Caleb's Christmas Wish

by Debra Salonen

  Jake stopped abruptly and stepped to one side so the cart could pass them. “Hang on a sec, pal,” he told Caleb. “I want to adjust Allison’s hat before we make our grand entrance.” He set down the cat carrier. “Why don’t you see if you can interest Rom in wearing his antlers?”

  Allison glanced up at the white fabric resting just above her eyebrows. “What’s wrong wi—?” Her words faded away when Jake moved closer, positioning himself so his back was to Caleb.

  The look in his eyes made her throat dry up, but she tried to swallow anyway. She licked her lips for some moisture, and Jake’s gaze dropped to her mouth.

  He put his hands on either side of her temples and adjusted the hat, but at the same time he leaned in and said softly, “I just wanted to tell you that you’re not only the cutest Santa I’ve ever seen, you’re quite possibly the most compassionate person I’ve ever met.”

  Allison had no words—even if she could have found her voice to speak them. Completely nonplussed, she somehow managed to smile.

  Jake gave her white tassel a little tug, then said, “Okay, felines and fellow Santas. It’s showtime.”

  Caleb was happy, and he wasn’t sure that was okay. Normally, he’d ask Jake, but Jake was busy pouring punch into little cups.

  Ally was standing in the corner alone, so he could have asked her, but Ally was like his mom. They’d both just tell him whatever he was feeling was fine. Mommies were like that. They didn’t want you to feel bad about anything.

  But Caleb needed to hear the truth, so he turned to the minister Jake and Allison called Padre. The silver- haired man laughed a lot, but Caleb trusted what he saw behind the smile.

  Today, Padre was wearing a long black dress with a pretty scarf that hung around his neck almost to the floor. Caleb had seen ministers in dresses before, and it didn’t bother him because he knew they wore pants underneath.

  “Hello, young Caleb,” the man greeted him, motioning Caleb to come closer to the chair where he was seated. “Merry Christmas. This is some party you and your godparents have thrown.”

  Godparents. Caleb had heard the word, of course, but he’d never really thought about it. He knew who God was—the biggest person in the world. The One who took his real parents away.

  “Don’t call them that,” Caleb said. “God is mean. Can’t they just be my parents, without God?”

  The man’s thick brows flickered the same way Rom’s whiskers moved. “That’s the term given to the person or persons who look after a child if anything happens to his family. I think God would be proud to have His name associated with Jake and Allison.”

  “Will God take them away, too?” He voiced the question that made his stomach ache.

  Padre put down his coffee and helped Caleb climb up on his knee. “Caleb,” he asked gently. “Do you know the story of Baby Jesus?”

  “Sure. That’s why we have Christmas. Ally read me the story last night before bed.”

  “Then you know that Jesus was God’s son. And millions of people celebrate his birth. He was God’s gift to us. A very generous gift, considering he died, too. Just like your parents.”

  Caleb didn’t answer. He didn’t like thinking about his parents. He wasn’t mad at them anymore, but he missed them very much.

  “Caleb, what happened to your mother and father was a really sad thing. When something bad takes place, it’s natural to blame God. But I want you to think about this—He lost a son, too. He knows how you feel and He made sure that you have good people in your life to look after you. That’s not mean, is it?”

  Caleb thought for a minute. If Jesus was God’s son, did that mean Mary and Joseph weren’t his real parents? Maybe they were godparents—picked special to care for His little boy.

  “I don’t want Jake and Ally to go to heaven,” Caleb said. “Or anywhere. I want them to stay with me.”

  “Have you told them how you feel?”

  Caleb looked around. Ally wasn’t in the corner anymore. And Jake was looking down the hallway toward Caleb’s grandma’s room. He was frowning. “Should I?” he asked.

  Padre smiled. “I think being loved by a neat kid like you would make them both very happy.”

  “Okay,” Caleb said, sliding to the floor. “I gotta go tell them I want them to be my mommy and daddy forever. ’Bye.” He took a step, then stopped. His mother would have scolded him if he forgot his manners. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. And Merry Christmas.”

