Authors: Palladian
The next day, Lex woke about as early as she usually did, but after a fast shower and laying out her dress clothes so she could quickly change later, she made her way downstairs, surprising herself by almost skipping. Maybe her conversation with Mr. Chen had helped, because Lex felt excited and happy that day. She rounded the corner into the kitchen, expecting to see Casey but surprised to see her friend surrounded by baking ingredients and already hard at work. Casey looked up and smiled when she spotted Lex.
“Hey, sleepyhead,” Casey said, smiling broadly.
“How long have you been at work?” Lex asked, looking at racks of already cooling cookies in amazement. “Everything smells so good!” She breathed deeply then, taking in more of the scent of spices and sweetness.
“Oh, a couple of hours.”
“A couple of hours!? Let me hurry up and decorate, and then I'll help you,” Lex replied, quickly moving to start some water for tea and to find something for breakfast.
“Don't worry about it. I got up extra early so that I knew I'd have plenty of time to make everything I planned,” Casey said, picking up a piece of paper with floury hands and waving it in Lex's general direction.
As she got closer to read it, Lex's eyes opened wide. “You're really going to make all of this? Today? I'd better get moving, then. I should be able to put everything up in a couple of hours, and then you can tell me how I can help you.”
Casey just smiled and nodded, continuing to mix ingredients in a large bowl. Lex ate quickly, looking around at everything in progress and realizing that the several ovens in the kitchen all looked to be already in use. When she’d finished, she put her dishes in the dishwasher along with a lot of cooking-related gear and started it up. Then she smiled at Casey as she made her way out of the kitchen.
“I'll be back as soon as I can.”
She started with a box of greens that she'd picked up earlier that week. Lex had not gotten many, aware that Riss would probably frown on the cut pine boughs, but she'd thought a few would be necessary, and she arranged them on the tables in the open room on the first floor, which brought a fresh fir smell to the air. To these she added some votive candles in blue and green holders.
A few days previously the tree had arrived, a fir a couple of feet tall in a big pot, and Lex had asked Casey to help her carry it inside when it came. She had been quite patient as Lex had determined the best place for the tree, finally putting it between the ends of the couches and the picture windows looking out over the water. She looked at the placement again, and after deciding that it still looked good, began decorating the tree.
Lex had gotten a few bags of small apples and oranges, and after a lot of experimentation had figured out a way to hang them using the type of colorful ribbon normally used to decorate gifts during that time of year. Working quickly, she tied cage-like arrangements of ribbon around the fruit and left a loop at the top, which she then hung over some of the sturdier tree limbs. For the more delicate limbs she hung them with candy canes, and then strung the tree with the popcorn/cranberry strings, finishing it with a few strings of tiny white lights.
She strung some more of the popcorn/cranberry strings around the walls of the room, and hung some streamers from one corner to another. Finally, she cleaned all of the leftover pieces up except some of the pine branches, which she pushed to the back of a table running the length of the back of a couch. Casey had told her that she'd need somewhere to put snacks, so that would be the place, Lex decided. Afterwards, Lex ran upstairs to get her gifts for everyone and then settled them underneath the tree. She stepped back to the entrance to the room to survey everything and then smiled at the effect. The room looked ready for a winter holiday rather than bland and empty, as it usually did. Satisfied, she turned and hurried back into the kitchen.
Finding an unused apron hanging near the ovens, Lex put it on and asked Casey, “What do you need me to do?”
Lex then got swept up in gathering ingredients, cutting, chopping, measuring, and hand mixing them under Casey's direction. Somehow Casey managed to keep track of multiple items in the oven, monitor several things in the process of being made, and carry on a complicated conversation with Lex all at the same time. The two of them had been discussing the finer points of baking a couple of hours later when Riss arrived. Lex stopped for a moment, surprised since she'd never seen Riss up and about that early in the day.
“Hey,” she greeted Riss with a smile. “I hope we didn't wake you.”
Riss gave her a tiny grin in return. “You two were making so much noise there was no chance I could keep sleeping.”
Casey snorted with laughter, her expression full of disbelief. “Sorry about that,” she replied, giving Riss a cheeky smirk.
