The Ten of Them. Chapter 22

During our last chapter the family spent their first Christmas truly as a family. Not just the Thurgoods and Edwards sharing a Christmas with the Meyers, but as one family. The past year had brought them together in a way that was warm and loving. Sam was both damsel in distress and savior, loving her had brought about events that bonded the family together.

JJ was a hero not only to Kathryn and his family, but many others too. The family had followed in JJ’s kindness and helps many more than he could alone. Some they rescued from near financial ruin, others JJ had done more physically to help. Their acts of kindness, inspired by love and generosity have brought them onto Santa Claus’ nice list.



The Ten of Them. Chapter 22 Composed by Hard93




They discovered many more gifts not given by anyone in the family. They all had one thing in common it would be nearly impossible for anyone else but Santa Claus to give that gift. None of the gifts have been available commercially, and are utterly unique in many ways. Many of us have stopped believing, but now we rethink that. Maybe there is more magic this time of year, especially when you are surrounded in love, kindness and giving.

I remember reading an article that the New York Sun published over a hundred years ago. The editorial named; Yes Virginia there is a Santa Claus. Maybe that’s why I truly never stop believing, although is really easy to. Quoting one sentence of that article, “Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy.”




After we had opened all the presents, we begin cleaning up. I couldn’t help but notice Kathryn and Sam staring out the window longingly at the snow. I finally gave up and sent them to dress for going outside. I know they wanted to make snowmen so badly. How often do you get a chance here to do that? It had only snowed twice in the last four years.

Once we had bagged all the wrapping, keeping some boxes but discarding many more, Mom points me out the window at the snowmen Kathryn and Sam has made. Kara and Daniel, Marshall and Misty, even the Coach and Helen had joined them. It’s not exactly all snowmen they are making. They teamed up and built snow forts.

I began laughing as the first snowballs begin arcing across the backyard. Alyssa and George are watching out the other window and it isn’t long before they are laughing too. Joan and Johnny laughs as Daniel hits Marshall. Marshall is even laughing too, as he throws snowballs back rapidly getting Daniel a couple times. Nobody is actually trying to be mean or vicious with their snowball fight, they’re just having great fun doing something they don’t get to do very often.

Kara and Kathryn seem to be laughing so hard they couldn’t hit each other if they were five feet apart. Sam and Misty tossed back and forth at each other with Sam dodging getting more snow off the ground as she rolls out of the way. Even though still in my pajamas and robe I’m tempted to join them.

The snowball fight doesn’t last all that long, and it seems like pretty evenly distributed, each team gotten hit about the same amount of times. They just got too cold to continue. They hug each other laughing as they come in from the cold. Mom made some hot chocolate and we bring them into the kitchen to start breakfast and warm-up.

Kathryn takes Sam and dresses her in some warm dry clothing after they share a short hot shower. Kathryn wears one of her new sweaters given to her by Michelle for Christmas. As family members return I can’t help but notice many are wearing Christmas presents. Kara is in the silk dress Kathryn gave her, is very flattering to her, without being slutty. Daniel’s hands constantly caressing Kara’s shoulders and back his hand runs smoothly across the silk.

Helen says, after seeing the two and how Daniel is constantly caressing Kara as she smiles brightly, “Newlyweds.”

Mom giggles as she says, “Bet they don’t make it five minutes after they finish eating.”

Grandma adds, “I’m surprised to see them come back myself.”

Kara remarks, “I can hear you.” Looking lovingly at Daniel she continues, “We have to go to Daniel’s parents after breakfast. But don’t expect to see us until New Year’s after that.”

Joan asks, “You leaving for a honeymoon?”

Chuckling Daniel states, “No, just locking the door. Don’t bother coming to knock on it.”

Blushing Kara says, “We’re going to finish breaking in the house…” Daniel kisses Kara preventing her from continuing her statement. Everyone in earshot knows exactly what their talking about. Kathryn and I haven’t finished breaking in this house, but now more bedrooms are available than were before which may make it easier. While Mom was gone to California, Kathryn and I snuck in her room, we made sure to clean up afterwards though.

