1910s: A wedding, Christmas and seeing old friends

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Christmas week is both heaven and bitter sweet for Abigail this year. She loves having her daughters at home, hearing their chatter throughout the house and seeing them connect to each other again. Yet she knows that this is just temporary and that she will soon loose them to the world again. 

Josephine is getting married and moving away after new years, and Anna and Alice will both be heading west again even before that. So Abigail sets out to make the most of this rare privilege, and throws herself head first into the celebrations. 

First, on Christmas Eve, it's Josephine's wedding. While Abigail might have a thought to two (or three) about the hemline, she cannot deny that her daughter looks very stylish in her modern wedding dress as she walks down the isle. Josephine and Nash seems almost shy to each other, but then they haven't had any time together since his return after the war. Abigail cannot help but to shed a tear as they say their vows, and laugh as Nash takes a spousal kiss way too far for a proper church wedding.


The reception is back at Joseph and Abigail's house, and Dolly has outdone herself with the cake. Josephine is visibly moved as she and Nash cuts the cake. All in all it's a very successful reception, and Nash and Josephine are both tired when it's time for them to be alone together as husband and wife for the first time. Josephine feels shy, but Nash has no hesitations on what to do.


Dolly, on the other hand, spends most of the night cleaning up before she can go to bed. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and the family is once more invading (Dolly's words) the house. So much to do, not enough hours in a day to do it. She's exhausted by the time she falls into bed.


Abigail isn't the only one who is happy about having the girls in the house. After a shy beginning William has come to realise that a sister might just be fun to have around. At least a brave, active one, who goes into wars and have no problems building snowmen or playing monster at the playground. Anna is so much more fun than any other adult woman William knows. He wishes she would stay, but think her plan to explore the jungle is so, so exciting.


As Christmas Day progress, the house is filled with people once more. Abigail has taken Dolly's work load into consideration and made the turkey together with Josephine and after dinner the entire family relaxes and just spend time together. The kids find their way into the attic to play, and the adults talk about everything that is going on and Alice entertain them with a story before Father Winter comes. 


The next morning, Alice heads off for a visit she has been longing for: seeing Betty and George. They meet up outside their building, and then goes up to their apartment where they spend the next few hours catching up. Their twin girls are adorable, and so very different. While Dorothy is constantly demanding her parents' attention, her sister walks off to play on her own. Anna hardly sees her while she is there. She is glad to see that her friends seem happy with their little family and that they like their apartment in downtown Newcrest. It's becoming quite the buzzling city.


Boxing day ends with the traditional dinner at Frank's and Emily's. To her great relief, Emily has managed to cook an acceptable meal (if not a good one), and everyone seems happy to be there. Still, with a newborn in the house, she is a little bit relieved when everyone leaves again.

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