children could be seen sitting at the kitchen table stringing popcorn and cranberries onto thread. They would use the garlands and decorations as well as the decorations they’d made in school that week. “Hope Ma isn’t gonna mind us usin her surgical thread for this.” Brian remarked.

“Brian!” Colleen exclaimed, shaking her head.

“Yeah?”

“Never mind!” She said with a giggle, throwing up her hands. She couldn’t win paired against her brother. Brian reached over into the popcorn bowl and put a whole handful into his mouth. Then grinned at Colleen, as if he was daring her to say something. “I’ve learned one thing this Christmas.”

“What’s that?”

“Never to have you around the popcorn.” Brian didn’t reply, but tried to hide his laugh.

“I’m not that bad am I?”

“Fraid so.” Brian came to the top of his thread. He pulled it up onto the table to knot it. Colleen began to sputter with held in laughter, and she clamped her hand over her mouth.

“What is it?”

“Brian.. I think you got a problem with your popcorn.” He glanced down at it. And his eyes got wide.

“Colleen that ain’t funny! What’d you do with my popcorn!?”

“I don’t know where it is.. But I think someone else might.” His older sister said through her giggles, and pointed down. Wolf lay beside Brian’s chair, and half underneath the table. When Brian saw him, Wolf turned over and laid his head back on the floor, stretching. Then he licked his chops. Brian could swear he was grinning.

“Wolf!!! Now I have to make a whole new strand!”

“Hey.. If you’d had your strand up on the table like I told you…”

“I know I know…” He grinned, and shrugged.

“Anyway.. It’s time for you to be getting to bed.”

“Naww! Colleen please let me stay up an let’s finish the tree.”

“Well…This once.”

“Thanks Colleen!” He hugged his sister.

“You’re welcome.”

Elizabeth sat down gingerly on one of the recovery room beds at the clinic, and she made a face, looking around as if she expected something to jump out and bite her. “Sick rooms.” She said in disgust. “I cannot believe Michaela made me resort to THIS!”

When no one had arrived to fetch Elizabeth within the hour, she walked over and tried the door of the clinic. Thankfully it was unlocked. She’d let herself in, and bringing her luggage, had lit a lamp she found on a table to the right of the door. She walked around in the clinic. It was quite rustic as far as that went, but she thought her daughter had done alright for herself. No matter what she might say.. She was quite proud of her daughter’s tough stubbornness. “Of course..” She thought. “It’s not that I approve of all of her choices… well any of them actually.. But she has done quite well for herself considering how she’s living in this wild no-man’s land.” She knew she would just have to wait until someone could see fit to finally make their way into town to fetch her.

Despite the bed she was sleeping in, and how disgusting she found it to have been sleeping in a bed inhabited last by someone with who knows what disease, Elizabeth soon began to feel rather sleepy. She soon dozed off into a rather peaceful doze.

“Alright! Michaela.. Wake up.. I think we made it to the cave!” Sully said, his voice flooded with relief, but Michaela merely moaned again. “Michaela!” Sully shook her slightly, but Michaela did not awaken. He laid his hand against her forehead. She was burning up!

Colleen tucked Brian into bed, and went back downstairs and sat in the rocker to resume her silent vigil. Drawing her knees up to her chest, and spreading the afghan back over her weary self, she sighed. It had been a very long day. She looked out at the barren white and seemingly to her, unfriendly world, and a single tear slipped down her cheek. She knew it was childish to cry over a mere blizzard, which they had those quite often, but she couldn’t help it. She was 13 years old and stranded alone in a homestead with only a little food, and her little brother; soon she’d have to go out to the barn to get more firewood, and she wasn’t sure she could make it in the blinding snow. By this point everything had begun to seem hopeless. She feared Elizabeth would never make it through this. And she tried to push the thought of Sully and Michaela (who she’d come to think of as her adopted parents just as Brian had), out of her mind, let alone them…

Elizabeth sat up. She didn’t know why.. But all of a sudden she had a very bad feeling. A feeling in the pit of her stomach that was whispering not all was well. She crept out of the recovery room bed, and shivered. Quickly she threw on her wrapper and lit the lamp. She walked across the room, and opened the balcony door slightly. Snow blew in. She slammed it shut. “Good riddance!” She exclaimed, doing her best to sweep the snow that had already blown in back out without opening the door. “Call it Mother’s intuition if you must…but I know something is not quite right with my youngest daughter.” Elizabeth thought. “If only she had not come out here!” Elizabeth didn’t know why but she had a feeling it concerned that mountain man, Mr. Sully, that Michaela had written about. Though Elizabeth had never met him, she was beginning to have a bad feeling about him. Whoever he was.. Surely he wouldn’t make a suitable match for Michaela. Elizabeth knew Michaela had never been much one for courting (well.. If that’s what she was doing, and Elizabeth was sure it was), unless she was serious. This idea made Elizabeth all the more frantic to prevent her little girl from making a mistake she would regret. “All I want for her is to be happy…but she could be happy back in Boston, with a suitable match. Not here with some, mountain man.” She pronounced the last words with disgust. She wanted her daughter to do better. And she knew just how to make it happen. There was a fine young physician in Boston. She’d known his family a good number of years. He had assured he would not mind having a partner in marriage as well as in medicine, and that he would provide a wonderful home for Michaela and the children, and see that she continued to practice.

Sully shook Michaela again, feeling her forehead. Hours seemed to be passing, but in reality it was moments. She was growing even warmer. “She must have gotten sick from being out in the cold so long.” He thought. “That or over working herself at the clinic, which she tends to do.” Well, one thing was for certain, it didn’t matter how she had gotten sick; he needed to do something about it. But What?!

Sully walked into the center of the main part of the cave. It had one large cavern, which was solid in the back, but branched off into smaller caverns at the sides. The center cavern was very warm, heated by an underground hot spring.. “What is it Michaela called those?.. Oh yeah.. Aquifers.”

It was almost completely dry inside, for the cave was well concealed by the bushes, but some snow had drifted in. Sully quickly used his feet to knock it out of the way. He was very glad he’d found this cave before, and stored things in here. He’d hidden out here in blizzards, when his lean-to wasn’t good enough shelter.

“The first thing I have to do is keep any more snow from coming in here.” The cold would surely make Michaela worse, now that she was in the warmth of the cave. He gently, and regretfully lay Michaela down on a pile of furs he’d been keeping there. From another part of the cave, he came with a large, black bear hide. He took two sticks out of his pocket, he’d been using them to whittle with. He took out his knife, and within a minute or two had created them to be hooks. With the back blade of his tomahawk, he drove them hard into a crack along the top of the cave in the softer part of the rock, then he strung the bear skin over his hooks, to cover the entrance.

After this, he went back to assess Michaela’s condition. She was laying where he had left her. He was very thankful that when he’d noticed things might get bad, he’d grabbed a big canvas bag from the wagon, and put in her medical bag, and the picnic basket they’d brought, along with his things, mostly presents to put under the tree for the children and Michaela, but foodstuffs as well. Between her and the sack as well as all of his clothes, he had managed to keep himself and her from freezing in the bitter cold.

He undid her heavy duster, blushing slightly. He wondered if anything else had happened to her when she fell off that ridge earlier. He really hoped not! What was he going to do if more was wrong!? As he continued to get her out of her heavy layers of winter clothes, which were soaked through with wet snow, as were his, he wondered something else. How was he going to tell her!?