It’s hard to find time when we would not disturb anyone by all the noise Kathryn and I make. It seems to be impossible for us to make love quietly. We had discovered a few things, and a few positions where the noise we make can be muffled. Normally Kathryn just screams into a pillow, that’s about as quiet as we get.

I wonder what it’s like to have a house to ourselves, that’s definitely something that will not occur very often for Kathryn and me. Now she is due to deliver our daughter in March.

We have Sam who seems not be able to sleep at night unless she is with us. She’s had a few nightmares since the events at the pizzeria. A few were pretty bad and Sam cried for nearly an hour before we calmed her down and she finally fell back to sleep. I can’t blame Sam for being frightened, if things hadn’t happened exactly right, if they would have fired instead of reacting to the pepper, I would have died like my great-great-great-grandfather.

I am not going to worry about what might’ve been. If you do that you can drive yourself insane, when you consider each and every choice you make and each and every choice made after that can generate millions and millions of possibilities. Quantum-mechanics make my head hurt, it does every time I think the last thirty minor decisions has more than a billion outcomes, any which can make a major change in your life. I mean ouch, like who wants to figure out if stopping for a cup of coffee saved you from being in a major accident. The guy that left as you walked in him stopping for a cup of coffee put him in that major accident you missed.

Like so much in life it’s all about timing, this land come up for sale only a few days before I decided to buy property and move out of California. Mom made the decision at the same time that she wanted to leave. If we were not of like minds at that time that may have delayed the decision and we’ve not gotten this property.

Then every other decision along the way, if I had decided to wait to get the mail the day I met Kathryn when I did. Who knows what changes would occur to my story. If I and my mother hadn’t befriended the Edwards, if I didn’t care about hurting Kathryn’s feelings and just ignored her what changes what that brought about, if I allowed her sisters to separate us in the seat on our first ride into town together. If I would allow them to push Kathryn out of the way, that first kiss would never have happened. If it didn’t happen would we ever had the premonition that set us on this path. If we followed the premonition exactly, Kathryn and I wouldn’t have Sam. We would not be expecting so early in our lives the birth of our first child. Then again we would not have gotten presents from Santa Claus. I feel we’re doing better than what was expected.

Rewarded for the love and kindness we’ve given, and challenged to continue. That’s what a present from Santa really is, both the award and challenge. You did good and got the award. See if you can do it again I’ll let you know next Christmas.

The truth is I receive so much love this year I couldn’t help that it overflowed. That’s the thing about love. When you give it freely you normally get it back, and then you have more.

When I started dating Kathryn I didn’t realize I was going to get all of the ten of them as my family. Now that seems small to the size of family we have now. In three months our family will add two more. Kathryn will have our daughter Amanda, Marshall’s and Misty’s son who I believe they’ll name Marshall Junior and call MJ. Whether they want to admit they are family or not Ron and Reese will add another to the family later next year in early June.

Reese’s top Sergeant Charles Sampson, a man she really respects will be here in ten days. I talked to him a couple times, Ron and I are going to fly out and pick them up, and they think they’re going to be boarding passes for him, his wife Jane and their son Jim. What we have is a chartered aircraft with enough cargo space to fly out their household items, pack all their clothing and personal items into cargo containers that will be loaded on the aircraft. Because Kathryn and Reese are both pregnant, they are not going to go. Ron and I will go out a day ahead and ensure everything is ready when they arrive on Saturday morning to fly back with us.

We’re going to put them into the 1924 House. It should be enough room for the three of them. Marshall and Misty’s garage apartment is only a single bedroom. We offered for them to stay here and use one of the main bedrooms and their son use one of the bedrooms next to it. Reese told me of his reluctance to move in on a complete stranger. So we offered the use of the 1924 house for them. Top Sergeant Sampson insisted on paying rent for the house, and I reluctantly agreed.

