Tis the Season

There has been so much to do that I have been running constantly. The shopping and cleaning have me almost worn out. I have invited some of my best friends to come to the mansion to spend Christmas Eve with me.  Most of them have families and so on Christmas day, they are all with their loved ones.  I only have a few relatives, and we are so scattered around that we really don't see each other that often. Everyone has a family but me. I am the only one not married, and I really feel out of place at their homes. They are all happy and hugging and kissing one another, that it tugs at my heart that I have no one to do this with. So I just as soon stay in my own home. Go to Mass and worship the birth of Jesus and then come home and spend a quiet Christmas all by myself. 

I have purchased a hugh Christmas tree that will be delivered today sometime and I have purchased all the decorations for the tree and holly and some very beautiful flowers to be put around in the different rooms.  I have decided to put the tree in the large living room by the big bay window, and I have a few men coming to string lights all around the house too.  I want this first Christmas in my new home to be a memorial one. This is my very first home and I do so love it here.

This year I won't be alone on Christmas day. I know the Captain is here and I am hoping that he will spend some time with me so I won't be so lonely. Christmas should be spent with those that you love.

Oh! the doorbell!  It is the men delivering the tree. How wonderful! I can start to decorate it and put on the music I bought to play while I do this. I love decorating the tree. I love looking at all the special decorations and lights shining strung around the tree.  I have saved a few special ornaments that my mom and dad gave to me when I was very young. Dad used to pick me up and tell me to put my special ornament with my name on it unto a branch on the tree. We did this until I was way to big to be picked up , but even then dad would hand me the ornament and say, "Sweetie, put it high so the little ones won't break it." Every year he said that to me. I really miss my mom and dad. Especially at this time of year. All the wonderful memories I have of Christmas spent with my dad and mom. I am lucky to have had such good parents.

I could smell the pine scent from the tree as the men set it up for me.  I thanked them and they left me to my chore. 

I hadn't noticed but while I was humming with the music and putting the lights on the tree that the Captain had entered the room and was standing with his hands behind his back smiling and watching me as I scooted around the tree putting on the lights. My hair was all tangled and hanging down. I must have looked silly, because he began to laugh.

"Ah Lass, Let me help ye now." He said. "Seems ye are losing that battle with those strings of lights." "Ye have them all tangled around yourself and ye might fall into that tree." His smile was wide as he walked over and started to untangle the lights from around me.  He took them and strung them all around the tree with out a single word as I stepped back and watched him. I couldn't help but smile and feel wonderful as I watched this wonderful man helping me decorate my very first Christmas tree in my new home. 

After he was done,he told me he would be right back, and he vanished. I don't think I will ever get used to him being able to do that.  In a wink he was back and in his hands he had a box that he handed to me.

I opened it very carefully and looked inside. Then I looked up and into those beautiful dark eyes and they twinkled and smiled at me. I had never seen such beautiful ornaments in my life. They had to be hundreds of years old. Precious. I started to say that I couldn't possibly put these priceless ornaments on my tree. That what if they were broken. 

He looked at me and put his finger on my lips and said, "Hush, Hush now, these are meant to be placed on a tree." "It has been many many years since they have been out." "You must put them on this tree for me." "I will help you put them up high so that they will not be broken."

When he said that I could feel my eyes start to tear and he looked at me in a loving way. I knew that he had no idea how much those words meant to me.  He took my hand and walked me over to the tree and he lifted me up like I was a china doll and I put the ornaments near the top by the Christmas Angel that was on the very top.  Then he slowly put me down and turned me around. I did have a tear rolling down m cheek and he looked at me and asked me what was wrong as he wiped the tear away with his finger. I told him about my dad and our tradition that we had every year until the day he died. 

Gently,looking straight into my eyes with those piercing eyes of his, he pulled me close to him and wrapped those big arms around me and just held me. He held me for a long time, and kissed me on top of my head, as he said,"I know that you and your father must have been very close lass, but you have me now, now and forever." 

I looked at at him as the tears slowly slid down my face. Those sweet words filled my heart with joy. He smiled and took a handkerchief out of his back pocket and wipe the tears away and then he took my face in both of his hands and tilting my head he opened him mouth slightly and kissed my lips. I wrapped my hands around his wrists and just closed my eyes. As he deepened the kiss I took my hands off of his wrists and slipped them around his waist and held him tight. He removed his hands from my face and put his arms around my shoulders and drew me toward him and tightened his hold  as he deepened the kiss even more. 

The whole world stopped to exist as I was lost in his embrace. I opened my mouth slightly and he answered by kissing me deeper and tightening his arms even more. Oh! God! help me! I love this man so much. What is going to happen to us?  How can I possibly love a ghost? What can become of this love?

Slowly he broke the kiss and set me away from him. He stood there just looking with those piercing dark eyes of his. He didn't say a word as he picked up a box of ornaments and walked back to the tree and started putting them on. He turned once, gave me a big grin and a wink, and went back to decorating the tree.

I picked up a box of ornaments and started to put them on the tree too, humming the Christmas songs that were playing.