When Peri learns that Gran-Lea is coming over, she hurries outside to complete a painting to give her. She’s still outside working hard when mama arrives looking amazing. I pull her in for a big hug.
Peri presents her gift as soon as she’s completed it.
Prosperity: This is for you!
Mama opens the gift and seems genuinely pleased with it.
Lea: It’s beautiful! I love it. I’ll hang it in my bedroom. *thanks Peri with a hug*
Mama turns her attention to me…
Lea: So what’s going on with all this belly. *places her hands on it* When is my new grandbaby due?
Alida: Any moment now, I’m guessing – or hoping.
Lea: Things are going so well for you! You’ve done well for yourself and I’m happy about that.
Alida: Thanks mama
She’s definitely singing a very different tune than what I heard when she found out I was pregnant with Peri.
Lea: Anyway…I’d better get out of here.
Mama walks over to the tree and adds a few small gifts to the stack. I follow her…
Alida: But you just got here! Do you have to go already?
Lea: Yeah…I have plans – a girl from work invited me to hang out with her and her family tonight.
Alida: But – we’re your family!
Lea: I know…but she’s been a big help to me at work. I promised that I’d stop by – I don’t want to let her down.
I want to tell mama that she’s letting me down, but I keep it to myself like I have so many times over the years. Mama hurries out the door unbothered, leaving me feeling a bit disappointed.
I try to pull myself together as we all gather around the tree to open gifts. Peri goes first…taking her time shaking the gift, listening and trying to guess what it is. It’s driving me crazy…
Alida: Just open it already!
Prosperity: I will mommy…I’m just savoring the moment!
I’m tempted to just tell her what it is, but she finally opens it before I get the chance to. It’s a wooden dragon sculpture. She seems to really like it.
Q and I open our gifts next. Q receives a somewhat rare heavy metal and I…for some strange reason receive an upright classic headstone replica. Is somebody trying to tell me something? I’ll definitely be selling this for the money.
By the time Father Winter arrives to add to our gift pile…I’m exhausted. I sit down and try my best to at least eat something before I’m too tired to even do that. Meanwhile, Q is very excited by his gift.
It’s over for me. I stand up to take my plate to the sink, but end up collapsing on the floor…too tired to make my way to the bedroom. Q walks over and helps me get to the bedroom. He even helps me put on my pajamas. I’m barely awake through it all.
In the living room…
Prosperity: So…are you really Father Winter? …Because you look a little strange…no offense.
Father Winter: I’m one of Father Winter’s helpers and if you must know… they were out of fluffy white wigs and beards at the costume shop, so I had to compromise.
Prosperity: Well, did you bring me anything?
Father Winter: *sighs and stands up* Normally rude little girls don’t get anything but a lump of coal, but I’ll make an exception for you.
Father Winter hands Peri a gift. She opens this one right away but is quickly disappointed to see that it’s just a Robot Vacuum Dock. The vacuum doesn’t even come with it.
Prosperity: Thank you, but I think I would have found more use from a lump of coal.
Father Winter leaves and Peri goes back to the mysterious gift that she saw earlier. She’s much happier with what she receives in it. Her guess is that it’s actually from the “real” Father Winter, not whoever the imposter was.
Satisfied with Winterfest overall, Peri finally heads to bed and Q returns to his secret mission.
(Generation 1a Chapter Summaries)
