if she doesn’t mind.”
He shrugged that one off too. Gave a wistful glance over his shoulder at the video game set-up then headedfor the door. “It’s going to be boring,” he muttered. “She doesn’t have games.”
Fallon bit back a laugh at that comment, and if the expression on James’s face could have screamed anything, it would have screamed, God, help me! He held out his hand for Tyler, though, and for the second time Tyler took hold.
Fallon, bringing up the rear as they walked to the parking lot, brushed away a tear once more.
The walk to Catie’s Overlook was pleasant. White Elk looked like Christmas now. Old-fashioned streetlamps were decorated with pine boughs and red ribbons, merchants’ windows were strung with lights. The Christmas-tree festival was under way, where each little shop owner purchased a well-grown live tree, set it in front of his or her shop and sponsored the decorating. In other words, anyone who wanted could pay to decorate one of these trees, and the proceeds would go to charity, which, this year, was the pediatric ward at the hospital. And, more specifically, a program in the planning stages at present that would help children with juvenile diabetes. It was a good deed in that the cause was worthy but also a good deed in giving White Elk an authentic Christmas charm. With a nice dusting of snow covering everything, it was a fairyland. Beautiful. And if Fallon had been in a Christmas mood this year, this would have made her feel even more in the mood.
But she wasn’t. Christmas just didn’t mean anything now, the way it had never meant much when she’d been a child. Back then her Christmases had been filled more with sadness than anything else, because she had always been the child who hadn’t belonged, the one who’d been staying with a distant relative, the child who hadn’t fitted in. Usually the gifts she’d got had been last minute orthoughtless. Sometimes she hadn’t got a gift…nobody had thought to buy one for the little girl who hadn’t really belonged there. And to be honest, she didn’t remember ever spending Christmas with the same people. One year she’d be packed off to distant cousin Flora, the next she’d end up with Great-Aunt Henrietta. And so her Christmases went. No fond memories.
But not for Tyler, if she had anything to do with it. If his Christmas memories from the past were bad, this would be the year they would be good. This year, and every year after, she hoped. Because now Tyler was in White Elk with his dad. And Christmas was about the little boy whose face was pressed to the toy-store window, looking at the toy train set he saw there and the box of building blocks. Being just like every other little boy at this time of the year. Like her little boy would have been… “I was thinking about a Christmas tree,” she said, before the sad thoughts had time to take hold. “Do you think we should get a little one?”
Tyler rolled his eyes, but didn’t offer an opinion.
“Maybe, instead of having a tree at home, we could sponsor one of the charity trees and decorate that?”
Tyler shook his head this time, and actually looked up at James, as if asking him to intercede here.
James looked at Fallon, winked. “Maybe we don’t need a tree. I haven’t had one since I lived at home with my parents, and I don’t miss it. Instead of a tree, maybe we could buy a potted plant and hang a few glass balls on it. That would look like Christmas, wouldn’t it?”
“But I want a real Christmas tree,” Tyler cried. “A great big one! With lots of lights.”
Was that the kind of tree he’d had with his mother and Donnie, or was that another of his wishes? Maybe one thathad never come true. Fallon wondered if Tyler had ever had nice Christmases, or had they been miserable, like the ones she’d had when she’d been young? “You might have to help me move furniture so we can get a big one in the house.”
Tyler nodded eagerly. “And throw some
He shrugged that one off too. Gave a wistful glance over his shoulder at the video game set-up then headedfor the door. “It’s going to be boring,” he muttered. “She doesn’t have games.”
Fallon bit back a laugh at that comment, and if the expression on James’s face could have screamed anything, it would have screamed, God, help me! He held out his hand for Tyler, though, and for the second time Tyler took hold.
Fallon, bringing up the rear as they walked to the parking lot, brushed away a tear once more.
The walk to Catie’s Overlook was pleasant. White Elk looked like Christmas now. Old-fashioned streetlamps were decorated with pine boughs and red ribbons, merchants’ windows were strung with lights. The Christmas-tree festival was under way, where each little shop owner purchased a well-grown live tree, set it in front of his or her shop and sponsored the decorating. In other words, anyone who wanted could pay to decorate one of these trees, and the proceeds would go to charity, which, this year, was the pediatric ward at the hospital. And, more specifically, a program in the planning stages at present that would help children with juvenile diabetes. It was a good deed in that the cause was worthy but also a good deed in giving White Elk an authentic Christmas charm. With a nice dusting of snow covering everything, it was a fairyland. Beautiful. And if Fallon had been in a Christmas mood this year, this would have made her feel even more in the mood.
But she wasn’t. Christmas just didn’t mean anything now, the way it had never meant much when she’d been a child. Back then her Christmases had been filled more with sadness than anything else, because she had always been the child who hadn’t belonged, the one who’d been staying with a distant relative, the child who hadn’t fitted in. Usually the gifts she’d got had been last minute orthoughtless. Sometimes she hadn’t got a gift…nobody had thought to buy one for the little girl who hadn’t really belonged there. And to be honest, she didn’t remember ever spending Christmas with the same people. One year she’d be packed off to distant cousin Flora, the next she’d end up with Great-Aunt Henrietta. And so her Christmases went. No fond memories.
But not for Tyler, if she had anything to do with it. If his Christmas memories from the past were bad, this would be the year they would be good. This year, and every year after, she hoped. Because now Tyler was in White Elk with his dad. And Christmas was about the little boy whose face was pressed to the toy-store window, looking at the toy train set he saw there and the box of building blocks. Being just like every other little boy at this time of the year. Like her little boy would have been… “I was thinking about a Christmas tree,” she said, before the sad thoughts had time to take hold. “Do you think we should get a little one?”
Tyler rolled his eyes, but didn’t offer an opinion.
“Maybe, instead of having a tree at home, we could sponsor one of the charity trees and decorate that?”
Tyler shook his head this time, and actually looked up at James, as if asking him to intercede here.
James looked at Fallon, winked. “Maybe we don’t need a tree. I haven’t had one since I lived at home with my parents, and I don’t miss it. Instead of a tree, maybe we could buy a potted plant and hang a few glass balls on it. That would look like Christmas, wouldn’t it?”
“But I want a real Christmas tree,” Tyler cried. “A great big one! With lots of lights.”
Was that the kind of tree he’d had with his mother and Donnie, or was that another of his wishes? Maybe one thathad never come true. Fallon wondered if Tyler had ever had nice Christmases, or had they been miserable, like the ones she’d had when she’d been young? “You might have to help me move furniture so we can get a big one in the house.”
Tyler nodded eagerly. “And throw some
Similar Books
