Author's Notes:

'Natalie's Christmas' is my entry for the Winter Holidays Contest 2017. As per contest rules, this was written to be a standalone story. That said, chronologically, Valentine's come before Christmas Cards. Just sayin'. Just putting that out there, ya know? Got it? Good!

Sometimes the greatest gift, is acceptance.

All characters engaging in sexual relationships or activities are 18 years old or older.

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Natalie's Christmas

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There are some people who say, at least once in their life, everyone should experience Christmas in New York City to see it done right.

There are others who say you have to get away from the commercialism, glitter and flash of such a large city and travel to the snowy, small rural towns to witness a simpler celebration of the true traditional values of Christmas.

For Natalie Renaud, who 'survived' growing up in a small rural town and 'escaped' to New York City, she knew which one she preferred. Especially now that she had someone to appreciate the Big Apple's Christmas blitz with!

Not only was the twenty five year old blessed with living in the biggest city in the country, she had an awesome job working as the chief Web Designer and Graphic Designer for one of the country's boldest and strongest voices in the fashion industry, Audacious! She loved her job!

With her 5' 1" height and curvy-but-slightly-top-heavy figure, she couldn't exactly compete with the svelte models who hung out at the office for shoots and public relations events. Not that she wasn't pretty. She'd been told she was but her own opinion ranked her at 'cute' in a girl-next-door kind of way. She had thick auburn hair which fell in waves to her shoulders. Her naturally long lashes and pale green eyes were hidden behind serious but attractive dark framed glasses perched on a nose with a slight upturn at the end. Cute... maybe pretty but not gorgeous like someone very special to her.

In her role as designer, she worked very closely with the company's president, Sonja Hellström, a 5' 10" former runway model turned business entrepreneur. Now, she gave the models in the office a run for their money. She had toned and trim muscles, startlingly blue and intense eyes, fine symmetrical features, and short cropped, tousled white blonde hair. Early on in her modelling career she quickly grew dissatisfied with just wearing the latest trends, so she started her own publication and now set them.

Her undeniable will was a force to be reckoned with! She'd crushed those foolish enough to underestimate her business savvy and those who judged her solely based on her intense beauty.

She ran a highly efficient and effective business and Natalie was thrilled to be on her team and to be treated as a critical component of it.

Their personal relationship began on Valentine's Day, earlier that year. The day Sonja signed divorce papers to eject a bitter man from her life, and the day she learned how to truly love.

Natalie learned important things about herself that day as well. Most important of them was how much she loved the quiet and private Swede. Until that day she had no clue she could find love in the arms of another woman. What made it special was Sonja discovered the same for herself.

They didn't flaunt their relationship at work. There, they maintained their professionalism as both loved their work and could easily get lost in it. They actually worked to help each other find a better work / life balance. Everyone could see their respect and admiration for each other but they refrained from any overt displays of over familiarity.

Resisting her need to touch the woman she loved took more effort for Natalie as she was far more physically demonstrative than Sonja, who was by nature more reserved. The other staff had taken to calling her the 'Ice Queen'.

Behind her back, of course.

At home, which was now Sonja's Manhattan condo, they freely expressed their love for each other in many ways, frequently. In public, they linked arms or held hands when they went for walks in the park or when shopping. They fed each other bites from their meals at restaurants and used other subtle ways of being affectionate.

Sonja was in no way ashamed of her relationship with Natalie. Quite the opposite in fact. It was just that she hadn't grown up in an environment where kissing, hugging, and other physical displays of affection were done freely or in public. Natalie thought that was sad but for Sonja it just was what it was.

The news that they were in a relationship eventually surfaced at work. While New York City is very large, the staff of Audacious! frequented the same shopping districts, parks, and theaters that Sonja and Natalie went to. Evidence of sightings was traded in the office halls and at the water coolers until the pool of information formed an unmistakable conclusion they were with each other almost constantly. In fact, the time while they worked their separate tasks at the office appeared to be the only time they spent apart.

Linda, Natalie's friend and one of the office receptionist confronted her with the news when she heard. The equally petite, raven haired woman was upset that Natalie hadn't taken her into her confidence. She was also upset that Natalie hadn't looked to her as a partner. This surprised Natalie as she'd heard Linda's stories of conquests and none of them had been female. Linda confessed 'Bobby', 'Daryl', and 'Charlie' had been women. She was only somewhat mollified when Natalie confessed she hadn't known she was interested in women until Sonja. Linda finally admitted that she'd been trying to work up the nerve to cross the friendship boundary with her and now it was too late.

A week later Natalie learned that Linda had left the company. She felt blue about that for some time.

The most significant event where their relationship came into play at the office was an unfortunate incident during an executive meeting. The VP in charge of Infrastructure announced he wanted to replace a series of content servers with a new virtualized server rack from a major tech provider.

Natalie asked him some pointed questions on the virtualized system's performance under loads and the man admitted there could be some lag. Natalie explained that the website's performance had been tuned and optimized to the existing servers and it met and exceeded their current needs.

The man wasn't happy that a mere web designer was dictating the direction of the technology in the company. He muttered who he had to fuck to get to run his department his way considering the lesbians running the show.

The room went silent and less than thirty minutes later security escorted the man from the building with a box of his personal items.

The following day Sonja called another exec meeting and started with a request for a show of hands, without fear of retribution, of anyone who had any concerns, no matter how small, that her relationship with Natalie might negatively affect how the company was run.

When no one raised their hands she proceeded to point out each exec for their area of expertise. She indicated that she relied on each and every member of the exec team to manage their areas. She then mentioned that every exec was also expected to speak up if decisions in another department affected theirs in a negative way. Which was what happened the day before. The tech solution presented would have had a detrimental impact on the customer experience on the site. An established corporate mandate clearly indicated that maintaining a positive customer experience was a priority.

