It was Black Friday morning. I had gotten up early than usual since I was restless.

I heard a loud car out front on the street and I went to peep out the window. I guess the neighbors had gotten the bug to do the whole Black Friday shopping. They were lugging in bags upon bags of stuff. And did I mention it wasn't even 7 o'clock yet?

I sat down on the loveseat that was by the window and kept peeking out. The neighbors I wasn't too familiar with but they had even a brand new TV they were lugging in. By 7, they were done. But, there the car went off again.

"What are you doing?" Andy asked chuckling.

I turned my head.

"Being nosy," I commented as I turned my body away from the window.

"What?" he asked chuckling.

"The neighbors I guess went Black Friday shopping and I wanted to see what they were bringing home. They snagged a big TV too," I told him.

He kept looking at me like I was crazy.

"And they did all this since you got up? Why are you up so early?" he asked as he came and sat down next to me.

I laughed.

"Yeah, you should have seen how full the Kmart bags were. And I couldn't sleep for whatever reason," I told him.

"Are you worried about something?" he asked as he realized he wanted coffee.

I waited to reply till he came back to the living room.

He walked back in with his cup of coffee.

"No nothing is bothering me. Well, I guess sort of stressed out cause a week from today Violet comes home," I commented.

"You shouldn't be stressed. Aren't you excited?" he asked me as he sat down next to me.

"I am excited but nervous," I told him.

In the back of my head, I also was worrying about Andy. He had filed chapter 7 bankruptcy a while ago. And I was also worried about Andy's departure in January to England. I believe in his comeback but with him gone this time and Violet home, things would be weird once more.

"Why don't we get ready and finish decorating the house for Christmas?" he suggested.

"Okay," was all I commented as I went to wash my coffee cup.

And so, we turned the focus to decorating the house. I was excited to finally get all the decor up despite the loom of worry hanging over my head. This would be the first Christmas without my brother as well. Things kept changing and my body wasn't used to keeping up with that much change. 

By 10, we had the boxes from the garage scattered in the house. I worked on the tables while Andy hung the stockings by the fire. Oh yes, we had that vintage Christmas feel in our house.

"If all things go well by next Christmas, do you think we'll be living in London?" I randomly asked Andy.

He paused and looked at me.

"I wouldn't expect you to give this up to move across the ocean," he told me.

"But I couldn't bear being that far away from you for a longer period than just the album sessions," I told him.

"We'll make it work somehow I promise you," he told me as we went back to decorating.

"I believe you," I told him as I went to find another box of the Christmas stuff. 

I had collected a ton of stuff in the last 10 years. Some of the stuff was my grandparents. 

"So what else did you have on the agenda for today?" I asked Andy who was concentrated on the side table by the recliner.

"Well here in a bit we should wash up and get lunch. Would you like to go out and get lunch instead?" Andy asked me.

"If you want to. Where did you have in mind?" I asked him.

"That chicken place your work catered. I want more of the salad," he commented.

I chuckled.

"That sounds perfect," I told him as I went to turn the tree on.

"It's hard to believe this is our second Christmas together," Andy randomly commented.

"I know right?" I remarked as I went to sit down for a spell.

"I hope we have a thousand more together," he remarked.

I sighed at his comment.

"Me too," I remarked.

A cozy afternoon decorating.