Summary: While sorting through Christmas decorations, Ben finds two cherished mementos of a Christmas long ago.
Rating: G, Word Count: 917

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Pictures of Angels

Ben went into his room and looked through a trunk of Christmas decorations. He went through the decorations and cards he’d received through the years from friends and family. He always took the time to look through them and relive the memories. His boys were in town doing some Christmas shopping and said they’d cut down a tree so he figured he’d take the time to go through the Christmas decorations while there was peace in the house.

There were handmade ornaments the boys had made growing up. He smiled as he thought of his young sons hunched over the table working on their ornaments so carefully. Hoss always had his tongue sticking out as he would work on his projects. When Adam went to college, he would send cards and toys for the boys. Ben had kept the toys in the trunk when the boys got older. There were tin soldiers that Adam sent the boys to play with. Ben would bring them out at Christmas and set them on the mantle among the greenery.

He pulled out a silver picture frame and turned it over. Tears pricked his eyes as he sucked in his breath. It was the last Christmas they celebrated with Joe’s mother Marie. They had a daguerreotype taken in front of their Christmas tree. The photographer in town came to the Ponderosa to take the picture for Christmas. He always pulled it out at Christmas and still felt the sadness seeing it. He chuckled at the memory of them trying to get situated but Joe was the one who was the handful.

He would try and hide behind his mother’s skirts or would refuse to stand still. Ben had had it with his youngest son. Marie knelt by Joe and said that he could open one present if he was good and would take the picture. Joe did and they got the picture taken. The photographer was happy to leave.

“Ma, can I open my present now?” Joe asked, jumping up and down.

“Yes, you may,” she replied.

“Can I open the present Adam gave me?”

“Go ahead,” Adam said.

Adam got the present for Joe and handed it to him. Joe ripped open the paper and saw Noah’s Ark and animals.

“A Noah’s Ark! Thanks, Adam!” Joe said excitedly.

He jumped up and hugged Adam tightly. Adam laughed and hugged him back.

Ben carefully set the frame down and pulled out the picture that was with it. It was a drawing Joe had done the first Christmas without Marie, of Ben, Adam, Hoss, Joe and Hop Sing around the tree in their house. Above them were three angels. Ben’s thoughts turned to that Christmas when Joe had handed him the piece of paper.

“Joe, who are the three angels?” Ben asked.

“They’re our ma’s. They’re here with us at Christmas time,” Joe explained.

“How do you know?” Ben asked.

Hoss and Adam watched the discussion trying not to cry.

“Because Ma came to me in a dream and said that she, Inger and Elizabeth are with us. They miss us and love us,” the boy said.

Ben tried blinking back the tears but they flowed down his face as he hugged Joe. Adam and Hoss looked at each other with tears in their eyes. Hoss leaned on Adam’s shoulder. Adam put an arm around Hoss.

“Thank you, Joe,” Ben whispered to his youngest.

Ben wiped the tears from his eyes at the memory. He had always felt his wives near him. Christmases were hard for Ben because his beloved wives were gone, but this picture always brought back those memories of Christmases past. Ben set the drawing by the picture of his family. He pulled out his pocket watch and looked at the time. His boys could be home anytime and he decided to stop with the memories and get to taking the ornaments downstairs.

An hour later, the boys came noisily in with the tree. Ben looked up from his book and went to help his boys.

“Is this all you’ve been doing all day is reading?” Joe asked.

Ben chuckled.

“No, I did manage to get the ornaments down here.”

They wrestled the tree in the stand and got it situated. They began putting on the ornaments and Joe reached for the picture of the family. He looked at it and smiled.

“Joe?” Adam asked.

“What?”

“I asked you what you were looking at.”

Joe turned the frame around. His brothers smiled sadly.

“The last Christmas with Ma,” Joe said.

“I remember how frustrating it was to get you to hold still. Marie had to bribe you with a present,” Adam said.

“I remember that. I remember wanting to open your gift first. I love that Noah’s Ark,” Joe said.

“I still have that set in the box it came in,” Ben said.

“Really?” Joe asked.

Ben nodded.

Joe set the picture on the mantel. He then picked up the piece of paper that was near the picture. He looked at it and smiled.

“Do you remember what you told me about that picture?” Ben asked, putting a hand on Joe’s shoulder.

“I do. I said that our ma’s were with us. I still believe they are,” Joe whispered.

Tears filled the men’s eyes at the memory. Ben cleared his throat trying to sound stern.

“All right now, enough of this crying, let’s get Christmas decorations up.”

The boys laughed and they got to working on trimming the tree.

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From the Brandsters.  The story was originally written and published on the Bonanza Trail Riders site.  Brand is happy to offer this story a new home.