Barbara Hannay - Little Christmas Miracles

She even smiled at him, which made Richard suspicious. Suddenly she wanted him to avoid doing anything for Christmas with Toby? Or was it him she was trying to avoid? Either way, she was going. “No, I’m looking forward to shopping with you and Toby.”

“Certainly,” she said, not meeting his glance.

Yep, something was definitely going on.

“Won’t it be fun to go to the mall with Uncle Richard?” Toby asked as he was climbing into bed.

“I guess. But I’ll give you some money beforehand. Don’t spend more than I give you.”

“I couldn’t, could I?”

“Your uncle might offer you some money, but just tell him you have your own.”

“Okay.”

“Good. Now hop into bed so I can kiss you good night.”

“Okay.” After he got into bed, he held up his arms. Molly bent down and hugged him.

As he closed his eyes, Molly turned off the overhead light, leaving just the night-light burning, and hurried into her room. She wanted to finish wrapping the gifts she’d bought today.

She was almost finished when someone knocked on her door.

Immediately she began stowing the bags and packages under her bed. The knock came again. “Just a minute. I have to find my robe,” she called. As soon as she had everything out of sight, she hurried to the door.

Richard was standing there. “Nice robe,” he commented, raking his gaze over her.

Molly realized she’d forgotten to don her robe over her clothes. “Um, I forgot I was dressed.”

Richard looked over her shoulder, but he couldn’t see anything suspicious. “What were you doing?”

“I was reading.”

“I don’t see a book out.”

“I—I just finished it.”

He braced a hand against the doorjamb and leaned in. “You just seem awfully nervous about something.”

“Did you come to my room for a purpose, Richard? Or did you just want to harass me?”

He immediately held up his hands, as if surrendering. “I just wanted to let you know that I told Mom your mother lived in Seattle. She was disappointed that you’d lied to her and Toby.”

Molly closed her eyes. Then she opened them. “Fine. Thanks for letting me know.”

“What was going on at dinner?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Yes, you do. Toby kept kicking you. And you kept cutting me off.”

“I didn’t want you to tell your mother and Toby that I had gone to the mall today.”

“Why?”

“Toby would be reluctant to take his nap if he thinks I’m going out without him. And your mother might think it was rude of me not to tell her I went out.”

“That’s a plausible answer, but I don’t think it’s the real one.”

And he was right. But how could she tell him she didn’t want anyone knowing about their quiet moments alone? Or, more appropriately, her reaction to those moments? “Think what you like, Richard. I’m tired and I’d like to go to bed now.”

Suddenly his roving eyes caught sight of a piece of red material in the floor. “What’s that?” he asked.

She looked over shoulder and then began closing the door. “I need to go to bed now.”

She forced him out of the doorway and closed it in front of him. He thought about pounding on the door until she opened it again, but his mother or Toby might hear him. Slipping his hands in his slacks pockets, he strolled down the hall, looking over his shoulder to see if she’d open the door, but it remained shut.

Finally he gave up and went into his room. He had a lot to think about. The nurse was being very secretive, and he couldn’t figure out why.

Toby told her first thing the next morning that they’d forgotten to decorate the tree last night.

“You’re right, Toby. We’ll ask Elizabeth if we can do it this morning.”

“Oh, good. Let’s go down to breakfast at once.”

“Wait a minute. Isn’t that the shirt you wore yesterday?”

“Yeah, but I wanted to hurry. It was closest.”

“I think you need to change shirts.”

“But, Molly, it’s hard work changing shirts.”

“I’m here to help you.”

The little boy turned back into his room. “Okay,” he said slowly, indicating how little he liked what he had to do.

It actually didn’t take that long, but they were the last ones down for breakfast. Molly hadn’t thought about the fact that Richard would be there. He and Elizabeth were sitting at the breakfast table, enjoying pancakes.

“Good morning, dear,” Elizabeth said at once. “You, too, Molly. How are you today?”

“I’m fine, Elizabeth. I’m sorry if we’re late.”

“Nonsense, there’s no set time for breakfast, especially not on the weekends.”

“Delores?” Richard called. “You’ve got two hungry customers.”

“You want more, Richard?” Delores asked, coming to the door. “Oh, you mean Toby and Molly. I’ll have your plates right out.”

“Thank you, Delores,” Molly called.

“That looks really good,” Toby said, staring at his grandmother’s plate.

When Elizabeth started to offer him a bite, Molly said, “No, Elizabeth, don’t offer him any. He needs to learn to wait for his food. Or maybe he should learn to fix his own breakfast. It would teach him to be patient.”

“Oh, don’t go that far, Molly. If you do, I’ll have to make mine, too. I’d feel spoiled if I didn’t at least do as much as Toby.” Richard smiled at the little boy.

Toby giggled. “That would be funny, wouldn’t it, Uncle Richard?”

“Yes, it definitely would. And Delores would kill us for messing up her kitchen.”

“What are you talking about?” Delores demanded as she came through the door. “Who’s going to mess up my kitchen?”

“I was wondering if maybe we could make Christmas cookies one afternoon, Delores,” Molly hurriedly said. “But I promise we’d clean up after ourselves.”

“Ah, you are a sweet lady, Molly. I guess Toby would like to do that, wouldn’t you?”

“It would be fun. I—I used to do that with my mommy,” Toby said.

Delores smiled at him. “Of course you can make cookies. I’ll help and do the cleaning up myself.”

“Thank you, Delores,” Molly said softly.

Then Delores set two plates on the table, stacked high with pancakes. “Eat up so you can grow to be a big boy like Richard.”

Molly laughed. “But I don’t want to be a big boy, Delores. Why did I get so many?”

“So you can keep up with both of them.” Delores went back to the kitchen, laughing.

“That’ll teach you to challenge Delores,” Richard said. “I learned that lesson long ago.”

“I’m afraid he’s right, dear,” Elizabeth said, smiling. “She rules this house.”

Having taken her first bite of delicious pancakes, Molly said, “I can see why.”

“They’re good, aren’t they?” Richard asked.

“The best I’ve ever tasted. Do you know how she makes them, Elizabeth?”

“No, she won’t tell me. She doesn’t want me in her kitchen cooking breakfast.”

After Molly turned to her pancakes, Toby said, “We forgot to decorate the tree last night.” He looked at his grandmother, as if knowing he’d get support from her.

“I know, Toby. I realized it last night as I got into bed. But it was too late then. Is this morning all right?”

“Sure. Want to go now?”

“I think you should finish your breakfast first,” Richard said, enjoying his second cup of coffee.

“Oh. I don’t think I can finish all of them.”

“Well, Molly has to finish hers.” He shot her a twinkling look. “If she wants to keep up with us.”

“Be careful, Richard,” Elizabeth called as she stared at her son on the top of a stepladder. Toby and Molly were holding their breaths, too, as Richard put the angel on top of the nine-foot tree.