As the hours passed, Susan's immediate family, Harry, and the kids talked to the magical house visitors. Susan had explained the circumstances of the evening to Rose, Caitlin, and Victor. As predicted, Caitlin questioned Susan why their parents hadn’t come to the house for a visit. When Susan explained a grieving period, Caitlin immediately pointed out Doris's presence, who had just passed weeks before. Also, Lindsay wasn’t even at the house to take advantage of her recently deceased mother's surprise visit. Susan reminded the kids that Doris was also a friend to their family and was visiting for that reason and not necessarily to see Lindsay.
It was nearing midnight on Christmas Eve, and Martha suggested that the guests gather around the Christmas tree to sing Silent Night. As the guests made their way to the family room, suddenly, Max began to bark. He ran to the back door leading to the garage. His tail wagged non-stop as he jumped at the door as it slowly opened.
“Max, get down, buddy. It’s just me,” said Lindsay as she entered the mudroom.
“Lindsay! We were so worried about you. Are you alright?” asked Caitlin.
“Yes, I’m fine. I-80 and I-5 are both closed going west to Omaha, so I had to stop and turn around. I was thinking of getting a hotel room but decided to come back instead,” Lindsay replied.
“Lindsay, I’m so glad you made it back safely,” said Victor as he wrapped his arms around her. How far did you get, Iowa?”
“Iowa? Are you kidding? I didn’t get to Ottawa. The roads are terrible,” responded Lindsay.