Once they had the trees in hand, Angus went back to the house and went down to the basement storage room to root out the Christmas decorations. Andrew went downstairs to see if he could lend him a hand and he caught Angus trying to massage his shoulder.
"Did you buggar that thing up again?"
"No, not really. I think I just strained a muscle."
"Let me see," Andrew said. He checked it briefly. "I think you're right. I don't see any real injury. You've just pissed it off, that's all. We'll do some heat and ice on it, and it'll straighten itself out."
"Can we do that later?"
"Sure. It might ache but you're used to that. So it'll be fine."
"Agreed," Angus laughed. They found the tree stand and the decorations and brought them upstairs.
"They should be back any time now with the tree," Angus told Ruby and Aria. "How are your cookies coming? They smell good."
"Abbey's been giving them baking lessons," Elwood laughed.
"Abs? Are you teaching them?" Angus asked.
"I told them not to shake the cookies."
"Shaking the cookies?" he frowned. Abbey motioned to him, and he went over to the counter. She took a cookie cutter and laid it on the counter and did the shaking motion that most bakers did with their cutters.
"It mooshes their ears," she told him.
"She said she learned to cut them straight by watching you," Elwood said.
"You probably did," Angus laughed. "You were with me all the time when you were little."
"I miss you all the time, Aggie," she said quietly. "You too busy for me now."
"What? Too busy for you? Never," Angus frowned. "You're my best girl, you know that, right?"
"Noooo. That's Roobie."
"She's my other best girl," Angus laughed. "I will always, always have time for you."