Christmas was always a busy time of year for Maggie's family. This year was no different. With the help of the Cardinal Inn's staff and several members of her family, the Baby Baroness had arranged a hearty breakfast feast. The afternoon would be spent celebrating the birthday of her younger brother and sister. After noon, the breakfast would become a buffet with lunch and dinner items including some of the specialties from Nicole's Bistro. The pizza made from Dennis Harker's recipe with Nicole's sauces had become a hit over the last couple of years.

Some people wanted to know more about Maggie; others wanted to know about the urgent care center that was opening. She was prepared for that. Mostly, she hoped to meet people. She was expected at Overlord Island for dinner and planned to make that appointment.

Marissa was one of those people who made few public appearances in Rhy'Din. Her past was something of a mystery to those who didn't know her, and her future was uncertain, but nothing was more important to Marissa than family. One of Rhy'Din's many orphans, family was the most precious thing in the world and something she'd only known because of the kindness and generosity of another family. Few knew the truth of her life or existence, but every now and then, Marissa would come out of her self-imposed exile to let that family know she was still alive and well.

Maggie was part of that family, not the youngest nor the oldest. It was a large and confusing family tree to those who were not familiar with it. It even confused Marissa, whose own life was a confusing mess of dates and places and people, near and far. She was a seeker, always searching for something or someone with whom she could make a connection, someone who would understand, but all her travels always seemed to inevitably lead back here - to the family who had raised her and loved her as their own, even if she was not of their blood.

She hadn't come to the Inn today because of breakfast; no, she had come to see those she loved, if only from afar. She smiled as she watched them, always on the fringe, wondering if she herself had ever been that young.

Maggie was the pride and joy of the family - a baroness in her own right at the tender age of nine years old. Marissa watched as she moved among the crowd, meeting and greeting both young and old. Nine going on ninety, Marissa thought to herself. Though she might never tell her in so many words, Marissa was proud of her young cousin and proud of the young woman she would one day become. She had already accomplished more in her nine short years than many people managed to accomplish in an entire lifetime.

Marissa held a small wrapped package in one hand - a Winterfest present for her young cousin. It wasn't anything fancy or expensive, but it was something she had seen in a store window that had made her immediately think of Maggie. The tag simply stated, "To Maggie; With Love, From Marissa." Simple and to the point. Now, all she had to do was find a moment to give it to her ....or leave it somewhere she would find it while she slipped quietly away, unseen.

Marissa's Winterfest gift for Maggie: https://img1.etsystatic.com/126/0/6849463/il_570xN.875229171_qo3k.jpg