Praise For Christmas Read online

  “I can’t believe that I’m going to be giving this up pretty soon,” Carmella said, as she looked at all the bowls and cookie sheets that lined the tables and counters.

  “Are you sure that you really want to sell the bakery? You’ve worked so hard and built that business from the ground up,” Joy said.

  Carmella nodded. “It’s time. My husband and I have decided that we are going to spend the rest of our time on earth worshiping God, traveling and babysitting our grandbabies.”

  Joy looked up to see if Lance’s eyes were on her and they were. She gave him a quick smile and then got back to stirring her cookie dough.

  As they were putting another batch of cookies in the oven the doorbell rang. “I wonder who that is.” She turned to Ramsey and asked, “We weren’t expecting anyone else for Christmas, were we?”

  He shook his head. “The boys are scattered this year and Renee is in the Bahamas.”

  “That reminds me,” Joy said as she pulled her cell phone out of her purse. “I was supposed to call Renee to tell her what your glucose reading was this morning.”

  Carmella wiped her hands. “Since nobody else is heading towards the door, I guess I’ll get it.” Carmella’s eyes misted as she saw the five people who were standing on her porch. Opening the door, she said, “I thought you all were staying in Charlotte this year?”

  “Now you know we weren’t going to stay away from those cookies you promised us,” Dontae said as he bent down and kissed his mother on the cheek and then handed her the present that was in his hands.

  “You take that present to the living room and put it under the tree. I want to hold my grandbaby.”

  Jewel, Ram and Maxine stepped into the house as Jewel put Cammie in Carmella’s arms.

  “Ram, don’t tell me that you’re only here for the cookies, too?” Carmella asked teasingly.

  “I’m not even going to front, Mama Carmella. We couldn’t take being away from you this Christmas, so we spent Christmas Eve with the Dawson family and got on the highway first thing this morning.”

  Carmella gave Ram and Maxine one armed hugs and then sat down with the baby and took Cammie’s coat off. “I’m so happy to have you all here. I didn’t want to be selfish, because I know that you boys are married now,” she said to Ram and Dontae, but I’m thankful that I get my boys home this year.”

  “We knew these two big babies wouldn’t be able to handle Christmas without their mommy this year, so Maxine and I compromised,” Jewel said.

  “So tell us, Mama Carmella,” Maxine chimed in. “I already smell the cookies, so I know it’s good news, but what was your reading this morning?”

  “98.”

  “Hot dog,” Dontae said as he and Ram high-fived. “This means you’re getting better, right?”

  “As far as I’m concerned, it means I’m healed and I intend to stay that way. So, you all need to get to that kitchen and eat up those cookies, because I’m not touching them.”

  Not long after the first batch of cookies was dusted off, the doorbell rang again. This time Ramsey opened the door to see his way-too-busy son, Ronnie on the other side of the door. “Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes. Get in here, boy.”

  “I can’t stay long, Dad. I just came to drop off presents and to see Mama Carmella for myself. I know that you said she’s doing better, but I just have to see it for myself.”

  Ramsey nodded. “I understand, son. Come in. We’re happy for whatever time you can give us today.” As they entered the kitchen, Ramsey said, “Hey everybody, look what the wind blew in.”

  Shouts of joy went up all around the room. For this was a family that truly loved one another, and wished for nothing but the best for one another.

  As Carmella stood back and watched her family laugh and joke with each other as they passed cookie trays around, she thought to herself that there was one thing that would make this day absolutely perfect for her. But when the doorbell rang again, she never imagined that her fondest wish would be standing on the other side of the door.

  But as tears streamed down her face, she opened the door and welcomed RaShawn back home. “God is so good. I was just wishing that you were here.” She tried to hug him, but it was a bit awkward with the bundle he carried.

  “Hold on,” RaShawn said, “Let me put the baby down so I can give you a proper hug.

  “What baby?” Carmella asked as she took the bundle out of his arms. She unwrapped the bundle and as she came face to face with a beautiful baby girl, she squealed with joy. “Whose child is this, RaShawn?”

  Before he could answer the rest of the family came out of the kitchen and joined them in the foyer. Ramsey rushed over to his son and gave him a hug that tried to make up for the seven years’ worth of hugs they had missed.

  “I can’t believe it. My baby boy has come home.”

  The rest of the family took turns hugging RaShawn and introducing him to his new sisters-in-law.

  “Come on everyone, let’s go in the living room and open presents. But I’m telling y’all right now; I don’t need anything. Having my family here is present enough for me,” Carmella said as she led the way to the living room.

  Maxine took the baby out of Carmella’s arms as they began passing presents around the room. But Maxine wasn’t thinking about the gifts under the tree, she was too busy being captivated by the baby in her arms.

  Brielle cozied up to her and asked, “Mommy, who are you holding?”

  “I think she’s RaShawn’s daughter,” Maxine told her.

  RaShawn’s head popped up. “She’s not mine. I delivered her just before her mother passed away. She asked me to name her Abeni, which means, we asked for her. And just before she died, she told me that another family was out there who also asked for Abeni; she wanted me to find them.”

  “You’re kidding right?” Maxine turned from RaShawn to Ram and then back to RaShawn. “I have been praying, asking God for another child. I can’t have any of my own, but I would love this little girl like my own if she were mine.”

