Stephen and Stephanie stood before the sparkling Christmas tree looking at the decades of memories dancing before them. Dad and Mom had collected many ornaments through the years and each one told a story. The silver sports car commemorating Dad’s purchase of his favorite convertible. The knitting needles testifying to all the scarves, mittens, hats and socks Mom had made them through the years. The wedding ring with Stephen and Stephanie’s wedding date inscribed inside. Blue and pink rattles celebrating the birth of each grandchild they had provided in the ensuing years. They smiled as they talked about each one, the meaning behind it, and the special place in their lives every ornament held.
Then Stephanie’s hand reached out to touch the pea pod, with the date of their engagement on it. Mom and Dad had given it to them when they found out Stephanie would be their daughter in law. They had been referring to them as two peas in a pod ever since she moved in down the street when she was 12. Stephen and Stephanie had hit it off right away, and were inseparable all those years. During college they decided to make it official, and they hung the ornament on the tree together that Christmas.
In the middle of her reverie Stephanie suddenly cried out…”The Christmas Peas recipe. I want to be sure to take your grandmother’s cookbook with the recipe in it,” she said rushing to the kitchen. Stephen just followed along, watching her search through the cookbooks. The recipe had been a family favorite for four generations now, and the old cookbook it originated in was suddenly cradled in Stephanie’s hands. Checking the index she started flipping pages, but when she reached the right page a lavender envelope fluttered to the floor. Picking it up she turned it over to discover her name written across the front in her mother-in-law’s own hand. “Stephen, look at this”, she said turning it over. Opening it up she read the brief words inside with a puzzled look.
“A recipe for Christmas peas, with extra love, two servings please. Search now for a holder rare, and you will find a clue is there.”
Stephen and Stephanie knew their Mom had loved writing poetry, but this cryptic direction was something new. “A holder rare”, what does that mean?” Stephanie thought out loud. “Mom always served the Christmas Peas in Grandma’s old soup tureen.” Stephen said. “Do you suppose she means that?” With a quick turn each moved into the dining room to the old sideboard, and carefully removed the old tureen from the shelf. Lifting the lid they found yet another lavender paper, unfolded it, and read the next clue.
“Two peas in a pod, we can be sure, through many things, together endure. They tied the knot, and promised well, through years to craft a tale to tell.” A smile lit each of their faces as they remembered their nuptials, out in the old cedar gazebo. With a small laugh Stephanie beat Stephen out the door and ran across the back yard through the snow into the gazebo. Quickly she looked around, then lifted the seat of the bench in the back, only to find yet another lavender sheet, which she grabbed and waved in the air.
She quickly read the words aloud to this next clue, her breath making little puffs in the winter cold. “Little Jeremy, Sarah too, have an important job to do. Every night before they rest, they play this game and pass the test.” This time Stephen, still on the gazebo stairs, was the one whose feet flew across the snow far ahead of Stephanie. He reached the old closet in the living room far ahead of her, pulled open the old door and grabbed the box on the lower shelf. Candyland was emblazoned across the front of the game Jeremy and Sarah used to play each night when they were younger, and he laid the box on the sofa before lifting off the cover. Reaching down he unfolded the sheet of lavender paper and began to read.
“A Grammies’ heart is surely blessed, though sometimes she’s put to the test. The answers of life are written down, and here true love is always found.” Their eyes met and this time neither one rushed off, although they both knew the answer well. Hand in hand they climbed the stairs to Mom and Dad’s bedroom, and sat down in the two reading chairs tucked in the corner. Stephen picked up his mother’s worn black bible and opened the front cover. There was one more piece of lavender paper with a final poem for them, and he began reading in a low voice.
“My darling children, very dear. I know the end is drawing near. I’ll miss you sorely, do not fret, and never for a day forget. That love’s the greatest gift of all. We share this gift both great and small. Be blessed, have joy, live life and then, some day you know we’ll meet again. With much love ~ Mom/Grammie”
Stephen and Stephanie’s eyes met, each filled with tears of awe, and they reached out to each other in silence. After a time they walked back downstairs and began looking around. Almost simultaneously, they turned toward the tree, and Stephanie was the first to speak.
“Stephen, as we’ve gone through this treasure hunt, I’ve realized something we’ve been missing all along. I think we need to keep the house, and move our family here.” Stephen looked at her and she could see thoughts start to flicker across his eyes. “Think about it,” she continued. “We both grew up here. Our children have probably spent more time here than in our house. All our memories are woven throughout these rooms, and it just gives me a sense of such peace to be here. Let’s keep both houses for a year, and really think about what we want to do.” She looked back into his eyes and said, “We don’t need to be in a rush. We just need to plan.”
Stephen began thinking about the possibilities. “Do you really think we can?” he asked. “Ever since Dad died last month I’ve really dreaded selling the house. There are so many wonderful memories here, and it’s still home to me. Do you think the kids would mind? They would still be in the same school. It’s only a couple of blocks away from our house so they can play with all their friends. There are three bedrooms, so they’d each have their own room, and a big backyard to play in.” His voice trailed off a little choked up at the thought of moving back into his childhood home, looking around at all the possibilities.
“Selling our home would mean we could make some updates here.” Stephanie said. “We’ll have to decide which furniture to keep. We could let the kids each pick their own room and paint it whatever color they want. I really think it could work.” She turned to take both of Stephen’s hands in hers and look into his eyes as each of them began to smile. The weight of losing his parents lifted a bit from their shoulders as they began crafting a new future for their family. “I have only one request to make,” Stephanie said, and she saw his smile falter just a bit. “We’re going to need to build an addition on the back for a master bedroom suite”. At Stephen’s puzzled look she continued slowly. “We are going to want each of the children to have their own room.” and she placed one hand on her abdomen. After a moment Stephen’s eyes widened. “You mean…” and she nodded her answer before he picked her up to swing her around in circles, just as he had so many times in this very spot through the years. Still laughing he put her down, then gently placed a hand on her cheek giving her a soft kiss of gratitude for all they had shared, and all they would build together through the coming years.
Copyright © Rita J. Lammers 2016