As the weather turned colder, Alisa went outside less often. She visited her new fiancé and future in-laws frequently, but didn't go outside otherwise. Kirin and Riktor were able to finish the indoor water heating system and install it in the De Kanta house, as well as a few others in the village.
Ah, it's so nice to take a hot bath inside when it's cold outside! Alisa thought to herself as she enjoyed her hot, floral-scented bath. Kirin kept bringing her wildflower bouquets every time he visited her. She dried them and used the petals in her baths or used them for beauty products.
It was nice to have flowers in the fall. She would have to ration the petals over the winter once the snow covered the ground. Thinking of snow, Alisa began to think about Christmas. It would be her first white Christmas since she grew up in the southern part of California. The mountains had snow for most of the year, but this would be her first time living in the mountains during Christmas, and Kanta was supposed to have brutal winters.
After her bath, Alisa dressed warmly in her new sweater, knitted pants, and socks. Katie had made them for her as a welcome gift. "They will help you stay warm during the winter. I know how grateful I was to have them during my first winter here. We can make more to pass the time when we are snowed in." Katie reminisced about when she had given the set to Alisa.
Alisa went into the living room to chat with Katie, who was busy playing with Aza. "Are you all done with your bath?" Katie asked.
"I'm done. I left some dried flowers in a jar if you want to use some for a luxurious bath." I offered Katie. She had accepted me as part of her family and let me live with them for free. I was more than happy to share my things with them as repayment.
She smiled at me and replied, "I may take you up on that offer. They smell amazing!" Aza laughed and smiled at her mommy's good mood. It was just the two of us, and Aza was too young to understand what we were talking about, so we could talk openly about our shared secrets.
I sat down beside them and began to play with Aza as well. "So, what is Christmas like around here? I know that the winters are brutal, and we might be snowed in, but do you celebrate Christmas?" I asked Katie.
She tilted her head as she pondered the question. "I guess we don't do much. It's not the same here as it is in our world. People are not as religious or commercialized here. We do a roast and cookies, but they don't have Santa Claus here, so we don't do many presents." She explained.
I looked at her with my eyes open wide in shock, "Of all the things that you and Abby brought to this world, you didn't introduce Santa Claus?" I was dumbfounded. "OMG! That can be our next book! We can write all of the Christmas stories from Earth, and the Christmas songs can be made into a book of poems or a songbook."
Katie thought about my suggestion, and her eyes brightened. "Honestly, we hadn't thought about it before because I was supposed to be from Annalaias, and Abby was in Shibatsu. But since you are supposed to come from Stanarussi, maybe you can say that it is common there. No one would know, because no one is allowed to enter their kingdom!" Katie exclaimed!
Aza became more excited with her mommy's excitement. She squealed in delight. It was adorable!
I imagined how happy the children of this world would be to learn about Santa Claus and get presents. I didn't want to make it as commercialized as it was on Earth, but we could focus on handmade gifts or books.
I remember reading that in Iceland, they have a tradition of exchanging books on Christmas Eve and drinking hot chocolate. That sounds like a perfect night to me! I told Katie about my ideas, and she loved them! We both love books and hot chocolate.
"I also want to start making puzzles in the print shop. We can do a couple of Christmas-themed puzzles. They would be beautiful!" I gushed to Katie.
She became even more excited, and we decided to start coloring a few designs to give to the printing press. "We should tell Abby, she's a better artist than I am," Katie suggested, and I nodded.
We spent the rest of the afternoon drawing. When Al came home with Adam, Katie explained what we were doing. Adam was excited to hear about the new stories. He instantly became a fan of Santa Claus and Christmas.
Al was also enthralled with our stories. He was basically a big kid, since he didn't get to have much of a childhood. He approved of our new stories and ideas. "You should have a play, but you might not be able to get it done in time. At least, we should be able to do the books and puzzles." Al suggested enthusiastically.
We took a break during dinner, but afterwards, Adam joined in the coloring. He was surprisingly good for his age.
I started to sing, "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas," by Clyde McPhatter and the Drifters. I told everyone else to sing the backup part. It was a fun family night. Everyone loved it!
Ooh, doop doop, doop doo doop Ooh, doop doop, doop doo doop
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones I used to know. Where those treetops glisten, and children listen, to hear sleigh bells in the snow, the snow.
Katie got into the song and started to sing the other backup parts. It was fun, and no one questioned her. Al already knew her background, and the kids were used to their mommy's behaviour. They were having too much fun to notice anything was amiss.
"We definitely have to do that song as part of the play. Maybe we can do a short Christmas musical this year, and add to it next year when we have more time to prepare." Katie added excitedly.
I agreed, and we all cheered excitedly. This was going to be an amazing Christmas!