The Christmas Secret by Donna VanLiere

they’d be there by themselves for a few minutes before I got home and hoped that Brad would never find out. “How was your first day?” I turned to see Betty calling me from the kitchen where she was rolling out dough.
    â€œIt was great. I loved it,” I said, trying my best to sound excited.
    She leaned her head to the side. “Take that sack of cookies home to the kiddos. They’re not even day-old anymore.They’re two days old. But kids won’t notice.” I grabbed the cookies and realized I was starving. I hadn’t eaten since breakfast. “Take that, too,” Betty said, cocking her head to the other side. “That was a to-go order no one ever picked up.” That didn’t sound right. Another takeout order that wasn’t picked up? “We’ll just throw it away if you don’t take it,” she said, placing the dough in a pie plate.
    I threw on my coat and ran to the car, opening the sack as the engine warmed. It was a turkey, swiss, and bacon sandwich on rye. I took a bite and sighed. Wow, was it good!
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    Zach held his arm over Haley’s chest, keeping her in the seat until the bus stopped. “Remember,” he said, “as soon as the door opens run as fast as you can to the front door.”
    â€œWhat if she sees us?” Haley asked, holding her pink backpack in her lap.
    â€œIt’s okay if she sees us,” Zach says. “Just don’t make eye contact with her. No one can look the Bat Lady in the eye and live.” He shoved her backpack in front of her face. “Here. Hold this up so you can be safe.” The bus stopped and he jumped up. “Come on. Run for your life.” Haley held the backpack in front of her eyes and bolted for the stairs.
    Haley staggered up the driveway and stumbled on the stairs. “I can’t see,” she said.
    Zach stopped when he saw Mrs. Meredith standing at her door watching them. “Quick,” he said to Haley, rushing for the front door. “The Bat Lady’s watching us. Get the key and run in the house.” Haley fumbled for the key under the flowerpot and dropped it into the flower bed. Zach threw his backpack onto the porch and pushed her out of the way, lying on his stomach to retrieve the key. “The Bat Lady could have eaten us by now,” he said. He put the key into the lock and they fell into the house, breathing heavy.
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    The door was unlocked when I got home at four twenty and I stepped inside, yelling for Zach and Haley. “Just a second!” Zach yelled from his room.
    â€œNo,” I said, hanging up my coat. “Come now.” They ran down the hall and I walked to the kitchen to start dinner for them. “When you come home from school you
must
lock the door behind you.”
    â€œI forgot,” Zach said. “We were running from the Bat Lady and we ran right into our bedrooms.”
    I wanted to laugh. “You can’t forget,” I said. “You’ve been home for thirty minutes and a lot can happen in thirty minutes. You have to remind each other to lock the door. Even when Mrs. Meredith is watching.”
    Zach looked upset. I know it felt like I was always yelling at them. I lifted the sack of cookies. “Look,” I said, reminding myself of my own mother coming home from the bakery.“Cookies. I’ll even let you eat one before dinner.” Haley rushed for the bag and I pulled it open, watching her reach inside.
    â€œChocolate chip!” she said, screeching.
    I held the bag in front of Zach but he didn’t move. I reached in and handed a cookie to him. “I’m not mad,” I said in his ear. “I just want you and Haley to be safe.”
    He took the cookie and shoved half of it in his mouth. “Can we put up the tree tonight?”
    I opened a cabinet and pulled out a pot. “Not tonight, Zach. I’m too tired to make that mess.”
    â€œYou’re always too