Whether he wanted to admit it or not.. That strange woman visitor he’d received was making him think. “I can’t lose her! Not now!” he thought. Not just as he was beginning to wonder if there could possibly be more between them than friendship. He shook his head, taking true stock of everything. “I know there’s more there then friendship… I know what I said back there.., a few weeks ago when Daniel Watkins was here.. But, some reason.. I’m findin it might not be so true anymore. Not sure how or why.. But, somethins changed.. In here.” He placed his hand on his heart.

He finally got Michaela out of all her winter coats, scarves, shawls, and everything else. She had certainly wrapped herself well. He was thankful for that. If she hadn’t…

Sully sat on the furs with Michaela beside him. He ran his palm along her forehead again, which glistened with sweat. Her fever was still getting rapidly higher. He knew he had to do something, but he was reluctant to act, suppose he made her sicker!? This was even worse then the time she’d had the influenza, and they hadn’t known if she was going to survive. Now he was all alone with her. Her life depended on him, and he knew it.

He laid his hand on the soft cotton of her dress. He knew he needed to get her out of it. She was soaked through, and he needed to get her dry, it could take hours for all those layers of cotton to dry through, and she didn’t have hours. Yet, would she be upset if he undressed her? He had seen her more undressed then he intended to get her.. But still she didn’t know about that! He shivered to think what she would do if she knew about him watching them bathe her off when she was sick with influenza! Besides.. His intentions were purely medical, right? Oh well, at that moment it truly didn’t matter. He just needed to get her fever down.

The dress she wore today was a favorite of his, though he would never tell her, because she would think him awfully bold if he did. Nevertheless, he thought it!

It was a beautiful evergreen color, with tan collar and it made her eyes stand out beautifully. When she wore her hair with the top layer swept back in coral shell clasps and the rest hanging in long waves down her back, it seemed to shine nearly copper. He shook his head to get her beautiful smiling image out of his mind. That would never do!

He unbuttoned the top button of her dress, his fingers grazing her sensitive skin slightly. He gasped, a thought entering his mind. Suppose she was not wearing a camisole as she had when they went to get the water from the mine! What if… “Now don’t be ridiculous!” He told himself. That surely wouldn’t happen, because all women wore camisoles all the time.. Didn’t they? He let out a very long breath, trying to compose himself.

He unbuttoned the rest of the buttons on the front of her dress with very tender care. He began to loose the blouse from the skirt, realizing it was two pieces of clothing.

At that moment Michaela’s eyelashes fluttered, and she was barely able to open her eyes. She realized she was being undressed, but by whom? Where was she at? Why did her wrist ache so? Wait it wasn’t just her wrist! She almost doubled up with the pain in her ankle. She tried to shift positions, to see who was with her, but found herself unable too, and moaned slightly. Sully stopped stock still.

Colleen finally drifted off to sleep in the rocker. It hadn’t been five minutes earlier that Brian had come to find her and crawled into her lap. There he remained, asleep. The rocker wasn’t exactly a soft bed, but she was so tired she hardly noticed. An hour or so later, she was awoken by a sound that could only be described as a “shimmery” noise. “Like the kind of noise you’d expect a star to make, as it glistens in a pure night sky.” Colleen thought, sitting up.

Colleen gasped. Right in front of her stood a beautiful woman. She was wearing a long, very stylish, white dress with plaid trim, and her hair was, Colleen thought, a beautiful sun kissed golden. She had the most deep blue eyes. “Like the Ocean.” Colleen whispered. For some reason it didn’t seem odd for the strange woman to be standing in front of the fireplace, not saying a word. Colleen glanced down, to see Brian was still asleep.

“My name is Gabriella.” The woman spoke at long last. “There is no need to be afraid of me.” She continued, and for some reason, Colleen wasn’t. “I’ve come with a message for you. So, child, know this. The two you think of as your parents will be safe this Christmas. Do not worry.” Colleen blinked, and when she opened her eyes, the woman was gone.

“Who was that?!” Colleen whispered, rubbing her eyes, as if by some magic the woman claiming to be “Gabriella” would return. She didn’t know why, but she felt at peace now. She didn’t feel so alone anymore.

Gabriella smiled to herself. One more visit to make before her Christmas season was done for the year, and she had a feeling this visit might be the toughest of all. After all, sometimes being an angel was more work then anyone thought!

Sully looked up into Michaela’s eyes, they were closed. He breathed a sigh of relief, and continued with the tiny dress buttons. He pulled the blouse out of the skirt and spread it apart, to reveal her camisole. He smiled slightly, then whisked the thoughts from his mind. He couldn’t think about that now! He chastised himself.

Michaela’s heart was pounding in odd jerky beats, but she couldn’t bring herself to move. It took all her energy just to keep awake. Why was Sully undressing her?! Presently she could feel she was soaked through and through. She felt so hot.

Sully scooted down, and biting his lip, began undoing her belt. His breathing was coming in fast little gasps, but he hardly knew why. He slid her skirt down, causing his hands to brush her hips.

Michaela bit her lip hard. She couldn’t cope with the way this was making her feel! She could hardly stay awake. She didn’t have the energy to do anything but let him continue. She was no longer sure if the burning feeling in her face was because of what Sully was doing, and that she was allowing it.. Not that she had much choice, or if it was from the fever she surely had. She couldn’t stay awake any longer. She slipped into a peaceful blackness.

Sully felt her body relax, and looked up. She wasn’t restless anymore, but seemingly, peacefully asleep. Yet he knew of the fight going on within her to live. He took her socks and shoes off as well. Worried of the frost bite risk, he softly began to massage her feet. He loved being so close to her, and she loved having him there, now half awake, she was carried away with her emotions, as Sully rubbed her feet gently. Sully moved the softest furs toward the back of the cave, but still near the middle. Then, taking Michaela in his arms, and holding her hot body close to his, he carried her over and laid her in the soft bed of furs.

Taking the lantern, which was a burning glow on the cave floor, he went into one of the side portions, and came back with an armful of firewood. He took flint out of his pocket and struck it against the wood, which quickly took. He laid it in the small hollow he’d created for fires, in the center of the cave. Sully spread Michaela’s clothes out to dry by the fire, and in last moment thought, took off his soaking wet shirt. Thankfully his buckskins weren’t wet! He raised an eyebrow at the thought and chuckled.

Sully felt Michaela’s forehead again. If anything she was getting warmer. He found her medical bag, and pulled out a small cloth, twisted up and tied neatly with string. Opening it, he sniffed the ground powder, Willow Bark. “Thank goodness!” he whispered, but what would he use for a mug?

He began searching through the things he’d brought with him. He had brought a cup he intended to return to Michaela, which he’d somehow managed to take out of the homestead by accident! He put a pinch of the ground herb into the bottom of the cup. He propped a forked stick up and hung the water filled canteen over it. It was times like these that Sully was forever grateful to Cloud Dancin, Snowbird, and the other Cheyenne people for teaching him how to survive in the woods!

He went back to Michaela’s side. She was drifting in and out of consciousness. Just then he caught sight of her ankle. It was twisted in a strange angle. He bent down to get a closer look. He examined it gently. He was pretty sure it was broken. Thankfully there were no other injuries. At least no others he could see.

