Page 27 of Plan Interrupted
“You mean you don’t have an artificial tree?”
“No, we use a real tree. Every year we go into the woods and pick out a tree, cut it down, and set it up in the living room.”
Was he serious, or teasing her? “I didn’t think you could just go into someone’s woods and cut down trees.”
He pointed at the woods that bordered his house. “Those are my woods, and that’s where we are going to get the tree. Are you coming with us?”
“Yes,” she replied without hesitation. Her answer came so quickly she surprised herself, and she was both shocked and thrilled he’d allow her to take part in this family tradition.
She watched and listened as Joe and the kids hemmed and hawed over which tree to cut down. The task seemed to take forever.
“Aren’t they all the same? Won’t any one of them work?”
They all looked at her like she was an alien for asking such a ridiculous question.
“No, not just any tree will work. You need to find the perfect one, not too tall, not too short, not too fat, and not too skinny. Like this one here.”
Joe pointed to a tree that looked the same as all of the others.
“How do you guys like this one?”
Each Antonetti, including Jake, cast a verbal vote, indicating it was the perfect tree.
“And you, Elizabeth? Do you like this one? Joe asked.
“Yes, it’s a wonderful tree.” An odd sense of fulfillment seeped into her core as she cast her vote.
She watched as Joe used a handsaw to cut it down, then he dragged it back to the house and leaned it against the porch.
She ignored her prickling feet. Her boots weren’t exactly made for stomping through the snow, but she was having too much fun to worry about them, or the work she planned on doing over the weekend.
“Who wants some hot chocolate?” Joe yelled.
“I do. I do,” the children replied.
Molly ran over to her and grabbed her by the hand, as she glanced up at her with her pleading big brown eyes. “Do you like hot chocolate?”
“Yes.”
“Do you want some?”
“Yes.”
“Daddy puts little marshmallows in it.”
Joe flashed a smile over his shoulder as he entered the house with Max slung over his shoulder. He set his son down in the entryway, and they peeled off their heavy, wet snow clothes.
Joe proceeded to the kitchen. Max stopped in the living room and popped How the Grinch Stole Christmas DVD into the player. The kids sat on the floor in front of the TV. Elizabeth sat on the couch and fixed her gaze on the TV set.
A few minutes later, Joe returned to the living room with four cups of hot chocolate on a small round tray.
He handed Max his cup. “Now, sit still while you drink it so you don’t spill.”
“Okay, Dad.”
Elizabeth reached out and took her cup from him. It warmed her cold hands. Joe took a seat on his rocker recliner and Molly immediately climbed up on his lap.
“Daddy, my toes are cold.”