Riss just nodded, trying to keep a straight face. “Looks like you two could use some help, though. What needs to be done?”
“There's a spare apron hanging over there, so put it on, pull up a stool, and let's get cracking,” said Casey. “We'll figure out something for you to do.”
As the three of them settled in around the kitchen island, Lex and Casey continued talking, with Riss adding an occasional comment or question. But after a little while, Riss sighed.
“It's too quiet. I'm used to listening to music all the time, except when Lex is working with me. I'll be back in a minute,” she said, slipping out of her apron and exiting the kitchen.
After a few minutes Riss returned with an Mp3 player hooked up to some computer speakers. Cool electronic music with a subtle and entrancing beat sounded out the moment she turned everything on. Riss smiled and sat back down to work as the other two listened for a moment before resuming what they'd been doing. After a little while, a song came on that Lex recognized from some of her evenings out with Casey and Serena, and she unconsciously began singing along as she chopped up some walnuts. After a few minutes, though, Lex recalled her location and her head snapped up to look at Riss and Casey. Lex could see the hint of a smile on her friend's face as Casey worked at kneading something on a floured board.
“Why did you stop?” Riss asked a second later. “You never told me you had such a good voice.”
“Well, I've been working on my singing lately,” Lex responded with some embarrassment, hoping Riss wasn't just joking.
“In that case, I'm going to change the settings to bring up more vocal music,” Riss replied, wiping off her hands on her apron before fiddling with the Mp3 player.
Lex felt too shy to sing the next song that came up, but the one following that was actually a favorite of hers. As she began to sing, Riss chimed in as well, singing harmony along with Lex.
“My mom did subject me to a few years in the church choir,” Riss admitted after Lex pierced her with a questioning stare.
Soon Casey joined in on a song, and then they all sang together, laughing and encouraging each other to take the lead on different parts of the songs. In the middle of singing one song together, Lex turned around after hearing a sound behind her.
Serena stood there, surveying the room with a good natured smirk. She wore a dark green dress that fell slightly longer and seemed looser than the clothes she usually wore, paired with black leather boots that came up under her knees with short, flat heels. A long red silk scarf tied around her waist completed the outfit, and she wore a long black leather trench coat and gloves as well. Her makeup looked subtle, and she'd pulled her hair up in a sophisticated style.
“I've never heard so much noise around here,” Serena said with a frown that threatened to break into laughter, shaking her head. “You people actually look like you're having a good time or something!”
They all laughed in return, even Riss breaking out a small chuckle.
“You look beautiful,” Lex said. “Are you heading out to your parent's house?”
“Yes,” Serena replied, with a sigh. “I wish I could stay for dinner here, though; it smells delicious. I'm sure it'll be a lot more fun, too. Anyway, I'll be back in a few hours.”
“All right,” Casey said with a nod. “Don't worry, there should still be plenty of food left when you get back.”
“That's exactly what I'm worried about! All right girls, don't sing the house down while I'm away,” Serena said with a wave, and disappeared.
Riss looked at Lex. “I don't know if I'll ever get used to her just vanishing like that,” she said with a shake of her head.
Lex smiled and kept working, continuing her singing along with the next song that played. After another hour or so, the three of them realized that they'd put the last dish into the oven. They just sat for a moment, then, exchanging grins until Casey stood up.
“I guess I should get to some of these dishes,” she said, heading for the sink.
“Let me clean out the dishwasher first,” Lex said. “It should be full of clean ones now.”
After finishing clean up and checking to see when everything would be ready, Lex realized she had about an hour before dinner would be done, so she ran upstairs to take a quick shower and get dressed. When she hurried back downstairs, her passage greeted by savory and spicy scents, she was wearing a long black skirt and a green sweater. She saw that Riss had changed into clean black jeans and a navy hooded sweatshirt. She and Riss joined Casey in taking things out of the oven and transferring food into serving dishes until finally everything had been set out. Lex and Riss looked at each other for a moment over the kitchen island, then Lex heard her own stomach growl and the two of them smiled.
“Are we waiting for anyone else, Casey?” Lex asked.