  Ram got up from his spot beside the tree. He stood next to his wife and looked down at the precious bundle in her arms. He then turned to his brother. “Are you serious, RaShawn? Are you truly looking for a family for this little girl?”

  RaShawn nodded. “I believe God directed me home for the purpose of finding Abeni a home with parents who will love her like she belonged to them.”

  With the baby in her arms, Maxine stood and hugged Ram. “She’s supposed to be ours, Ram, I feel it in my heart. She already belongs to me.” Maxine bent down and kissed Brielle’s cheek; as she stood back up she said, “I know just as I knew Brielle was meant for me from the moment I saw her. God must have put a yearning in my heart for another child, so that we would be ready to receive Abeni when she was delivered to us.”

  “I think she’s right, Ram. I know God directed me here. And from what you all told me a month ago, you and Maxine weren’t even supposed to be here today.”

  Ram put a hand on his brother’s shoulder and said, “Thank you for this gift, RaShawn. We’ll fill out whatever paperwork is necessary for Abeni to become ours.”

  Once Ram said that the room filled with holiday cheer. It was Christmas and the spirit of giving and loving others more than yourself was spreading.

  Joy walked over to her husband, holding a jewelry box. She sat down next to her husband and handed it to him.

  “Jewelry, you shouldn’t have,” Lance said and meant it, because that was not the kind of gift that he wanted from his wife.

  “Open it.” She nudged him.

  Lance set the box next to him and told her, “I’ll open it later.”

  Joy stood with hands on hips. She turned to her family and said, “I need y’all’s help. Come over here and help me encourage my husband to open the present I gave him.”

  The family joined Joy and began chanting, “Open it, open it, open it!”

  “All right already,” Lance said as he grabbed the box
and started tearing the wrapping paper off of it. “If it’s so important to you, then I will open it now.” He took the lid off the box and as his eyes narrowed in on the pregnancy test, he turned to Joy and asked, “W-what does this mean?”

  “We’re pregnant!” Joy shouted as Lance stood up and hugged her.

  “Oh my goodness, do you know what this means, Ramsey?” Carmella asked.

  “What?”

  “We might have to postpone our trip to Greece that you planned for next year. I have to be right here to see this grandchild come into the world.”

  “Instead of postponing it, maybe I’ll just take you there next week. We’ll bring in our New Year traveling, just as we’ve always dreamed about doing.”

  “You’ve got a deal.” Carmella was the happiest woman in the world on this Christmas. She had her health, three grandchildren in the house and another on the way, but most of all, her family knew what it’s like to have God in their lives and that was truly the best gift of all.

  The End.

  You have been reading Praise for Christmas which is the sixth book in the Praise Him Anyhow Series. If you’d like to know more about the Marshall-Thomas family and find out why certain things occurred in this Christmas Novella, you may want to read the other books in the series. I recommend starting with book 1 (Tears Fall at Night).

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  Next books in the series

  His Love Walk (Rel. Feb. 2014)

  Other Books in the Praise Him Anyhow series

  Tears Fall at Night (Book 1 - Praise Him Anyhow Series)

  Joy Comes in the Morning (Book 2 - Praise Him Anyhow Series)

  A Forever Kind of Love (Book 3 - Praise Him Anyhow Series)

  Ramsey’s Praise (Book 4 - Praise Him Anyhow Series)

  Escape to Love (Book 5 - Praise Him Anyhow Series)

  Praise for Christmas (Book 6 - Praise Him Anyhow Series)

  His Love Walk (Book 7 - Praise Him Anyhow Series)

  Could This Be Love (Book 8 - Praise Him Anyhow Series)

  Song of Praise (Book 9 - Praise Him Anyhow Series)

  Other Books by Vanessa Miller

  After the Rain

  How Sweet The Sound

  Heirs of Rebellion

  Feels Like Heaven

  Heaven on Earth

  The Best of All

  Better for Us

  Her Good Thing

  Long Time Coming

  A Promise of Forever Love

  A Love for Tomorrow

  Yesterday’s Promise

  Forgotten

  Forgiven

  Forsaken

  Rain for Christmas (Novella)

  Through the Storm

  Rain Storm

  Latter Rain

  Abundant Rain

  Former Rain

  Anthologies (Editor)

  Keeping the Faith

  Have A Little Faith

  This Far by Faith

  Love. Hope. Faith.

  EBOOKS

  Love Isn’t Enough

  A Mighty Love

  The Blessed One (Blessed and Highly Favored series)

  The Wild One (Blessed and Highly Favored Series)

  The Preacher’s Choice (Blessed and Highly Favored Series)

  The Politician’s Wife (Blessed and Highly Favored Series)

  The Playboy’s Redemption (Blessed and Highly Favored Series)

  Tears Fall at Night (Praise Him Anyhow Series)

  Joy Comes in the Morning (Praise Him Anyhow Series)

  A Forever Kind of Love (Praise Him Anyhow Series)

  Ramsey’s Praise (Praise Him Anyhow Series)

  Escape to Love (Praise Him Anyhow Series)

  Praise For Christmas (Praise Him Anyhow Series)

  His Love Walk (Praise Him Anyhow Series)

  Could This Be Love (Praise Him Anyhow Series)

  Song of Praise (Praise Him Anyhow Series)