Kelsey's Christmas - Part 6

Here's the next to last part of Kelsey's Christmas. Enjoy!

    Cookies and hot chocolate that late were a novelty for the younger McKenzie girls, and they sat at the table with their half-filled mugs, cookies, and sparkling eyes. From the corner of the room, Kelsey watched in silence, sipping her hot drink and savoring the flavor of her Christmas cookie. Mike, Wally, and Lauren stood near the door talking, while Mrs. Wittenmyer sat at the table with the younger ones telling them something amusing, for their giggles erupted now and then. Lottie and Zoe were walking about the large kitchen talking. At last Zoe left Lottie at the table and hurried over to Kelsey.
    “What are you planning?” she whispered.
    “Planning?” Kelsey echoed, confusion in her voice.
    “You have an idea for something; I saw the look on your face while we were singing to Grandma. And now you’re off by yourself with that look still there.”
    “What look?”
    “Oh, come on, Kels, just tell me,” begged Zoe. “I know it’ll be fun.”
    After chewing the last bite of her cookie and cupping her hands around her warm mug, Kelsey gave in. “It really wasn’t much, and I don’t know if we could do it since it’s so close to Christmas and all, but I thought it would be fun to go caroling–”
    A squeal from Zoe interrupted every conversation in the kitchen, and all eyes turned toward the two girls. Kelsey felt her face grow hot and wished she’d kept her mouth shut. But it was too late for that now. Zoe fairly quivered with excitement, and the hot chocolate in her mug would have splashed over the edges if there had been more of it.
    “When can we do it, Kels?” Zoe asked, completely oblivious that everyone was now watching and listening. “Where would we go? Oh, wouldn’t it be fun if we could dress up? You know, like they have pictures of on the old Christmas cards and things. Kelsey, you have the best ideas!”
    “What idea?” Wally asked.
    Zoe whirled around. “She suggested we go caroling! Oh, Wally, doesn’t that sound just grand?”
    “Tonight?”
    “No, of course not.” Zoe turned back around. “Kels, when did you say we were going to do this?”
    “I didn’t.” Kelsey wasn’t sure if she should laugh or cry. Zoe seemed to take it for granted that everything was settled. Looking across the room, Kelsey caught Lauren’s eye with a look that pleaded for help.
    “Zoe,” Lauren said, answering the silent plea, a smile on her face, “why don’t we all think about it and then get together to see if it will even work out. There isn’t much time left before Christmas, you know.”
    Then, before Zoe could do more than nod, Mike added, “And we really should be going. Mr. McKenzie doesn’t want the younger ones out late, and it’s already getting on towards that now. Thank you, Mrs. Wittenmyer, for your hospitality.”
    The girls echoed their thanks, Wally brought in the coats, and soon everyone was bundled up again for the ride home.
    It seemed colder to Kelsey than it had been before, as Mike offered his hand to help her up into the back of the truck. “I think the caroling is a great idea, Kels,” he whispered, “but don’t talk it over on the way home or Zoe and Lottie might get carried away.”
    Nodding, Kelsey settled herself in the hay between Shannon and Belle and made sure the blankets were wrapped warmly around them. The last thing she wanted was for her little idea to get out of hand. She gave an inward sigh when Lottie and Zoe, seated next to each other, commenced talking adamantly. Though she couldn’t hear everything they were saying, she caught enough to know that her idea was undergoing massive planning and being turned into a production.
    A hand touched her shoulder, and turning, she saw Wally had changed his seat and was now on the other side of Belle.
    “Don’t worry,” he said quietly, “I’ll try to calm Zoe down on the way home. Right now she’s too excited about the idea.”
    “Thanks.”

    Upon reaching the McKenzie house, it was discovered that the youngest girls had fallen asleep. Shannon was partly roused enough to stumbled to the back of the truck and into Mike’s arms so he could carry her inside. But Belle slept on, so Wally picked her up and said, “I’ll take her in, Kelsey. No use waiting for Mike to return.”

*

    Up in their room that night, Lauren, Lottie, Marie, and Kelsey talked over the idea of caroling. Lottie was eager to find or make outfits from Dickens, but Lauren and Kelsey vetoed that idea.
    “Lott, I wanted to make this a blessing to others, not a production,” Kelsey said, staring up in the dark at the bottom of Lottie’s bunk. “Can’t we just put on our coats and walk to the old folks’ home and sing for them? And maybe go to a few other houses, like Miss Olive’s?”
    “But we’d probably get more people to join us if we were going to the larger houses,” Lottie said.
    Marie’s soft voice came from the other top bunk. “I don’t want to go if there are going to be lots of people. Can’t it just be us and Mike, and Zoe and Wally?”
    “I think that would be good, Mair,” Lauren agreed, adding before Lottie could say anything, “It would be easier to plan and might actually happen, Lott.”
    A long silence fell on the room before Lottie said, “I guess you’re right. But I don’t know if Zoe will like it.”
    Lauren gave a soft laugh. “Leave Zoe to Wally. Mike and I talked the idea over on the way home, and then Mike talked a few minutes with Wally before they left.”
    “He did promise me he’d try to get her calmed down,” Kelsey whispered. “But I’m too tired to talk about this any more. Good night.”

Would you be more like Zoe and Lottie?

Or like Marie?

Or perhaps like Lauren and Kelsey?