She faced the silent group as that sank in. She then concluded that her company had always had a clear and stated policy against the negative and intolerant behavior they'd witnessed the day before. She said they'd all now seen it enacted and enforced at the executive level. She asked that they pass that message to all staff.

Since that day, Natalie was unaware of any other situations where her relationship with the president became an issue for the others. Granted, she wasn't part of the crowd that shared gossip. She'd always found it distasteful to speculate on the relationships and struggles others were going through.

So she resigned herself to remaining somewhat isolated from the others as the benefits she was drawing from being in love with Sonja far outweighed the minor stiffness she occasionally encountered in the others. Once she realized that Sonja received the same deference only stronger, she found hers easier to accept.

She was so looking forward to their first Christmas together as a couple!

-=-

As the holidays began on a Monday this year, Audacious! would be operating with only a skeleton staff over the two weeks which included the Christmas, Boxing Day, and New Year's Day statutory holidays. Those who worked the non-stats would get a bonus for manning the fort.

Sonja promised Natalie that she was going to plan something unique and special for both of them. The brunette was practically tingling with anticipation. Only two more work days before this surprise would happen!

Natalie was making breakfast as she looked out the condo's floor to ceiling windows at the falling snow. This was so much nicer than her dumpy little apartment had been. She'd only packed her clothes and personal items when she moved in as she had nothing that would have improved the condo in any way.

She hummed to herself with a sweet smile on her lips as she thought of Sonja who would be getting up any minute.

She began to hear music, faint at first, and was surprised to realize it was the song she was humming. It became louder and she looked up to see Sonja walking quickly towards her holding up Natalie's cell phone. Her eyes widened in surprise as she moved the frying pan from the burner. She took the phone and saw it said 'Mom' on the screen. Immediately concerned, she answered.

"Mom?"

"Oh good, I reached you!" the woman's voice said in relief. "Did I wake you?"

"No, I was making breakfast. What's wrong?" she asked nervously. She'd picked up the tension in her mom's voice. Sonja watched her with concern on her face as well.

There was a pause then a sigh. "It's Grandma Jane. She's in the hospital. It came on very suddenly and we're told she doesn't have long. She's asking for you. I know you're busy with your career and all but can you get some time off to come see her off?" The way her mother said 'career' made her disapproval clear.

"Ha-hang on a sec." She held the phone against her chest to look into Sonja's worried eyes. "My grandma is in the hospital. She's asking for me. She's dying. I- I need to go to her."

Sonja just nodded and touched her hand. Natalie almost lost control over her emotions but she took a deep breath and gave Sonja a shaky smile. She brought the phone back to her ear.

"Ok, I've arranged to get time off. I'll be there as quickly as I can. I'll leave first thing." she said into the phone.

There was another pause. "Who were you talking to?" her mother asked sharply. "Are- are you sleeping with your boss!" she hissed.

Shaken by the news of her Grandma and the surprising accuracy of her mother's deduction, Natalie wasn't prepared to talk about it. She held the phone out to stare at it then pressed the End button, cutting her mother off mid-screech.

"Are you ok?" Sonja asked gently.

Now the tears began.

-=-

Natalie sat back against the cushioned seat in first class as her eyes took in... everything. Flying was a new experience for her and she was being spoiled for her first time. She still couldn't get over how quickly they'd managed to book flights, pack, and get to the airport and onto a plane! Her head was spinning with how quickly they moved but this was life in the world of Sonja Hellström!

She turned her head to smile nervously at the beauty who was enjoying her reactions. The CEO was a veteran traveler so seeing it through fresh eyes was, based on her amused smile, quite entertaining.

"Sorry for acting like such a bumpkin but I've never done this before!" Natalie gushed quietly.

"No need to apologize! I've become so jaded to air travel, it's nice to see you appreciate what I now take for granted." Sonja said as she patted her hand.

The plane moved and Natalie gripped Sonja's hand in hers.

"A little looser please," Sonja asked and Natalie released her Kung Fu grip.

"Sorry!" Natalie squeaked as the plane was pushed back from the gate.

Sonja looked at the younger woman and saw the whites of her eyes were showing. She sighed with a gentle smile. "Tell me about Grandma Jane."

Natalie immediately smiled warmly as the image of her grandmother came to her mind. "She's my Dad's mom. My grandparent's on my Mom's side passed away when I was little as did Grandpa Joe." Natalie ran her thumb over the back of Sonja's hand. "She's a lot like you in that she has a strong will and a sharp mind. Even at a hundred years old she's incredibly sharp." A twinge of sadness crossed her face as she realized she wouldn't have her in her life much longer. "She sends me long letters and they're full of her opinions on current issues and how she'd fix them. She has the ethics of someone born at the end of world war one but she acknowledges she may be a little out of date." A smile flashed across her lips. "She was the one who pushed me to take courses in web design and graphic design when I showed interest in them. She paid for my first computer and the courses. She pushed me to follow my dreams and to move to New York City. In return, I set her up with a tablet and taught her how to use it so she could keep current with what's happening in the world. I gave her an email account so she could get my emails but she refused to send them. She loves to write letters."

Natalie's eyes widened as a big hand pressed on her chest and the plane began to rumble and shake. She looked over to the window and saw the ground racing by. Then after it seemed like they were just going to keep accelerating along the ground the nose tipped upwards and the hand pressed her down in her seat. The ground dropped away and they were flying. She looked back at Sonja who was smiling happily at her. "We're in the air!" she gasped quietly. The blonde nodded with a grin. She leaned closer.

"I was born and grew up in Stockholm, Sweden. It's a large city and very beautiful. I visited many cities during my time as a model and ended up in New York. I have no experience with living in a small town. This will be the first time I've spent any time in one."

