(no subject)
The pie maker had more than a few reasons to dislike any holiday he chose to, and many of them were understandable, if he felt he had to explain himself. Christmas always fell in a sort of gray area when it came to that. It was hard not to be instilled with at least a hollow sense of cheer when everyone seemed to be so bright and happy about the holiday season, but it never completely rid him of his loneliness, either.
He and Digby spent nineteen Christmases on their own; nothing was really going to fix that. Not even Chuck, though her infectious cheer for everything around her once the snow turned did enough to make Ned forget he had reservations in the first place. Chuck would have more than enough holiday spirit to make up for the inevitable times Ned couldn't feel it at all.
He'd avoided being in the compound longer than he strictly had to at first, but the festive air, the music filtering in through the rec room and Chuck's inability to keep herself from overflowing with excitement made their breakfast preparation go by easily. Ned hardly remembered there was anything to be annoyed or discouraged about as they cooked - which, truthfully, was always the case around Chuck - and by the time people began to trickle in for breakfast, he was practically cheerful all on his own.
Twenty years didn't just erase themselves overnight but being happy for something other than Chuck being in his life was something Ned was slowly but surely working on. He'd get there eventually.
[Happy Saturday morning breakfast! Standard breakfast - pancakes, toast, coffee, etc - is out.]
He and Digby spent nineteen Christmases on their own; nothing was really going to fix that. Not even Chuck, though her infectious cheer for everything around her once the snow turned did enough to make Ned forget he had reservations in the first place. Chuck would have more than enough holiday spirit to make up for the inevitable times Ned couldn't feel it at all.
He'd avoided being in the compound longer than he strictly had to at first, but the festive air, the music filtering in through the rec room and Chuck's inability to keep herself from overflowing with excitement made their breakfast preparation go by easily. Ned hardly remembered there was anything to be annoyed or discouraged about as they cooked - which, truthfully, was always the case around Chuck - and by the time people began to trickle in for breakfast, he was practically cheerful all on his own.
Twenty years didn't just erase themselves overnight but being happy for something other than Chuck being in his life was something Ned was slowly but surely working on. He'd get there eventually.
[Happy Saturday morning breakfast! Standard breakfast - pancakes, toast, coffee, etc - is out.]