  As he raced away, Caleb heard the man laugh. It sounded a lot like Ho-Ho-Ho. Caleb grinned. Maybe Padre was the real Santa Claus. He wasn’t fat, but he did make Caleb feel better.

  Allison’s pleasure in the Christmas party ended the moment a nurse gave her the message that Allison’s mother was on the phone in Cordelia’s room.

  Anticipating news about her sister, Allison started to follow, but paused to make sure Caleb was okay. Her godson seemed engrossed in a conversation with Father Avila. She made eye contact with Jake, who was serving punch to the carolers, and mouthed, “Cordelia’s room,” to let him know where she was going. His brow cocked in question, but she didn’t have time to elaborate.

  “Callie just got back from the doctor’s,” her mother said the minute Allison took the line. There were tears in her voice.

  “Is she okay? Is the baby okay?” Since Cordelia was still sitting in the chair by the window, Allison sank down onto the bed.

  Her mother gave a little twitter. “Turns out she’s going to have twins. That’s why she’s been so sick and run down. Keeping up with a six-year-old and a toddler, plus dealing with double-whammy morning sickness just did her in. She’s doing better now and the ultrasound shows that the babies are fine, too.”

  The delicious punch Allison had just drunk threatened to come back up. “Twins? Really?” Her mouth went dry. “Wow.”

  “I tried your cell phone, but when you didn’t answer, I called your office. Ernesto gave me this number. Cordelia said you’re having a party so I won’t keep you, but I knew you’d want to hear the news.”

  “You were right. Thanks. Give Callie a big hug for me.”

  “I will. I have to run, honey. Merry Christmas, dear. We love you.”

  “Me, too. Merry Christmas.”

  Allison took a deep breath before hopping off the bed. The first thing she saw was Jake, looking at her with concern in his eyes.

  She swallowed and pretended to smile, but apparently she didn’t pull off the nonchalant look she’d been trying for. He removed his silly hat and walked directly to her. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. Absolutely nothing. In fact, my mom just called with good news. I told you my sister’s been feeling lousy with this pregnancy. Turns out she’s having twins.”

  Her voice gave out on the last word. Her sister was going to have two babies, and Allison couldn’t even carry one child to term.

  Jake wrapped his strong arms around her and pressed her face to his shoulder. “I’m glad she’s fine and the babies are healthy, and I know you are, too, but I understand, Ally.”

  He did. She could tell. She knew that he wouldn’t judge her for feeling sorry for herself in the face of her sister’s happiness.

  “I’m an idiot.”

  “You’re human. That’s what makes you so special. You’re a real person who doesn’t pretend not to feel.”

  Allison pulled back. “Lately, it’s been impossible not to feel things.”

  Her tears returned. Allison no longer knew what she was crying about, but it felt good to weep. To know that someone cared enough to listen, to comfort. “I’m sorry.” She hiccupped as the wave passed.

  She moved back and noticed Cordelia staring at them. Although there was nothing suggestive in Jake’s hug, Allison quickly stepped away. She grabbed a tissue from a box on the dresser to wipe her eyes and blow her nose, then picked up her purse. “Would you mind if I skip the carols? I should get going. I have a mountain of presents to wrap, including the bike.”

&
nbsp; Jake’s eyes still showed concern, but he nodded. “Okay. Why don’t you take the cats and I’ll bring Caleb? I could pick up Chinese, if they’re open.”

  “We always have lasagna on Christmas Eve,” Cordelia said, her tone oddly desperate. “Ask Allison. She’ll tell you. Pam traditionally made vegetarian lasagna because she said people got enough meat the next day.”

  Jake glanced at his watch. “Well, I’m not much of a chef, but I do know that’s one pasta dish you don’t just whip up in an instant. Plus, Allison has been working since dawn. She’s too frazzled to cook.”

  Cordelia started to say something, but Jake didn’t give her the chance. He turned to Allison and said, “Go home and take a hot bath. I’ll help you with the bike after Caleb is in bed. The squirt and I will bring dinner when we come. There must be one Italian restaurant in town with takeout. If lasagna is tradition, then lasagna it is.”