Casey shook her head. “No, it's just the three of us for dinner. Are you two ready to eat?”
With some relief, Lex nodded and sat down, noticing that Riss seemed almost as hungry as Lex. As she looked around the table, though, she wasn't quite sure where to start. Casey had roasted the two halves of a small pumpkin and then filled them, one with a rice pilaf cooked in broth with lots of vegetables, and the other with a sweet spiced couscous with pine nuts and cranberries. Also, they'd made mashed sweet potatoes, a faux roast with stuffing in the middle, a bowl of extra stuffing, and a fresh cranberry and orange sauce. Riss had cut up raw carrots and celery sticks, and they'd also made freshly baked rolls with a deep gold color and a heavenly smell. After taking a little of everything, Lex sat back down and started to eat, suddenly even hungrier than she had been shortly before.
“So, tell me,” Lex said after she'd eaten a few bites and found that everything tasted just as delicious as it looked, “how did you make all of this while Riss and I just cut up, measured, and stirred things?”
Casey laughed. “It was much easier to have the ingredients ready so that I could just assemble everything and start it cooking. Thanks, guys, for all your help.”
Lex looked over at Riss, who was nodding and chewing. Once she'd swallowed her food, she said, “It all even tastes good.”
“You sound like you doubted it would,” Casey replied with a smug smile.
The three of them all laughed then, and the meal continued with discussions of cooking and music as another interesting title began to play on Riss' mp3 player. Once everyone had eaten their fill and sat contented around the kitchen island, Casey asked, “So, what should we do next?”
“I vote for eating some dessert when the Chens get here, and after that, opening some presents,” Lex replied with a grin. “We should probably clean up a bit first, though.”
Casey chuckled and nodded in response. The three of them moved to begin packing the rest of the dinner away into the refrigerator and clearing away the dishes. Lex began rinsing the dishes and handing them to Casey to put in the dishwasher, and as Lex's mind wandered to the subject, she suddenly asked, “So, do you guys have any New Year’s resolutions or anything you're looking forward to getting done in the new year?”
Lex remained quiet as the other two women appeared to be deep in thought, then Casey spoke up again. “That's easy. Get stronger and sharper. But I guess that's what I try for every day, so the coming year's no different. How about you, Lex?”
“Well,” she began tentatively, although she'd been thinking on the topic for weeks, “it seems like everyone here, except for maybe Joan and I, have abilities that are way beyond what most people can do. I guess my hope for this coming year is that I can figure out a way to become more…extraordinary.”
“Be careful what you wish for,” said Riss almost inaudibly, shooting Lex a look from under her eyebrows as she drew close to the sink.
Lex had heard Riss and felt a little puzzled by her statement, but Casey hadn't heard over the running water, so she raised her head, a slight frown on her face.
“What's that, Riss? What's your goal for this year?”
Riss was silent for a moment, her eyes abstracted, and then she spoke in a normal tone of voice, but something about her statement seemed to ring out louder than that. “I want to be freer.”
The other two became thoughtful, and Casey nodded. “That's a good goal. I think we could all use that.”
They continued to talk about their plans for the upcoming year as they finished cleaning up the kitchen and then moved all of the desserts onto the long table in the living room. Casey had made a chocolate cake with chocolate icing, several plates of assorted cookies, and apple and pumpkin pies. They'd also made a pot of coffee, which Riss immediately took a cup of, and they laid teas and mugs out in the kitchen for the guests about to come. Finally, Lex and Riss both planted themselves on one of the couches in the common room to wait for Casey to finish showering and changing and for the Chens to arrive.
Riss turned her attention to a laptop she’d earlier stowed in the cushions on one end of the couch while Lex appreciated the opportunity to rest for the first time all day.
Lex pulled her attention back from her thoughts and watching the circling seagulls outside a bit later when Casey rejoined them. A few minutes after that, everyone heard the front door opening.
Lex tried not to run excitedly out to greet the Chens, but then she had to catch up to Casey and the two of them spilled out into the front hall like children. Mr. Chen and Lily had both come, and Lily also held the hand of a young boy. Everyone exchanged greetings, and then Lily brought her hand up to urge the boy forward towards the other women.