Last Chapter of A Christmas Blizzard

Sorry I didn't get to posting sooner. My family and I have been at the beach all day; happy new year's everybody!! 

Hope y'all enjoy this last chapter!! Thank you for letting me share my stories with you; I will be trying to find another story soon. 

Chapter Seven

It was hard waiting so long for the wind to stop and the snow to go away. The evening was filled with Bertha knitting, sewing, or baking, while Dan and Brody battled each other with checkers or chess. Mark read a dime novel, finished it, and then started another.

Kate helped sew, helped bake, and read some books. She was very disappointed she couldn’t be spending Christmas Eve with her family, like she should be doing. The Sharps didn’t even have a Christmas tree, nor stockings, and they didn’t seem to know God or Jesus at all.

It was finally time for bed. Bertha and her family would sleep in the boys’ room, while Kate got Dan and Bertha’s room. She slept fitfully, tossing and turning with wretched dreams.

Christmas Morning dawned bright, loud, and cold. Kate awoke to Dan bawling out “I Wish You a Merry Christmas,” Brody laughing, Mark complaining as his pa continued to trumpet, and Bertha clattering around in the kitchen, her pipey, pitchy voice singing along.

So they do celebrate. Kate slipped out of bed, found the red dress, got ready, and walked out. Mark met her with a bow and some roasted chestnuts, while Brody winked at her and said, “Makes everything more merry, Miss Reed.”

Bertha complimented her, while Dan tweaked her locks and chuckled, “Looks like our Maggie, doesn’t she, Bertha?”

Kate beamed. Whatever had bothered Dan yesterday had passed.

When Kate had walked out of the bedroom, she had been surprised to see a tree, packages under them in bright papers, and stockings by the fire. Brody explained, “Ma never decorates until Christmas Eve, when we’re all sleeping. She used to say it was Santa Clause.”

Mark laughed. “And most of the time, the girls believed it!”

“My two youngest sisters believe in Santa,” Kate joined in. “Caddy and Mary, are their names. Jane, though, has known for a long time that he’s not real; ever since she caught Papa slipping presents under our tree.”

“How long have you known, Kate?” Brody asked.

“Oh, since Jane told me and spoiled it,” Kate pouted. The Sharps laughed and she joined in. “My brothers Ruben and Henry think Santa is fun and all, but they’re boys and -” She broke off, seeing two brothers sat in front of her. “Um.”

“Never mind,” Bertha chuckled. “It’s the same with these two squirts.”

“Hey!” Mark protested. Brody kicked him.

“You two remind me of Ruben and Henry,” Kate continued softly. “Always bossing each other around like they own each other.” She grinned sadly. “I’ll sure miss having Christmas with them.”

Bertha nodded in sympathy. “I’m sorry, Kate.”

“Not I,” Brody laughed. “I’m not sorry at all.”

Kate’s color deepened and she ducked her head. Mark hooted and Dan shushed him, while Bertha slapped Brody’s hand. “Stop it, you two, or I’ll tan yer hides.”

Kate smiled. Tanning the boys’ hides was an empty threat. One, they were too old; and Two, Kate didn’t think Bertha would ever want to slap her children, not after losing Maggie. She could see a sense of regret about something deep in Bertha when she told of little Maggie. Kate shivered. How close she had come to being just like the poor girl; how close her parents had come to being just like Bertha and Dan.

They were so busy laughing and chatting that the sound of no wind never met their ears. It wasn’t until someone pounded on their door that Kate looked up from the gifts she had found in the stocking: two warm mittens, a candy cane, and a lollipop. She had opened the package that Bertha had set aside for her and found the beautiful pink dress. The gifts had left her speechless, but now she found her voice. “Who’s that?”

Dan got up and answered it. His face went white.

“Who is it, Danny?” Bertha called, standing up.

“K - Kate’s pa,” came the reply. Without thinking once more of Dan’s terrified look, Kate flew from her chair and into the arms of her pa. “Papa! Oh, Papa!”

Tears poured down Papa’s face. “We thought we had lost you, Katie!” No hint of anger that she had strayed too far lingered in his eyes as she kissed her hair. “Oh, praise Jesus, I thought you were gone.”

