Secret Santa’s stone

An unexpected gift from a secret santa had arrived, and only one person knew how it had gotten there. It was the weekend before Christmas and as usual the family tradition was that everyone gathered in the home of George and Hettie Ivory. Sons, daughter, grandchildren, cousins and sometimes the next door neighbour with their seven children. Hettie would spend the three days before preparing hams, checking her home made pickles and producing several trifles. Some contained Sherry for the adults and a less alcoholic one for the kids, although they never forgot the year when she had helped herself to a sherry while cooking got the trifles mixed up and the kids ended up slightly tipsy.

The tradition was that everyone had to arrive at twelve noon, and all had to bring food for the buffet. Normally it was the neighbours that arrived first. They always made a cake and provided the sausage rolls.

Hettie loved her day from the moment she woke up, only this year it was different. Her only daughter had gotten married in the autumn and, for the first time, she wasn't there to help her mother. Shaking off the longing, she got up, washed and dressed in her sparkly top and a pleated skirt. Making sure to put on her christmas pinafore to protect her best clothes.