Chapter 29: Hopes and Dreams and Regret
Time moves fast and soon it's time for another celebration of Harvest Fest. Willow has as usual gone all out with the decoration and the celebration, and the family gathers at her house for the festivities.
"Isn't that your winterfest sweater, Sandy?"
"So? It's cold in Willow Creek this time of year, and I like it."
Before the party, Derek tried to make sure to feed Munch, but the cowplant wasn't hungry.
"Should we try again?"
"Nah, she'll be fine. She's never eaten anyone, we'll just have to keep track.
"Isn't that your winterfest sweater, Sandy?"
"So? It's cold in Willow Creek this time of year, and I like it."
Before the party, Derek tried to make sure to feed Munch, but the cowplant wasn't hungry.
"Should we try again?"
"Nah, she'll be fine. She's never eaten anyone, we'll just have to keep track.
They apparently didn't, and Neo never could resist that cake (you'd think he'd learn after the last time). Munch on the other hand looks very pleased with herself. Yummy!
Before arriving, Christmas spent some time painting a painting from memory of Granite Falls. She gifts it to her mother for the empty wall in her sun room. Willow loves it and immediately puts it up. After the guests have all gone home, she looks at it for a really long time.
But two people in the family wasn't present this night. Sunny and Carolyn stayed at home, as their baby is due and might come at any second. Apart from a few lights at the house, they don't do much to mark the holiday, just a quiet dinner on their terrace while looking at the bridge.
Carolyn goes into labour before dinner is even over, and Sunny was calm and supportive and din't panic at all... (that's his story and he's sticking to it).
Once Carolyn calms him down, they can go to the hospital and have their baby.
It's a boy and they name him Valentine. Sunny is enamoured with his little bundle of joy.
In her own house, Christmas is herself working on a baby, but so far without any luck. Upstairs, the nursery is ready and waiting, and in the garden Jamie has already started to build a tree house that won't be used for many years yet. But so far... no pregnancy.
Christmas is trying hard not to let it get her down by talking about other things. Their friends, their families, the area...
Jamie thinks it's time she has something else to occupy her mind, so he takes her on a date. This time they do not go to the nightclub in town, but he takes a full day out of the calendar to bring her all the way home to Willow Creek, and the art museum there.
Christmas loves it, and tells him all about the various paintings, their aesthetics, their artists, the color theory behind the art. Jamie isn't really that interested, but he loves hearing Christmas' enthusiasm.
At the end of they day they still manage to be more caught up in each other than the art anyway.
Inspired, Christmas goes home to paint. It's a good thing she's cheerful, so she bounces back quickly. Next time it will work. She just knows it! And in the mean time she can be the best auntie Christmas there is.
Because in the Landgraab household, it's time for a baby to become an infant. Carolyn and Sunny has prepared for everyone to come over to meet little Valentine, when Sunny is suddenly reached by the message that his grandmother has passed away.
It wasn't as if he saw her often, hardly at all, really, but it was still his grandmother, and he had always imagined that she'd get to see his son before passing. Carolyn tries to comfort him.
But in the midst of his grief there is still a little boy to take care of. And for Sunny he will always come first.
And so they introduce Sunny to his grandmother, and while they do his grandfather walks through the door, eager to see his grandson. "I was right about that, wasn't I?"
Sandy checks out the nursery and approves.
As does little Valentine as he's put to bed that night after being fed by daddy.
As Winterfest comes around, as it tends to do year after year, it's a different gathering than normal. Willow has as usual prepared everything to perfection, going all out on the decorations.
And they all help out with baby Valentine while his parents get food for themselves.
But Sandy is more upset about her mother-in-law's passing than Willow would have thought.
"I feel guilty," she admits. "We spend so much time together in our family, but so very little with Rory's. And now his mother is dead and we didn't take the time to see her as much as we should have."
Rory himself is a bit more distant than normal. But Father Winter tries to comfort him. All the decorations in the world can't save the mood of the party, however, and when people leave they all agree that they have to do better next year. And that they should value what they have together because family matters, and you never know how long you have anyone in your life.
Before arriving, Christmas spent some time painting a painting from memory of Granite Falls. She gifts it to her mother for the empty wall in her sun room. Willow loves it and immediately puts it up. After the guests have all gone home, she looks at it for a really long time.
But two people in the family wasn't present this night. Sunny and Carolyn stayed at home, as their baby is due and might come at any second. Apart from a few lights at the house, they don't do much to mark the holiday, just a quiet dinner on their terrace while looking at the bridge.
Carolyn goes into labour before dinner is even over, and Sunny was calm and supportive and din't panic at all... (that's his story and he's sticking to it).
Once Carolyn calms him down, they can go to the hospital and have their baby.
It's a boy and they name him Valentine. Sunny is enamoured with his little bundle of joy.
In her own house, Christmas is herself working on a baby, but so far without any luck. Upstairs, the nursery is ready and waiting, and in the garden Jamie has already started to build a tree house that won't be used for many years yet. But so far... no pregnancy.
Christmas is trying hard not to let it get her down by talking about other things. Their friends, their families, the area...
Jamie thinks it's time she has something else to occupy her mind, so he takes her on a date. This time they do not go to the nightclub in town, but he takes a full day out of the calendar to bring her all the way home to Willow Creek, and the art museum there.
Christmas loves it, and tells him all about the various paintings, their aesthetics, their artists, the color theory behind the art. Jamie isn't really that interested, but he loves hearing Christmas' enthusiasm.
At the end of they day they still manage to be more caught up in each other than the art anyway.
Inspired, Christmas goes home to paint. It's a good thing she's cheerful, so she bounces back quickly. Next time it will work. She just knows it! And in the mean time she can be the best auntie Christmas there is.
Because in the Landgraab household, it's time for a baby to become an infant. Carolyn and Sunny has prepared for everyone to come over to meet little Valentine, when Sunny is suddenly reached by the message that his grandmother has passed away.
It wasn't as if he saw her often, hardly at all, really, but it was still his grandmother, and he had always imagined that she'd get to see his son before passing. Carolyn tries to comfort him.
But in the midst of his grief there is still a little boy to take care of. And for Sunny he will always come first.
And so they introduce Sunny to his grandmother, and while they do his grandfather walks through the door, eager to see his grandson. "I was right about that, wasn't I?"
Sandy checks out the nursery and approves.
As does little Valentine as he's put to bed that night after being fed by daddy.
As Winterfest comes around, as it tends to do year after year, it's a different gathering than normal. Willow has as usual prepared everything to perfection, going all out on the decorations.
And they all help out with baby Valentine while his parents get food for themselves.
But Sandy is more upset about her mother-in-law's passing than Willow would have thought.
"I feel guilty," she admits. "We spend so much time together in our family, but so very little with Rory's. And now his mother is dead and we didn't take the time to see her as much as we should have."
Rory himself is a bit more distant than normal. But Father Winter tries to comfort him. All the decorations in the world can't save the mood of the party, however, and when people leave they all agree that they have to do better next year. And that they should value what they have together because family matters, and you never know how long you have anyone in your life.
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