Natalie remembered how worried she was when Sonja announced she was joining her on the trip. That concern flared again. The town she grew up in wasn't... progressive in their thinking. They expected people and things to match preconceived notions and weren't tolerant of change or difference. In addition to this, no one there was as good looking as Sonja! She was going to shine like a diamond on a pile of coal. She gave her lover a worried look but got the raised eyebrow and steely stare of defiance in return so she held her tongue.

"Is there anyone you want to meet up with when you're there?" Sonja asked. "Friends? Old flames?"

Natalie gave her a scandalized look which made the blonde chuckle. "No. I had no 'old flames'. I wasn't attracted to anyone there. And I doubt the few people I did occasionally hang out with are still there. We all wanted to leave." She considered the idea and pushed it away. "No. I no longer have anything in common with them other than the past and that's no longer relevant."

There was a chime and Natalie looked up to see the seat belt light had been turned off. She turned a look of shock on Sonja. "You were distracting me!"

"Yes, and it worked like a charm!" Sonja smiled. "The flight to Chicago is two hours and we only have a thirty minute layover until the one hour flight to Cedar Rapids. I understand the drive to the hospital is another forty minutes so we should get there sometime between 1:30 and 2:00."

"This is much faster than I expected it would take to get there. When I went to New York I took the bus," Natalie confessed.

Sonja's eyebrows rose. "And what was that like?"

"Terrible! I never want to do that again!" Natalie moaned.

Sonja snorted. "You won't, traveling with me."

They settled back in their seats and enjoyed a free drink when the flight attendants passed by. Natalie sighed happily.

"So much better than the bus."

-=-

Sonja rented a four wheel drive when they arrived in Cedar Rapids as the weather looked like it was going to turn bad. The snow was beginning to fall and the winds were picking up. On top of this there was already a fair amount of snow on the ground from an early snow fall.

They pulled into the parking lot of the single story hospital and Natalie's heart leapt into her throat. She must have made a sound as Sonja glanced over at her with a concerned look. She guided the truck into a spot and turned off the engine. Then she reached over and took Natalie's hand in hers.

"I will be with you. Are you ready?" she asked.

Natalie sighed then nodded. She bundled herself into her coat and they pushed out into the storm. It was a short distance to the front door but she was grateful to get inside once more.

Sonja looked around and spotted the admissions desk and gently guided Natalie over to it.

A friendly woman smiled at them across the counter and became a little dazzled by Sonja's smile, ignoring the brunette who leaned forward.

"I'm Natalie Renaud. I'm here to see my grandmother Jane Renaud? She was checked in... yesterday?"

The woman tore her eyes from Sonja and looked to Natalie. "Ah, yes. Let me see." She looked to her screen and tapped a few keys. "Room 101. Down to the end of this hall and to the left."

"Thank you!" Natalie chirped and immediately set off down the corridor. For some reason the closer she got the more urgent it felt to get their quickly. Sonja stayed right beside her all the way.

When she found the room she went straight in. The first face she saw was her mother's. Older, tired, disappointed, and frustrated. She was standing at the foot of the bed, the same grey sweater she always wore around the house was wrapped around her plump body now. Black slacks. Low, faux fur trimmed winter boots.

She saw her sandy blonde hair had more streaks of grey in it than before.

"You arrived quicker than I expected. If it's this quick, why haven't you visited more?" she snipped.

"Hello to you too, mom. Can we not have an argument right now? Mom? Sonja Hellström. Sonja this is my mom, Janet Renaud." Natalie said as she turned her eyes to the old woman lying back against the pillows. There was a look of pain on her features and her hands on the sheets pulled up to her chest were trembling slightly. Her eyes were closed.

"Well, I'm glad you're here. You were the only one who could talk sense to Jane. Get her to agree to take the pain meds." Her mother turned to Sonja. "Sonja?" She glanced at her daughter.

"I'm Natalie's friend. We work together," Sonja explained and Janet relaxed.

"Ah, well..." She looked back to her daughter. "I have to speak to the nurse. If Jane wakes up while I'm out, please tell her to accept the pain meds."

With that and a final glance at Sonja's slim body, Janet rushed from the room.

The moment she was gone Jane opened one eye and Natalie squeaked in surprise.

"Is Janet gone?" Jane said in a whispery voice. Sonja couldn't hide her smile at the wily woman.

"Grandma Jane! I came as quickly as I could!" Natalie said with tears pooling in her lashes.

Jane's eyes opened and her face relaxed as she looked at her granddaughter. "I know you did sweet pea and I'm very grateful you did. It hurts so much but I'm holding on by the skin of my teeth here. I just couldn't go without saying goodbye."

Tears were running down Natalie's cheeks slowly. "If it hurts so much, you should take the pain meds!"

"Oh I intend to, once we've had our little talk. I won't have to hold on any more and the painkillers will help me drift away to whatever lies out there." She turned her eyes to Sonja who was watching the old woman in surprise. "Who is this?"

Natalie held out her hand and Sonja glanced at her then took it so she could be drawn closer.

"Grandma Jane. This is Sonja Hellström. She's the founder and CEO of Audacious!, the company I work for. She's the girlfriend I told you about in my emails," she said softly.

Sonja looked at Natalie in surprise then saw the satisfied look on the old woman's face.

"Natalie never lies to me. She never keeps secrets from me either. That's the key to trust. Integrity is crucial though it seems to be an old fashion idea these days." She studied Sonja with a critical eye. "Well, you're certainly beautiful and running your own company successfully takes smarts." She turned back to Natalie. "Is it love?"

Natalie nodded as tears continued to fall.

Sonja found herself nodding too as intense but old eyes turned back to her.

Jane seemed to finally relax. "Good! I prayed you'd find love one day. I won't begin to say I understand your relationship but I don't need to. If you feel it in your hearts for each other that's all that matters."

She turned her face to Natalie. "One last thing. It's all written in the will but I want you to promise me you'll go back to your parent's house today and take the tablet you gave me. I wrote something on it for you so you need to take it and the case it came in. Promise me you'll take the case and everything in it with you when you go back to New York City!"

