Who: Brighid and Adam What: Christmas shopping! Where: Out and about. When: Saturday, December 4 (backdated) Warnings: Um. None?
Until today, Brighid had had a hard time convincing herself Christmas was near. At home, the holiday season was accompanied by worsening weather and an undercurrent of anticipation and excitement as the girls at school prepared to go home for the winter break. But this year, there was none of that to signify the approaching holiday. The temperatures in Southern California had fallen, but not to anything near the single-digit Celsius temperatures she was used to at this time of year. And while there was a school break coming up, for the first time ever, Brighid would be staying put where she was instead of making the trip back to Belfast and her family.
Today, though, as she and Adam had gone from place to place decorated with wreaths and lights and children waiting in line to visit with Santa, Brighid finally felt the spirit of the holiday. She had purchased a few small things for her parents, mindful as always that it was their own money she was spending on them. Now, she and Adam sat in a small restaurant he had suggested, enjoying soup and sandwiches and a brief respite from the hustle and bustle of holiday shoppers.
“How many siblings do you have?” she asked between bites, curious about his purchases and the family they represented.