"Of Magic & Mistletoe", by Gratiana Lovelace (2020); (Completed)

Ch. 05: Christmas Day Magic, Part 1

"Of Magic & Mistletoe", Ch. 05: Christmas Day Magic, Part 1, by Gratiana Lovelace, December 26, 2020 (Post #1354)
(All rights reserved; An original story copyrighted by Gratiana Lovelace, 2020) 
[(1) cover story]

Illustrations: I cast my stories as I write them, with Richard Armitage as Luke Wharton, Erin Krakow as Diana Groves, Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Benjy Groves, Helen Hayes as Martha Lesley, Anna Knyazeva as Heidi Wharton, Betty White as Granny Wilma Wharton, and others as noted in the references.

"Of Magic & Mistletoe", Ch. 05: Christmas Day Magic, Part 1

The next two days of December 23rd and 24th for Diana and Luke are busy ones. Diana and Benjy make some XMAS craft decorations as gifts. And Diana is truly able to finish her XMAS shopping for her 4 year old son Benjy's and others XMAS gifts when she sees that her weekly Care Giver paycheck was direct deposited into her bank account as usual on Friday, Dec. 24th, Christmas Eve day. Diana is all paid up on her bills, and will use the funds to also replenish their apartment's food stocks as well.

And she and Benjy had also shared a yummy later afternoon Christmas Eve luncheon at their apartment complex at a table with Martha and Diana's other Care Receivers. So Diana and Benjy share some of those XMAS craft gifts they made with Diana's Care Receivers. The Ladies also gifted Diana and Benjy with a lovely and warm tied back quilt they had all made for her in a solid navy blue flannel fabric on one side and a blue and white striped flannel fabric on the other side. And Diana was tearfully grateful for her Care Receivers kindness and quilting skills. Though Diana cannot receive money or store bought gifts from her Care Receivers, something hand made like the quilt is allowed.

For Luke and Heidi, they also have some last minute shopping to do for food and presents. And of course, Granny Wilma—Luke's Mom and Heidi's Granny—requires some extra help around their home to get it festively ready for their Christmas Day guests. And despite her slowing down at her now eighty two years old, Luke's Mom (aka Granny Wilma) is a tiny tornado when cooking for and entertaining guests, to Luke's delight and chagrin. However, Luke good naturedly moves furniture around as his Mom wishes to accommodate their Christmas decorations, and he and Heidi set up their dining room dining table for their Christmas Day meal with Granny Wilma's heirloom china plates and crystal glasses and silver flatware, and linen napkins —eating their own Christmas Eve leftovers and Christmas Day breakfast at their kitchen table.

And more than simply phoning each other in the mornings to confirm Diana and Benjy joining the Wharton family for Christmas Day Lunch at Luke's family home, Diana and Luke also find time to call each other in the evenings. They chat about a variety of topics—mostly revolving around Christmas, and which cookies their children's Santas like to eat before leaving them their Christmas presents (chocolate chip and peppermint candy cane frosted sugar cookies). They both joke that Santa's appetite will be felt around their own middles as they each munch on their cookie bounty Christmas Eve.

Also during their Christmas Eve phone chat, Diana lets Luke know that one of Martha's friends at their apartment complex has taken ill and Martha wishes to stay by her friend's side Christmas Day to keep her company. Though Diana does wonder if Martha's excuse is real or one made up to allow she and Benjy to get to know Luke's Mom on their own—without having Martha to distract them. But Luke is gracious and says he understands—him secretly glad to have Diana and Benjy to himself, well with his Mom and his daughter Heidi. And there will be one more surprise on Christmas Day.

***

So at the appointed hour of 9am on Christmas Day morning, Luke drives into town to pick up Diana and Benjy at 9:15am to bring them to his home. Diana and Benjy are promptly waiting in their apartment building's front hallway and buzz him in. Luke greets Diana with a kiss on her cheek—which causes her to blush sweetly pink—and a pat on her son Benjy's back.