Natalie nodded as she lifted the old woman's hand up to kiss it. "I love you, Grandma."

"I love you too, sweet pea." She shifted uncomfortably on the bed. "Can I ask you to go get the nurse? I'm ready to trip out." She frowned. "That's how it's said, isn't it?"

Natalie smiled and nodded as she couldn't speak.

"Go get the nurse. I'll be fine here with your pretty girlfriend. I promise not to steal her," Jane said whisper quiet.

Natalie sent a quick glance to Sonja then quickly walked from the room.

Jane watched her leave then looked back to Sonja. "That girl is a treasure. In the century I've been alive, she is my greatest achievement. My son? Pffft! His only contribution to the world is helping create her and her sisters." Old eyes held Sonja's. "He doesn't have a lick of sense or kindness. Be good to Natalie, please. She's got a gentle heart."

"I will," Sonja said with a lump in her throat.

Jane closed her eyes with a smile. "Good."

The room became quiet once more.

The nurse entered with a squeaky cart, followed by Janet and Natalie.

Jane's eyes opened again as she stared at the nurse. "This is the sound you bring to herald me out of this world? You needed the squeaky cart to carry one little bag of happy juice?"

The nurse looked embarrassed and pushed the cart back out into the hall as Jane rolled her eyes. They settled on Janet who was looking relieved that Jane had accepted the pain medication.

"Janet! Love and defend your daughters! Above all else!" Jane barked with a surprisingly strong voice.

Natalie's mom looked at her daughter with wide eyes then back to Jane before she nodded. Jane nodded back with a stern look on her face then she sagged against the pillows as pain shot through her.

"I think I've said enough, done enough, and tried enough. This hurts too much so I'm going to say goodbye for now and I'll see you on the other side. Ok?" Jane rasped with her eyes pinched shut.

Natalie rushed to her side and kissed her forehead. "I love you, Grandma Jane!"

Jane looked up at her with love in her eyes. "I love you too, sweet pea. Now, let the nice nurse lady ease my pain with the good stuff."

Natalie gave her a tremulous smile and stepped back as the nurse added the bag to her IV drip.

"This little wheel sets the speed of the drip for more or less considering your pain," the nurse explained.

"Yes, yes, give it to me!" Jane grumbled impatiently and took the control from her. "Thank you very much, you can go."

The nurse smiled awkwardly to the others and left the room as Jane opened the control all the way and closed her eyes.

Natalie moved to Sonja's side and Janet stopped at the foot of the bed. They watched Jane slowly relax as the medicine flowed into her veins.

"Ahhh... that is the good stuff..."

Minutes later, Jane just... slipped away. Natalie turned her face into Sonja's shoulder and held her tight, crying as the woman rubbed her back.

The blonde looked over to Janet who was watching them awkwardly.

"I'm her boss," Sonja said softly.

Janet's own words from earlier that morning suddenly came back to her. She stared at Sonja then looked to Jane and recalled her challenge.

Eventually, the hospital staff entered the room to turn off the monitors and begin preparations and the three women left the room to let the staff do their thing.

Natalie's tears were slowing so they moved to a seating area next to some tall windows.

Sonja and Natalie sat side by side and held hands as the younger woman dabbed at her eyes with a tissue.

"So... what are your plans now?" Janet asked timidly.

Natalie still couldn't speak so Sonja looked to the mother. "She promised your mother-in-law she would collect a letter to her from your home. She lived with you?"

Janet nodded. "Yes, she had a bedroom on the main floor at the back of the house. It overlooked the garden."

They looked outside and the storm was picking up.

"What are you driving?" Sonja asked.

"An old Corolla," Janet said nervously as she watched the snow accumulating.

Sonja shook her head. "I think you should come with us in the truck. It's a four wheel drive."

Janet went to the nurse's station and spent a little time signing papers as she had power of attorney.

Then they bundled up and rushed across the frigid parking lot to the truck.

Sonja got them on their way to the neighboring town where the family lived. The roads became increasingly treacherous as they went but she handled the truck with great skill. Natalie gave her a smile after they made it past a particularly treacherous section.

"Stop! That's Barb Gallagher! My neighbor!" Janet called out from the back seat as she peered out her side window.

Sonja carefully pulled over and put on her hazard lights as Janet hopped out of the truck. She went back to help her friend climb out of the ditch where her car had its nose buried in the deep stuff. Arm in arm, they made their way back to the truck and climbed in.

"Thank you so much for stopping!" Barb managed through chattering teeth.

Sonja just smiled and nodded over her shoulder as Natalie turned up the heat.

"Did these pretty ladies pull you out of the ditch as well, Janet?" Barb turned to her friend to ask.

Shaking her head, Janet gestured to the front passenger seat. "This is my daughter, Natalie. The driver is her boss and friend Sonja. We just came from the hospital. Jane passed on."

Barb's eyes went wide as she looked to her friend. "Oh God bless her soul!" She turned her face to Natalie. "You came to say goodbye? Were you in time?"

Natalie nodded with fresh tears in her lashes.

"Jane hung on until she arrived," Janet said with a little awe in her voice.

"Well that certainly sounds like the Jane I knew. Force of nature, that one," Barb snorted, drawing smiles from the others.

Sonja got them moving again and, driving carefully, they eventually made it to Natalie's small hometown.

Covered in fluffy white snow, it looked like a Winter Wonderland.

"Oh! It's lovely!" Sonja sighed.

Barb beamed a smile at her. "You should go for a walk in the neighborhoods when all the houses have their Christmas lights on! It's magical!"

"Unfortunately, we'll be heading back to Cedar Rapids after we drop mom off. We have a hotel reservation there," Natalie explained.

