They would sit around the tree and open presents

Judy wore the special robe every Christmas day. It was a tradition, and the day wasn’t off to a good start until she had put it on and cooked a huge meal of bacon and pancakes. After breakfast they would sit around the tree and open presents. Jim still believed Judy wore it because she loved it so much, and because he was still clueless about just how ugly the robe was, every year he tried to find something equally as horrid to give her. Judy always saved his present for last. Charity didn’t know if it was because her mother was trying to put off the awful surprise for as long as possible or if it was because she was saving the best present for last.

The Christmas holidays were Judy’s favorite time of the year. She always went all out to see that everything was just perfect for her family. Every room in the house was always decorated to the hilt and each meal was planned down to the last taste and nibble. Because her mother loved it so much and went out of her way to make it special for them, Charity had always looked forward to it too. This was the one time she wished it would all just go away. Maybe next year things would be brighter and she would be able to look forward to it again.

Excerpt from Concealed in My Heart by Regina Puckett

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