Page 54 of Grinchland
“Maybe next year, we’ll actually be able to call it A Christmas Carol, instead of just A Carol.” She tapped the tip of her nose before she pointed her finger at me.
I nodded. “Maybe.”
She sighed. “Well, just thought I’d say thank you. Isaac is so excited to be Christmas”—she mouthed the word—“past.”
“I’m glad.”
Mrs. Turnbow walked past just as those words left my lips. Realizing that I hadn’t fulfilled my side of the Pudgie the penguin bargain, I gave Mrs. Parkes an apologetic smile and then hurried after Catalina’s mom.
“Mrs. Turnbow?” I asked as I reached out and brushed my fingers against her elbow in an effort to get her attention.
Mrs. Turnbow stopped and turned. “Ms. Snow?” she asked.
Just then, from the corner of my eyes, I saw Silas walk into the gym. I hated that seeing him caused my gaze to go fuzzy and my heart to pick up speed. All I wanted to do was look at him, but I couldn’t. Not when Mrs. Turnbow was staring at me expectantly.
So I pulled my gaze from Silas and focused my attention. “I heard that you have excluded Isabelle St. Nick from Catalina’s party.” I folded my arms across my chest. “It is school policy that if you are inviting other members of the class that you invite all of her classmates.” Heat pricked the back of my neck as a protective surge rose up inside of me.
No one messes with my?—
I stopped that thought, and my eyes widened as I realized the word that was going to complete that sentence: daughter. I almost called Isabelle my daughter.
What was wrong with me?
Mrs. Turnbow’s eyes were wide when I brought my attention back to her. Minus that brain aneurism, I still needed to focus on the task at hand.
“Well, Ms. Snow, I would have invited Isabelle to Catalina’s Christmas party in Jordan, but since her father is the man who explicitly banned Christmas in our town, I thought that would be in bad taste.”
My surprised expression must have been exactly what she was expecting because her eyebrow went up in anticipation of my response. All I could manage was a weak, “Oh,” before all of my words left me.
“Oh is right. So next time, maybe don’t assume that I’m purposely leaving a child out.” She turned on her heel and headed toward the chairs the janitor had set up earlier in the day.
I wanted to walk after her. I wanted to apologize for assuming the worst. It hadn’t even crossed my mind that Isabelle hadn’t been invited to the party because of the type of party it was.
My gaze drifted over to Silas, who was watching me. He smiled and gave me a thumbs-up. I didn’t know what I was going to say to him, so all I could do was offer him a weak thumbs-up in return.
Silas loved Isabelle more than anything else in his life. He would do anything for her. But what was he going to do when faced with either continuing his ban on Christmas or making it so his daughter got invited to parties?
He couldn’t very well tell Mrs. Turnbow to change the theme of the party so his daughter could go. His powers didn’t reach that far.
This was a conundrum. I wasn’t sure he knew what he would do, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to be the person to present it to him. Things with Silas were going well because he knew I wasn’t going to push him when it came to Isabelle. But if she was feeling left out, maybe it was time for Silas to reconsider his ban.
Luckily, I was too busy getting the kids organized to come face-to-face with Silas. The kids were back behind the plywood cutouts that Todd had made and Silas and I had painted. They were nervous but looked adorable. Mrs. Kellington, the high school home economics teacher, had offered to sew costumes last minute.
Once word got out that I was going against the ban and hosting this play, everyone in town came out of the woodwork to help. It gave me hope that if, someday, Silas saw the error in his ways, perhaps Christmas could return to Grinchland.
One could hope.
I stayed in the back to direct the children out. We waited in anticipation while the parents and family members took their seats. Once the clock hit seven, I stepped out and did a short introduction. I thanked the people who helped put the play together and the kids for being such good sports. Everyone cheered, and I could feel Silas’s gaze on me.
It warmed me in every way possible. I wanted him to always look at me this way, and I feared how it would change when I confronted him about Isabelle. Would he hate me?
I pushed those thoughts from my mind as I returned to the kids. Right now, it was about their hard work and this play. The opening scene was set up by the sixth-grade volunteers, so I knelt down in front of Isabelle and met her gaze head-on.
“You ready, girlfriend?” I asked.
Isabelle nodded. She had a white beard hooked around her ears and a suit that was about two sizes too big, but she looked excited.
I knew it probably wasn’t kosher, but I pulled her into a quick hug. I’d fallen in love with this little girl and I wanted the best for her. I was going to try my hardest to get her everything a little girl deserved.
