𝐺𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑚𝑎'𝑠 𝐶ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑚𝑎𝑠 𝐶𝑜𝑜𝑘𝑖𝑒𝑠

"Crap!" Maggie yelled. 

"What's wrong honey?" Tripp asked in concern. "Did you burn yourself?"

"No. I'm just frustrated. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I want these cookies to be great when everyone comes for Christmas dinner, but I can't seem to get it right." She threw her oven mitts down on the counter and with one hand on her hip, she rubbed her head with the other. "My gramma made these cookies every year. I thought I knew her exact recipe. I just don't know what I'm doing wrong."

Tripp walked to her and grabbed her in his arms with a big strong hug. He looked down into her blue eyes. "It will be okay honey. You will get it before everyone gets here. We still have two days. Let's take a break." He turned from her, grabbing her by the hand and leading her to the sofa. He sat and patted the seat next to him. "Let's sit and relax a bit. Everything has been so stressful with trying to get everything done in such a short amount of time. Besides, the kids will be in soon. We will have to get their rooms ready."

"I know. I'm so excited to see them again. We haven't seen them since last Christmas." Maggie said with sheer excitement. "I can't wait to see them."

"Why don't we watch a movie honey?" Tripp said squeezing her tight with a quick peck on the cheek. 

"Sounds good." She said leaning her head on his shoulder. 

"I'll just grab the remote and we will see what we find."

Flipping through the channels, he started to chuckle.

"What's so funny?"

"Some of the names of these movies. I just can't see myself watching some of these just from their titles." He chuckled again.

"Like what?" Maggie sat up straighter. 

"Relax honey. I will tell you some of them. Like, 'Tis the season to be Holly'. Like, is it about a girl named Holly? And then there's 'My Marry Santa'. Is that Santa getting Married? And this one." He let out a big belly laugh. "'My Very Vampire Christmas'. I mean really?"

Maggie laughed as she grabbed the remote from him. "That's why you see what's on the Hallmark Channel dork." She lightly pinched him on the side. "See. This looks good.'

"It's called the Good Witch honey. Now that's gotta be better than Christmas Vampires?"

Maggie laughed. "It's a good one. Trust me." She laughed as she snuggled into him.

He wrapped his arm around her. "Ok. We will watch this." He pulled her closer. Her head was on his chest. "Just relax and we will begin again after we sit and de-stress a bit." He looked down at her. 

She looked up, into his big green eyes and pulled a bit of his long black hair from his face. "I love you." She whispered. 

They sat and watched the movie. She tried to focus, but she had so many ideas as to why the cookies weren't right. That's all she could think about.  

------

"Honey," Tripp whispered. "Honey, wake up," he whispered again. Standing and putting the phone to his ear, he said, "She will have to call you back Zay. She seems to be sleeping good and I don't want to wake her. She's been so stressed, planning for you and Chloe coming in. I will have her call you later. Ok. Love you too. Bye-bye." He put the phone down. He couldn't help but look at his beautiful wife and smile. "What did she ever see in me." He thought. "I'm the luckiest man in the world."

He went upstairs for a moment and came right back down. He gently picked her up, she immediately leaned into him, her head on his chest, and he took her upstairs. He laid her in the bed and covered her up. He leaned and kissed her on the forehead. "I love you, baby." He said softly. "Sweet dreams." He laid beside her and just drifted to sleep also.

-----

"Oh. I'm having so much trouble. Tripp! The kids will be here in an hour and these cookies still aren't right!" She yelled. "Please help me!"

Tripp ran in and the kitchen was a mess. There was flour everywhere. Eggs seemed to have made their way to the floor and the milk was turned over. "Oh my gosh!" He yelled. "The oven is on fire! I'll get the fire extinguisher." 

Running back quickly, he flung the oven door open quickly and put out the fire. 

Maggie slipped down to the floor. "This is such a disaster. It seems I can't get anything right this year." Tears started running down her face. 

Tripp leaned down and with his fingers, he pulled her chin up so she was looking at him. "It will be ok baby. As long as we are all together. It will be fine."

"But I didn't want fine!" She said. "I want it to be perfect." She sobbed. "I'm going to take a shower and get a nap. Tell me when the kids get here." She held her head down.

Tripp was worried. He followed her up and helped her get cleaned up. He led her to their bed and covered her up. "I love you, baby." He said leaning down to kiss her forehead.

-----

"Momma?" Maggie said. "When will gramma make her cookies?"

"Later sweetie, why?" Her mom asked.

"Because I want to make them with her. I want to learn." Maggie said.

"I will make the cookies and you can eat them," Gramma said as she pinched Maggie's cheek. "I will always have the recipe ready for you when I can no longer make them." Gramma smiled at her. "I will also let you clean the bowl."

"Yay! I can have some cookie dough." Maggie cheered.

As Maggie sat there later, scraping the bowl for the dough, Gramma winked at her. "Mmm. This is so good Gramma. Your cookies are the best!"

