“Thank you, Isabelle. For loving me, and loving on my cat, too.”
Her sister gave her a pointed look. “I’m pretty sure Bobbin is actually my cat and not yours.”
Christmas morning arrived bright and early. Although Sophie and Isabelle didn’t rush from their rooms to wake their mother as they’d done as children, they both still made their way to the living room when the smell of Christmas breakfast began drifting through the house.
Since they’d gotten big enough to contain their exuberance, Darlene had started the tradition of cooking a mini feast for the three of them. They ate first, then opened presents while sipping on Christmas coffee.
“Mmmm, that smells wonderful,” Sophie praised as she walked into the kitchen. “What can I do to help?”
“Grab plates and set the table. Isabelle is making coffee.”
Breakfast was a hit, and soon they were in the living room, sitting around their tree.
Their mother got them items from her salon, a new sweater apiece, and some books they’d mentioned wanting to read. Isabelle went next and handed out her gifts—beautiful crafting aprons she’d made for them.
“Oh, wow, Isabelle, this is amazing.”
“Yes, I love it,” their mother agreed. Both Sophie and her mother put theirs on and posed for photos.
“I’m next,” Sophie squealed, excited to give them their gifts.
She’d made her mother a heating pad filled with rice that she could wrap around her neck to ease her often-achy muscles after being at the salon for long hours. She had also bought her a new set of scissors and had topped her present with a Butterfly-made snowflake.
Fighting her smile, she handed Isabelle a box.
“Quit smiling so big. You’re scaring me.”
Sophie laughed. Her sister would laugh, too, when she saw what Sophie had chosen for her.
Gently removing her own Butterfly-made snowflake, Isabelle just as carefully removed the wrapping paper from her present, folding the paper once it was off the gift.
“Just rip into it,” Sophie encouraged. “You’re taking too long. We’ll miss Sarah’s wedding if you don’t hurry.”
“Only if you take as long getting ready for it as you did for church the Sunday morning Cole came to visit.”
Ouch.
“For that, I should take your gift back and give you coals.”
Isabelle lifted the box’s lid, looked at the contents, then shook her head, laughing. “You shouldn’t have.”
“I thought you might say that.”
Isabelle pulled out a “To-Do List” scratch pad with a dragonfly emblem in each of the corners, along with a dragonfly pen and several other stationary items, all emblazed with dragonflies. At the very bottom of the box was a cat bandana with a tiny dragonfly embroidered on it and a cat collar Carrie had helped Sophie find last minute.
“Those are lovely,” Darlene said, leaning over for a closer look. “Cute collar. About time y’all got one for Bobbin.”
Bobbin? Which meant their mom knew all about Stitches...a.k.a. Bobbin, apparently. Sophie shouldn’t be surprised. Moms usually knew everything.
Laughing, Isabelle cut her gaze toward Sophie, then hugged her. “Thank you, I think.”
Sophie, Isabelle, and their mother were early to Sarah and Bodie’s wedding, but the church was already packed. Not that Sophie had expected anything less. It might be Christmas Day, but sharing this special moment with the couple was a gift all their friends and family would cherish.
After just a few minutes, Bodie, his best man, and Bodie’s dog Harry appeared at the front of the church. Harry wore a bowtie and stood beside the men as if he knew exactly why they were there and what he was supposed to be doing. Both men were dressed in military blues, their chests decorated with various pins and medals in acknowledgement of their service to their country. The trio looked sharp, like they could take care of anything that came their way. Today, their mission was to have a good time, and based on the smile on Bodie’s face, they were succeeding. Even Harry seemed to sense the excitement in the air and be anxiously awaiting Sarah’s appearance as he eyed the back of the church.
Sophie closed her eyes and imagined Cole in full formal military uniform. She’d never seen in him his uniform and imagined it might never happen now that he was no longer in the service. Too bad, because he’d look handsome, like he could take care of business, too. Then again, he looked that way in everything she’d seen him wear—even when she’d gone to the firehouse to return the journal and had seen him in a Santa suit that hadn’t fit him at all.
She liked that about him, that he made her feel safe, as if he could take care of her no matter what.