Rose looked up. “Is this right?” she asked. Her hands were covered with cuts from the holly prickles but she wasn’t going to complain. She had never made one of these before and was having fun.
Her mother looked at her. “Yes it is.” She pulled the five candles out of the bag. It had taken some searching to find them at all, never mind in the correct colours.
“Ohhh pretty,” Rose whispered. She reached out a hand and touched them gently.
Her father leaned in the doorway watching them.
“Each one means something different,” Mother said. “The first violet one stands for hope, the second violet one for peace, then the rose one for joy, the last violet one for love and the white one is the arrival of the light of the world.”
“Can we light them now?” Rose asked.
Father moved into the room. “Not yet, one a week for the four weeks of advent,” he told her. “But you can carry it out into the main room for me.”
Rose beamed and picked up the advent crown carrying it carefully out of the room.
Father looked at Mother, his knuckles white on the cane which supported him. “Hope, peace, joy and love huh?”
She nodded. “This is a new beginning. The first Christmas together we’ve had in years, the first one since the war began. For the first time in years we have hope.”
“And the rest?”
She paused and then smiled. “The rest will follow.”
Her mother looked at her. “Yes it is.” She pulled the five candles out of the bag. It had taken some searching to find them at all, never mind in the correct colours.
“Ohhh pretty,” Rose whispered. She reached out a hand and touched them gently.
Her father leaned in the doorway watching them.
“Each one means something different,” Mother said. “The first violet one stands for hope, the second violet one for peace, then the rose one for joy, the last violet one for love and the white one is the arrival of the light of the world.”
“Can we light them now?” Rose asked.
Father moved into the room. “Not yet, one a week for the four weeks of advent,” he told her. “But you can carry it out into the main room for me.”
Rose beamed and picked up the advent crown carrying it carefully out of the room.
Father looked at Mother, his knuckles white on the cane which supported him. “Hope, peace, joy and love huh?”
She nodded. “This is a new beginning. The first Christmas together we’ve had in years, the first one since the war began. For the first time in years we have hope.”
“And the rest?”
She paused and then smiled. “The rest will follow.”
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