There was a knock on Georgie's door early evening  on a cold December  day. Georgie  just sighs it was December  25th, and she had promised Olive and Grace she would  come over for Christmas  dinner. Georgie  wasn't  very into Christmas  since her parents never cared about  it. So she knew what it was, but she wasn't  very enthusiastic  about it. "I'm coming,'' Georgie  says to the thirteen year old girl  as she grabs Pumpkin  and Mira's leashes as she walks out the door.

"Miss Georgie, come over please, I want to play Connect Four with you! " Olive calls out as Georgie  laughs. Olive loved playing Connect Four, especially  against Georgie. Sometimes  Olive  would just run over to her house, just so they can play the game.

"Can't  your mom play with you?" Georgie  asks playfully as Olive shook her head no. Sge then grabs Georgie's hands trying to drag Georgie  over to the house.

"Mom lets me win. I want a challenge,  and you never make it easy. Please Miss Georgie come over plus I have all kinds of makeup and soccer stuff I  want to show you!"  the thirteen  year old says as Georgie  chuckles. 

"Alright  fine, come on pups let's go." Georgie  says as Pumpkin  and Mira nod following  at Georgie's  feet. They walk across the street to the big house that Olive lived in.

……

"Good evening  Grace,  and Merry Christmas." Georgie  calls  out to the kitchen as she goes  to sit on the couch where colored wrapping paper is still covering  the floor beneath her. The dogs just cautiously walk through  the sea of wrapping paper.

"Oh hey Georgie,  sorry for the mess. I'm working  on dinner now. It should be fifteen minutes  or so." Grace calls back as Georgie  nods. Olive just takes Georgie  up to her room where they could play Connect Four.

……..

"You are so good at this game Miss  Georgie! You're impossible  to beat!" Olive  exclaims as Georgie  laughs. Olive just rolls her eyes playfully, "What?" She asked as Georgie  smirks.

"You said you wanted a challenge, plus I'm  a Connect Four whiz." Georgie  says with playful pride she loved playing these games with Olive. She also loved beating  her.

"Guys dinner is ready!" Grace calls out as Georgie  and Olive smile. Georgie  then watched Olive  go off. While she quickly cleaned up the game, she couldn't  stand things not being organized. She then slowly  walked down the stairs seeing her dogs sitting  on the couch  watching  the TV. Georgie  just rolls her eyes; those dogs could  be worse than kids sometimes.

"This looks delicious."  Georgie  says getting  to the table and sitting  down  at her usual  spot looking  at the  ham in front of her. Grace just smiles at the compliment.

"Well eat up Olive and I will  never finish all the leftovers, and I hate them going  to waste." Grace says as Georgie  nods.

"I never make a big dinner like this. Unless I'm  planning  on going  to the homeless  shelter  afterwards, so this is a treat." Georgie  admits as they begin eating. It was true she lived alone if you didn't  count Pumpkin  and Mira

"Miss Georgie, why don't  you celebrate  Christmas  like everyone  else does?" Olive asks with confusion  as Georgie  just chuckles as the question  before sighing. 

"Because  I wasn't  raised with a Christmas.  I heard about  it all the time, but my parents never cared about  it so I  guess I'm  just not use to celebrating  Christmas  that much." Georgie  explains  as the teenage nods. 

"That's so sad. I couldn't  imagine  not having  Christmas!  Though I do miss my brother this time of year. I wish a Christmas  miracle could happen and I could get him back. Olive says as even though it had been three years she really missed her twin. She just knew he couldn't  be dead.

Georgie  nods in understanding  as she finishes eating, taking her plate to the sink and rinsing it off. "Georgie, I was going to get that later. You're our guest" Grace says as Georgie  gives Grace  a reassuring  smile. 

"I don't  mind cleaning a plate, you were so nice to ask me over. It was the least I can do." Georgie  says before  returning  to her spot. Grace just nods before  Olive looks to her mom. 

"Mom, may I be excused please? I've got to get something. " Olive asks as Grace looks to Olive and nods. This causes the teen to get up and excitedly  run to her room. Georgie  just  chuckles as she gets her bag to grab something. 

"Here Miss Georgie,  this is for you." Olive says handing  Georgie  a small gift Georgie  just smiles appreciatively  at the girl as she opens it. Under the wrapping  paper was a bracelet with two dogs on it, and Olive's named printed in cursive. 

"Olive this is beautiful  thank you." Georgie  says as Olive  reveals her wrist with a matching bracelet  with Georgie's  name written on it. Georgie  just smiles. They were friendship bracelets that Olive must have made herself. Georgie  then grabs her own present for Olive. "Here I  got this for you." Georgie  states handing  the gift to Olive.

Olive quickly rips the paper off and opens the small white box, smiling at what was inside. She then took a beautiful silver heart locket with the words "keep learning." engraved on it, out of it. "Its a locket like yours!" Olive says as Georgie  nods, looking at her own locket.

"Well, you have mentioned  how much you love mine so I figured you would  like one for yourself." Georgie says with a smile as Olive just hugs Georgie  automatically  putting the silver necklace on. 

"Thank you,  thank you, thank you." Olive says as Georgie  nods, hugging the girl back. Grace just watches the sight of her daughter  being so happy. It was a rare sight that only Georgie  could pull off. She was so grateful  for the young woman who moved into their life.

….
Later that night after all the fun was over Georgie  sat on the couch with Grace   and her pups finishing  up another Christmas  romance movie  which she despised, but Grace loved.

"You know Georgie,  I am so thankful  for you coming  into our lives. You gave Olive so much happiness and hope. That teenager loves you, and she needed a friend  that would  understand  her, and I needed a friend  like you as well. Someone who stays late and is just there. You truly are a blessing. I didn't  get to give this to you earlier,  but here I saw this and instantly  thought  of you." Grace says handing Georgie  a necklace that read "Kind heart, fierce mind, brave spirit." Georgie  just smiles.

"This is so beautiful, thank you  so much Grace, but I didn't get you anything. " Georgie  says quietly as she pets Mira who was happily chewing on a bone gifted to her.

"You're welcome and you didn't  have too, you and those pups are the best gift we could ask for. You girls are total blessings so thank you. " Grace says as she looks to the clock. "It's late and dark, you should stay here for the night." Grace says as Georgie  shook her head, but didn't  get a word out. "Georgie, you're not intruding  in fact I  assist. " Grace says as Georgie  just nods.

"Okay I  will, Merry Christmas, Grace." Georgie  says

"Merry Christmas  Georgie."