nodded. "Can't argue with that."
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* * * * *
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We had just finished stuffing ourselves with lasagna when my mom commented on Victoria and Jake's absence. The snow had started again, and even in their four-wheel drive truck it wasn't easy to navigate the steep driveway in the dark.
"Hope they didn't run out on us." She was joking, but we all secretly wondered if the joke wasn't on us. We certainly hadn't been model houseguests.
"Two hours before show time," Ashley said. "They sure are cutting it close." She glanced nervously in the direction of the make-shift stage on the other side of the enormous dining room.
"Well, it's been quite a day for them," Mammaw said softly. "I wish we could have had everything ready."
We all looked over at her. "Why do you say that, Mother?" Dave asked.
She smiled. "Why it's not every day you getâ" she paused.
"Get what, Mother?" Dave prodded. My mom raised her eyes heavenward and took a gulp of wine. I think she'd had it with all the communications with the dead.
Mammaw stood and tottered over to the door to the hallway. She held up a finger and seemed to listen for something down the hallway. She turned to us and said, "It's time!" She clapped her hands together excitedly.
"Time for what?" I asked.
"Please don't encourage her," Ashley warned.
"The second miracle is here," she said and headed for the front door.
We looked at each other. "I thought this would've made it the third," Dan said rubbing his chin and counting on his fingers. "Granddad not havin' cancer and Kyle getting his wife back."
"No, dear," Mammaw replied, "Kyle isn't our kin."
"Oh, good grief," Ashley said and followed her. A few seconds later, she called, "It's just Jake and Victoria."
"Thank the Lord," Aunt Pearl cried, standing up and heading for the hallway. "I've been in a fit worrying about those two. I've got half a mind to give them the rough side of my tongue. Who goes tramping off all day on Christmas Eve?"
The rest of us were clearing the table when Ashley's voice rang out, "Oh, my God!"
Mammaw said clearly, "I tried to tell you, dear."
We all raced down the hallway. Ashley was staring out the window, saying, "Oh, my God," over and over.
"What now?" my father demanded.
Ashley snapped out of it. "Don't just stand there, Diana. Get the door."
Why was I always the one getting the door? I liked a miracle as much as the next person, but I was starting to feel like a doorman for the dearly departed. And frankly, I was getting a little freaked out by it all.
The wind came in with a rush as I opened the door. The lights flickered, and the fire flared in the living room. Everyone gasped as the door flew open.
Standing in the doorway was Victoria and Jake and in their arms, wrapped in a light blue blanket, was miracle number two.
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* * * * *
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It took nearly an hour for things to calm down. The couple who were supposed to adopt baby Matthew had backed out suddenly, leaving the social worker assigned to the case scrambling for a suitable couple on Christmas Eve. Luckily for Victoria and Jake, their lawyer was a former classmate of the social worker and had helped her in emergency situations in the past. When he'd called Jake and Victoria while they were having lunch and asked them to come down to his office, they'd been stunned. After all the time they'd spent waiting, they were caught off guard and had to scramble for supplies on their way to meet the social worker.
"You should've seen us racing through the baby store. We each grabbed a cart and just threw in everything we saw." Victoria laughed.
 "The clerk said, 'Looks like someone's having a baby.' And Victoria says, 'We just found out we got one for Christmas.'" Jake shook his head.
"She thought we were crazy, of course," Victoria added. "Isn't he beautiful?"
He was adorable with dark brown hair and big blue eyes. He even had a little cleft in his chin. He was sleeping peacefully in a portable
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* * * * *
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We had just finished stuffing ourselves with lasagna when my mom commented on Victoria and Jake's absence. The snow had started again, and even in their four-wheel drive truck it wasn't easy to navigate the steep driveway in the dark.
"Hope they didn't run out on us." She was joking, but we all secretly wondered if the joke wasn't on us. We certainly hadn't been model houseguests.
"Two hours before show time," Ashley said. "They sure are cutting it close." She glanced nervously in the direction of the make-shift stage on the other side of the enormous dining room.
"Well, it's been quite a day for them," Mammaw said softly. "I wish we could have had everything ready."
We all looked over at her. "Why do you say that, Mother?" Dave asked.
She smiled. "Why it's not every day you getâ" she paused.
"Get what, Mother?" Dave prodded. My mom raised her eyes heavenward and took a gulp of wine. I think she'd had it with all the communications with the dead.
Mammaw stood and tottered over to the door to the hallway. She held up a finger and seemed to listen for something down the hallway. She turned to us and said, "It's time!" She clapped her hands together excitedly.
"Time for what?" I asked.
"Please don't encourage her," Ashley warned.
"The second miracle is here," she said and headed for the front door.
We looked at each other. "I thought this would've made it the third," Dan said rubbing his chin and counting on his fingers. "Granddad not havin' cancer and Kyle getting his wife back."
"No, dear," Mammaw replied, "Kyle isn't our kin."
"Oh, good grief," Ashley said and followed her. A few seconds later, she called, "It's just Jake and Victoria."
"Thank the Lord," Aunt Pearl cried, standing up and heading for the hallway. "I've been in a fit worrying about those two. I've got half a mind to give them the rough side of my tongue. Who goes tramping off all day on Christmas Eve?"
The rest of us were clearing the table when Ashley's voice rang out, "Oh, my God!"
Mammaw said clearly, "I tried to tell you, dear."
We all raced down the hallway. Ashley was staring out the window, saying, "Oh, my God," over and over.
"What now?" my father demanded.
Ashley snapped out of it. "Don't just stand there, Diana. Get the door."
Why was I always the one getting the door? I liked a miracle as much as the next person, but I was starting to feel like a doorman for the dearly departed. And frankly, I was getting a little freaked out by it all.
The wind came in with a rush as I opened the door. The lights flickered, and the fire flared in the living room. Everyone gasped as the door flew open.
Standing in the doorway was Victoria and Jake and in their arms, wrapped in a light blue blanket, was miracle number two.
Â
Â
* * * * *
Â
Â
It took nearly an hour for things to calm down. The couple who were supposed to adopt baby Matthew had backed out suddenly, leaving the social worker assigned to the case scrambling for a suitable couple on Christmas Eve. Luckily for Victoria and Jake, their lawyer was a former classmate of the social worker and had helped her in emergency situations in the past. When he'd called Jake and Victoria while they were having lunch and asked them to come down to his office, they'd been stunned. After all the time they'd spent waiting, they were caught off guard and had to scramble for supplies on their way to meet the social worker.
"You should've seen us racing through the baby store. We each grabbed a cart and just threw in everything we saw." Victoria laughed.
 "The clerk said, 'Looks like someone's having a baby.' And Victoria says, 'We just found out we got one for Christmas.'" Jake shook his head.
"She thought we were crazy, of course," Victoria added. "Isn't he beautiful?"
He was adorable with dark brown hair and big blue eyes. He even had a little cleft in his chin. He was sleeping peacefully in a portable
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