Thank you all for your feedback. I know it wasn't the traditional Christmas fic, but I'm glad to know it was still appreciated--particularly for you, Dandello.
Gr8shades 'swallowed the lump in her throat, unsure of why she was suddenly so emotional.'
Aaaw. I won't be seeing most of my family this Christmas, although I'll be spending it with one of my sisters, and now you've made me all homesicky.
Oh Sweety, I hope you had a fine Christmas even if it wasn't with all of the people you wanted to be with. Those Christmas fics have a way of catching us all off guard.
Also, I'm glad that you and Shadow enjoyed the rooster.
Who writes a deathfic for Christmas?!
I've been living in the valley of the shadow of death for a long time. It's such a long process, from failing health to death to mourning. Unfortunately, I lost two family members in just one week this year. This Christmas I was left to ponder all of what that little dash between our birth and death dates incorporates. Two very good people died this year, but in very different ways because of their different faiths. One was terrified of death; the other was completely at peace despite how long the death process lasted. That's not the kind of thing I could dislodge from my thoughts as I sat in my quiet place to write.
Sometimes an author writes fanfic because they want to fix something that's always annoyed them canonically. Obviously this is not the case with this story. I appreciate your support of Martha, rkn and cp33. I also love Martha deeply and am certainly not wishing her dead. The real-life Martha who died this year was only a few years older than the Martha; she was a well-loved good person, as well.
Thanks to all who wrote encouraging notes, especially you James since I know it cost you something to read this.
Special thanks to Dandello for her kind patience as I worked through my own hardships in her honor. My hat goes off to you.
Elisabeth