A few minutes later, he checked on the now hot water. He poured it into the cup. He used a small piece of wood to mix it together. Then, taking the willow bark tea and went back to Michaela, and knelt on the fur bed beside her. Gently he sat her up, and pulled her over to lay across his lap, praying silently she wouldn’t wake up to this. He used a finger to open her mouth and tried to get her to drink the tea, but she squirmed and refused. It was a desperate battle, but within an hour or so, he got about half the contents of the cup into her. Now all he could do was wait.

“Elizabeth… wake up.” Elizabeth Quinn turned over in half sleep and mumbled, “Don’t you know what time it is?”

“No.”

“Go back to bed, where any decent person should be at this hour.”

“Wake up, Elizabeth.” The voice insisted. Elizabeth reluctantly turned over in the bed, and sat up. The woman who stared back at her made her catch her breath. She was beautifully featured, wearing a white dress of the latest patterns. Her hair was a sunny golden, and her eyes perfectly blue.

“Who are you?” Elizabeth asked in a not unkind voice.

“That does not matter. I have come to you with a message. You’re daughter is about to find love, it is your decision whether to support her in the venture she is about to take or not, but it would mean a great deal to her if you were behind her.” Elizabeth was about to speak again, when a yawn sliced her words, and as she opened her eyes, the strange woman she had encountered was gone.

“That was only a dream. I didn’t see her.” Elizabeth tried to tell herself, but in her heart of hearts she knew that wasn’t true. Knowing she would not get anymore sleep that night, Elizabeth stood, and walked over to sit in the arm chair by the window so she could look out. Her thoughts whirling around in her head like the snow outside the clinic.

Colleen was still a little amazed from her visit with Gabriella. She stood up, and took Brian into his bedroom. She was about to lay him in his bed. Then she changed her mind. This night they should spend together. She sat back down in the rocker with him, and recovered them both, and promptly fell back to sleep.

Sully felt Michaela stir beside him. He raised himself on his elbows to look over at her. He placed a hand on her forehead. She was still warm, but maybe a little less then she had been before. He hoped so. He scooted her close to him, and took her hand in his, and clasped it tight. The same as he had done that night so many months ago in the rainstorm. She’d felt close to him then, and that had been the real beginning of their friendship. She felt even closer to him now, so maybe this was the beginning of something else. Part of him hoped so. A giant yawn came over him, and all of a sudden he felt incredibly tired. And in this position both Michaela and Sully drifted into a peaceful sleep.

“Colleen, wake up!” Brian was shaking his sister. Colleen sat up straighter in the chair and opened her eyes.

“What Brian?”

“It’s Christmas Eve!”

“It’s 6 in the morning.” Colleen pointed out, looking at the mantle clock.

“Yeah.. It’s still Christmas Eve.. An look outside Colleen!” He exclaimed excitedly. Colleen could she wouldn’t get any sleep until she did as her brother asked, so she got up and followed him to the window. She looked out where he pointed. The snow was drifted all the way up to the top of the porch railing! In other places the smaller trees looked like dwarfs among the taller trees. The snow was piled at least 4 foot up by the barn walls, but thankfully Colleen could see less of the amount was around the door.

“We’d better get dressed, and go do chores, we didn’t last night.”

“Alright. Do ya think Matthew will borrow a sleigh an bring Grandma today, if it doesn’t snow anymore? An do you think Ma an Sully will be able ta get here?”

“I don’t know, Brian, maybe.”

Meanwhile, in town, part of that very process was in play. Matthew had gotten up and dressed. Sure enough, when she’d seen the storm getting worse, Miss Olive put her foot down, saying Matthew had to spend the night with her, and he could go in the morning if the weather let up. He’d been very grateful that Miss Olive had a nice warm supper for him and a bed as well, as he’d been helping to look after the cattle for several days.

They’d received word that stage had finally come in late last night, the only one to make it in on that route. He was relieved, because he knew Elizabeth was on the stage, as Michaela had mentioned it when he’d dropped by to eat breakfast with them one morning that week. After he and Miss Olive had their breakfast, he asked for her permission to take the sleigh, and go find Elizabeth, and take her to the homestead, while checking up on Michaela and the children.

Olive was happy to lend a hand, and also packed him a basket of breakfast. “Enough,” He remarked, “Ta feed General Grant’s army.” Miss Olive simply smiled and said,

“Was the least I could do. Now get on with ya, while the weather holds.” Matthew grinned, and hitched the horses to the sleigh. On a hunch he checked the clinic first, figuring, and correctly, Elizabeth would go there first.

“I’m glad you got here!” Elizabeth said, when Matthew found the clinic unlocked, and came in to see if she was there.

“Took me a while with that weather, but I figured ya’d want ta get out ta the homestead ta see Dr. Mike an the children, but we’d best be getting out o here, cause it kinda looks like it’s gonna drop another coupla feet o snow for the day’s over.” Elizabeth nodded. She was thankful she had been up half an hour previous and was already dressed. She picked up her fur muffler and her coat, and taking the arm Matthew offered, allowed him to escort her out of the clinic, and into the two seated sleigh. The horses were prancing and ringing their belled harnesses gaily in the frosty air, and everything seemed to glow with a Christmas cheer, that really only happens two days of each year.

About an hour later, Brian was in the barn milking the cow, and Colleen was gathering eggs, when they heard the sound of sleigh bells, and a familiar voice say, “Whoa!”

“Matthew!” They cried, setting their basket and buckets aside as quickly as they could, and running out into the frosty air.

“Little brother!” he cried, swinging Brian around, and hugging Colleen. It was good to know they were safe.

“Grandma!” Brian called upon seeing Elizabeth. He began to run toward her, where she was standing beside the sleigh, but was quickly brought down in the snow. In spite of herself Elizabeth let out a laugh.

“Where’s Michaela?” She asked, hugging Brian and Colleen.

“Um…” The children exchanged glances.

“Come inside.. I think we should tell you something, and..”

“We have something to show ya too!” Brian broke in, practically pulling Elizabeth up to the porch.

“Yeah, we worked real hard on it last night.”

“Well then I’m sure I’ll love it.” Elizabeth said, smiling. These children always had a way of working themselves into her heart. They walked into the house and Brian pointed out the tree he and Colleen had decorated.

“See, we found all these pretty decorations that you sent Ma!”

“Me… I didn’t send any decorations, but Brian the tree is absolutely lovely. You and Colleen did a wonderful job.”

“Thanks.. Well then, who sent the decorations if it wasn’t you?”

“I have no idea.” They sat down at the table, and Matthew set the picnic basket out.

“We don’t exactly know where Ma is.” Colleen said, eyeing Elizabeth’s reaction.

“You what!!?”

“As I said, we don’t quite know where she’s at now.”

“What do you mean?” Elizabeth said, trying to calm herself down.

“Well.. It’s kind of a long story.” Brian said.

“I’ve got lots of time.” Elizabeth assured.

“Well it’s kind off my fault.” He fessed up.

“As much my fault as it is yours.” Colleen said.

“Well.. Yesterday we went tree hunting. Ma an Sully an me’n Colleen.” Elizabeth didn’t even take the time to correct him. “We had a really good time. I can’t wait for ya ta meet Sully. He’s almost like my Pa. He does all kinds of things for us, an Ma smiles a lot when he’s around.” Elizabeth raised her eyebrows, but didn’t say anything.

“Well.. Anyways we’d gone to get a Christmas tree, an we saw the weather was getting kind of worse, so we decided to come on back here with the tree and leave them a note, cause Ma an Sully were having fun.”

“What were they doing?” Elizabeth asked a slight edge on her voice.