  Allison would have protested, but she was too tired. And a bath sounded heavenly. But before she could reply, Caleb bounded into the room. “Jake. Jake. Padre said to tell you—”

  Jake put a hand to the little boy’s head. “Tell me what, buddy?”

  “I want you and Ally to be my new mommy and daddy. Forever.”

  Allison couldn’t completely process her emotions, they hit so fast. Joy, fear, pride, love. She stood rooted, wondering—of all things—how someone would wrap such a gift. A smile grew so wide it threatened to break her cheek muscles...until she spotted Cordelia’s expression. Stricken was the only word that fit.

  Cordelia endured Allison’s attempt to downplay the significance of Caleb’s plea, but after a few minutes, she asked them to leave. She claimed her head ached, which wasn’t total fabrication.

  To put it mildly, life hadn’t been kind to her lately. First, her husband passed away suddenly. Then, her daughter and son-in-law were gone in a split second. If anyone was entitled to self-pity, it was Cordelia. And now she seemed to be becoming an invalid. What if she never got better? Who would care for her grandson?

  Jake and Allison had done a good job so far, but she knew Jake planned to leave, and her fear was that he might try to take Caleb back with him. Up until today, she’d been confident that she could count on Allison to stand up to him. Until she’d seen the look that passed between them.

  They cared for each other. Maybe they were in love. He was a handsome devil and Allison could do worse than a man who was rich, good-looking and adored the child she’d promised to care for.

  Cordelia had been in love once. George Wells had taken her breath away the very first time she’d met him at a coffee shop in Detroit. Their life together hadn’t always been harmonious, but he’d adored her and spoiled her rotten. Losing him had almost killed her. She’d just begun to recover when tragedy struck again. She’d lost the ones closest to her, not once but twice. She couldn’t lose Caleb, too.

  “Knock, knock,” a voice said.

  Cordelia startled, her heart thumping erratically against her chest. Although the doctor assured her that he’d repaired the damage caused by her heart attack, she wasn’t sure she believed him. Anytime she felt nervous or upset, her hands would turn clammy and her breathing shallow. Twice she’d nearly passed out.

  “Hello,” she said, as graciously as possible.

  “I was looking for Allison and Jake,” the Hispanic minister—Father Avila, she believed his name was—said. “Have they left?”

  “I think Jake and Caleb are loading things up. Allison is gone.”

  He came into the room without her invitation, his hand extended. “I’m Father Ray...or Padre, if you prefer. The last time I saw you, you were pretty sleepy from the pain medication. It’s a blessing to see you looking so fit and lovely.”

  Cordelia felt her cheeks flush. She’d missed the attention she once received from her husband. “Thank you.”

  “Jake tells me you’ll be with the family tomorrow for the festivities. That’s wonderful. I’m sure Caleb will be excited to have you there.”

  “I hope so. I’m beginning to think they might be just as happy to leave me here forever.” Cordelia knew that wasn’t true, but her fears were making her bitter.

  The minister pulled up a chair beside her. He leaned forward and took her hand. “I’m certain that isn’t true, Mrs. Wells. Have you talked to Jake and Allison about your feelings?”

  “No,” she murmured, suddenly ashamed. What was wrong with her? She wasn't normally this bleak and mean-spirited.

  “Mrs. Wells. May I call you Cordelia?”

  She nodded.

  “I’ve spoken to Jake and Ally. They came to me with concerns about how best to help Caleb through this terrible loss. They were both hopeful that you’d be well enough to return home by the first of the year. How has that changed?”

  “Jake is a smooth talker—just like my husband, who passed away four years ago. He could sell coal in the Kalahari. But Jake’s business is in Miami. He can’t stay here forever. What if Allison falls for him and wants to move there, too?

  “Her sister just found out she’s having twins. A childless woman Ally’s age might feel the need to produce a family. How better than to start with an instant child? My grandson. Caleb.”

  She pictured the moment Caleb had run up to Jake and Allison and told them that he wanted them to be his parents forever. Jake had laughed and pulled Allison into a one-armed hug. The three looked like a family, and Cordelia was left on the outside. She couldn’t sit by and let that happen.

