The first snows had fallen on Maple Grove, blanketing the vast estate with the first layer of this season's snowfall and providing the first wintery wonderland for the children to enjoy. Winterfest was in full swing, and with it came the approach of Solstice, Yule, and Christmas, those holidays associated with family, where relatives who spent much of the year far away came together to celebrate the season. With one week to go until that time, several houses on the Grove were preparing for such visits, but it was Rose Cottage that welcomed their house guests first. Cackling laughter brimming over with joyful delight announced the arrival of the Daly twins, each holding tightly to their mother's hands as she walked them from the main gate and toward the house where their grandparents lived. No father or dog in sight just yet, but then, they were likely still at work. Bethany was early, and laughing just as hard as her children as she hauled the two-year-old twins through the snow.
And there to greet her daughter and grandchildren was Miranda, squealing like a child herself as she spied them, little Rowan in her arms waving madly. "Look, Ro! It's your cousins Evie and Brody come to play!" she said from the door. "Hurry, children! I have hot cocoa and cookies!"
"Gramma!" Brody hauled himself away from Beth's grip to run up onto the porch and hug Miranda's knees, giggling up at Rowan.
Behind him, Beth hoisted Evie up onto the porch and released her, instead turning her attention onto her own adopted little sister. "RoRo! Say howdy, munchkin!" She grinned, rescuing her mother from Rowan to plant a smooch on the eighteen-month-old's cheek in hello as her own children did their best to love their grandmother over onto her backside.
Ro went happily into Bethany's arms, as Miranda crouched low to gather her grandchildren into a hug. She kissed both cheeks and hugged them tightly. "Oh, I've missed you both so much."
"Daddy's comin' later," Evie assured her grandmother, cuddling in close to the hug that was offered to her and her brother, while Brody was already working on getting his award for the sweetest boy alive made secure by smothering Miranda's cheek with kisses.
Bethany chuckled, listening to Ro's slightly incoherent babble in her ear as she watched her mother and children together. "Well, Daddy's gotta leave a note for Santa so he knows where we are," she pointed out in amusement, catching Miranda's eye with a grin. "Can't have Santa going to an empty house, can we?"
"Santa is going to be very busy this year. There are a lot of children he has to visit at the Grove this year," Miranda added with a grin. "You have a pair of new cousins to meet, too! But first, cookies!" she told them both, with a tap to each of their noses before moving to her feet and taking both their hands, leaving Beth in charge of Rowan for the moment. "Grandpa Rufio is running some errands, but he'll be back later."
"Grandpa Rufio?" Beth laughed uproariously at this interpretation of her father's title when it came to the children, setting Ro off into peals of giggles as she followed Miranda and the twins into the house. "Shoes and coats, little monsters," she reminded the toddlers, and snorted with laughter as Brody set off for the kitchen and cookies without a backward glance, while Evie sat down to investigate how to take off her own shoes.
"That would be Dad to you," Miranda pointed out with a smirk at her daughter's amused laughter. She was never going to hear the end of it if the children repeated it to their grandfather. "It fits, don't you think" Rufus sounds too serious and stuffy," she reasoned aloud. "Save some for your sister!" Miranda called after the little boy before she turned her attention to helping Evie with her shoes. "Boys!" she huffed with a wink at her grand-daughter.
"Brody, get back here!" Beth called to her son, fighting not to laugh at the exaggerated sigh that floated back to her as the little boy turned himself around and thumped back toward the door.
"Purple boo's," Evie informed her grandmother, wiggling her little feet as she was helped to get out of said boots. "B'ody greedy."
"Very pretty purple boots," Miranda agreed as she pulled one and then the other off her grand-daughter's feet. "Brody has to share. Isn't that right, my love?" she asked as the little boy rejoined them. "Sit down here, and I'll help her with your boots, and then, we'll have milk and cookies all together."
"Love Gramma," Brody offered, hugging Miranda about the neck for a moment before obediently plonking himself down on the floor to await help with his boots.
Behind them, Beth was crouched on the floor, letting Ro work on undoing the toggles on her coat, quite content to be as patient as was necessary. "So Dad's running errands, huh?" she asked curiously, reaching to undo Evie's coat absently. "What did he forget to buy this time, the potatoes?"
"I am not at liberty to say in present company," Miranda replied, just about admitting that Rufus was out Christmas shopping without coming right out and saying it. "So, what did you children want for Christmas this year?" she asked, setting both little pairs of boots aside and starting to work on each coat.
"Wanna swwword," Brody offered up immediately. "Bang, bang, swword."
"Dolly," was Evie's cheerful addition. "Wiv flars on."
Over their heads, Bethany silently translated the wishes into, "Lightsaber and flower fairy," winking at her mother as she did so. Feeling her coat fall open, she turned her attention back onto Ro, full of praise for the little girl who had managed to undo all her big sister's toggles all by herself.
"Ohhhh," Miranda murmured thoughtfully. "Lightsabers don't go bang, bang, you know, Brody," she pointed out, as she helped his sister off with her coat. How Bethany had gotten flower fairy out of what Evie had just said, Miranda didn't know, but no matter how much their children babbled, mothers almost always seemed to know what they were trying to say. "What color lightsaber and what kind of flower fairy?" she asked further as if this was the most important topic of discussion in all the world.
