World Refugees Final Mix

Mabry woke early on Christmas morning, almost as soon as the sun was up. There was still a great deal of cooking to do, beginning with breakfast.

She started mixing pancake batter and put a kettle on the stove. For the moment, the house was silent, but she knew that wouldn't last long. Ashlyn was old enough to understand that Santa Claus had come during the night, so she would be demanding her stocking as soon as she woke up, and she would no doubt insist on waking Eli and dragging him along with her. Larkin would wake Song, demanding an early morning feeding, and Song would want her tea. Amy and Jalen would chase after Eli, and soon the whole household would be downstairs, ready for presents and breakfast.

She smiled. She loved her big, crazy family.

Upstairs, she could hear the first stirrings and wondered who would be the first downstairs.

Where: Rainbow's End
When: 12/24/08-...
What: Christmas; we're celebrating!
Who: Anyone who wants to show up.

Rainbow's End was glittering with Christmas lights, which Mabry had supervised being put up, without lifting a finger to help with. Candles burned in the windows, there was a wreath on the door, and inside was as thoroughly decorated as outside. This was to say nothing of the various pieces of mistletoe hung in improbable places. an enormous tree had been set-up with a veritable mountain of presents beneath it.

As always, an absurd amount of cooking had been done. With the number of friends coming to dinner, no fewer than two turkeys and four ducks had been introduced to the oven. Mabry had lost count of the pies, cheesecakes, and cookies. The pans of dressing and casseroles were almost large enough to bathe in. The midnight chowder for Christmas Eve occupied a vat that could have fed all the residents of some of the smaller worlds.

But at last it was here. the sun had set on Christmas Eve and the time to celebrate the holiday had come.