Advent day 7 pt 1 - Donna B Snow

CHRISTMAS ANGEL

By Donna B. Snow

Lisa rubbed a hand over the hood on Giselle’s snowsuit, tucking her closer as they rocked. The little snorts and snuffles coming from the baby, a balm to Lisa’s frayed nerves.

After a warm bottle from a boiling pan of water on the gas grill, Giselle was finally ready to settle down for the night. Lisa hugged her close then stood to carry the baby to her room.

She shivered when the blanket fell off her shoulders as she stood. She would put on another sweatshirt as soon as Giselle was tucked in.

A candle flickered in the baby’s room casting enough light to lay her in the crib and cover her with the sheepskin blanket and the warm quilt on top of that. Thank God she was too small to roll over yet.

Lisa checked that the hat was still snug on the baby’s head just in case the hood somehow came loose then she stepped out into the hallway, glancing back once more. Oh Lord, please keep her safe and warm through the night. I’m sorry if I’m being selfish Lord, but I pray that you’ll bring power back on for us soon. Lord, I can’t do this much longer. I’m so tired.

A glance at the thermostat showed that it had gotten a little cooler in the house. Fifty four degrees. That wasn’t so bad when you were moving around, but it was pretty cold when you were sitting still.

Unzipping her sweatshirt, Lisa pulled a thermal shirt on then put the sweatshirt back on and crawled under her blankets. She shivered. The cold bed slowly warmed around her and Lisa dozed, worried that tomorrow would bring more of the same. Her mind drifted as she relaxed. Shawn’s shift would be over tonight. He could start the generator later if they were still out of power.

Waking with a start, Lisa lifted her head from under the blankets. Her nose was still cold, even under the covers. She looked around the dark room, wondering what woke her. She listened intently. Not a peep from the baby, not a sound. Hopefully Giselle would sleep through the night. I should check on her.

Exhaustion pulled Lisa back down into sleep before she could motivate herself to get out from under the warm blankets.

Sometime later Lisa snuggled into the warm body surrounding her, the brightness in the room slowly bringing her awake. “Mmmm. What time did you get home?” she mumbled as Shawn’s arms tightened around her.

“A while ago.”

“Oh my gosh,” she gasped as she tried to get up, his arms holding her still. “Let go, I have to go check on Giselle—”

“Shhh. She’s fine.” He pulled her closer, nuzzling behind her ear. “I gave her a bottle, got her out of the snow suit, changed her and got her back into bed.”

“Out of the snow suit?” she asked as she struggled harder to get up. “She’ll freeze.”

“She’s fine,” he said as he pulled her back down. “Power came back on just after I came in. I was about to go out and start the generator after I walked into this ice box. Why didn’t you call me? How long’s the power been out?”

Lisa turned over to face him. “A couple nights. I didn’t want to bother you. I know you’re taking care of other emergencies. We were OK.”

“A couple nights?”

“I know lots of other people are without power, too.” She shrugged. “I’m sure you had your hands full with people who needed you more than us. We could get by.”

Shawn sighed and rubbed his knuckles along her cheek, staring into her eyes. “God made us a family, and I take care of my family. That’s my first priority. I would have come home and started the generator. None of the guys would have minded. If a call came in and they had to roll without me, I would have met up with them. But if anything happened to you, I would never forgive myself.”

“I’m sorry.” Colored lights blinked dimly through the doorway as Lisa rolled into Shawn’s arms. She smiled and ran her fingers over his frowning mouth. “You plugged in the tree. I tried to put the angel on top this afternoon while it was still light, but I couldn’t reach. But who needs an angel on the tree when I have one right here beside me?” Her lips whispered over his before she settled into his arms. “Merry Christmas, love.”

Bio:

I turned 50 this year and although I've stopped counting, my husband hasn't. LOL I've been happily married for almost 20 years and hope for many more. I am the mother of one teenage daughter who is an absolute joy and I can only hope it will stay that way.

I have two passions - music and writing, and God has blessed me in both. What a joy it is to be able to use the gifts He's given me to honor and glorify Him in word and song. I'd love to have you follow me on this journey as I share the words He gives to me.

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