Page 26 of Milo
I turn up the Christmas music and we sing along, me poorly, her with her childlike sweetness.
I remember coming to Doyle’s Dandy Books with Izzy once, but don’t remember being as enamored with it as she was. So I’m surprised when I pull up to a full parking lot and have to circle the block before I can find a place to park. They used sidewalk chalk to paint the parking lot with a fun Christmas mural and painted the windows with a happy Santa and reindeer scene. I’m assuming it was Milo for both because they have his distinct style to them.
If I didn’t know better, I’d think the entire place was full of magic.
Emily sucks in a breath when we enter the shop. She spins, taking in the decor. Maybe it is full of magic. It’s like the North Pole came to Indiana. Lit up snowflakes hang from the ceiling. Christmas music plays in the background and every bookcase is strung with lights and ornaments. It must have taken days to decorate this much. Then there’s the tree nestled in the far corner with a beautiful Christmas tree and a cheery man in a red suit.
Emily tugs on my hand and points to the short line. “Can we?” She bounces on her toes.
“Of course.” I look around for Milo as we stroll over to our purpose. I’m not bundled in a way to cover my face and I get a few double takes. A few people whisper behind their hands.
“Flower Daddy?” someone whispers and I grin at them. I don’t mind being recognized, but I don’t like the idea of a scene with my niece. I keep close on her heel until we’re behind a parent with two kids.
“Hiya!” Emily says. “What’s your names? I’m Emily or Em and this is Uncle Clay.” She tugs my hand and I wave a small hello. Her introduction has more people looking my way.
“Clay,” Milo’s voice soothes me, and I turn to my guy. He’s dressed like an elf, with fake ears and so much glitter he rivalsmy niece and me together. His grin melts my heart. “I’m glad you came. Do you need any hot chocolate or candy canes or?—”
“Can I please have a hot chocolate?” my niece asks so sweetly.
Milo squats a little to meet her eye. “Absolutely. What kind would you like? I have mint, caramel, and marshmallows.”
“Are they the teeny tiny, itty bitty marshmallows?”
“That’s the only kind us elves like.” He winks and looks up at me.
“Teeny tiny, itty bitty marshmallows please and thank you.”
“Coming right up. And for you?” Milo pops back to his full height, all itty bitty of him.
“Mint, please.”
“Be right back.” He hops and skips away, making Emily giggle.
“He’s silly. I like him.”
“I do, too.”
Milo’s back with the hot chocolate when we’re right at Santa, so he stands back so Emily can get her time with him uninterrupted.
“I just want mommy to be happy again. She’s so sad since daddy ran away.” Her tiny shoulders drop and my heart breaks. “I don’t even want daddy to come back. He made mommy too sad. He doesn’t deserve her. Mommy is the bestest mommy in the whole wide world.” She looks up at me and hops off Santa’s lap. Tears stream down her cheeks when she blinks, streaking her glitter.
Milo chews on his bottom lip and nods for me. I lift Emily to my hip and she cries in my arms. I hadn’t realized she’d get emotional. I wasn’t thinking.
“Hello again, chickadee. I got your hot chocolate with extraextraitty bitty, teeny tiny marshmallows. How about I take you someplace special to enjoy it?”
Emily nods, but doesn’t look up. My poor girl. I rub her back and follow Milo to some backroom with dim lighting and soft instrumentals playing in the background. There’s one of those lamps that makes the walls and ceiling look like the ocean. They have a couple of beanbag chairs strewn around and a few padded folding chairs.
“Have a seat anywhere.” Milo sets her hot chocolate on a kid’s sized table. “You can stay here as long as you want, okay?” He pulls a coloring book and crayons from a box by the door. “This is one of my favorite coloring books. It has lots of fun pages. See?” He turns to a scene with a Christmas tree and farm animals looking up at the star. “Will you color something pretty for me?”
Emily nods. “Yeah,” she whispers.
“Thank you,” I mouth to Milo. He hands me my hot chocolate.
“If you need anything, I’ll be out there. Just ask for Milo, okay?”
“Okay. Thank you, Mister Milo.”
He gives her a grin, but she’s already occupied with coloring. He tips his head to the door.
