Before Christmas Comes

It felt like spring that morning. Puck was running around the house with a bag of orange-infused dried cranberries and a pair of blue insoles. He had habits of collecting random objects in his chubby arms and carrying them around the house as a part of his treasure trove. These troves often included toothbrushes.
The days were passing faster. Always new things to be done. Always new things for Puck to learn.
Late in the afternoon, before Eve picked up Carrie for a girls’ night out, Carrie laced up the old big green bulbs on the house. She and Linnea sat on the roof together and watched the dark line of winter storm rush toward them in the mild winds as they anchored the lights.
That evening on the drive home listening to Bing Crosby Christmas songs, the sky was brushed with orange and rose clouds, cut by black pine forests in the southwest.