“My stocking still isn’t on the mantle!” Nim fumed.
He sat glaring at a tiny smartie-filled stocking hanging on the green gift bag he’d left a few nights ago.
“Maybe they want to leave it where they know you’ll look. You know, to give you a boost for the flight back,” Lil said between bites of cookie.
She’d flown in for a brief visit before heading to the girls. She said it was to help Nim, but he suspected it had more to do with the delicious cookies that they’d sampled the night before.
They really were the best molasses cookies he’d ever tasted.
Nim sighed. He wanted to see his stocking lined up with the boys’ on the mantle.
“So what’s the plan tonight?” Lil asked as she brushed the last bit of cookie from her collar.
“I had planned to decorate the tree with the boys’ new underwear.”
“But?”
“But, now I’m going to hang my stocking up there with the rest.”
“And?”
Nim grinned.
“And Santa is going to help me.”
Lil still wasn’t quite sure what Nim had in mind, but her belly was full and she was ready to help.
Nim found a couple rolls of wrapping paper while Lil went in search of the Santa suit Nim had used in his sleigh stunt.
“Are you sure about this?” she asked once she’d found the suit.
“Yes! He’s going to represent Santa in my plan.”
Lil darted to Leonard and stuffed him into the Santa suit, hanging the hat over one ear and antler.
“He’s ready!”
“Me too!” Nim whisper-shouted.
Lil laughed when she saw Nim using two rolls of wrapping paper as stilts. He looked ridiculous!
“Just the reaction I was hoping for Lil!”
“What exactly are you trying to do here?”
“The boys will get up and look for me. Once they find me here, they’ll see that ‘Santa’ has hung my stocking ‘by the chimney with care’. Now, if I can just get close enough…”
As Nim reached the fireplace, one of the rolls slipped and he flipped backwards, hanging upside down by his legs. He was stuck. Again.
Lil laughed so hard she snorted.
Nim pointed to the empty spot next to the dog’s stocking. Perfect.
“This is where I want it hung, Lil. If you could just help me get up there…”
But when he turned to where she had been hovering, Lil was already flying out the window and back to the girls.
a pinch of homestead 