Authors: Jodi Woody
“Hey, nice slippers,” said Samantha as she sat down next to her daughter.
“You like?” she asked as she pranced around the kitchen. “They were an early present from my love this morning.”
“My feet are always cold, so yeah, I like,” Samantha laughed.
“Is Daffyd awake yet?” asked Trisha.
“No, he was still sleeping peacefully. I figured with all that is going on today, I better
let him rest as long as he can,” answered Samantha.
“Yeah, I prayed last night before I went to sleep and again this morning when I got up,” said Seanna.
“Are you still nervous, Samantha?” asked Trisha.
“I sure was last night, but now I feel pretty good about it. Daffyd and Bryce both talk highly of his parents and I know that we are all here because it is where God wants us. So I am leaving it in his hands and believing that this will be a time of breakthrough for Daffyd,” answered Samantha.
“Isn’t it all kind of crazy…you know all that has happened in the last year,” said Seanna. “It’s like we’ve been on this huge rollercoaster ride! First Dad dies, Mom and I are left struggling with bills and we end up at another funeral. Those would be the lows. Then we meet you all, I get a full ride scholarship and Mom and Daffyd fall in love, that’s definitely the ride up. Next, Mom freaks out and that causes Daffyd to lose it, Leal and Trisha leave and Daffyd almost dies, down we go again, hanging on for dear life. Now here we are all together again and I just know that everything will be wonderful with Bryce’s grandparents here for Christmas,” explained Seanna.
“I have to admit, this has been a hard couple of months. I really had my faith tested! But God is good. And here comes Daffyd…” said Trisha as
she saw Daffyd coming down the stairs. “Good morning sleepy head.”
“What do you three beautiful ladies think of our winter wonderland out there?” he asked.
“It’s beautiful! We get lots of snow in Wisconsin, but no mountains. It looks like a movie set out there,” said Seanna.
“Come sit Daffyd. Would you like some tea and a muffin?” asked Trisha.
“So that’s the lovely smell. I have to admit Trish, when you were gone I missed waking up to the smell of good food, well when I was aware anyway.”
Daffyd sat down next to Seanna and snitched a crumb off of her plate.
“Patience is a virtue,” she said not even turning her head.
“Well then I must be real virtuous,” he stated.
“Why…”asked Seanna looking at him with lowered brows.
“Your mother is making me wait for my Christmas present,” he replied.
Samantha almost choked on her coffee.
“Daffyd!” she exclaimed.
“Ok, that’s all I need to know,” said Seanna shaking her head.
Daffyd just laughed as he took his plate from Trisha. “Where
are the boys?”
“Oh, they had to run to town, I forgot something I needed for our Christmas feast and figured everything would be closed after noon today,” said Trisha.
“Speaking of feast, what’s on the menu?” asked Seanna, changing the subject.
“Daffyd likes turkey and Bryce likes ham, so I am making both. Then I have a great recipe for stuffing that has fruits and nuts. Homemade sourdough rolls, sweat potato casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy. For dessert I am making pumpkin pie and Leal’s grandma’s recipe for pecan pie.”
“That does sound like a feast and maybe a few extra pounds,” laughed Samantha.
“I don’t want to ruin my fine figure,” teased Daffyd.
“You’re hilarious,” said Seanna seriously.
“I happen to think so. What about tonight? I want to watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “Miracle on
34
th
Street” and we’ll need some good Christmas treats for that,” asked Daffyd.
Before Trisha could answer, Seanna huffed and rolled her eyes.
“What?” asked Daffyd.
“Mom has issues with “It’s a Wonderful Life”,” stated Seanna.
“No I don’t!” said her mom. “I like both of those movies.”
“Every time we watch it she goes through the whole
speal of how angels aren’t dead people and how God made angels and man, one doesn’t turn into another. But whenever we watch her favorite Christmas movie, “A Christmas Carol” does she ever point out that there is no such thing as Ghosts, noooo….”
“I never thought of that! Thanks, now I’m gonna have an issue with that one as well,” Samantha said truly surprised.
The other’s laughed at her disappointment.
“But I will continue to like both of them, and just overlook the parts that aren’t
Scriptural,” Samantha conceded.
“Ok, so change of plans, we will watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “A Christmas Carol” instead of “Miracle on 34
th
Street”. But the most important thing is…what will we be eating when we are watching them?” asked Daffyd, trying to get back to his original question.
“How about if we do an early dinner and have it in the media room while we are watching movies? I can do
snacks and hors d'oeuvres. Your stomach has been doing pretty good Daffyd, so how about I make a Mexican Wedding Cake with cream cheese frosting? That would be great with some of my salted caramel hot cocoa.”
“I do love the Mexican wedding cake…but I kind of had my heart set on making popcorn balls today. My mom used to always make it with Gareth and
I. She’d color the marshmallow stuff green and red,” said Daffyd hopefully.
Samantha and Trisha looked up at each other, both thinking how great it would be to make those with his mom in person today.
“Sure, why not,” replied Trisha.
“I am sure Leal and Bryce would want to get in on that too,” said Seanna catching on.
“Why don’t we wait until the guys get back from town. Daffyd, didn’t you have a phone call to make? Why don’t we go up to your room and do that while we are waiting?” offered Samantha.
“Yes,” said Daffyd with a heavy sigh, “I guess there is no point putting it off any longer. You two pray for me while we are up there. I decided to call my parents and tell them the truth…about everything.”
