Page 37 of Christmas Treasures

Max led them down the short hallway. Charlie was surprised she felt a rush of anxiety. What if they’d missed the mark completely and Bianca hated her new room? She held her breath as Max pushed open the bedroom door, stepping aside so Bianca could enter first.

Bianca stopped abruptly in the doorway and made a sound between a gasp and a squeal.

Bianca stepped into the room, turning in a gentle circle to take it all in, grinning.

“Girasoli,” Bianca whispered reverently, turning her wide eyes back to Max. “Hai ricordato.”You remembered.

Max knelt beside the bed, reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out a photo in a simple wooden frame. He held it out to her carefully. It showed a younger Bianca twirling in a field of sunflowers with arms outstretched. Sunlight caught her cheeks, and behind her stood Max, blurry in the background, caught mid-laugh.

“I kept this with me,” he said.

Bianca took the photo gently in both hands, her eyesgrowing glossy. “Mi ricordo. La mamma aveva portato panini.”I remember. Mama brought sandwiches.

Max nodded. “And you made me sing to the flowers.”

Camilla translated for Bianca.

The child let out the tiniest laugh, just a breath of it, and set the photo on the table next to the bed.

Bianca placed her cat on the bed, then knelt, touching the sunflower pillow, her fingers tracing the petals. Her eyes moved to the dollhouse in the corner, mouth opening in silent awe. She rushed over to see it better, reaching out to gently open the tiny door to peer inside, as if discovering a hidden world.

“È bellissima,” she said softly.It’s beautiful.

Max glanced over at Charlie, gratitude and relief shimmering openly in his eyes. Charlie blinked rapidly, surprised by how tightly the moment had wrapped itself around her heart.

Bianca moved to the bed, bouncing slightly to test it, then looked back toward Max, her expression suddenly shy but hopeful. “Posso dormire qui stasera?”Can I sleep here tonight?

Max’s voice was thick with emotion as he answered, “Certo. È tutto tuo. L’ho fatto per te.”Of course. It’s all yours. I made it for you.

“Thank you,” Camilla murmured softly, eyes bright. “This will be a good home for her.”

Charlie nodded, her throat tight. “I hope so.”

As they stood quietly in the doorway, watching Bianca explore every detail of her new space, Charlie fought tears. Who knew exactly what the future held, but her money was on Max and Bianca becoming a true family.

Strangely enough, she wondered if she might be a part of it too.

9

MAX

The morning after Bianca arrived, he woke to a white landscape outside the windows. Snow had fallen during the night and now a thick, even blanket of snow coated everything in sight—the rooftops, the greenhouse, the fence rail, and the line of pine trees along the back drive. The Christmas village was still dark, with Santa not arriving until midmorning. For now, everything was quiet and peaceful.

Today would be a good day to get a Christmas tree. In years past, he’d bought a tree closer to Christmas so that it remained fresh for his annual Ugly Sweater Party. However, this year was different. He wanted to make it as special as possible for Bianca. Which meant a trip to Christmas tree farm.

Would Charlie still want to join them? He’d call and ask, even though he felt that she might have changed her mind. Still, he had to try.

He quickly pulled up her number and called. She answered on the second ring.

“Is everything okay?” Charlie asked, sounding breathless.

“Yes, all is well. Everyone slept through the night.”

“Oh, good. I was afraid she might wake up disoriented and scared.”

Had Charlie experienced that after her mother died?

“It’s good that Camilla’s here and agreed to sleep in her room.” Max had put an air mattress on the floor for Camilla so that Bianca would feel less lonely in a new, strange house. “But she’s leaving in a few days.”

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