“Havin a snowball fight.” Brian said.

“Oh.” she could relax, at least for a minute.

“We came home, then the weather got REAL bad. We haven’t seen them since, but Sully’ll take care of them cause he knows just how to survive in the woods.” For once in her life, Elizabeth Quinn was speechless. Her daughter was out in the middle of who knew where with a mountain man and they had no chaperone! Let alone the fact that one or both of them could be killed! Finally she spoke.

“And we can’t send a search team for them or anything?”

“Not till some of that snow melts. I wouldn’t worry. If there’s one thing I know bout Sully he’s good as his word, an he’d never hurt Dr. Mike. He’d do anything to make sure she was safe.” Matthew assured.

“Well.. What will we do till they come back?”

“Wait.”

“Until then.. Will you read A Christmas Carol to us?” Brian asked.

“Yeah, Ma always does that.” Colleen said, and handed Elizabeth the book.

“Well, how about if we take turns reading.”

“Sure, I think I like that idea.” Brian grinned, showing a missing front tooth.

“Marley was dead, there was no doubt about that…”

It was sometime near 8 that evening when they finished reading A Christmas Carol. Colleen was beginning to look drowsy, but Brian was wide awake. Matthew decided to sleep in the barn as it was really looking snowy out. He and Colleen went to bed without complaint, but Brian was not so ready. “Grandma?” He whispered from his bedroom.

“Yes, Brian?”

“I’m not sleepy.”

“Oh you’re not huh.. Well don’t you know Santa Clause will be coming soon.”

“Well…yeah.. But I still can’t sleep. Will ya tell me a story?”

Michaela stirred slightly, and opened her eyes. “Sully?” She whispered very quietly. Sully opened his eyes. He was propped back against the cave wall beside her in his buckskins, and asleep, but the moment she said his name, he opened his eyes.

“Michaela?” He immediately scooted down beside her small form.

“Yes, Sully?” She asked, putting her small hand in his. He ran his palm over her forehead. Her fever had broken.

“Oh Michaela, thank God! I thought I was gonna lose you!” Michaela willingly went into his arms, resting her head on his chest as she had never dared do before.

“What do you mean? Lose me?”

“Oh Michaela, ya had a real high fever last night. I gave ya willow bark tea, but I thought I might lose ya.”

“Thanks for saving me, Sully.” She whispered.

“Least I could do.” She smiled.

“What day is it?”

“Late Christmas Eve.” “My goodness! We’d better be getting back. Surely it’s stopped snowing by now, hasn’t it? Are the clothes dry yet?” She asked, blushing, seeing what’d he’d done with their clothes.

“Yeah, but it looks like it might snow some more. So I think we better wait till tomorrow mornin. As for the clothes, they’re still kinda damp. Here though, can’t have ya catchin cold. Ya can wear this.” He handed her his blanket.

“Thank you.” She whispered, blushing even more. He noticed and smiled a little.

“Well, if you think it’s best that we wait.”

“Yeah… It probably is.”

“Sully how did you celebrate Christmas as a child? I mean.. Before your parents…died. If you don’t mind telling me.”

“Of course not..” Michaela snuggled closer to him shivering. Gently Sully spread another blanket around them. “When I was a kid, my parents didn’t have a lot o money, but I always thought we were better off for it. Ya know? That we was closer because of it. So all the things we did, didn’t cost much money. Most o the things were little things just trivial ta most people, but ta us they mattered.”

“What things?”

“Oh every Christmas, my Ma’d read us the Christmas story from the bible, an we’d sit, all o us together. That was the one time o year that ever happened. An we each had ta give a present ta some other member o the family, we had ta either make it, or it had to be somethin we owned that we wanted ta pass along ta someone else.

“That’s a nice tradition. Maybe our family should have done something like that, and made us closer together.” Michaela mused.

“What did your family do Christmas times?”

“We were never as blessed as your family. We didn’t learn to be a ‘real’ family. I mean we were never that close together. Mostly, Christmas Eve my Father would spend in the hospital so the other doctors and nurses could have the night off. He was kind that way.”

“I think I’d have liked to’ve met your Pa.”

“Oh I know you would have Sully, and I think he would have liked you too.”

“Tell me more bout your Pa.”

“Oh.. Father was wonderful. He was big and strong, and as a child, I thought he was as close to perfection as you can get.”

“Well, I’m glad he was there for ya.”

“Me too.” Michaela smiled gently.

Michaela tried to shift her position and a horrible pain started shooting up her wrist, not even to mention her ankle! “Oooh!” She whispered.

“What’s wrong?” Sully asked, his attention immediately focused on her. Michaela began to examine herself, moments later she said.

“You’re never going to believe this, Sully, but…”

“But what?”

“I broke my wrist again.” She whispered, trying to hold back a giggle.

“Not again.” Sully whispered, trying to hold back his laugh.

“Yes. Again.”

“What other damage did ya do ta yourself yesterday?”

“Umm…I think I might have sprained my ankle as well, I‘m not quite sure, I‘ll need to give it a more thorough examination at the clinic, and I’m not sure which is hurting worse.”

“Here, if ya got some laudanum I’ll fix it for ya.”

“Thank you, Sully.” Michaela whispered, and handed him her medical bag.

“Which one?”

“The little tan packet.” Michaela told him, and pointed it out. Sully ripped open the packet and dumped the contents into the cup he had, and poured water into it.

“Here.” He said in a tender voice, handing her the laudanum. She attempted to take it in her left hand so she wouldn’t have to move her right one. That didn’t work. Sully could see her struggles. “Let me help ya.” He whispered. She smiled and nodded. Sully tipped the cup up to her lips for her, while she drank down the contents, making a face afterward.

“You would think, after that many years in medical school I would get used to practicing my methods on myself, and Miriam, and the other girls.”

“Sometimes things take a lot o getting used to.” Sully whispered, catching her chin in his hand so that she would meet his eyes.

“They certainly do.” Michaela whispered, unable to tear her eyes from his no matter how hard she tried. Sully leaned forward slightly, taking her hands in his and squeezing them…

“Well, I suppose I can tell you a story.” Elizabeth said.

“Better then what ya said last time.”

“What did I say? I don’t believe I can remember.”

“That ya didn’t know any stories.”

“Well, I don’t know so very many.”

“Will ya tell me the rest of the Christmas story Grandma? The one from Luke. Colleen was tellin me earlier.”

“Yes, but you know that story.”

“I like hearin it every Christmas time, just the same.”

“Well, where did Colleen leave off at?”

“Let’s see Mary was gonna have a baby.”

“Ah yes.. So wasn’t long after that when Mary and Joseph heard a decree from the Roman soldiers that everyone had to go to their hometowns to be counted in a census.”

“Grandma, what’s a census? An how come them Roman soldiers could tell anyone what to do an they had to do it?”

“I suppose it was because the Roman Soldiers were the most powerful in the world at the time, and a census is when you get a group of people together from a certain area, and you count how many there are.”

“You’re smart, Grandma.”

“I wouldn’t count on it.” Elizabeth said.

“Then what?”

“Well, Joseph and Mary needed to go to Bethlehem, and it was almost time for Baby Jesus to come.”

“Why didn’t they just ignore the soldiers.”

“If the President asked you to come to Washington would you ignore him?”

“Course not!, Cause he’s the president.”

“See what I mean?”

“Yep.”

“Anyway, when they got to Bethlehem, there was no room for them to stay in a house.”