“Sure, Daffyd, we’ll pray,” said Seanna.
As Daffyd and Samantha got up and headed towards the stairs, Trisha called after him, “Daffyd
, I am proud of you!”
He turned and
said, “Thanks, Trish, that means a lot to me.”
When they got upstairs, Daffyd stood there stalling. Samantha led him over to sit at his desk and handed him the phone.
“Wait,” he said, “shouldn’t we pray first?”
“You’re right, Daffyd. We most certainly should pray first. Heavenly Father, we thank you for bringing restoration to our lives. We thank you that,
today
; you are bringing restoration to Daffyd and his parents. I ask you to bring a peace to Daffyd’s heart and forgiveness and understanding to his parents. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Samantha sat down on the bed and waited for Daffyd to dial. He took a deep breath and punched in the number. After several seconds, Daffyd spoke into the phone.
“Hi…It’s me, Daffyd. Just wanted to wish you both a Merry Christmas and tell you how much I love you. I have something I want to talk to you about, so when you get back after the holidays can you give me a call?…well…love you, bye.” He managed to look relieved and discouraged at the same time.
“They weren’t home, and they said they would be gone for the holidays. They never leave for Christmas, and they never even called to tell me Merry Christmas…”
“Well, it’s not Christmas yet. Don’t worry about it you’ll get a chance,” she said trying to comfort him.
“You prayed
today,
that we’d get reconciliation today. I was all pumped up. Now it’s just going to be harder the longer I wait.”
“Daffyd, sometimes things don’t happen the way we want for a reason. God knows better than we do. His way is always better. So let’s just trust that it’s all gonna work out. Ok?”
“Ok,” he said as he got up and walked over to her. “I know what would make me feel better.”
“Popcorn balls?” she asked.
“No,” he said as he took both of her hands in his.
“A Christmas movie and some hot chocolate?” she said smiling up at him.
“Wrong again.”
“Ok, I give up.”
“My Christmas kiss,” he said as he gently pulled her to a standing position.
“It isn’t Christmas yet…” she whispered as she put her head down, afraid to look him in the eyes.
“Samantha, look at me,” he said. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes.
“Are you
sad?” he asked.
“No…I just feel so happy right now Daffyd. I never thought I would ever feel this way about anyone. I thought that my life was pretty much set. I have even decided that I was comfortable with the way my life had turned out.”
“Then you met me, and all hell broke loose,” he smiled.
“As true as that may be, meeting you has also brought heaven closer.”
“I love you, Samantha, more than I ever thought was humanly possible.”
“I love you too
, Daffyd, more than I had ever hoped for…”
She lifted her face to his. Daffyd kissed her,
soft and sweet, letting go of her hands, holding the back of her head with one hand and placing the other under her chin. Samantha opened her eyes and gazed into his with love and longing. They kissed again with her arms entwined around his neck, a longer, slower kiss. When they broke apart, they both felt week at the knees.
“I think that we better head back downstairs,” said Samantha weakly.
“As much as I would love to stay right here…I think you are right.”
They came down the stairs hand in hand. Samantha even blushing, when her daughter looked up at them with her eyebrows raised and a big smile on her face. Trisha was still in the kitchen and Seanna was on Bryce’s laptop. As Daffyd and Samantha got close, Seanna quickly closed the page that she was on.
“The guys should be here soon maybe we should start popping some pop corn,” she offered.
“We have to do it on the stove, no microwave popcorn for Mom’s traditional popcorn balls,” stated Daffyd. “We always used this big pot with a lid.”
“Well then come right over. I’ll get the pan and the popcorn, and you, sir, can pop the first pan full,” said Trisha as she rummaged around for just the right pan with a lid. “I hope I have enough butter…”
“I think I saw some more in the freezer in the garage, Trisha,” said Samantha. “I’ll go get it.”
Before Samantha could get back with a couple of pounds of butter, Daffyd had the first pot popped. He insisted that it was put in a brown paper bag until they had enough popped to make a pile of popcorn balls. Trisha was getting a kick out of Daffyd bossing her around in the kitchen like she was a novice. Seanna took over on the fifth pot of popcorn so Daffyd could sit for a bit.
“Are you sure we need this much?” asked Samantha looking into the paper grocery bag that was over half full.
“Mom always used a full bag,” said Daffyd.
“How many brothers did you say you had?” teased Seanna.
“It was just the two of us. But I do vaguely remember us giving a few away…”
“Like maybe to your whole Sunday school class?” ventured Seanna.
“Now that you mention it…”
Just then they could hear the door from the garage open.
“We are in the kitchen,” yelled Daffyd.
“Do I smell popcorn?” came a female voice behind them.
Daffyd looked confused and turned around on the bar stool right as
they all came into the kitchen. He jumped up out of the chair like it had burned him and stood there staring.
“Well, son, aren’t you going to come and give your Mother and
I a hug?”
“What are you two doing here?” he asked as they all hugged.
“We were invited,” said Daffyd’s mom.
“Surprise
?” said Bryce, unsure of his uncles reaction.
“That it is!” laughed Daffyd. “I just tried to call you this morning. When your answering machine said you would be out of town for a while, I never dreamed you were on your way here.”
“Why don’t I take your coats,” offered Trisha.
“Hi
, honey, nice to see you and Leal again,” said Daffyd’s mom as they both handed over their jackets.
“Why don’t we all have a seat,” said Bryce as he motioned to the table.