Her father sat slowly sliding one boot off, then the other. His worn hands shook as he sat them aside. He lowered his head for a moment of contemplation. Annabelle lifted her head from the straw bed she had made on the floor earlier that evening.
“Papa. Are you home for the night?”
He looked at her, his hard brown eyes relaxing as he stared at her.
“Yes dear, I’m here. Father Joseph is watching the tree tonight. We can go see it tomorrow if you’d like.”

The thought filled her with excitement. Annabelle stared hard at the ceiling watching the shadows of the dimming fireplace rise and fall on the wooden  beams above her head. Slowly she drifted back to sleep content in the adventure of the next day.