"I think, considering how the storm is getting worse, you might need to stay over tonight," Janet suggested. She shared a worried look with her daughter. Both had concerns about how the couple would be received.

"Definitely! You shouldn't think of going back out in this!" Barb gasped.

Janet gave directions to Barb's which was just a block from her house.

Barb thanked Sonja again profusely then got out and dashed up her snowy driveway to get inside.

They drove the last block to Natalie's family home and pulled the truck right up the driveway next to the house.

"It looks like your father isn't home. He might have been called in to drive a shipment up to Waterloo. He took a part time job to augment his pension," Janet said to Natalie with a hopeful look in her eyes.

Sonja and Natalie grabbed their suitcases and followed Janet up to the front door. It opened before they reached it and two identical faces stared at them with wide eyes.

Natalie was shocked! The twins had grown taller and were both so lovely! They had to be at least 5' 8" and her father's genes were obviously at work with their slim builds. They both wore their long sandy blonde hair to mid-back and both had their father's blue eyes as well.

"Move! It's cold out here!" Janet snapped at her daughters who scurried back to let the three women inside.

Natalie closed the door at the back of the group. She braced herself for the recriminations from her sisters for her lack of communication. When she left they were just fifteen and harsh words were said on all sides. In her emails to Grandma Jane, she'd asked about them and in the letters back was told they were doing well.

But they hadn't spoken since that day.

Nervously, she turned and faced the twins again. Suddenly, they were hugging her and crying about how sorry they were. She hugged them too and cried until they were all a teary mess. They were also crying because of the loss of Grandma Jane. Apparently, the twins were very fond of her as well.

Janet moved forward and wrapped her arms around her daughters with tears in her own eyes. The girls clung to her as well.

When they finally got control of themselves again the twins turned their curious eyes on the tall beauty watching them all with a sweet smile on her lips.

Filled with joy, Natalie stepped forward and took Sonja's hands in hers and turned to face her family.

"I'd like to introduce you to Sonja Hellström. She's the CEO of Audacious!, the company I'm the Web Designer and Graphic Designer for. She's also... my girlfriend."

The twins squeaked in shock then smiled excitedly as their mother's awkwardness came back.

"This is Abby," Natalie said gesturing to the sister on the left. "And this is Zoe."

"We love Audacious!" they cheered and moved forward to shake Sonia's hand.

"Grandma Jane kept us up-to-date on what was going on in your life from the emails you sent to her," Abby confessed.

"She read my emails to you?" Natalie asked in shock.

"No! She just told us how you were doing," Zoe explained.

"She told us you were in love!" Abby grinned excitedly.

"We had no idea it was with Ms. Hellström!" Zoe giggled, equally excited.

Natalie's face was glowing so Sonja gave her a little hug and she smiled shyly up at her.

"You said something about a letter you had to collect?" Janet blurted to change the topic. Her body language showed her discomfort at witnessing their love for each other. The twin's faces immediately began to show their annoyance but Natalie reached out to touch their arms. She shook her head gently.

"I'm sorry, Mom. I can see this is making you uncomfortable. We'll tone it down." Sonja nodded as well.

Janet smiled gratefully but looked embarrassed as well. "No, I'm sorry, Natalie. You shouldn't have to. I understand I'm the one who needs to get over it. I'm afraid my mind just isn't as young and flexible as the twins' are... or as strong as Jane's was. I'm trying."

Natalie stepped forward and hugged her mom. "The fact that you're trying is all that matters! It makes me love you that much more!"

The mom smiled as she hugged her daughter in return with a happy smile.

Natalie stepped back from her mom and nodded. "Grandma Jane said she'd written me a letter on her tablet. Where would I find it?"

Janet gestured down the hall. "It'll be in her room."

They took their boots off and Natalie walked to the back room and let herself in.

The gentle scent of her grandmother's perfume came to her as she stepped into the warm and inviting room. It was decorated to reflect a bygone era but Natalie's eyes soaked it all in as every piece of furniture and every little knickknack and framed photo brought her such loving memories.

Its bold red color and modern esthetic made it stand out in a room of antiques, so she easily spotted the tablet case on the surface of her grandmother's writing desk. The case was bulging badly so she unzipped it to peer inside. She saw the AC adapter and cable had been stuffed inside with the tablet.

She zipped it closed once more as she suddenly couldn't bear the thought of reading her grandmother's final letter. Not now. It was too soon.

She felt the woman's presence all around her and it filled her with intense joy and sadness. She stood, holding the tablet case tightly against her chest as she walked from the room and slowly closed the door behind her.

She made her way back to the hall and stuffed the case into her suitcase.

She found the others sitting in the living room, talking. The Christmas tree was up and was loaded with all of the familiar decorations. It looked the same as it did all through her childhood. Her father was too cheap to buy an artificial tree. The size and shape of the real tree varied each year but the same lights and old ornaments were placed on the tree year after year as if it was a tradition that had to be preserved at all costs. Some of the ornaments were looking pretty worn but they were still there.

The mantelpiece had stockings hanging from it and Natalie saw hers was there as well! It looked like it was added last minute as it was tucked in at the end but it was a sweet gesture, none-the-less.

She saw the twins were on either side of Sonja on the couch, peppering her with questions regarding her modeling career as her mother watched with an amused smile on her lips.

Sonja looked to Natalie with compassion in her eyes. "Are you ok? Did you find the letter?"

Natalie just smiled and nodded, feeling a tightness in her throat. She cleared it and turned to her mom. "So, where's dad?"

"Zoe confirmed he's driven up to Waterloo. Probably trapped there by the-"

The phone began to ring and Abby snatched up the cordless handset but handed it back to her mom with an impish grin. Her mom just shook her head in annoyance.

