Meet Me Where the Oak Tree Grows

With a gentle nudge, I whispered, "Thanks."
“Thank you for picking up the pieces and putting me back together.’
A warm hand playfully ruffled my hair as she teased, "Thank who?" There was a hint of anticipation in her voice.
I paused, blinking, "Mom."
"Thank you, Mom."
"Ah!" Her voice was filled with joy as she kissed my forehead, "My sweet Lana!"
Happiness bubbled up inside me, sugary sweet.
My ears turned a bright red, so she stopped teasing and asked me to wake Jonah to help hang the decorations.
With the holiday season in full swing, his schedule was jam-packed with appointments. Staying up until two or three in the morning had become
routine for Jonah, so his sleep schedule was all over the place.
I knocked on his door, but got no answer. I opened it and walked in.
The room was quiet. Light filtered through the gray curtains, and Jonah lay asleep, eyes closed, with only the faintest sound of breathing.
I reached out and poked his cheek. "Jonah, Mom wants you to get up and hang the decorations."

No response.
Leaning in close, I whispered in his ear, "Jonah, wake up. Time to hang the decorations."
Still no response.
He lay there, eyes shut, his thick lashes like tiny fans. A mischievous thought crossed my mind, and I quietly reached out, giving a gentle tug. His
lashes held firm.
Just as I was deciding whether to pull harder, his eyes popped open, filled with amusement and exasperation, but definitely not sleepiness.
"You little rascal, I was curious how you'd wake me, and you tug on my eyelashes?"
I was caught off guard, and flashed an innocent smile.

"You look like a little cherub," he chuckled, pinching the bun on top of my head.
...
Marie was in the kitchen making chocolate truffles while Jonah and I split the task of hanging decorations.
The rest of the house was already decorated.
He pointed to the last pair of decorations in his hand—one with a lazy sheep and the other with a cheerful sheep, each holding a wreath. They looked
adorably silly.
"These are too childish. Maybe we shouldn't put them up," he grumbled.
I quickly shook my head. "They're not childish at all!"
He said, "I'm a bit tired. Don't feel like moving."

No way, I had picked these out especially with Marie at the market.
I tugged on his arm, "Jonah, you're the best in the world. Come on, hang them up in my room."
A faint smile flickered in his eyes. "Okay, okay, I'll hang them."
On either side of the window, one sheep went up on each side. The cheerful sheep was me, and the lazy sheep was Angie.
We're the best of friends.
So here's to wishing my best friend Angie a happy New Year.
...
In the afternoon, everyone gathered around the table to make pies.
Jonah teased me about my misshapen products and handed me a lump of dough to play with instead.
Marie expertly rolled out the dough, adjusting its angle with each pass of the rolling pin, producing thin, perfectly round wrappers.
She glanced at Jonah, casually asking, "Why didn't your friend come today? Did he head home for the holidays?"
Jonah was focused on filling the pie, casually replying, "No, he's working."

Meet Me Where the Oak Tree Grows
Chapter 36
Under the Veil I Rule
Chapter 305
"Aren't his parents worried he's not going home?"
"He grew up in a foster home, no family to go back to."
Marie fell silent. She looked down, lost in thought, as her rolling pin moved slower and slower.
Reading History