  “Maybe I need to contact a lawyer,” she said. “I’m still Caleb’s grandmother, and I’ll fight for my rights, if I have to.”

  Chapter 12

  Allison glanced at the clock on the family room wall. Almost midnight. Pushing back from the square glass-and-oak coffee table at which she and Jake had been working for the past several hours, she dropped to all fours and arched her back, like a cat.

  She’d changed out of her dressy slacks but still wore the festive red sweater Pam had given her last Christmas. The neckline and cuffs were edged in white and three snowflakes made a design in the wool.

  Jake’s low chuckle made her lift her head. “My lower lumbar is killing me,” she explained. “Do you realize how long it’s taken to wrap presents for one child?” She pointed at the pile of boxes stacked in the corner. “Even he’ll think we’ve lost our minds.”

  “Caleb’s an only child. He’s used to being spoiled,” Jake said from a foot away where he was trying to attach a pair of training wheels to a flashy purple bicycle. “Besides, half of this stuff is from Cordelia. She had three pages worth of items circled in the toy store flyer. I just picked them up.”

  Unwrapped, Allison thought, immediately ashamed of her grumpiness. She was tired and it was past her bedtime.

  As if reading her mind, he said, “If I’d known gift-wrapping was this much work, I’d have paid to have it done. But this is my first hands-on Christmas in I don’t know how long.”

  Intrigued by the comment, she moved closer. Still in the clothes he’d worn at the hospital, a fine wale corduroy shirt of muted gold that had come untucked from his waist, he looked both classy and huggable. He sat cross-legged with tools and instruction sheets spread in every direction.

  “What do you mean by ‘hands-on’?”

  He glanced up from the diagram he was studying. “I usually order everything online and have the gifts sent directly to the person. No stores, no canned Christmas music, no hassle.”

  “That works for adults, but having a little kid to shop for is half the fun of Christmas. I used to buy things for my nieces and nephews until they got older and pickier. Now, I send them money. But with Caleb, Pam always gave me a list of the things he wanted two months in advance.

  “Who else do you buy for?” she asked, her gaze fixed on his hands as he turned the wrench around the nut holding the metal bracket to the bike.

  “This year, my assistant sent baskets filled with champagne, caviar and truffles to my bigger clients and gif
t certificates at the Disney Store to everyone else. One year, I gave coupons to a day spa for couples.”

  “Do you exchange gifts with other friends?” she asked, recognizing a striking similarity in their lives.

  “Only the Rydells.”

  “Me, too.”

  Neither spoke for a few minutes, then Jake made an exasperated huffing sound. “Does this look right? I warned you when the guy at the store said they couldn’t assemble it in time, that I’m not mechanically minded.”

  Allison had supported Jake’s purchase of the compact motocross-styled bicycle only because she knew Pam would have loved it. But privately, she thought it looked like a broken arm waiting to happen.

  “At least you’re not afraid to read instructions.” Smiling at a memory that popped into her head, she said, “My ex and I almost came to blows while trying to build a bookcase in our first apartment. It was funny.”

  “Funny?”

  “Well, not at the time, I guess, but in hindsight...pretty funny.”

  “By that standard, we’re doing great. Not a single cross word or temper tantrum. We make a good team.”

  Allison returned to her seated position and started gathering the little bits of paper and ribbon that were scattered across the table. “Richard said the same thing the other day. I took it as a compliment.”

  He looked up sharply. “That reminds me. Fenniman called while I was picking up the lasagna. He said Rich’s loan was approved. The sale should close escrow early next year.”

  “That’s great. Richard will do well with it. I’m really pleased that you made him keep the Rydell Motors name.”

  “It made sense. Customers know the name so there’s goodwill associated with it. And it will keep the memory of Pam and Ken alive.”

  Jake moved to the other side of the bike. With his back to her, Allison could see his muscles flex with each movement. She remembered feeling that strength when he held her. She closed her eyes and let herself fantasize for a moment what it would be like to make love with him. A sigh slipped from her lips.