Chapter 51: A White Christmas

Gabriel couldn’t have prayed for a more perfect Christmas. Having a white Christmas is more than snow on the ground; it is a feeling in the heart.

“Girls!”

Immediate screaming and cheers come from up stairs. Soon there is a whole herd of girls stomping down the two different sets of stairs. It is one of Gabriel’s favorite things about the house: that all the bedrooms are on the second and third floors.

Molly is still up stairs getting the baby ready to come down. The baby was given the name Francine by the kidnappers, but Molly renames her to Mystery. It wouldn’t have been Gabriel’s first choice, but she does have a point.

Gabriel is in front of the four Christmas trees and the girls are standing there in uncontrolled excitement. He preplanned that Sister Lila would take pictures and movies of their first Christmas together. In later years when they watch the movie of their first Christmas together they swear they see angels glimmering from time to time.

The girls are wearing their personalities. Some are wearing full-length nightgowns, others are wearing pajamas, others are wearing Molly’s favorite outfit of panties and cami and still others have found their way into Gabriel’s closet and are wearing his Harley shirts. It has always amazed Gabriel about what girls will wear. When he was going to college girls would be in short and shirts, even on cold days. Thank goodness for central heat and air.

Gabriel waits for Molly and Mystery to get down and take their place of honor. More than once Gabriel looks over at Molly and Mystery and Molly is crying while holding her. He has yet to learn all the girls’ names, especially the latest arrivals, but he does a quick headcount and all are present.

“Girls, spread out and take a seat so you can go back to your spot and open your presents.” There is a squeal from inside one of the presents. It doesn’t seem anybody noticed it moving. Gabriel figures he better hand that one out first since he only wrapped it a minute before the girls came down. He picks up the package and again it squeals. Gabriel coughs to cover up the noise.

“What was that?”

“What was what? I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Gabriel reads the tag and says, “This one is for Rinny.”

Rinny takes it and says, “It’s moving.”

“Open it.”

There are two squeals that come from that present; one from the piglet and one from Rinny. “It’s my pig!” All the girls want to pet it, but the pig is being quite uncooperative.

“Okay, next, we have Misty.” Gabriel is hoping that calling out the girls’ names and having them come up will help him remember their names.

One by one they do the first round. And then he lets the girls come up and give their packages to the Sisters, Molly and Gabriel and the girls. Needless to say there were several hundred presents piled around the four trees. By the time they get done with the second gifts for the girls they are half buried in wrapping. Sister Kristy is doing her best to keep feeding it into the fire.

Just as the girls are settling back down, Rinny yells, “My pig!” and the pig disappears towards the kitchen. “Wait, pig, you don’t want to go in that room.”

Rinny goes in there to get it. Five seconds later she is chasing it the other direction. Eventually she enlists the help of some of her sisters and Gabriel gets no end of joy and laughter out of watching all these girls chasing after the wayward piglet. By the squealing Gabriel figures she finally caught it. She is out of breath, but happy beyond the stars.

“What are you going to name her, Rinny?”
“It’s a girl? I’ll call her Miss Piggy.” The ews and ahs that come from the girls makes Gabriel believe they like the name.

“The last package goes to my Molly.” she opens it up to find her song finished and framed.” Of course she cries.

“Actually, I have one more present for you, Gabriel.” Molly hands him his present. Gabriel opens it and there is nothing in there.

“Is it a metaphor?”

“What?”

“There is nothing in here.”

Molly gets a concerned look on her face and grabs the present and says, “What the ... hmm.”

Gabriel can tell Molly is as confused as he is, but he makes it easy on her and says, “Alright girls, how about breakfast and then you can play with your gifts after. Rinny?”

“Yeah, Daddy.”

“Put Miss Piggy in the pen I set up for her in the laundry room.” As Rinny is walking away from Miss Piggy she starts to squeal because now she wants to be with her and the girls. “That didn’t take long.”

“What, Daddy?”

“For Miss Piggy to fall in love with you, after all I love you too.”

“Do you love me too, Daddy?

“I love all my girls.”

Needless to say they expanded the dining room and there are four huge rectangle tables in there. They don’t fill them all yet, but they will. As Gabriel is helping one girl at a time sit down, he goes to put his hand on the back of Maria and his hand goes right through her. He shakes his head and tries it again and he caresses her hair as she is sitting down. They have come up with a patient one by one system of Gabriel personally seating each and every one. That way it is less than chaos and Gabriel gets to put his hands on each and every one of them. He tries his hardest to let one girl at a time sit in his lap and he marks it down so everybody will get their turn. Once again Gabriel’s ADHD with OCD tendencies is paying off.

While the girls and Molly and Mystery go back into the main living room and continue their Christmas morning. “Gabriel, we’ll put the dishes away.” says Sister Anna.