“None at all?! Not even for the Mother of Jesus?”

“No, not even for her.”

“What happened then Grandma?”

“Well if you’d quit talking so much, maybe I could finish.”

“Alright.”

“They ended up staying in a stable.”

“They stayed in a barn?”

“Yes.”

“A stinky, smelly, old barn with animals in it?”

“Yes. Do you ever stop asking questions?”

“That’s what Colleen asked. Nope I don’t.” Then he continued, “Wow… I wouldn’t wanna sleep in the kind of barn’s they had back then, at night.”

“Especially not if you had a brand new baby.”

“Especially not then!” Brian said, remembering the time his real Ma had brought a sick baby home with her, and the baby cried, all night long.

“Mary and Joseph were visited by shepherds who heard the news from angels.”

“What do angels look like Grandma, cause I think I saw one.”

“Well, I don’t suppose anyone really knows. But, when did you think you saw an angel?”

“Last night, this strange woman named Gabriella came into the house and told us not to worry bout Ma an Sully, except Colleen thought I was asleep.”

“Did this angel have a white dress and blonde hair and blue eyes?”

“Yeah, how’d you know that.”

“Lucky guess.”

“You’re a good guesser Grandma. I love you.”

“And I love you too, Brian.”

“Tell me more bout the shepherds.”

“There’s not much more to tell except that they came to see them. Later Mary and Joseph moved into a house with the baby for a year or so.”

“Why didn’t they just go back home?”

“I don’t know, Brian.”

“Don’t feel bad, Grandma. There’s lots of things that I don’t know.”

“Anyway, it was a couple of years later when some wise men, who were kings from the east, came. They brought Jesus expensive gifts, and worshipped him.”

“Kings worshipped a baby!”

“Yes, because he’s a king to of a sort.”

“Yeah, I know.. Still.”

“Do you think you can go to sleep now Brian? So Santa Clause can come?”

“Yep!” Brian nodded.

“Good.”

“I love you, Grandma.” He repeated.

“I love you too, Brian. Now scoot.”

“Will you come tuck me in?”

“I’m not quite sure I ever did that before.”

“It’s not hard I’ll show ya how.”

“Alright.” And the Grandmother and her Grandson walked out of the room, hand in hand.

All of a sudden he found himself unable to move. Michaela didn’t want to seem too forward, so she didn’t move.

“How late do you think it is?” She finally asked, a little uneasily.

“’bout 8. How come?”

“Because I wanted to know if it was late enough Christmas Eve to carry on a family tradition.”

“What’s the tradition.”

“You’re supposed to open one Christmas present, and as it turns out, well… I hope you won’t think I’m…”

“You’re what?”

“That I’m to presumptuous.”

“Why would I think that?”

“Because I have a present for you.” She whispered, down casting her eyes.

“Well, as it turns out, I have a present for you as well.” Sully whispered, taking her hand, and entwining his fingers with hers.

“You first.”

“Nope.. I’m excited ta see what my present is.”

“It’s not very big, and I’m sorry I didn’t have time to get something better, but I hope you will like these.” Michaela held out a small buckskin bag. Inside the bag, Sully found a string of beads which had special stones in it. Cloud Dancing had assured Michaela these stones meant that the wearer of the necklace would always have a guardian looking after them. Also in the small bag was a beautiful eagle feather.

“Where did you find these?” Sully asked. Michaela blushed softly, and then answered.

“The day I turned 14 my father found these coming home from the hospital. There were two of them. He told me, ‘Michaela, I want you to keep these, and someday when you find a man who catches your fancy, one you know I’d approve of, if any man could ever be good enough for my girl, if he’s strong, and true, and loyal then I want you to give him one of these feathers and keep the other one for yourself. Because I want him to have my gratitude.’”

“Really? Your Pa said that?”

“Yes. Now I want you to have one of the feathers.”

“I’m honored.” He whispered, taking the feather she offered him. He wasn’t sure exactly what that meant for them, but for the moment it didn’t matter. Just that she felt enough for him to give him something from her Father was enough. “How come ya didn’t give these ta David?”

“Because my Father didn’t approve of him, and I didn’t think David would really understand. My Father always had an appreciation for all other cultures. He tried to teach us to respect other cultures and religions and people equally, even if we didn’t believe what they did. I’m afraid he only succeeded with Rebecca and me.”

“Well, one success is good enough for me.”

“Thank you, Sully.”

“For what?”

“You know what.” He smiled softly down at her.

“I got ya somethin too.” He said.

“You did!?”

“Yes, stay here a minute, an I’ll get it.” Sully got up, and walked over to his canvas bag. He pulled out a lumpy object wrapped in burlap. Then, he walked back across the room, kneeling by Michaela and handing it too her. “Here, I made this for ya.”

“You didn’t need to do that.” Michaela said, smiling, her eyes shining.

“Course I did.”

“Here, open this.” Michaela took the package he handed her, and she gently undid the leather rawhide around the top of it. He waited expectantly. Finally Michaela slipped the burlap off of it. It was a beautiful carved angel! The angel was about a foot tall, each part of it was intricately carved, and it was even painted in soft pastel paints. Her hair was carved into small ripples and curls down her back, each of her fingers carved and clasped together, like she was praying. The angel looked just like Michaela! She wore a beautiful white dress with plaid trim, though. Michaela noticed.

“Sully…” She paused a moment, drawing in breath.

“Yeah?”

“Did you see her too?”

“See who?”

“Gabriella”

“Well, if you mean a beautifully dressed woman who sure does like to sneak up on people in the worst possible moments, and gives out advice that ya don’t understand, then yeah that’s who I saw.”

“You know, I thought her advice was hard to understand then too.”

“Ya don’t now?”

“No”

“How come?” she wondered.

“Because the advice she gave me, I understand perfectly now.” Michaela whispered, scooting even closer to Sully, so they sat almost face to face.

“I think I’m beginnin to understand my advice from her too.” Sully whispered his eyes locked on Michaela’s face. He shook his head. He had to get such thoughts as had just passed him to go away. “Here, look on the bottom of the angel.”

“What for?” She asked, feeling rather foolish. She turned the angel figurine over.

“Read it.” he pointed. She saw words inscribed on the flat wooden base of the angel.”

“To my Christmas Angel, I love you, now and forever. yours, Sully.” They read the words aloud together.

Michaela lifted her eyes to look into his kind face. “But I thought you said…”

“Said I wasn’t ready? Yeah, I did, but I am now.”

“What made you change your mind?”

“Well, you remember when Daniel Watkins was here?”

“How could I forget?” Michaela asked, smiling.

“One day he said to me, ‘All I know is this, if a woman ever looked at me the way Dr. Mike looks at you, I’d fall down on one knee and promise myself ta her forever.’ That got me ta thinkin, got scared, so I told ya I wasn’t ready. Then with Gabriella’s visit I really decided I had ta do somethin cause o what she told me.”

“What did she say?” Sully took a deep breath.

“She said I might lose ya if I didn’t tell ya how I felt.”

“Lose me? No Sully. My Mother’s been playing matchmaker for me in Boston I’m sure.”

“I’m glad.”

“What?”

“That I’ll never lose you I mean.” He corrected.

“Sully, do you think Gabriella was an angel?”

“Don’t know. One thing I do know is this, you’re my Christmas angel. Thanks for changing me for the better, Michaela.”

“Was the least I could do.” She repeated his words, and he grinned good naturedly.

