“It belonged to my Aunt Sara and Uncle Haskell,” Liz said. “Aunt Sara liked Christmas and she must’ve had a lot of her decorations passed down by her parents because some of the stuff I found isn’t available in the stores today. But I love Christmas and I wanted to share it with everyone.”

“I knew I recognized that angel. It was Sara Hanson’s grandmother’s topper. I saw it once when I was a kid,” Agnes said.

“Mavis, you can’t remember that far back.” Agnes slapped her playfully on the shoulder.

“Don’t be hittin’ on me, woman. Just because you’re two years younger than me and was Mama’s favorite don’t mean you can hit on me now,” Mavis said.

“You are sisters?” Liz asked.

“Yep, we are,” Agnes said. “Oh, we forgot to tell you, we’re the judges for the Montague County contest. We are supposed to tell the folks when we first get there but sometimes we forget.”

“Don’t be usin’ that we word. You forget. I got my tally sheet right here under my robe.” Mavis pulled out a small clipboard from inside her robe and fumbled in her pocket for a pencil.

Agnes fished one from her pocket and handed it to Mavis. “Here’s one. See, she does forget.”

“Good thing we ain’t real shepherds, ain’t it? We’d be the kind that lose their sheep for sure.” Mavis giggled.

Agnes frowned. “You would. I would know where every one of my little lambs were.”

“Don’t argue with me,” Mavis said.

Liz wondered if someday in the far distant future she and Gemma would be arguing like they were doing. She hoped so—family and friends to share life with were so important.

“I won’t if you’ll admit that baby they had layin’ in the manger just about drowned out the whole show with his little fit,” Mavis said.

“If you’d had to lay in a bed of straw with a bunch of weird-looking people all around you, I bet you’d be crying too,” Agnes retorted.

The two of them reminded Liz so much of her mother and Aunt Tressa that she got all misty-eyed and emotional. This would be the first Christmas that she’d ever been away from them.

“I’m tired of arguing with you, girl. Next year somebody else can wear our Goodwill robes and our towels. We’re going to be on the refreshment committee,” Mavis said.

“I’m going back outside. You ladies call me if you need me,” Liz said.

“We’ll just take our notes and be gone. But honey, as far as I’m concerned, this is the biggest splash in the county,” Mavis said.

“Thank you. Don’t forget to get a candy cane before you leave.” Liz waved over her shoulder as she left.

“We won’t. Agnes here loves candy canes. I swear she’s been sittin’ on Santa’s lap for ninety-two years just to get a candy cane. She says the ones at Christmas taste better than the ones you can buy any other time of year,” Mavis said.