"Hello? Ken! Where are you? We were- uh huh. No, the roads are really bad. You shouldn't drive-... It's not that expensive. What about your back?" She rolled her eyes as she listened. "If they don't want you to risk sliding their truck off the road into a ditch, that's their decision. Just stay put until the morning as the storm will be over by then... Yes... Listen, it's about your mom... What?... Are you-... if-...ok. Call when you leave." She held the receiver out to look at it with a frown then dropped it back into its charging station.

She looked at her daughters. "He said he called the hospital and they told him."

"Is he coming home?" Natalie asked cautiously.

"He wants to but he has to drive the rig back and the company who owns it told him no. They sent him up there but they aren't willing to pick up the cost of a motel room. Your dad is too cheap to pay. He said he'd find a couch to sleep on. We'll see him tomorrow morning sometime," Janet sighed.

Looking a little more relaxed Natalie looked to her mom once more. "When is the service for Grandma Jane?"

Janet smiled and shook her head. "She didn't want one. In recent years she cut herself off from the church and told me that once she died she would 'no longer be there' so she didn't want any fuss over her body. The funeral home will just cremate it and we'll get the ashes to sprinkle over the flower garden she loved to work in."

They all smiled at that thought as it seemed like a nice way to return to nature.

Janet looked at the ladies in the room. "Who wants to help me make dinner?" Four faces smiled back at her eagerly.

-=-

Natalie woke feeling pleasantly full from the amazing meal they'd made and enjoyed the evening before. They'd cooked and laughed, enjoyed a little wine, even the twins, and ate so much. Afterwards, they'd talked into the wee hours of the morning sitting in the living room which was solely lit by the Christmas tree lights. It was magic and they all felt it.

She was also pleasantly warm from the snuggly blankets on her Grandma Jane's bed. When they'd talked themselves out and were yawning more than talking, they discovered the only available place for Natalie and Sonja to sleep was the big queen bed in Jane's room. Janet was a little nervous at first but, with a bold 'fuck it', she'd grabbed some clean sheets and she and Natalie made the bed. After a final round of hugs everyone went to bed.

Natalie looked over at the woman sleeping at her side and felt more in love with her than she'd ever felt. The night before with her mom and sisters had been perfect and sharing it with Sonja had made it all the more special.

Lovely blue eyes opened to gaze at her. "Hey," she said sleepily.

"Good morning, my love!" Natalie said sweetly.

Sonja's eyes twinkled with happiness as she smiled back. "I love you too!"

They smiled at each other but refrained from doing more than that as they knew it could lead to more than they should be doing in Jane's bed.

"Did you have a good time last night?" Natalie asked.

"Yes! It was so much fun!" Sonja grinned and stretched like a cat. "It was a perfect night and this bed is so nice!"

Natalie nodded and snuggled a little deeper in the blankets until only her eyes and nose were poking out. The room was a little on the cool side.

Sonja saw Natalie hiding from the cool air and slipped deeper under the covers herself. Eyes twinkling merrily, they burst into giggles.

The door suddenly swung inwards and Ken Renaud was standing in the doorway glaring at them. Tall and slimly built, he shivered with rage.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY MOTHER'S BED? I HEARD YOU! HOW DARE YOU DESECRATE HER ROOM WITH YOUR PERVERTED AND UNHOLY LESBIAN FORNICATION! GET OUT AND GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!"

Sonja looked over at Natalie to see how she was taking his ridiculous tirade and saw she was just frozen, staring at her dad. Then they heard the thump of someone descending the stairs, quickly.

"KEN! GET OUT OF THE BEDROOM. NOW!" they heard Janet yell from down the hallway. She didn't come any closer.

He turned to glare at his wife. "They-"

"NOW!"

With a final glare and snarl, Ken stomped out of the room and slammed the door behind himself.

"Maybe we should get dressed," Sonja suggested and Natalie nodded.

They reluctantly pushed the warm blankets down and scrambled to get dressed.

They did their best to ignore the yelling that was happening just down the hall. Natalie was dismayed to discover how much of a homophobe her father was but what was really amazing her was how her mother was ripping into him for his small minded and bitter views. Her mom was taking Grandma Jane's last words to heart.

There was a sudden odd high pitched squeal and the ranting stopped. Only low grumbling could be heard after that. Sonja and Natalie shared a look and moved quicker.

Once they were dressed and beginning to warm up again, they opened the door and were shocked to see Ken lying on his back stretched out on the floor with Janet glaring down at him with arms crossed.

"Tell them to leave!" Ken barked then moaned.

"Mom?" Natalie said.

"The cheap bugger slept on a couch last night. He has a degenerated disc in his spine and he aggravated it. His back is out. Getting upset just makes it worse," she growled.

"Daddy's back is out again?" Zoe asked from the staircase. Abby was right behind her, watching with wide eyes.

Janet nodded as she frowned down at her husband who was almost pouting with his impotent hate for what he didn't understand. For better or worse. Those words were never so clear to her than at this moment.

She admitted to herself that she didn't understand her daughter's lifestyle either but after the lovely time they all had last night she realized it didn't matter. She didn't know what to do now, though.

"I think it might be best if we left," Sonja suggested and saw the guilty relief on Janet's face. She gave the woman a gentle smile.

Natalie looked to Sonja, then at the loathing in her father's eyes. She looked back to her girlfriend and nodded. She walked back to the bedroom, got their suitcases, and handed Sonja her bag. They stepped over the prone man and the five women met by the front door.

"Thank you for your wonderful hospitality! We had an amazing time and you were gracious hosts. I'm so glad I got to meet you!" Sonja said with a warm smile.

"Get out! Ohhhh!"

"STICK A SOCK IN IT, KEN!" Janet barked back at her husband in anger. Then she sighed and shook off the tension. "My apologies for my narrow minded husband." She turned to Natalie. "Know that we love you very much, even that jerk there on the floor does, way deep down inside."

"NO-ooohhhhhh!"

Janet grinned at the sound of his pain and the twins burst into giggles.