He almost insisted on paying for the lessons until I explained that he is required to pay it forward. I explained that we would assist him in doing that, Ron and Reese is doing that with him as part of repayment for their lessons. Charles chuckle before he asks “Does it matter if I have someone in mind for your next set of lessons?”

I ask, “They are available now? If so we could add one or two more persons it shouldn’t be that difficult, and we have the room.”

Charles stops chuckling and asks, “Are you serious? You offered for me to live in your own home and we had never met. Now you’re doing the same for someone you haven’t met, being referred by someone you haven’t met.”

I tell Charles, “You do come very highly spoken of, and Reese really respects you. I believe that respect was earned not simply given to you. She is someone who I trust with my family. If she trusts you, whoever you trust has earned that too. So yes I am serious.”

Charles says seriously, “Mitch has been sleeping on my couch the last few months. Other than a few nightmares he’s pretty much okay. He does suffer from posttraumatic stress syndrome, and he lost both his legs in Afghanistan.”

I say, “Well bring Mitch along it solves two problems, it gives Mitch a place to stay and then gives him an income so he can maintain a lifestyle he deserves.”

Charles replies, “I hope Mitch can accept that, I worry about him. He’s a very good man and he saved my life at least twice. He knows Ron and Reese, he also knew Sam’s parents. Sam’s Dad saved his life once, before he saved mine. I’ll do my best to repay that debt to him.” I hear Charles put his heart in his statement.

I tell Charles, “We’ll do our best to help him. Hopefully we can show how he can make money and use it to help others something I’m pretty sure he would love to do.”

Charles laughs then says, “You’re either psychic, or an optimist. You’re right about Mitch loving to help others.”

I say, “We’ll make sure Mitch understands that our help means in some way he pays it forward, even though I think he’s done enough to earn it. Have a Happy New Year, and I will see you two days after. I’ll meet you then, be at the airport at 9 o’clock on the third to check-in.”

Charles gives his insurances that he will be there with his family, and will try his hardest to get Mitch to accept our offer. Then he wishes me a Happy New Year.

Kathryn and I settle in and watch some TV, there showing Christmas movies and Sam settled on my lap as we watch. It doesn’t take long and most of the family comes in and joins us, Daniel and Kara have left for his parents and we don’t expect to see them for a week. Mom made popcorn and brings three large bowls that we share from.

Another one of those lifetime moments occurs as Kathryn leans against my shoulder with my arm around her, Sam is leaning against my chest with her head on Kathryn. I don’t even want to take a deep breath for fear of moving the two. That image of the moment Mom captures of us sitting there Sam with a bowl of popcorn on her lap as her and Kathryn are munching on it. I have it printed out, when school begins again I will put it in my locker, I carry a wallet size of it too. It happened while we were watching it’s a wonderful life, and that’s what I think every time I see that picture how wonderful my life is with my two girls and my big family.

The time off from school is passing too quickly, and we’re home most of the time just enjoying being together.

On New Year’s Day we have a big family gathering plan to watch the parades and have a large lunch together. Kathryn and I go grocery shopping the day before New Year’s Eve. We buy most of the traditional foods you eat on New Year’s for this part of the country. While we were at the grocery store I get a text from Joan asking us to pick up the ingredients for tamales.

Kathryn reading the text grins and says, “I love tamales, remember when we got them in San Antonio.”

With a chuckle I say, “Those were pretty good but just wait till you taste Alyssa’s.”

Kathryn still smiles and says, “If they are like any of Alyssa’s other dishes they’re going to be something really great.”

I say, “She doesn’t make them very often and I’ve only had them once but they were outstanding.”

Kathryn giggles and says, “I guess I can get her to show me how to make them.”

I chuckle as I say, “That’s the whole point with those, because the whole family makes them.”

We’re fortunate to find all the ingredients at a local grocers, and I buy enough ingredients to make a hundred and twenty and I wonder if that will be enough.