An Abnormal Christmas

3: A Double Fright

Carly was beside herself with happiness for being able to sit with the fawn for the rest of the evening. And she was quite dedicated to the task.

Meghan minced the carrots, making sure not to clip the sensitive skin on her thumb as she rushed through the process so that she could get it into the boiling pot. Ryder leaned against the counter, skillfully avoiding close proximity to Gordon who helped her with the vegetables and meat. Meghan did hope her son would come to forgive his father.

"Vixen should eat something," Carly said from her position by the fireplace.

"What do you even feed a baby deer?" Ryder inquired.

"Well, I know deer like sweet things," Meghan said, recalling the little nature lessons her father had taught her at a young age. "But that's about it."

"Goat milk will work right now," Gordon said. "We need to heat it up, though, and add seven drops of lactate to it."

"Goat milk tastes weird," Carly said, wrinkling her nose as she watched the fawn. He was snuggled beneath a blanket. Meghan had wrapped his leg up earlier. It wasn't anything severe so the vet wasn't needed.

"Only to you, ladybug," Gordon told her, opening the fridge. He rummaged about for a few moments before producing something. "Here we go! Goat milk."

"The lactate is in the medicine cabinet," Meghan told him, stirring the soup in the pot. The steam rose up, the smell making her stomach growl slightly. "And I still have one of Carly's old bottles at the back of the spice drawer, if you want to use that."

They were still trying to figure out what to do with the fawn. Carly did not want to give it up, and Meghan was allowing for Vixen to stay until they figured out what his collar meant. SC made no sense, and what place was called "center, NP"?

"Dinner smells good!" Carly said, smiling.

"Thanks," Meghan said, smiling in relief. Cooking and baking flustered her, so she rarely did it. However, she recently tried to pick back up on it, and she was happy it was paying off. She came to the conclusion that buying and going out for their meals wouldn't work if she wanted her children to grow up being able to feed themselves - and not with just money.

Gordon retrieved the forgotten baby bottle from the spice drawer as he began whipping up a drink for the fawn. Carly rubbed Vixen's ear, resulting in the fawn twitching away. Its cute face turned to Ryder who made a slight movement by the counter. The fawn must not trust them yet.

"Dinner is about done," Meghan announced, flinging a rogue strand of her blond hair away from her eye where it dangerously lingered. "Ryder, would you set the table, please?"

Ryder moved toward the cabinet in response and pulled some plates out. Meghan still couldn't believe that he was only fourteen but gaining height on her rapidly. He was already the same height as her. He got the tallness from Gordon who wavered at 6'2. Meghan's side of the family had always been short, and Carly was following down those steps at her tiny height.

"It's snowing again," Carly said, peeking through the window curtains.

"That just means we get to work on that gingerbread house tomorrow," Gordon told her, screwing the lid onto the bottle and holding it out to his daughter. "Want to feed him?"

"Ooh, yes!" she exclaimed, taking the bottle and sitting beside Vixen.

Meghan smiled as the fawn found the nipple before giving the soup one last stir and turning the heat off. She slid the pot onto a cooler portion of the stove as Ryder finished setting out the plates and forks. "Dinner is complete!"