“So, if I’m your Christmas Angel, what are you to me?”

“I don’t know, guess you’re gonna have to figure that one out yourself.”

“I’ll have to think about it.”

“Ok, you do….that..” He broke off as his eyes met hers. He took her hand, and gently chafed her knuckles. He then kissed her hand. He loved her hands. They were the most delicate small hands he had ever seen in his entire life. Each finger long and delicate, the kind a piano player would have. Her were nails were the perfect length, and nicely manicured, with something he thought might be a “French tip.” He took her hand, and kissed the palm of it. Then, he took her sore hand, being very gentle, and kissed the wrist. “There, I kissed it to make it better.” Michaela sighed softly, and smiled.

“I hope you kissed it for more then that!”

All of a sudden, he caught both her hands, and she entwined their fingers again, barely noticing the pain shooting through her right wrist. “Thank you for my gift, Sully.” She whispered.

“You’re welcome.” They exchanged a genuine smile. She leaned forward, and kissing his cheek. They both sat back, facing each other for a single moment.

“Do you think we might try somethin new?”

“New?” Michaela questioned.

“Yeah.. I think I might like ta try courtin."

“I think…” She paused, “I think I’d like that.” He smiled at her happily, and she smiled back.

Drawing in a very deep breath, Sully gently placed his curled fingers under her chin, his thumb aligning with her jaw bone, and he tilted her face up very slightly. Her heart was pounding like crazy inside her chest, so that it felt it might absolutely burst from her ribcage. Very gently, He leaned in, placing his lips over hers.

This time he did not draw away as he’d done the night of her birthday. Instead he allowed his lips to linger on hers. He was peeking through gently slit eyes at her. Her eyes were closed, as their lips met again and again. In soft, sweet kisses. One last time their lips met. This time Sully sealed their lips completely together as he’d never dared to before. She had to part her lips to draw breath, but her eyes stayed closed, at that exact moment, she did something she’d been aching, and longing to do since that first kiss on her birthday. She slowly began to reciprocate his kisses. He gasped in slight shock, but did not stop kissing her. “That was probably a good thing.” She thought. Their hands clasped together between them, they continued to kiss, reveling in the feel of this new experience.

Sully didn’t know what to do. He did not want to stop kissing her, but he didn’t want to scare or upset her in any way. He opened his eyes looking deep into her soul for permission. Without words he knew that she had accepted. He carefully loosened his hands from hers, and she winced a bit as he let go of her right hand. Gently he placed a hand on her mid back, and one on the back of her head, and slowly still keeping his lips covered with hers, began to lean her back until she was laying on the soft bed for furs, with him slightly over her.

One of his knees rested between her knees, and the other to her left side. In this position he kneeled over her, holding her hands back onto the furs, never breaking the kiss. She knew she should stop this, but she just couldn’t. He leaned down closer to her. She gasped and her body tensed. He prepared himself for her reaction, but she didn’t stop kissing him.

It had merely come as a surprise to her. He felt exhilarated, so she had liked it! She placed her arms around his strong shoulders, forgetting for one second propriety, and all that was involved. All she wanted for the moment was to hold him close and let him kiss her, his passion enflamed lips moving over hers, covering them completely, taking her into a whole new world. She held tight to him, her fingers squeezing his shoulder slightly. He shielded her body with his own, spreading his knees around her, and laying over her very carefully so that he would not bring her to any harm. That was the last thing in the world he ever wanted to do.

With his fingers, he pushed the wisps of hair out of her face, and she forced herself to meet his eyes. Their lips joined once more in one more burst of this new passion they’d so recently discovered. She was breathing hard, and her heart was beating in sync with his. She could feel the pounding of his own heart against her chest, and his fighting gasps for breath by her ear. She no longer cared about what anyone would think. Her heart pounded the rhythm “too good to be true!” Nothing like this had ever happened to her before, and she loved it, every wild second of it. Sully was on an emotional roller coaster, his pent up passion was dizzying. He knew he loved her, wanted to spend the rest of his days with her, but how to get to that point seemed a long way, with lots of confusing dead ends. For one moment in time though, he decided to simply let go.

Very tenderly, he traced her warm, kiss swollen lips, with his soft finger. All she did was lay still in the furs with her eyes closed, a hint of smile playing around the corners of her eyes. “I don’t know why I’m letting you do this.”

“Cause we’re courtin an sparkin comes with it. I know back in Boston this would have never been considered proper, but this ain’t Boston, this ain’t really anywhere. An part O learnin ta court is learnin ta trust one another. I would never hurt you, my darling Michaela, an I’d never let anyone else hurt ya. I’d die protectin ya, an I wanna spend the rest o my days with you by my side. It’s a long road getting there. Until then…”

“Until then…” She whispered softly, and linked her hand in his, raising her head up off the furs to join their lips again. Sometimes she couldn’t believe what was happening to her, how she was changing, and he thought the same things about himself.

Sully framed Michaela’s beautiful face with his hands, and kissed her once more, touching noses with her as he did so, and they both giggled mid kiss, but didn’t let the connection be broken. He placed his hand under her shoulders and the other over her lower back, lifting her very slightly from the furs. For the first time in her life, this felt right. She’s been kissed a few times by David, and once by another boy at a Christmas party when they got caught under the mistletoe, and then by Sully on her birthday. All those times had made her uncomfortable, and very unsure, and embarrassed. For the first time in her life a handsome man was kissing her, while she was wearing only her camisole and bloomers and he only some buckskins and beads, and it felt right, and perfect, and…passionate. Sully sensed her pent up release of emotion, and smiled softly. He knew she was letting go of something, something she’d carried around a long while, even if not all of it yet, at least a little piece.

He carefully, and slowly, tried to part her lips with his. She resisted at first. What was he doing!? Sully was patient, he smiled encouragingly at her and whispered, “It’s ok.” She noticed his shaky touch. He was nervous! She smiled in slight amusement. She had never seen that side of him before, and it gave her strength. Her mind tried to recall, wasn’t that something valued in a good match. The couple could bring different talents to the marriage, relying on the other’s strengths and weaknesses. Marriage!? What was she thinking?

Sully spread his lips over hers in a small purse. She did not understand. She opened her eyes in a confused look. What was he trying to do? Just then, he realized she had never been kissed like this before, never been as he called it, “soul kissed.” “Michaela, just relax.” His voice had a very calming effect on her. Her whole body relaxed. He ran a hand down the side of her face, from her forehead to her neck.

He softly, and tenderly, as if in understanding of her innocence and naivety of this new closeness, placed his lips on her again, and he used his own lips to part hers, very slightly. Her eyes shot open, but his soothing touch and kind expression soothed her, and she was not afraid. Once the initial step was taken, her instinct took over. His lips continued to explore hers, and at his asking, without words, but with a look shared between eyes, she parted her lips the rest of the way for him.

His tongue sought entrance to her mouth, he ran it over her lips before doing so, acclimating her to these new actions. She moved her body even closer to his, pulling him down close to her, and he let her. Truthfully he didn’t mind a bit, he’d been wanting this for a long time, as had she. She opened her lips completely to him, as did he to her, but she had yet to realize that. The passion sparked between them like the fire that crackled and sparked in the center of the cave.

His tongue was doing things to her that she’d never thought possible, and she loved every precious second of it. He placed his hands along her cheeks, and saw her smile, her eyes twinkled from firelight and fairly danced with inner discovery and passion. This was so deep, straight to her soul. She felt she’d never experienced someone this close to her, Sully felt the same. He may have shared love with someone else, but with Michaela it was different, better.