“Katie!” The relieved cry came from behind Papa. Kate peeked around her father to see Ruben, also crying, but not as pronounced. Kate rushed to him and they hugged warmly. Ruben laughed and shouted, “Merry Christmas!”

Kate watched her brother and suddenly realized again how blessed she was; for friends like the Sharps, for brothers like Ruben, and for a pa, who would search for her even if he thought hope was lost, like Papa.

Now Ruben and Kate turned around and spotted their papa and Dan talking. Dan seemed rather angry, and then Papa’s voice rose, and then they quieted. Brody peeked around them and mouthed something. Kate mouthed “What?” back, but Brody shook his head and disappeared back inside.

“Who’s he?” Ruben’s voice held a dangerous edge.

“A friend of mine,” Kate said rather shyly. “Brody Sharp.”

“A friend, eh?”

“Oh, Ruben, don’t!” Kate swatted his stomach and he grunted. She walked back to the house, leading her brother by the hand around the two big men and to her friends. “Mark, Brody, Bertha, this is my brother, Ruben.”

“Nice t’ meetcha,” Bertha said, standing up and shaking his hand. Mark and Brody shook hands with him, too, before Ruben and Mark walked off, talking a mile a minute.

Papa suddenly walked up behind them. “Hey, we should be going now.”

Kate knew he was right. “I don’t want to leave my friends.”

“Now go on, Katie,” Bertha said, ushering her towards the door. Brody handed Kate the gifts.

While Papa thanked Bertha warmly for rescuing his daughter, Kate and Brody stepped aside. “I’ll sure miss ya.” A little bit of a rasp slipped into his voice, along with his mother’s course speech.

“I’ll - I’ll miss you,” Kate replied shyly. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He cleared his throat, then caught her hand and pressed something into it. He closed her fingers around it. “Goodbye, Kate.”

Kate turned away, slipping the thing into her dress pocket. She bid farewell to Bertha, then started to walk away before turning back around and running up to the woman. She embraced her and squeezed tight. “I can’t thank you enough, Bertha Sharp! Merry Christmas.”

“Ah, well, never mind,” Bertha replied, her voice coated in emotion. “I feel like yer my own daughter, Katie. Visit anytime.”

Kate then shook hands with burly Dan. “Thank you, Dan.”

He winked. “Merry Christmas, child.”

Then Kate mounted up in front of Papa and they started home.

Kate rode for awhile in silence, then remembered Brody’s gift. She reached into her pocket hastily, found a note, and opened it. Brody’s boyish scrawl had said: Merry Christmas, Kate. I’m glad I got to meet you, and I hope I’ll see you again.

This locket was Maggie’s: she was a really pretty girl like you, your age, and just as brave. I see a lot of Maggie in you, and am proud to say I’ll always honor you like my sister.

Much love,

Brody Samuel Sharp.

Never had Kate felt so honored as she clipped the heart-shaped locket around her neck. She clipped it open and found a picture of a brown-haired, curly-haired girl that remarkably looked like herself. Maggie. Tears sprang to her eyes.

“What’s that?” Papa asked.

“Nothing,” Kate replied. “Just a gift - from the heart.” She leaned against her father’s strong chest and breathed deep. Happy Birthday, Jesus, thank You, God, for giving me my family, and for keeping me alive. You gave me the best friends anyone could have; Merry Christmas, I love You.

The gifts following were amazing and fun, but that year Kate learned the best gift: the gift of Life, the gift of of Love, and the gift of each other.

Yes, when Kate arrived home, Christmas progressed just like the years before, with just the same amount of love, laughter, and songs as last year, maybe even a little more of each. Kate also learned that Dan Sharp and Thomas Reed had been very good friends as boys, but a fatal argument between their fathers had scared them for life, separating them because of misunderstanding. Because Kate had been taken in by Dan and Bertha, Thomas and Dan were able to figure out what had really happened all those years ago, and parted as friends; thankful friends. In the years to come Dan and Thomas would join for many things over the years, and Bertha and Rachel, Kate’s mother, would also become very good friends.

I won’t say what would happen between Kate and Brody, as that is for stories to come.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

~IZZY WEST