Epilogue
Treg
Hemlock Mountain
By the time Yule Eve rolled around, Baby Festival had doubled in weight and size, and Damon felt up to visiting Chasten and Kirk’s house as we had planned to. His sisters rode in the back of the car on either side of Baby Festival’s car seat.
During the first few weeks of her life our whole world revolved around the little newcomer.
I’d barely drawn anything since she was born except for one sketch of her sleeping against Damon’s chest. I kept my online community updated and promised that I would continue with the comic strip as soon as I could pry myself away from our beautiful little baby who had yet to sleep through the night. She had her carrier’s appetite.
Yule Eve was a cozy event. Still, I brought my noise canceling headphones to Chasten and Kirk’s house because Del and her middle sister were holiday noise boxes.
A few days before, Grina and Kirk had snuck the dollhouse into a hall closet while Chasten had the kids outside playing in the snow in the backyard.
Still we had a bag full of presents for the kids old enough to open them.
I expected Del and the others to have more questions about the baby than they had.
Mostly they wanted to hold her which wasn’t happening and to know if her hair would be white forever and when she could sleep over and play video games.
Kids had always been better about taking people as they came.
Life hadn’t molded them and kicked them around to shape them into little boxes that they then demanded everyone else climb into too.
Though, Damon said over and over that Festival was the only gift he needed, I got him a few food subscription boxes so that he could try new foods every month.
Most of his gifts were food related but if he minded he didn’t show it.
That was sort of what being an adult at Yule was.
Everyone knew one or two things, interests, hobbies, or jobs you had and all the gifts circled around that.
All my stuff was art related and Kirk got more scrub tops and cans of candy-scented pheromone blocker sprays than one nurse would ever use.
The real gift was that someone or many someones paid enough attention and cared to get you anything at all.
We sang songs with the kids as they unwrapped their gifts. Then Kirk and I brought down the dollhouse and Del nearly bowled us over to get to it. A few days before Yule, Chasten asked me if I was still going to gift it to his girls.
“I’d understand if you kept it. I mean you have a daughter now and…”
“And it’s for your girls,” I shrugged off his question.
“Seriously, Chas. We’re still family. They’re still my godkids.
I don’t have less kids to get stuff for now.
We all have another one. Plus, Abby’s looking green-ish again.
I think she’s pregnant. So, more are probably on the way.
We can get Festival a dollhouse when she’s older.
If she wants one. For all we know she’ll play hockey or do ballet or kickboxing or something.
While we know for a fact Del will love the dollhouse. ”
That night I drifted off in the guestroom I always stayed at when visiting Chasten with Baby Festival sleeping between me and Damon.
Life was good. All my closest friends were under one roof and tomorrow we’d all head up the mountain beyond where most wolves ever ventured to go to visit our extended family.
The vehicles were already loaded up with goodies for those who lived in the caves: food, sweet treats, clothes, toys for the kids, books and stuff Damon thought they’d like.
The others had made up lots of cupcakes and cookie cakes because Damon assured us that everyone would love them.
I didn’t dream of sugar plums that night because I was having the merry little Yuletide of a lifetime already.