Page 80 of Fourth Heartwarmers Trilogy
“It’s okay, Mais. You can have the one where she’s on the moon. And I’ll take the same angel where she’s on a star. Is that okay?”
“Sure. That’s good.” Maisie nodded happily.
They both clutched their choices while they continued through the store, now all three discussing which bigger decoration they would choose. All three began laughing when they saw a villageof sparkling white trees lit from within and a handful of small reindeer placed in different areas, wandering through the scene. Both of the kids were as fascinated by the display as Jaqueline was.
One reindeer’s nose lit up red and the antlers on the others had tiny lights that also glowed. Checking to see how it worked, Jaqueline lifted a reindeer and saw small clasps in place where one would hook each reindeer paw to get the power for the lights, meaning each reindeer had it’s own special placement.
The young cashier approached when she heard their excitement. “This finally arrived late yesterday, and I set it up this morning. We ordered it months ago and couldn’t fathom why it took so long. Could be it was meant for you,” she teased Maisie and Charlie. Then she saw Jaqueline’s smiling expression. “We marked it at a very low price only because it’s so close to Christmas.”
Jaqueline looked at the kids, gauging their enthusiasm. “Is this the one you want us to take home?”
“Yes, pwe-ase.” Maisie drew out the word in a hopeful… almost unbelievable awe that it might be possible for them to actually buy the wonderful treat. Her charming excitement was contagious. Charlie nodded his agreement as well, his eyes lit with pleasure and the anxious eagerness on his face not usual for one so young.
Pretending to consider, she asked, “Can you tell me the names of Santa’s reindeer?”
Charlie began to recite. “Comet and Cupid. And… and Donner.”
Maisie excitedly yelled, “Rudolph” and pointed at the smaller animal. “That’s him with the red nose. We saw him in the parade.”
“Yes. Let’s see if I remember all nine of them. There’s Dasher, Dancer and Prancer.” She counted her fingers. “And Comet andCupid and Donner and Blitzen. And the most famous is Rudolph of course. But I’m missing one.”
The cashier laughed. “The only way I can remember them is to sing the song about Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” She began swaying while singing the words and the children joined in as did Jaqueline. When they got to Vixen they all began to laugh, and the kids hopped in place. Charlie pointed out, “It’s Vixen. You forgot that one.”
Maisie looked her way and added, “Jacqwin, you sing pretty.”
Jaqueline hugged the little cherub. Then she included Charlie in her pronouncement. “Why don’t you kids call me Jaq like my Gigi? Jaqueline is a bit of a mouthful. Okay?” She grinned at the young girl standing and waiting. “Can you wrap it in a box for us?”
“Yes, of course. In fact, it comes with a container made especially for it so nothing can get broken.” She fetched the special container while they waited. They watched as she packed the small reindeer in their particular slots and then the trees and houses before adding the snow-covered, thick blanket-like platform. Holding the cord, she turned to Jaqueline. “When you plug this in it gives electricity to the lights.” She folded the cord carefully and added it to the top of the parcel before closing the lid and putting the large container in a shopping bag.
Once the bill was settled and goodbyes had been shared, they were ready to return home. While sitting between them in the back of the cab, Jaqueline pointed out the various Christmas bows and decorations in the streets. Lighted trees were everywhere, and all the windows of the various shops twinkled and glowed with signs of the season. Of course, it helped that snow had begun to fall, adding another level of enchantment.
If it wasn’t Maisie pointing out her favorite scene, then Charlie would get her attention to something special that caught his eye. Both children were flushed with the fun of seeing suchwonderment. And Jaqueline’s satisfaction rose from knowing that what could have been a nightmare day of mourning had become a day they could remember without that black coating of sadness.
Soon, the taxi dropped them off at the door in time for them to see Colin waving goodbye to another taxi heading away in the other direction.
When he saw all their smiles and parcels, he held the door open and urged them inside. The snowy conditions had worsened with the sunshine being replaced by sudden dark skies and blizzard-like conditions.
“I’m glad to see you all back safe and sound. The weatherman says it’s best to stay indoors tonight as they’re expecting a storm.” He helped Maisie off with her coat and leggings before adding, “I ordered us dinner to be brought here, and it arrived a little while ago. Hope you all like pizza. I’ve kept it warm for later, and it smells delicious.”
Both children seemed happy with his choice but rather than yelling their excitement, they just grinned. Charlie’s smile was huge as he admitted, “We’ve never had pizza, but it smells good. My friends tell me it’s their favorite dinner.”
Something in Colin’s expression caught Jaqueline’s attention. She picked up on his distress immediately but sensed he didn’t want to upset the children. So she went along with his acting, telling him they’d had a wonderful day. “We have a lot to show you too.”
Both kids played along, their excitement real and heartwarming, covering up her own building anxiety.
Inside her brain… bells clanged. Something was terribly wrong.
Chapter Nine
Finally, settling the kids down for night, which meant staying in the room reading to Charlie and Maisie until they fell asleep, Jaqueline became free to return to where Colin waited.
After she listened to his explanation of the lawyer’s visit, her heart dropped. “You can’t get a court date sooner?”
“I doubt it. Most of the places are shut down for the holidays. He’s trying to get an agreement for us to take care of the kids here in their home, and he figures because it’s such a crazy busy time of year, we might luck out. That’s after a social worker comes to inspect the situation tomorrow morning.
“But as far as being allowed to take them to British Columbia, he says it’s a long shot. And only if I were to become more than a foster parent. I’d need to be their legal guardian.”
“Are you willing to go that far?”