"We didn't... do what he said we did," Natalie said awkwardly and her mother just gestured that it was nothing, but Natalie could see the guilty relief she was trying to hide.

They hugged again then Sonja and Natalie went out to the truck and climbed inside. The twins rushed outside in winter jackets and boots. They had brooms and brushed the snow off the rental then hopped into their father's truck which was behind it. Zoe drove it down the driveway. With a wave Sonja and Natalie pulled out as well and got on their way.

The day outside was bitterly cold with blue skies and shining white snow so they put their sunglasses on. It still looked very pretty but they were both very cold as they waited for the car to warm up.

"What now?" Natalie asked then she jolted as she recalled Sonja's promise. "Oh! I really messed up your plans for Christmas!"

Sonja grinned at her. "Not at all! I'll treasure these memories forever! It was the best present I could have hoped for! I loved meeting Jane, brief though our time together was, she amazed me with her strength and compassion! Your mother also surprised me with how she rose to the challenge Jane presented her with! Your sisters are also delightful!"

She looked to see the tears of joy pooling in her lover's eyelashes. "Besides, who said my plans are messed up? Next stop, the airport!"

Natalie blinked at her. Their plan was going home?

-=-

Sonja squinted behind her dark sunglasses. The sun was reflecting so brightly from the white surface before her, sunglasses weren't quite enough.

"I can't go outside wearing this!!!" Natalie wailed nervously from behind her.

Sonja sighed happily and turned her back on the gleaming white sand beach to face the wide open patio doors of their cabana style beach cottage. Peeking around the edge of the doorway Natalie glanced from side to side to see if the way was clear. Seeing no one else, she stepped fully into the doorway and chewed her bottom lip nervously.

Sonja grinned widely as she saw Natalie's large tits straining against the tropical print bikini she'd picked up for her curvy lover when they arrived in Fiji. Their carry-on suitcases were filled with clothes suitable for a frigid Iowa winter and held very little that could be worn on the tropical island. Sonja picked up a few casual wear items for each of them. She especially liked this new bikini.

"My boobs are barely covered!" Natalie pouted.

"Mmmm, you look delicious!" Sonja purred and a sexy little smile appeared on Natalie's lips. The brunette skipped forward across the raised deck and pressed herself against the blond to get a kiss.

"So this is where the action is!" a voice called out.

Natalie squeaked in surprise and nervously looked around Sonja's body to see two sleek and svelte models walking towards the deck of their cabana. Their bikinis were mere suggestions of swimwear and struggled to contain even the modest breasts they were showing off. She sighed. With bodies like theirs why would you want to cover them up? Sonja led Natalie closer to the far edge of the deck to have a better view of the two beauties.

The one who spoke had strawberry blonde hair in waves to her shoulders, freckles everywhere, and a toothy grin from a slight overbite. Her companion wore her hair short and tousled like Sonja only it was jet black. She had a crooked smile as she ogled Natalie's abundant cleavage.

"Who's this lovely creature, Sonja? More importantly, does she like to party?" the raven haired beauty said with a definite Australian accent, her eyes never leaving Natalie's breasts.

"Eyes only Lee. She's mine," Sonja said with a smile and steel beneath her words. A tingle shot through Natalie's body.

"But she has so much good stuff begging to be shared!" Lee whined.

"Lee."

The brunette threw her hands up in defeat. "Fine! Don't get your panties in a bunch! Greedy bitch," she grumbled but not with much heat.

"Natalie, this is Sam and Lee. I used to work with them during my modeling days," Sonja explained.

Natalie smiled timidly at them and waved. They seemed to enjoy how that movement jiggled her boobs.

"What are you two doing down here? I'd heard you quit modeling," Sonja asked.

"Yeah, we only come here for the holidays. Hey, in case we don't see you tomorrow, Merry Christmas!" Sonja and Natalie returned the greeting.

"Yeah, a few years back Sam here got hitched to a rich old buggah." Sam grimaced and wiggled the last knuckle of her pinky finger at them to indicate the old guy's minimal endowment. "He kicked off after only a year and left her his fortune. That fucked over all of his spoiled family members so we got a laugh out of that too. Now, we just travel," Lee finished with a wicked grin.

Sonja shook her head at the lifestyle of her old friends.

"What are you down here for, aside from the obvious," Sam said with a wicked smile of her own. She was admiring Natalie's curves, the tip of her tongue licking her lips.

Sonja gave her a stern look then draped her arm casually over Natalie's shoulder. "We're here on vacation too. There's a shoot for the magazine and we'll party with the crew but we're mainly here to enjoy ourselves. Privately."

Lee nodded as she touched Sam's back to indicate they should move on. "Well, it was great to see you again. If you ever change your mind about partying, you'll find us about ten cabanas further down the beach. Don't be strangers! We'd love to see more of you!" When Lee said the last part, she was looking directly at Natalie's tits.

Once they were gone Natalie looked up at Sonja's frown.

"My goodness they were aggressive! I thought they might eat me alive!" she said to the blonde.

"They'd certainly like to," Sonja muttered, still looking in the direction they'd gone.

"But I only want you," Natalie said quietly as she looked up at Sonja.

This finally broke through the blonde's faraway thoughts and she looked into wide eyes. Then her mouth was on Natalie's, her kiss, demanding.

Natalie moaned with need as her lover's tongue stroked across hers. Her tits were squeezed between their bodies and she felt that tingle right down to her toes. Sonja was kissing her so passionately!

Sonja pulled back from the kiss with effort and took in the plumped lips and dreamy look in the younger woman's eyes. "My god, you're beautiful!" she whispered.

Natalie made a little needful sound and Sonja led her by the hand across the deck into the privacy of the cabana. She needed to show Natalie how much she needed her as well. Then, they would go for their walk on the beach.

