December 20
Rosalind enjoyed sleeping late that Sunday morning. When she woke up, she went shopping to buy Brett a present. She wasn't sure if she would see him on Christmas, but if she did, she wanted to be prepared. While she was at the store, she also purchased a box of Christmas cards and a roll of wrapping paper.
In the throes of the holiday spirit, she put on a DVD of A Christmas Carol when she returned to her apartment.
I should have bought a Christmas tree, she thought when she finished wrapping Brett's gift, or garland and lights to hang on the wall.
She made do with paper snowflakes she'd cut out of sheets of white printing paper from her desk drawer.
During the late afternoon, it began to snow. To add to the holiday mood, she pressed the remote on her gas fireplace. After pouring herself a glass of wine, she took the Advent calendar down from the mantel.
"A drum roll, please, maestro."
Inside drawer Number 20 was a small plastic wedding cake, a pick used to decorate cupcakes.
"Brett thought of everything! I can't wait to see what's in the rest of the drawers. I haven't been this excited about a present since I got a puppy for Christmas when I was eight."
Excited or not, she had no choice but to wait. She sighed, went to her desk and wrote out her Christmas cards.