Before Sully could realize what he was doing his hand grazed across her sensitive skin just above her camisole, and accidentally it slipped below the camisole’s lacy line, and over her soft, delicate, shapely breast. His fingers lingered a second. He couldn’t believe what he’d just done! It was too late to take back his actions, though. Michaela gasped aloud, letting her head fall back in the furs. She couldn’t believe what he had just done!…Or, shockingly, how much she’d like it! He quickly dropped his hand off her, his face turning deep pink, as did hers. He could clearly see how she’d reacted to his kisses through her camisole. All she could do was blush, and give him a slight, but nervous, smile. “Oh Michaela, I’m sorry…I shouldn’t have..” He whispered, tilting his face in shame. When she did not react he felt even worse.

“Sully…” He looked up, forcing himself to meet her eyes. They swam with destined to fall tears.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered again.

“It’s ok.. It was an accident, and I didn’t mind it all that much. You don’t have to be upset. Remember, you promised sparking was part of courting.”

“I did, didn’t I.” He whispered, grinning.

Michaela rested one hand on his mid back, and ran the other through his hair, softly. “I love you Sully.” She whispered for the first time, testing out this new emotion.

He gently placed his lips back on hers in answer. She gasped as he parted her lips again, and this time she more then willingly accepted. He found his fingers trace her collar bone. She knew it, and thought it was quite sweet. Her fast breath made her chest rise and fall in a manner that made him wish that he could get from here to marriage conveniently “missing” the steps between. For now, what?

Sully met her eyes again, upon seeing she was not upset. He very gently traced his hand back down to her other breast. She was completely lost in emotion now. He looked up, but her eyes were closed. She laid her head back all the way into the furs, letting out an involuntary, passionate moan. Her eyes flew open. She had never heard a sound such as that, and she could hardly believe it had come from her! “It’s ok.” Sully quickly assured. Carefully, with an amazed look on his face, he ran his very fingertips over her. Michaela watched him, an amused smile on her face. She gasped as his fingers discovered a very sensitive spot. For how this felt, she might as well not have been wearing the camisole. She gasped, shocked with herself once more.

Sully smiled at her once more, and kissed her sweetly one last time. Then he rolled off her. She blushed when she realized how excited he was, and that was the reason he had rolled away from her. He smiled, and took her good hand in his. “Now what say we get some sleep? We got long time comin ta learn bout courtin and sparkin, an all the rest, a long trip to walk back to the homestead tomorrow, we’ll need our rest.”

“Alright.”

“Are ya hungry?”

“Not really.” Just then she remembered the rock candy, still in her medical bag. “But I have a treat for us.”

“Treat?”

“Umm hmm. Can you hand me my medical bag?” Michaela asked, having forgotten her wrist broken. She blushed remembering. “Oh, I forgot, I suppose my wrist is out of commission.”

“In that case, is it this?” Sully asked, holding up something in a cloth.

“Yes, that’s it.” Sully unwrapped the package carefully.

“Rock candy! I used ta get this back east when I was just a kid!”

“Me too!” Michaela whispered. They began to laugh softly.

“Where did you get this!?”

“Gabriella gave it to me.” She paused, “Sully do you think she was an angel?”

“I don’t know, but I think she was as pretty close as ya can get.” Sully gently placed one piece of rock candy on Michaela’s tongue.

Gently he leaned in and kissed her, the flavor of the candy was shared by their kisses, and their enjoyment was shared by their soft gasps, and tender hand hold on each other.

Finally they lay back in the soft furs holding hands, and drifted into a much more peaceful sleep then either had had in a long time.

Elizabeth Quinn was awakened at the crack of dawn by voices, actually, but shouts. Shaking her head, she sat up. She was in the rocking chair in the homestead. The shouting was Brian. “Grandma! It’s Christmas morning!!!!”

“Brian, let Grandma sleep! It’s 5 in the morning!”

“I know. GRANDMA! WAKE UP!! SANTA WAS HERE!!!!” Elizabeth Finally let them know she was plenty awake.

“I’m awake, Brian, you say Santa has come?” She asked with innocence.

“Yeah he came, he came!!” Colleen was beginning to get into the spirit of things and quit telling Brian to be quiet because he was in the house, and even Elizabeth felt a happy kind of ache in her heart.

“Michaela, wake up.” Sully shook her gently. Michaela slowly opened her eyes, rolling onto her back. She moaned a little from the pain in her wrist and ankle.

“Sully?” Michaela seemed a little confused. There was sleep in her eyes, but her hair hung in pretty waves without combing, and she looked beautiful, even though she’d just been woken up.”

“It’s snowed again, but I think it’s safe ta go home now!” He exclaimed. Michaela still seemed a little slow of moving and tired, so Sully innocently pitched a small pile of snow at her.

“Sully!” She exclaimed, pitching a pile back with her left hand. He didn’t expect her to be able to hit him with her other hand, so he didn’t duck, and he was hit straight on. Michaela began to giggle. “Sorry.”

“It’s ok.” He walked over to the fire and put his shirt on. She seemed a little surprised. “Well, don’t ya think your Ma might be a little astonished if I showed up without a shirt, gotta make a good impression ya see.” Michaela laughed completely this time.

“Oh Sully, what is it about you? I can completely be myself with you.”

“The same for me.” They kissed quickly. “Here.” He handed her the green dress and the rest of her clothing all neatly folded up.

“Ummm, thank you, Sully.” She whispered, looking down and blushing. She didn’t move from the spot.

“What’s wrong?” He asked tenderly, raising her chin so she could look into his eyes.

“It’s just, I umm, I’m going to need some help.” Sully understood what she meant.

“Glad ta help. Here, let me help ya sit up.” Sully took Michaela’s good hand, and placed his other arm on her back, and helped her into a sitting position.

“Thanks.” She whispered, embarrassedly. Michaela got her good wrist in, and Sully went behind her, pulling the blouse around, and helping her get her broken wrist through the sleeves. She gasped from pain, and he made a mental note to get her some laudanum before they left to head to the homestead. Sully slid the skirt over her knees and up to her waist, his hands coming across her hips again. She was blushing bright red, and he bit his lip, concentrating on the task at hand.

Sully finally got Michaela dressed except for her shoe. He tried and tried, but he couldn’t get it on. Her foot was swelled and puffed an ugly purplish black and blue. “I’m not going to be able to get it on.” He finally admitted. Michaela laughed softly. She’d known that from a long time ago, it just felt nice to let him touch her feet.

“It’s ok… I have some bandage strips in there, if you give them to me, I can make a support for my ankle.”

“You can do that with your left hand!?”

“That is one of the few things I’m proud to admit I can do with that hand.”

“You’re saying there are others I don’t know about?” Sully couldn’t resist teasing.

“No! I mean umm I mean... I don’t know what I mean really.” Michaela was blushing red as a cranberry from the sound her words had taken on. She tried to compose herself. “I didn’t mean that at all, Sully.”

“I know, I was just havin a little fun with ya.” Michaela smiled. She made the splint, while Sully watched on fascinated, and packed their things away to leave.

“I sure am glad you’re here, Sully.”

“And I’m glad you are.” He repeated. She smiled, and took his hand with her hand. It didn’t take Sully very long to figure out she wasn’t going to be able to walk. So he had resolved to carry her. He lifted her in his arms, and she gasped.