-=-

The crew and models who'd flown down for the shoot were thrilled to see Sonja and Natalie when they joined them for the Christmas Eve dinner in the main resort dining room that night. The fact that the boss picked up the tab on extra booze was not lost on anyone.

After an excellent dinner, more drinks, and dancing under the stars, they toasted the arrival of Christmas day with champagne bubbles instead of snow.

Sonja led a very tipsy Natalie back to their cottage and they immediately fell onto the bed to fall asleep in each other's arms.

When Natalie woke on Christmas morning, she felt just a little rough. Sonja greeted her gently with pain killers and a bottle of water. Natalie smiled up at the woman who looked disgustingly happy and pain free this morning.

"I'm just reading on the deck. Call out if you need anything," she said with a sympathetic smile.

"Before you go, could you bring me Grandma Jane's tablet? It's the red case in my suitcase," Natalie whispered.

Sonja brought it to her then left after kissing her forehead.

Natalie struggled to sit up and put some pillows behind her to prop herself up. She rested back for a bit and waited for her head to stop throbbing. Once more she wondered how Sonja managed to drink more than her, yet avoid all of the downside.

She lifted the case onto her lap and unzipped it. She hoped the tablet was charged as she didn't think she'd have the strength to go hunting for a plug. Tugging the AC adapter and cords out, two small, black ring boxes tumbled out onto the bed as well.

Natalie froze. What was this? With trembling hands she picked one up and carefully opened it.

She must have cried out as Sonja came running back to her side. She sat on the edge of the bed.

"What's wrong? What's that?" the blonde asked in concern.

Natalie's body was trembling as her grandmother's plea to 'take the case and everything in it' played in her memory. She was looking at Grandma Jane's engagement ring. A single, large round cut diamond flanked by triangles of smaller diamonds on a white gold band. The diamonds flashed even in the indirect sunlight in the bedroom. She'd admired it as a young woman and here it was... why?

"It's a lovely ring!" Sonja said with a smile.

"It's... it's Grandma Jane's engagement ring," Natalie muttered handing the small box to Sonja. Then she quickly pulled out the tablet and pressed the power button. The device began its boot cycle so it had juice.

As the tablet booted, Natalie picked up the second ring box and opened it. She gasped.

"Oh my god! They're beautiful!" Sonja sighed as she looked at the two wedding bands in the small box. A man's and woman's ring sat side by side. Both appeared to be made of thin, hammered together layers of white and yellow gold giving then a rough hand tooled feeling. The main difference was the man's ring was at least three times wider, giving it a bold, chunky look. The woman's ring also had an indentation or offset which Natalie knew matched the shape of the engagement ring so both could be worn together comfortably.

Natalie handed her the box as she picked up the tablet and entered her grandmother's birth year as the password. The menu appeared and she saw a document on the desktop. She tapped on it and it opened.

As she read she could hear her grandmother's voice and her heart filled with love for the woman. The note was just a single page in length and it finished with Jane complaining that she'd been forced to write this way due to 'circumstances'. So she'd known about the illness and knew it would take her quicker than the delivery of a hand written letter allowed.

Natalie set the tablet down on her lap as tears slowly dripped down her cheeks. She looked to the sympathetic eyes of her lover. "It's in the will. She gave the rings to me. For the day I find someone... I want to share the rest of my life with." She looked longingly into Sonja's eyes and saw the strength of her love reflected in those beautiful blue eyes.

Sonja slipped off the bed to kneel beside it as Natalie's eyes grew wider. The blonde took the lovely engagement ring from the box and lifted Natalie's trembling left hand.

"I love you more than I thought I could ever love anyone. I can't imagine my life without you in it. I want to share all of my days with you! Will you be my wife?" Sonja asked with just a little trembling in her voice.

Natalie's head was spinning and still thumping a little but she ignored the pain. She was obviously in heaven! She barely managed to squeak out a yes and nod as a huge smile flashed onto her face. Sonja slipped the ring onto Natalie's finger and they were both thrilled that it fit. Maybe, it was just a little snug. They could fix that.

Now her head was really spinning as she looked at the gorgeous ring flashing on her finger. Then Sonja's soft lips were pressed against hers and she was in heaven once more. The kiss went on and on until they had to stop to breathe.

Grinning like mad fools they hugged then looked at the wedding bands. "Do you like Grandpa Joe's ring? I have no memories of him wearing it as he passed away when I was really young."

Sonja nodded quickly. "It's so beautiful and elegant! He must have been quite the man to appreciate and wear such a lovely piece of art!"

Natalie's eyes twinkled happily. "Grandma Jane mentioned that in the letter on the tablet. He made the wedding bands himself. He was the artist but it's the only pieces he ever made."

"Beautiful and unique!" Sonja agreed with a nod. She looked in Natalie's eyes once more. "When do you want to get married?"

"Could we do it in the summer? I want to invite mom and my sisters. The twins will have graduated by then."

Sonja sighed wistfully as she closed the box with the wedding bands. "That's a long time to wait to get to wear such a gorgeous ring but it's worth it!" She moved the tablet and rings to the end table then tugged Natalie's legs to drag her down a little. Natalie squeaked in surprise. Sonja climbed onto the bed to lie next to her fiancé and kissed her tenderly.

She pushed herself up on her elbow to look down into Natalie's curious eyes. "We are going to announce our engagement immediately though. I want people to know we're promised to each other."

Natalie's heart did little flips hearing the need in the blonde's voice. "You know I'm yours completely. You can trust me."

Sonja smiled tenderly and nodded. "Of course, I trust you. It's predators like Sam and Lee who need to be put in their place."

Natalie giggled and pulled Sonja's face down to hers for another tender kiss. "I'm going to enjoy doing that for the rest of my days. Oh! Speaking of days... Merry Christmas!"

Sonja sighed and smiled blissfully at Natalie. "The best one ever!"

Natalie snorted, drawing a curious grin from her lover. "The best one yet!"