got you here before that happened.” He smiles and is moving toward the door, indicating he’s ready to proceed.
“How long does it take?” Ryan asks, holding Sofia’s hand.
“Not very long. Laparoscopic surgery is just a few small incisions, which means less scarring and shorter recovery. She’ll spend a night, maybe two before going home, but downtime isn’t very long.” He smiles at Sofia. “Someone will be in shortly.”
Ryan leans down and kisses her forehead. “You’re going to feel so much better in a little while.”
“I don’t want to do this. It’s scary.”
He sits on the table and squeezes her leg. “You’ll be sleeping through all of it. This is something that Dr. Hernandez does every day and he said himself that it doesn’t take very long. Plus, you’ll really be able to milk this with Aunt Gloria and get all of your favorite foods.”
“You mean like ice cream and cookies?”
He nods. “If I know her she’ll probably sneak them into the hospital.”
She stares up at the ceiling, thinking about it and smiles. “Do you think she would make me a chocolate chess pie?”
He winks and nods, whispering, “Consider it done.”
“Will you call Mom?”
He pulls his phone out of his jeans pocket and dials Julie’s number, handing the phone to Sofia. During the last three years, he has had his share of hard feelings and names for Julie, but now he feels sorry for her because she’s not here to hold Sofia’s hand or kiss her face when she wakes up from surgery. He wishes she were here for Sofia and realizes it’s the first time he’s thought that since the divorce. He listens as Sofia relays the events of the last eighteen hours. He knows Julie will have lots of concerns about the surgery and questions for him, and for once, he doesn’t dread the conversation. Maybe he’s growing up or maybe it’s one of those Christmas miracles his aunt Gloria talks so much about.
* * *
Jen waits just inside the choir room as the angel choir finishes “Do You Hear What I Hear?” and smiles, watching Avery sing, her mouth forming a perfect red O . She is so serious, taking the responsibility of spreading the good news squarely on her shoulders alone. As the final note is sung, she makes a beeline for Jennifer. “Mom, Sofia was in the hospital.”
“What?” With the set nearly complete, the set team had the night off, so she didn’t see Ryan.
Avery is putting on her coat. “Her ’pendix was broken so they took it out yesterday.”
Jen looks around the room for Gloria or Miriam. “Her appendix?” She spots Miriam and Gloria and leads Avery to the other side of the choir room.
Miriam looks tattered and disheveled, as if someone has just taken her down from a shelf and blown the dust off her. She bends down to pick up scattered song sheets. “Ramsey boys! Remember to practice the songs before you give me my first gray hairs!” she says, yelling over her shoulder at the triplets. “And Andr—” She stops, not attempting any of their names. “Angel of the Lord, what is your line?”
He pauses and then smiles, thrusting his finger into the air. “‘Listen to me! the baby of all babies has been born!’”
Miriam’s mouth is open, about to correct him … again, but she shakes her head, smiling. “That’s right! ‘ The baby of all babies has been born!’”
“And you said that king…” It’s Triplet One, bending nearly in two to scratch the back of his leg. “He had it in for Jesus and tried to get rid of him?”
Gloria nods. “King Herod tried to get rid of him but his plan failed.”
“Somebody should’ve told him he couldn’t be king anymore,” Triplet Three says. “They should have punched him or kicked him or run him over with their bikes.”
Gloria shakes her head. “Well, we don’t punch or kick or run people over with our bikes.”
The triplets pull on their coats. “You’re sure the bad king didn’t win?”
“Positive,” Miriam
“How long does it take?” Ryan asks, holding Sofia’s hand.
“Not very long. Laparoscopic surgery is just a few small incisions, which means less scarring and shorter recovery. She’ll spend a night, maybe two before going home, but downtime isn’t very long.” He smiles at Sofia. “Someone will be in shortly.”
Ryan leans down and kisses her forehead. “You’re going to feel so much better in a little while.”
“I don’t want to do this. It’s scary.”
He sits on the table and squeezes her leg. “You’ll be sleeping through all of it. This is something that Dr. Hernandez does every day and he said himself that it doesn’t take very long. Plus, you’ll really be able to milk this with Aunt Gloria and get all of your favorite foods.”
“You mean like ice cream and cookies?”
He nods. “If I know her she’ll probably sneak them into the hospital.”
She stares up at the ceiling, thinking about it and smiles. “Do you think she would make me a chocolate chess pie?”
He winks and nods, whispering, “Consider it done.”
“Will you call Mom?”
He pulls his phone out of his jeans pocket and dials Julie’s number, handing the phone to Sofia. During the last three years, he has had his share of hard feelings and names for Julie, but now he feels sorry for her because she’s not here to hold Sofia’s hand or kiss her face when she wakes up from surgery. He wishes she were here for Sofia and realizes it’s the first time he’s thought that since the divorce. He listens as Sofia relays the events of the last eighteen hours. He knows Julie will have lots of concerns about the surgery and questions for him, and for once, he doesn’t dread the conversation. Maybe he’s growing up or maybe it’s one of those Christmas miracles his aunt Gloria talks so much about.
* * *
Jen waits just inside the choir room as the angel choir finishes “Do You Hear What I Hear?” and smiles, watching Avery sing, her mouth forming a perfect red O . She is so serious, taking the responsibility of spreading the good news squarely on her shoulders alone. As the final note is sung, she makes a beeline for Jennifer. “Mom, Sofia was in the hospital.”
“What?” With the set nearly complete, the set team had the night off, so she didn’t see Ryan.
Avery is putting on her coat. “Her ’pendix was broken so they took it out yesterday.”
Jen looks around the room for Gloria or Miriam. “Her appendix?” She spots Miriam and Gloria and leads Avery to the other side of the choir room.
Miriam looks tattered and disheveled, as if someone has just taken her down from a shelf and blown the dust off her. She bends down to pick up scattered song sheets. “Ramsey boys! Remember to practice the songs before you give me my first gray hairs!” she says, yelling over her shoulder at the triplets. “And Andr—” She stops, not attempting any of their names. “Angel of the Lord, what is your line?”
He pauses and then smiles, thrusting his finger into the air. “‘Listen to me! the baby of all babies has been born!’”
Miriam’s mouth is open, about to correct him … again, but she shakes her head, smiling. “That’s right! ‘ The baby of all babies has been born!’”
“And you said that king…” It’s Triplet One, bending nearly in two to scratch the back of his leg. “He had it in for Jesus and tried to get rid of him?”
Gloria nods. “King Herod tried to get rid of him but his plan failed.”
“Somebody should’ve told him he couldn’t be king anymore,” Triplet Three says. “They should have punched him or kicked him or run him over with their bikes.”
Gloria shakes her head. “Well, we don’t punch or kick or run people over with our bikes.”
The triplets pull on their coats. “You’re sure the bad king didn’t win?”
“Positive,” Miriam
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