"Why thank you, dear!"

"I love you Gramma," Maggie hugged her gramma.

-------

"Tripp! The kids will be here soon. Help an old woman get up." Maggie said. 

"They're bringing cookies." Tripp winked at her as he helped her up.

"I know." Maggie looked sad for a moment. "I wish I could have figured out what I had done wrong with my Gramma's cookies."

"It's ok honey! As long as we are together, it will be great. And we get to see the grandkids. I'm excited. I have a $5 bill for each of them." He chuckled.

"Oh, you devil." Maggie smiled at him. 

There was a knock on the door.

"Let me get it," Tripp said.

He walked to the door and opened it. There were two kids about 7and 9 standing in the door. "Hi, Grandpa!" They yelled as they lunged at Tripp.

"Well hi there kiddos. Who are you?"

He chuckled. 

"Grandpa. You know who we are. I'm Jason and she's Tanya." They laughed.

"Trying to pull a big one over on the kid's dad?" Zay said as he walked through the door.

"As always." Chloe laughed. "Hi, mom," Chloe said to Maggie. "Hope we aren't too early." 

Maggie hugged her. "What did my son do to deserve you?" She kissed Chloe on the cheek. 

"You ask that every year." Chloe laughed. They all shuffled into the living room.

"Hey. Are you ok mom?" Zay asked. 

Maggie was holding her head. "Crap! These cookies won't turn out right every time!" 

"What mom?" Zay said as everyone faded.

"Maggie, child. Come over here."

"Gramma? What? How?" Maggie said in shock. 

"Just come here, child. Didn't I tell you, I would always be here if you need me?" Gramma hugged Maggie. 

"Yes Gramma, you did."

"So what seems to be the problem dear?" 

"I can't seem to get the cookies right." 

She sadly said. 

"Well, do you have all the ingredients, flour, sugar?" Gramma went down the list.

"Yea I have all of that and I don't know what I'm doing wrong."

"And you're following the recipe?" Gramma asked.

"Yes. To the T from what I can remember."

"Why didn't you use the recipe in the box dear?" Gramma asked.

"Because I never found it in there."

"Look under the lid of the box, there's a tiny hook to pull and it falls open. When you find it look on the back of the recipe dear? The final ingredient you are missing is there"

"What? The back?" Maggie said surprised.

"Well don't you think you should find it, dear?"

-------

Maggie woke with a start. Wow, what a bunch of strange dreams. 

"Hey, honey!" Tripp said as he walked into the room. "I thought you were going to sleep through Christmas!"

He chuckled.

"Sleep? Why was I asleep? How did I get in the bed?" She asked kind of shocked.

"You fell asleep during the movie you chose. It was actually a movie marathon." He chuckled. "But a good movie series. I'm sure better than Christmas Vampires." He laughed. 

"You watched them?" She asked.

"Well, I took a nap with you. When I woke, I decided to let you sleep."

"I need to get things ready. The kids will be here in a couple of days."

"Tomorrow."

"What?" Maggie asked caught off guard.

"The kids will be here tomorrow. You fell asleep at around 5:00 and you slept all night. Baby, you were tired and needed your sleep. I can help where you need me to." 

"I love you, but I got this. I know how to get the cookies right." 

"You do? How?"

"Just come with me." Maggie grabbed his hand and lead him to the kitchen. She grabbed Gramma's recipe box and opened it. Under the lid, there was indeed a tiny hook. She pulled it and a very old recipe fell out.

"Omg honey, here it is. Her cookie recipe." 

She took out the cookie recipe and turned it over. Tripp looked over her shoulder.

"My dearest Maggie. These were always your favorite. I wanted you to know just how to make them. But I knew. you would have trouble. The last part of the instructions are as follows.

Relax, everything will fall in its place.

Take a deep breath. No need to stress yourself. And the final ingredient is:

Love. Make sure the ones you cook for are the ones you love. I love you, dear. 

Gramma."

"But, how did you know?" Tripp asked.

"She was trying to make me see this whole time. I am loved, but I was stressed so much that I didn't see it. No matter what I was doing, I couldn't look past the stress of the season. Everyone stresses and we have to relax and take a deep breath. This is the season we get to really spend with those we love.

When I fell asleep, I had a series of dreams about Gramma making these cookies. She was always loving. Then there was a day we were old and I still didn't know how to make them. The whole time I should have heard you and the kids. I love you all so much."

Maggie and Tripp looked up from the recipe card. 

"I love you, dear."

"Whoa. It's your Gramma, well, sorta. Your Gramma's spirit I guess."

"It's me. Before I go, the kids will be early and your cookies are done. I love you, dear." Gramma smiled and in a poof was gone.

"But I… I didn't even start them."

"No. She did." Tripp said looking where Gramma had been as the kids filed into the house.

"Merry Christmas Mom and dad!" They said. They all sat around and had the best Christmas ever, cookies and all.