Finding Family |Adopted by Melissa Benoist and Chris Wood|

38

Star pressed her nose against the window. The cold class nipped the tip of her nose as she watched the silent snowflakes fall to the ground, coating the grass in a white, shimmer blanket. It's so pretty! Like glitter falling from the sky!

"Good morning Star." Melissa greeted, walking into her foster daughter's bedroom. "Looking at the snow?"

Star nodded before turning to face her foster mom. Should... should I say something? Melissa and Chris... they like it when I say stuff...and... I... I kind of... want to say something... Star opened her mouth to speak but the words seemed to get caught in her throat.

"So as you know, today is the start of holiday break which means you will not be going to school today. Why don't you get dressed and head downstairs. Chris is making waffles."

A high pitched beep cut through the conversation followed by "AGH! Stupid waffles! So sticky!"

"Or at least he's trying to. You would think Chris and the waffle maker would have this sorted out by now." Melissa laughed.

Star giggled, glancing back over to the window.

"I think... he forgot to put oil on the machine, again," Melissa sighed. "When you come down I hope we will be eating waffles. Not waffle makers covered in waffle mix..."

"So Star, Melissa and I were wondering, have you ever celebrated Christmas before?" Chris asked, taking a seat next to his foster daughter in the living room after breakfast. The waffles were so stuck to the machine to the point of no return so Melissa and Chris made pancakes instead with the leftover batter.

Star shrugged, her mind drifting back to the group home. Every Sunday, she sat on a long, hard wooden bench, her back and bottom aching, and not just from the hard surface. It was called 'mass' and everyone had to go listen to a man wearing a long robe talk about various things out of this big book known as a "bible."

There was one particular day of the year in the group home where a big, colorful tree stood at the front of the room with an angel figurine at the top. The man wearing the robe droned on for hours about a birthday called "Christmas." The minutes dragged by while Star sat in the itchiest long white dress in history.

Noticing a frown forming on Star's face, Melissa spoke up. "In our house, we go buy a tree at the tree farm. At this place, most people cut the tree but we buy one in a large pot and bring it home to decorate. Then after Christmas, we plant the tree in the backyard."

"Would you like to go pick out a tree today?" Chris asked.

That sounds... fun. Star made an attempt to wet her lips before speaking. "Okay" she whispered, causing her foster parents to smile.

Melissa got to her feet. "Alright, let's go!"

Snow crunched under Star's boots as she stamped around next to her foster parents. The three of them were waiting in line for a ticket to be placed on the chosen tree.

"Hey Mel." Chris grinned, a twinkle in his eye. "Have you ever saw Saw with a saw?"

Melissa looked at her husband, a blank expression on her face.

"Saw!! A horror movie!" Chris clarified, pointing to the saws that hung on a rack behind the employee handing out tickets.

"You're so weird." Melissa laughed. "Also, Halloween is over."

"Eh hem." The employee cleared her throat. "Here's your ticket. Have fun."

"Thanks" Chris smiled, taking the ticket from the employee.

Melissa reached over and plucked the ticket from Chris's hand. "Here let me take that."

"Coming from the person who forgot to put oil on the waffle maker, that is a good idea."