24

Collette was 24. And to celebrate, she and Puck would be joining almost everyone and Grandma Combs on a trip to Crown Candy and Soulard Market.
The day began perfectly. She could already hear the wind. Opening the shades in the living room, she saw a world whipped with wild winds, tearing through the trees and the orange of an early sun sculpted around winter storms. It was beautiful.
Collette was presented with her first gift from OLeif. Two rings from his grandmother, which were delicate and pretty. Silver. And one with diamonds.
Her second gift of the day was from Joe. A pair of great sunglasses, which, for the first time ever, actually fit her. Finally she would have something to keep away the blazing glare of summer and the blinding snows of winter.
Crown Candy was busting at the seams by 11:15, only fifteen minutes after opening. Fortunately, as they did every year, they arrived as the doors were unlocked, and found two booths together by the front window. Between all the tamales, BLT’s, vanilla malts, and The Big Cheese, they scarfed down nearly everything in the space of twenty minutes.
At Soulard, Joe found his purchase of the day — a giant peacock feather. Grandma and Mom put together bags of apples and candy. Rose would have bought a kitten and named it Christmas, if there had been any for sale. But the pet shop was filled with only bunnies and puppies that day.
On the way back to Grandma’s apartment, Carrie-Bri and Linnea continued to teach Puck to sing a new song, which he was beginning to repeat, while he held on to Carrie’s Dr. Who action figure and made him do the splits:
“Dr. Who! Hey! Dr. Who! Dr. Who! Hey! Dr. Who!”
Then at other times, he would clutch his Butterfinger matchbox car and say, “Mine! Mine! Mine! Please! Please!”
Collette wasn’t sure who had taught him that one.
After another hour or so at Grandma’s with more snacks (including the sack of goodies from the Soulard bakery), more early Christmas gifts, etc., it was time to return to the house.
Dad had already arrived home from work in time to see Collette open the remainder of her gifts. First came a giant basket piled with so many global goodies from World Market, that Collette couldn’t keep track of all of them. This was a gift solely from Rose, including: Morrocan tea glasses, hot chocolate mugs, assorted coasters, dark chocolate raspberry cocoa, a wooden beaded bracelet, a purple/rose/orange silk scarf, mint cookies, orange/spiced dark chocolate bar, silver icon key chain, a Hanging Gardens of Babylon in a box, an Indian cookbook, curry powder, pepper soap, a Mexican Pumpkin candle, a beautiful bright red wooden bowl, two bottles of Icelandic water, and a
brightly colored leather African passport holder. It was amazing.
This was followed with gifts from the rest of the family, including: an 87 year-old book of old stories, the DVD of Mansfield Park, and her new red bean bento box.
Collette couldn’t believe the amount of gifts. All from a very generous family.
OLeif also had a full day, assisting with the grand Christmas-Rusty Wallace party at work, watching the Nascar screech around the parking lot, etc. He returned in time to have fun with their Puck before going back out into the evening for a pizza in time for a movie night with Carrie, Rose, and Juliet.
It was a good day to turn 24.