Barbara Hannay - Little Christmas Miracles

“Good. Toby, can you walk?”

“Yes,” the little boy said, his eyes big.

“Okay. I’ll get your bag. May I take one of yours, Molly?”

“No, thank you. I can manage.” She followed the two males out the door, keeping an eye on Toby. The boy kept looking over his shoulder at Molly, to be sure she was following.

Toby’s grandmother was sitting in the front seat. Elizabeth Anderson smoothed back her graying hair and turned her blue eyes to Molly. The woman looked rested, Molly thought. She was glad someone was. She had just come off the night shift for the last six months and was still adjusting to working in the daylight.

She got in the back seat with Toby, wondering if his uncle was still irritated with her. Judging by his silence as he loaded the trunk, he probably was. Richard Anderson didn’t appear to be the forgiving kind.

Toby sat very still as Molly put his seat belt on him. “Can she speak?” he whispered, nodding toward his grandmother.

“I don’t know,” Molly returned. After all, she hadn’t heard the woman utter a sound, either.

“Is everything all right?” Richard asked, looking at them in the rearview mirror.

“Yes, Richard.”

Before Molly could stop him, Toby leaned forward and said, “Are you my grandma?”

The woman seemed to freeze.

Richard answered for her. “Yes,” he said in clipped tones.

Molly put a hand on Toby’s good arm, warning him not to speak again. She didn’t believe the woman was as frail as Richard believed, but she was certainly suffering grief at her daughter’s death. That was enough for Molly to cut her some slack. For a while.

There was no conversation in the car. All the way to the airport, Molly held Toby’s hand and squeezed it when he sent her a panicky look.

When they got out at the airport, Richard got a skycap to take care of their luggage. Then he turned to Molly. “Here are the tickets for the three of you. Please take care of my mother and Toby while I return the rental car. I’ll meet you at the gate.”

“All right.” She nodded to the skycap who led them to the check-in line. She discovered they were flying first class, which made it possible to bypass the long line. In no time, she had checked them in.

“My son—” Mrs. Anderson said, looking as panicky as Toby.

“He’ll be joining us at the gate, ma’am. He has to present his own ID, you know. Airport security.”

“Oh, yes. Do you—do you know where our gate is?”

“Yes, ma’am. If you’ll come with Toby and me, I have our tickets and I can find the gate. It’s right over here.”

Molly led the other two to the gate where their plane waited. She checked her watch. Richard had about thirty minutes to get there before their plane took off.

“Will my son get here in time?” Mrs. Anderson asked, her voice trembling.

“Yes, I’m sure he will. He seems to be very efficient.”

“Oh, yes, he is.”

Molly’s words seemed to have settled down Toby’s grandmother. She relaxed in her seat, but Molly suspected if Richard didn’t get there quickly, she would start worrying all over again.

Toby leaned in against Molly. “Is he going to go with us?”

“Yes, Toby, he is.”

Mrs. Anderson looked at Toby. “How old are you?”

Molly stared at her, her mouth agape. Toby seemed to be taken aback, too. His grandmother didn’t know how old he was?

“I’m eight,” Toby finally said.

“Oh, you were born a year after your mother married.”

Toby looked at her curiously. “Did you know my mommy?”

The woman suddenly burst into tears.

For the first time since she met him, Molly discovered a desire for Richard’s presence.

MOLLY discovered her desire for Richard’s arrival wasn’t a good thing.

“What have you done to my mother?” he demanded roughly as soon as he reached them.

“I didn’t do anything to your mother. Toby asked an innocent question, that’s all.”

She regretted that comment, too, because the man immediately turned to glare at the boy.

When they announced the boarding of the first-class passengers, Molly immediately stood and returned Mrs. Ander-son’s ticket to her son. “Toby and I will go ahead and board.”

After they were seated on the plane, Toby by the window, he leaned over and asked in a whisper, “Did I make her cry?”

“Not really, sweetie. I guess she’s still emotional about your mommy. After all, your mommy was her little girl.”

“Oh.”

Toby tensed and Molly looked up to see Richard and his mother entering the plane. Their seats, it appeared, were across the aisle from her and Toby.

Richard nodded in her direction, but she said nothing. Perhaps he would continue to blame her for his mother’s tears. She didn’t know, but she didn’t see how she could be expected to have realized Toby’s question would’ve brought that intense reaction.

There was no more conversation between them. Toby, much to Molly’s relief, fell asleep after the first hour. Molly pulled out a novel she’d been reading and passed the time that way. When the pilot announced their approach to the airport, she woke Toby.

“The plane is landing. Don’t you want to see where you’re going to live?”

“Can you see it from the airplane?” Toby asked in surprise.

Molly chuckled. She’d already discovered Toby was very literal. “No, honey, I just meant you could see the area. You’ll see your new home later.”

“I miss my old home,” Toby said sadly.

Molly hugged him to her, as much as the seat belts allowed. “I know you do. But you’ll like this one, too, I’m sure.” She hoped she wasn’t lying.

“Okay,” Toby whispered.

She held his hand while the plane landed and then taxied to the gate. Since he’d brought nothing on board with him, they were ready to exit the plane at once. When Richard indicated they should go ahead, Molly led Toby off the plane and to their baggage claim. She was sure the Andersons were right behind them, but she didn’t turn to look for them, not wanting to give Richard that satisfaction.

Then that deep voice came over her shoulder. “If you’ll point out your bags, Molly, I’ll get them off the carousel.”

“Thank you. They haven’t come by yet.”

When she saw her bags, along with Toby’s, she pointed them out. A skycap loaded them on his pushcart.

“Molly, will you keep an eye on Toby and my mother while I go get my car?”

She heard the words not said. “And please don’t make my mother cry.”

“Yes, of course,” she replied.

Molly led them to a bench where they could sit until Richard arrived with the car.

Much to her surprise, he pulled up in a medium-size SUV and got out, opening the back for the luggage. She had assumed he’d drive a Mercedes or a Lexus, since he was supposed to be rich. After she got Mrs. Anderson and Toby settled, she followed him into the back seat.

“Thank you for getting them loaded,” Richard said as he slid behind the wheel.

“Thank you for loading the luggage.” It seemed the only polite thing to say in response to his remark. Had he thought she’d remain standing on the sidewalk, unable to move without his guidance?

He flashed her a look in the rearview mirror. She smiled, determined to let him know she wasn’t bothered by his attitude.

She turned her attention to the sights outside her window, pointing out interesting things to Toby.

“Where’s the ocean?” Toby whispered.

“Um, I don’t think there is an ocean nearby, Toby.”

Toby appeared startled. “They don’t have an ocean?”

“Actually, we do,” Richard said over his shoulder, “but it’s on the southern part of the state, which is about five or six hours away.”