Grieving Before Christmas

Sam moved quickly to help pick his mother up off of me, and helped to keep her standing. Once she realized her son was holding her up, and not me, Susan turned into Sam's arms and punched him in the shoulder. "What the--?"

"You marry this girl!" Susan yelled at her son before he could complete his inquiry.

"Mom--" Sam tried to protest, but again, Susan interrupted him.

"Don't be an idiot! You better be proposing this year, before this beautiful angel decides she's done waiting around for you!" His mother barked, and I laughed while Sam stared back at her with a mixed look of amazed shock. Uncertain of what to do, Sam simply nodded, mouth a gap while he studied his mother. "Good, now...be a dear, make me up an assortment on one of the nicer hand-painted Christmas plates, bring it to the Robinson's, and apologize to them that I didn't have a plate for them sooner please?" Sam nodded again, still just as dumbfounded, and his mother gave a nod. "Thank you."

Brian handed Sam a plate. Sam took a few cookies from each tray, placed them on the plate, and then walked back to the stairs. Susan waited to hear the front door close behind Sam before she turned back to look at me. She bit her lower lip, but tears still streamed down her face. "I never thought cookies would cause so much trouble." She shrugged, and I nodded knowing all too well how one disastrous decision to skip a tradition could taint the rest of the holiday for a family. "Maybe I'll share with my sisters." Susan tried to crack a smile. "Maybe."

"They're your desserts, so it's up to you. But just remember," I jested lightly, "if you're handing out all the baked goods this year, reason would dictate it's now your tradition to host cookie day." Susan opened her mouth to debate me, but I defended myself quickly before she could make a rebuttal. "Thanks to your other sons, you're the only one of your sisters with grandchildren...I think it's only fair that cookie day stays at grandma's house."

Susan considered my argument carefully for a minute, and then sighed in defeat. "You have no idea what a cookie day with a bunch of toddlers looks like...but I'll do it...if you promise to make up the difference, and bring treats with you again next year."

I wanted to refuse her, but in all fairness, spending my evenings baking for the holiday had been reminiscent of my own forgotten traditions, and had helped me gain a bit of closure for myself as well as for her family. "Done." I rolled my eyes, playfully sighing dramatically, and Susan hugged me.