Page 37 of Single Dad's Christmas Cookie

“I think this is something my mother might actually like,” I said as I reached out, touching the thin, decorative swaths of fabric.

“I don’t know,” Amelia said.

“Your grandmother always wears scarves,” I reminded her, not that I expected Amelia to pay that level of attention to what my mother may or may not have worn at any given point in time.

“What’s her favorite color?” Nova asked.

“Pink,” Amelia blurted out.

“Pink is your favorite color.” How did I tell my daughter her grandmother didn’t like pretty princess things and was more interested in colors that were bland and muted and dull? Colors my mother might call sophisticated but my enthusiastic princess of a daughter would call boring.

“Maybe something a little less bright?” I suggested.

“I’ve only met your mother once,” Nova started, “but I couldn’t help but notice how stunning her eyes are. Would she like something like this?” She held up a soft green scarf. It was a good color for Mother, but it had a little too much color.

“Maybe something not so colorful,” I said.

Nova rubbed the scarf through her fingers, studying it. “I don’t think I would say that this is a saturated color. Maybe something more like…” She sifted through the scarves and pulled out what could only be described as a faded olive drab.

“Now that looks like something your grandmother would really enjoy,” I said, reaching for the scarf and handing it to Amelia. “Why don’t you get her this?”

Amelia took the scarf and began wadding it up in an attempt at folding it.

“We need to take it over to the sales lady,” Nova pointed out.

Amelia ran the few steps with the scarf held out in her hands to the sales clerk who was approaching us. “I want to get this for my grandmother,” she announced.

With some coaxing and assistance, Amelia was allowed to hand over my credit card so that she got the full gift purchasing experience.

While we were looking for something for my mother, I tried to get an idea of what Nova might want or need. I thought it would be a good idea to get her something. She was only helping out for a few weeks, but I really did appreciate her assistance. Especially when it came to her willingness to work with Amelia. I felt like I owed it to her after my piss poor behavior the previous day. She was so focused on my daughter and meeting Amelia’s needs that I didn’t get a sense of what her Christmas wishes were.

“Okay, Daddy, go away now,” Amelia turned to me and said.

“Excuse me? I asked.

“That’s not—” Nova started.

“Let’s try that again,” I suggested. “What did you need, Amelia?”

“You need to go so I can shop for you now.” It was a little better. Sometimes, she could be quite direct.

“There’s a pet department in the basement,” Nova said. “Why don’t we meet down there in thirty minutes? That should give us enough time to get what we need.”

“And I can get Humphrey a collar,” Amelia pointed out.

I stayed by the counter, holding onto the package that Amelia had purchased for my mother. As she and Nova walked away, I turned to the sales clerk. “What do you get the woman who probably needs everything but won’t accept anything?”

The clerk’s gaze followed Amelia and Nova before returning to me. “That’s a tricky one. What does she need?”

“She needs a new car.”

“We don’t sell those here. How about a good pair of leather gloves? We have some very nice fleece lined leather gloves that will keep her warm.”

I asked her to show me the leather gloves and purchased a pair of bright red ones. Unlike my mother, I expected that Nova appreciated the occasional splash of color.

I wandered around the store, biding my time before heading down to the pet department where I found Nova helping Amelia pick out a collar studded in rhinestones.

“That’s a little flashy for Humphrey, don’t you think?” I teased.

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