Wake the Dawn (28 page)

Nora knew that her sister watched both the twins and the shops carefully through the year to find just the perfect ornament. When the twins had trees of their own, they already had eighteen ornaments to take with them. The thought made Nora pause. The home tree would look mighty bare. She hung the crocheted and stiffened snowflakes she had made one year and given for gifts. Then three little folded paper and waxed stars she’d made in Girl Scouts took their own places.

When they’d hung the final ornament, they stared at the box with the glorious angel that always smiled benignly from the top of the tree.

“Let’s leave that for Dad.” Christi turned toward her mother.

“I agree.” Setting the angel just right with a light inside her to make her shimmer was always Gordon’s job, for years because he was the only one tall enough and now because they wanted him to have a part, no matter what miles separated them.

Charlie shrugged. “I am tall enough, you know.”

“I know.” Nora gathered her two chicks to her sides and they admired the tree together. “Thank you. I know it is late with school tomorrow but I really appreciate your helping the tradition continue.” She tried not to sniff, but her body went on automatic pilot.

Charlie’s arm around her back squeezed and Christi leaned her head against her mother’s. Together they turned and surveyed all the decorations; the mantel was the only thing that Nora changed year after year, and all was done but hanging the Christmas stockings. The hooks waited. Charlie picked up the flat box that held the cross-stitched or quilted stockings and they each hung up their own. Nora hung hers and Gordon’s while the kids hung the ones for Bushy and Betsy.

“Now Santa can come.” Christi smoothed the satin surfaces of her crazy quilt stocking, with every satin or velvet piece decorated with intricate embroidery stitches, cross stitch, daisy chain, and feather. “When I get married, will you make my husband a sock to match?”

“I will.”
Just please don’t be in too big a hurry
. Not that Christi was dating anyone. She often said she left all the flirting up to her brother since all the girls were after him all the time.

But Nora often wondered if Christi was a bit jealous, not that she would ask. Her daughter talked more with her father than she did her mother. Unless, of course, it was a real female thing.

“Anyone for cocoa? The real thing? I can make it while you get ready for bed. I’ll bring the tray up.”

“And brownies?” Charlie asked.

“Fattigman?” Christi loved the traditional Norwegian goodies Nora made only at Christmas time.

“Of course, and since you’ll be getting home early tomorrow, you can help me with the sandbakles.”

Charlie groaned. Pressing the buttery dough into the small fluted tins was not his idea of fun.

“He who eats must press.” Christi sang out her mother’s line from their years of little and on up.

Nora watched her two swap shoulder punches as they climbed the stairs. No matter how much they teased each other or argued, the bond between them ran deeper than most siblings. Gordon called it spooky; she figured it was a gift from God.

Time to make cocoa as her family had called it. In her mind, hot chocolate came in a packet or tin. Good thing she’d picked up the miniature marshmallows. Betsy padding beside her, she returned to the kitchen to fix the tray. If only Gordon were here. Carrying the tray up the stairs was his job.

Reunion

On Hummingbird Wings

One Perfect Day

Breaking Free

Available from
FaithWords
wherever books are sold.

“Inspired by events in Snelling’s own life, REUNION is a beautiful story about characters discovering themselves as the foundation of their family comes apart at the seams. Readers may recognize themselves or someone they know within the pages of this book, which belongs on everyone’s keeper shelf.”

—
RT Book Reviews

“REUNION is a captivating tale that will hook you from the very start…Fans of Christian fiction will love this touching story.”

—FreshFiction.com

“Snelling’s previous novels (
One Perfect Day
) have been popular with readers, and this one, loosely based on her own life, will be no exception.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“Snelling can certainly charm.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“Snelling writes about the foibles of human nature with keen insight and sweet honesty.”

—National Church Library Association

“Snelling’s captivating tale will immediately draw readers in. The grief process is accurately portrayed, and readers will be enthralled by the raw emotion of Jenna’s and Nora’s accounts.”

—
Romantic Times Book Reviews
[4½]

“A spiritually challenging and emotionally taut story. Fans of Christian women’s fiction will enjoy this winning novel.”

—
Publishers Weekly

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Title Page
Welcome
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Epilogue
Reading Group Guide
Turn this page for an excerpt of Lauraine Snelling’s: One Perfect Day teaser
Also by Lauraine Snelling
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