Page 87 of Through the Snow Globe
Why not? Diana was certain Linus would have done the same. “I don’t have any kid stuff at my place so we’re going to need to stock up, aren’t we?” she asked, walking alongside him toward the front entrance.
Dustin jumped up and down just like a kid at Christmas should. Diana’s heart warmed watching him.
She used her spare key for the store to let them inside and flipped on the lights. “Merry Christmas, Dustin.”
He let out another cheer and took off running down the aisles to pick out whatever he wanted while Diana watched with tears clouding her vision. She wished Linus could be here right now. He loved to see children searching for the perfect toy. She understood the reason now. It was simple and innocent, and she loved the feeling too. She loved having a child to bring to the store.
She was a foster mom now. Her? The one who’d dragged her feet and made excuses to delay marrying Linus because she wasn’t sure she could be part of a family. Now she’d taken on a child and she was spending the day at the Grants’ home. A lot had happened since that first December 4th, and maybe Linus was still in his coma, but life had changed, some of it for the better.
* * *
At noon, Diana rang the doorbell for the Grant home. Dustin hadn’t stopped smiling since they’d left the toy store. He’d picked out the ten toys and a bike, and he’d given her at least a dozen hugs in between.
Joann opened the door. “There you are! Just in time. This must be Dustin,” she said, looking down at the boy.
Diana guessed she’d already filled Joann in on her plans. “Yes, it is. I am officially a foster mom now.”
Joann opened her arms wide, wiggling her fingers. “Give me a hug, son.”
Dustin hesitantly stepped into Joann’s arms, disappearing under her layers of clothing.
“Welcome to the family, Dustin.” Joann pulled back. “Are you going to help us cook too?”
Dustin hedged, his gaze skittering to Diana. “I’m not supposed to touch stoves because one time I set something on fire. But I promise it wasn’t on purpose.”
Joann laughed hard and loud. “My son Linus did that one time too.” She wrapped an arm around Dustin’s shoulders and led him into her home. “I’ll be with you today so it’s okay to touch the stove.”
Diana stood back and watched before stepping inside and closing the front door behind her. When they reached the kitchen, Joann handed her an apron. She also handed one to Dustin.
“And this one belonged to my son when he was your age, Dustin. You can wear it. I’m sure he’d be happy to share.”
For the next couple of hours, they prepared sweet potato casserole, rolls, winter squash, deviled eggs, ham, pies, and cookies. Then Linus’s aunts, uncles, and cousins began to arrive. By midafternoon, the house was full of people who belonged to Linus, not Diana. At least that’s the way she had felt back at Thanksgiving. Now she felt differently, though. With each hug, she felt a little more integrated. She could tell Dustin wasn’t quite there yet. He was quiet and stuck close to her side through the prayer and meal.
“Is Mr. Linus going to wake up one day?” Dustin asked after they’d cleaned up.
Diana looked over. “I hope so.”
“Will he be upset that I moved into your house?” Dustin asked, looking small and worried. She could relate to him, never feeling like she had a place in this world. Even Grandma Denny had made sure she understood what a sacrifice she’d made taking Diana in. Diana and Dustin had a lot in common.
“No. Mr. Linus would be happy you’re staying with us.” In fact, Linus was the one who’d mentioned fostering a child one day. Diana stood and reached her hand out to Dustin. “I didn’t get much time with Linus this morning. Do you want to go visit? You can thank him for the toys we took from his store.”
Dustin looked suddenly worried as he reached for her hand and stood. “Did we steal them?”
Diana shook her head. “No. No, of course not. I gave them to you, and it’s okay. I paid for all of it. They’re gifts.”
Dustin visibly exhaled. “Okay. Let’s go see him. Maybe he’ll wake up while we’re there,” he said hopefully.
Diana admired that hope. She envied it. “Maybe so.”
Chapter 25
Dustin pushed open the door and ran ahead of Diana, rushing to Linus’s bedside. Once again, Diana’s fantasy that Linus would be sitting up and eating Jell-O didn’t happen.
Dustin touched Linus’s arm. “Hey, Mr. Linus?”
Diana watched from the doorway. She needed a moment to collect herself. Having one more day, or five, hadn’t helped. In fact, it made seeing Linus like this even harder.
“Mr. Linus, it’s Dustin. Do you remember me?” the boy asked.