"Zzzrooom?" Brody suggested, actions included now he was freed from his coat. "Swword go zzzroom, bang, cash!"
"He's never even seen Star Wars," Beth chuckled, hanging her own coat up before hiking Ro back up onto her hip once again. She glanced down at Evie curiously, wondering why her daughter wasn't being openly forthcoming with her own wishes. It wasn't like Evie to be shy, but she didn't like to interrupt when Brody was in full swing.
And there to greet her daughter and grandchildren was Miranda, squealing like a child herself as she spied them, little Rowan in her arms waving madly. "Look, Ro! It's your cousins Evie and Brody come to play!" she said from the door. "Hurry, children! I have hot cocoa and cookies!"
"Gramma!" Brody hauled himself away from Beth's grip to run up onto the porch and hug Miranda's knees, giggling up at Rowan.
Behind him, Beth hoisted Evie up onto the porch and released her, instead turning her attention onto her own adopted little sister. "RoRo! Say howdy, munchkin!" She grinned, rescuing her mother from Rowan to plant a smooch on the eighteen-month-old's cheek in hello as her own children did their best to love their grandmother over onto her backside.
Ro went happily into Bethany's arms, as Miranda crouched low to gather her grandchildren into a hug. She kissed both cheeks and hugged them tightly. "Oh, I've missed you both so much."
"Daddy's comin' later," Evie assured her grandmother, cuddling in close to the hug that was offered to her and her brother, while Brody was already working on getting his award for the sweetest boy alive made secure by smothering Miranda's cheek with kisses.
Bethany chuckled, listening to Ro's slightly incoherent babble in her ear as she watched her mother and children together. "Well, Daddy's gotta leave a note for Santa so he knows where we are," she pointed out in amusement, catching Miranda's eye with a grin. "Can't have Santa going to an empty house, can we?"
"Santa is going to be very busy this year. There are a lot of children he has to visit at the Grove this year," Miranda added with a grin. "You have a pair of new cousins to meet, too! But first, cookies!" she told them both, with a tap to each of their noses before moving to her feet and taking both their hands, leaving Beth in charge of Rowan for the moment. "Grandpa Rufio is running some errands, but he'll be back later."
"Grandpa Rufio?" Beth laughed uproariously at this interpretation of her father's title when it came to the children, setting Ro off into peals of giggles as she followed Miranda and the twins into the house. "Shoes and coats, little monsters," she reminded the toddlers, and snorted with laughter as Brody set off for the kitchen and cookies without a backward glance, while Evie sat down to investigate how to take off her own shoes.
"That would be Dad to you," Miranda pointed out with a smirk at her daughter's amused laughter. She was never going to hear the end of it if the children repeated it to their grandfather. "It fits, don't you think" Rufus sounds too serious and stuffy," she reasoned aloud. "Save some for your sister!" Miranda called after the little boy before she turned her attention to helping Evie with her shoes. "Boys!" she huffed with a wink at her grand-daughter.
"Brody, get back here!" Beth called to her son, fighting not to laugh at the exaggerated sigh that floated back to her as the little boy turned himself around and thumped back toward the door.
"Purple boo's," Evie informed her grandmother, wiggling her little feet as she was helped to get out of said boots. "B'ody greedy."
"Very pretty purple boots," Miranda agreed as she pulled one and then the other off her grand-daughter's feet. "Brody has to share. Isn't that right, my love?" she asked as the little boy rejoined them. "Sit down here, and I'll help her with your boots, and then, we'll have milk and cookies all together."
"Love Gramma," Brody offered, hugging Miranda about the neck for a moment before obediently plonking himself down on the floor to await help with his boots.
Behind them, Beth was crouched on the floor, letting Ro work on undoing the toggles on her coat, quite content to be as patient as was necessary. "So Dad's running errands, huh?" she asked curiously, reaching to undo Evie's coat absently. "What did he forget to buy this time, the potatoes?"
"I am not at liberty to say in present company," Miranda replied, just about admitting that Rufus was out Christmas shopping without coming right out and saying it. "So, what did you children want for Christmas this year?" she asked, setting both little pairs of boots aside and starting to work on each coat.
"Wanna swwword," Brody offered up immediately. "Bang, bang, swword."
"Dolly," was Evie's cheerful addition. "Wiv flars on."
Over their heads, Bethany silently translated the wishes into, "Lightsaber and flower fairy," winking at her mother as she did so. Feeling her coat fall open, she turned her attention back onto Ro, full of praise for the little girl who had managed to undo all her big sister's toggles all by herself.
"Ohhhh," Miranda murmured thoughtfully. "Lightsabers don't go bang, bang, you know, Brody," she pointed out, as she helped his sister off with her coat. How Bethany had gotten flower fairy out of what Evie had just said, Miranda didn't know, but no matter how much their children babbled, mothers almost always seemed to know what they were trying to say. "What color lightsaber and what kind of flower fairy?" she asked further as if this was the most important topic of discussion in all the world.
"Zzzrooom?" Brody suggested, actions included now he was freed from his coat. "Swword go zzzroom, bang, cash!"
"He's never even seen Star Wars," Beth chuckled, hanging her own coat up before hiking Ro back up onto her hip once again. She glanced down at Evie curiously, wondering why her daughter wasn't being openly forthcoming with her own wishes. It wasn't like Evie to be shy, but she didn't like to interrupt when Brody was in full swing.