The house was full on Christmas Eve. I set two tables for our party of eight (and four dogs) to allow for comfortable spacing, and everyone brought a part of the meal. It was delightful hearing simultaneous conversations and laughter as we ate.
After dessert, we opened presents. The kids surprised me with their thoughtful writing gifts. My son gave me a ‘smart’ mug to keep my tea warm (he’d seen me reheat a cup multiple times while I’m working on a book), and a ‘space pen’ designed to write at any angle and even underwater.
My daughter gave me a spa day – a very appreciated and privately humorous gift. She has no idea that the character she inspired for my series was kidnapped from a spa in my current work-in-progress. The plot revolves around the detective trying to find her while she’s trying to escape and find help.
I’m glad my holiday commitments are over, but I’m already looking forward to the next family get-together.