“Put me down! I can walk alone!”

“I’d let you find out, but it’s a little cold to be falling in the snow, so you’re just going to have to take my word on this.”

“Alright.” she finally agreed, and they set out on the long trek home.

“Grandma, can we pllleeaaasseee open our presents now?” Brian had been begging for the last two hours.

“I suppose you may open one each, and then we should wait for Michaela and Mr. Sully, assuming he will come with her.” Elizabeth said the last part nearly to herself. “Because I need to have a talk with this, ‘Mr. Sully.’” She thought.

“YEA!” Brian cried, unawares of the serious overtone the atmosphere of the room had taken. He and Colleen rushed to begin opening presents. Elizabeth smiled. She’d been up late the previous evening, and found Michaela’s presents for the children, and set them out as well as her own as if Santa had come. It was worth the extra trouble to see the delighted grin on Brian’s face as he pulled out a stocking full of candy, enough to last him a whole year. All of a sudden from outside came the sound of feet and a voice rang out through the white winter wonderland.

“Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas!”

“SULLY MA!” Brian and Colleen screamed, jumping up. The door of the homestead burst open. In walked Sully, Michaela cuddled in his arms under his snowy blanket. No one could see, but her hand rested over his heart in a tender sign only they knew.

“Michaela!” Elizabeth said in half relief and shock.

“Mrs. Quinn, good ta meet ya.” Sully said, thinking he should shake her hand, but was unable to.”

“I hope I can say the same.” Elizabeth tried to sound cheerful for the children’s sakes. Brian noticed.

“Ma, we like Sully lots. He’s almost part of the family.”

“He is, is he.” Elizabeth said, an incredulous note entering her voice. “Can I speak with Mr. Sully alone for a moment?”

Michaela and Sully spoke at once, “Mother, its Christmas.”

“Sure.” Michaela and Sully and Elizabeth exchanged glances, but the tension between the adults went unnoticed by the children who were exclaiming over the presents for them, that were in the canvas sack Sully had put down as he entered the house. Sully settled Michaela in the rocker, and handed her the afghan.

“You don’t have to do this!” She whispered.

“I might as well try an get on with her.” Then aloud, “Will you be ok for a moment?”

“Certainly.” Michaela assured.

Sully and Elizabeth talked in Brian’s bedroom. Elizabeth seated herself on the bed, and Sully sat in the chair by the bed. “Mrs. Quinn, I think ya may’ve gotten the wrong idea bout me back there.”

“Oh you think so, huh? Well, do you care to explain?” She asked, being more tolerating then she typically would have been.

“Well, I do a lot o things for them, not cause I like Michaela, I mean I do, but that ain’t the point here. I always try to help someone in need, she sure was when she came here. As for the children, I known em their whole life. It seems the least I can do. Knew their Mother real well also.”

“Why in the world were you holding my daughter in such a way?”

“She sprained her ankle pretty bad an broke her wrist when she slipped on ice yesterday. I know you’re thinkin I shoulda stopped her from fallin, an not let it happen in the first place, but I couldn’ta seen it comin even if I’d been watchin her. We had a long walk back, an I knew it was hurtin her. So I just carried her home.”

“Mr. Sully, you may not be aware of this, but my daughter has been through a world of heartbreak in her lifetime, and I don’t want her to have to go through it again. Especially since she seems to have become rather good friends with you.”

“Ya don’t have ta worry Ma’am, if anything were to happen between us, I’d never let her be hurt.”

“You also may not be aware of it, but Michaela has her heart set on medicine, and if she is tied down she’ll never have a chance for her dreams to come true, as if they could. As well, she’s quite below your station.”

“I mean no disrespect, Mrs. Quinn, but if a couple is in love should station truly matter? I could provide her with a stable home, an love, an I’d never expect her ta give up medicine.”

“You’re saying you love her now.”

“No…” this was not going how Sully wanted it too! “I was saying in general.”

“Well… then I suppose….”

“There ya have it.”

“Mrs. Quinn, I want nothin but the best for your daughter an her children. That’s all. As for now, it’s Christmas. Can we just be thankful for that, an count all our blessins?” Elizabeth smiled in spite of herself. She certainly thought Sully a little strange, but if Michaela loved him, she would do her best to be respectful of him for Michaela’s sake.

A shriek of excitement from the next room brought Sully and Elizabeth out to see what the noise had been about. It was Brian. “Look what Grandma brought!” He exclaimed. It was a real fishing pole of the latest style.

“And look at me!” Colleen exclaimed, coming out of her bedroom. She wore a beautiful, grown up, red, silk dress. “Can I wear it ta Christmas services tonight at church, Ma!?” Colleen begged.

“It is a lovely dress Colleen, I suppose so.” She examined the fishing pole. “This new kind of pole is rather clever.” She said, playing with it. She cast out across the room, and in total accident hooked Sully’s shirt. He began to flop about on the floor like a fish. Everyone was laughing so hard they nearly fell out of their seats. Even Elizabeth was letting out a chuckle.

“Hold on, Ma! Keep that pole straight!” Brian cried, clapping his hands.

“I think I caught a big one this time!” She said, laughing.

“Reel him in, Ma! Then he can take me sleddin!” Michaela proceeded to pretend to bring Sully in on the bank. The group began to giggle again.

That afternoon more snow was dropped on the little town of Colorado Springs, and the town’s church service was cancelled. “Hope you’re not as upset this time as ya were bout the Christmas party.” Matthew teased his sister a little.

“Oh you, always teasing!”

“I wouldn’t be your big brother if I didn’t.”

“That’s for sure.” Colleen whispered.

“What did you say?” He asked, pretending to be shocked.

“Nothing!”

“Popcorn’s ready!” Sully called, interrupting the playful banter going on behind him. He sat back, pulling the popper out of the coals.

“None for you boy!” Brian said, pointing at Wolf.

“What are you talking about, Brian?”

“While you guys we were gone, we made popcorn strands and…” By the time he finished the tale the group all looked at the seemingly well behaved Wolf with new respect.

“Which reminds me, where’d ya get the ornaments, Ma?”

“I’d like to ask you the same thing, Brian.”

“Ya mean, ya don’t know where they came from?”

“No, I’m afraid not.”

“They were Abagail’s.” Sully spoke up. Brian turned away, as did Colleen. They remembered how upset Sully had been when they borrowed Hannah’s baby clothes!

“Gee, I’m sorry Sully, we didn’t know.”

“It’s ok, Brian, she’d have wanted them ta be shared, not packed away in some old box.” Elizabeth didn’t know who Abagail was, but she had the feeling she had something to do with this Mr. Sully’s past, and maybe something to do with the reason he seemed a “proper man”, but was quite rugged, and was, well…all she could think to describe him was, just… Sully.”

The celebration of family and friends, joy, peace, patience, kindness, love, tenderness, happiness, long suffering, tolerance, and much more, continued at the homestead for a good ways into the night, and a good ways into the hearts of many people to come after them. “And I hope, that our Christmas story has gone to your heart this Christmas season, and reminded you of the true meaning of Christmas, as well as some of the other meanings of the season as well.” Michaela whispered to herself.

And so, here Michaela and Sully and the children and Matthew and Elizabeth will leave you, with their holiday greetings, and hopes for cheer this Christmas season. As Brian would ask that we kindly remember dear Santa Clause, and his wise words of wisdom,…Merry Christmas, and to all a goodnight!