***
“It’s hospital policy Lola. You know the rules.” Chris said, helping her in to the wheel chair.
“Fine but we’re ditching it in the elevator.” She teased, giving him a wink. He kissed her lightly… absently. The kind of kiss they used to share all the time and the kind of kiss she’d believed they might never share again. Thinking of it now after the week they’d shared in Snowy Pines made it not only unthinkable. It made it unbearable.
“Mommy, all the snow melted already.” Ethan said sadly.
“I’m sorry. But the weatherman says it’s supposed to do more before Christmas. We might get a white Christmas after all.”
“I don’t care. I’m getting a baby sister.”
“Not till school gets out.” Chris corrected.
“I know. Baby Alison is coming when school gets out.” He said with a definitive head bob.
“Can we stop by pediatrics? I want to check on a patient.” Lola asked.
A few minutes later she knocked at the door and saw Florrie staring despondently at the TV.
“Hi Florrie. I wanted to come by and introduce you to my family. This is my son Ethan and my husband Chris.”
Chris and Ethan smiled and waved from the doorway… both ill at ease around patients.
“I thought they were out of town?”
“They came back.” Lola explained.
“I heard you were in an accident.” Florrie asked, looking thinner and more-pale than when she’d last seen her.
“It was nothing major. How’s your arm?”
She shrugged. “My dad still isn’t awake. They’re trying to find someone for me to stay with when I’m released tomorrow. We don’t have a lot of family.”
“Florrie I wish I could tell you that everything is going to be okay, but you know now that things don’t always turn out the way you thought they would. The way you wanted them to. But here’s what you have to remember. There are good people out there who love you just because that’s the kind of people they are. Remember when I told you about that time when my mom was in rehab? Well I met a wonderful woman and she taught me so much about life in just a few days that I could never repay her. And then, I saw her again just recently and she still loved me, and she was still there to help me just like before. She did that just because she’s that kind of person. There are people like that in the world. Never stop looking for those people okay?” Lola pleaded, holding tightly to Florrie’s hand.
“People like you?” Florrie asked, her tough exterior slipping just a little as her lip gave the slightest hint of a tremble.
“I hope so. I hope that more than anything.”
Chapter 6
“Hello, Bedford Falls! Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas, movie house! Merry Christmas, Emporium! Merry Christmas, you wonderful old Building and Loan!” … George Bailey
Josh Callahan walked downstairs and found his wife looking out the window as the first lights of sunrise began to show.
"I guess the warm weather finally broke. The kids will be thrilled to wake up and find snow on the ground a week before Christmas ... even though it’s hardly enough to play in." He added.
Kellany turned and smiled at him with tired eyes.
Are you okay?" He asked joining her at table.
"I'm fine... I just had the strangest dream. It was so real." She shook her head. "Do you remember how I told you about the dream I had before I met you about you and Lola?"
"How you met us in Snowy Pines and Lola was a little orphan girl." Josh recounted with a bemused smile. "Of course."
"Well she wasn't Lola... not our Lola anyway. She was in my dream last night as a grown woman. We were older and I helped her fix her marriage." Kellany explained as pieces came back to her. "She was pregnant, but she didn't want to be. So I told her about..." She stopped and her hand flew to her stomach. "Oh God Josh. I'm pregnant."
"Are you... are you sure?"
"I think so. I'm late. I've been so busy with Zach and Alison coming and going back home and Pax is potty-training and Lola's got this active 7 year old social life. But... yeah I'm pretty sure."
Josh eyed her for a minute. "What are you thinking?"
Her face fell and she sighed and sagged against the table. "That there's going to be another Zach and Alison and if we can help I want to. And I'm swamped at work. And Pax is potty-training and Lola has the active social life of a 7 year old... And I'm 39. I'll be 40 when he's born."
"He?"
"It’s another boy." She said with a shrug. "Don't question the magic of Snowy Pines. Crawford... we'll call him Ford."
"Okay so what did you tell Lola about her unplanned pregnancy?"
Kellany's face split into a smile and her eyes filled with tears. "I told her that the last thing on earth I thought I wanted was to be a wife or a mother... until I crashed my car into a snow bank and woke up in Snowy Pines and met you and her, and I fell head over heels in love with both of you... And I told her that I remembered sitting at my kitchen watching the sunrise over the first snowfall of the year and telling you that I was pregnant again. And I had no idea I wanted another baby... till I saw in your eyes how much you already loved it. And then I loved him too."
When their eyes met again, his were swimming in tears too and he reached for both of her tiny hands with one of his massive ones. "I guess that means we're having another baby Kellany Callahan."
"I love you so much sometimes it takes my breath away."
He grinned and kissed her before pulling away and saying, "I love you too. Even though you're as crazy as my nana."
"I'm not crazy! Lola McCauley is a real person." Kellany argued vehemently.
"Of course she is." Josh said with a smirk as he kissed the top of her head. "Now let's go get the kids up to go play before this melts."
They started for the stairs just as they heard Lola screaming down the hall for everyone to get up and see the snow, and the phone began ringing.
Josh dropped her hand and stopped, "You get the kids. I'll answer."
Kellany topped the stairs and found Lola, long blond hair still in knots, trying to zip a wriggling Paxton with sticky up dark hair into his puffy coat, over his Spongebob footy pajamas.
"Mommy it snowed!"
"I know it did baby girl." Kellany said, the fears of a moment ago melting into giddy excitement. "But let's brush teeth and hair and put on real clothes before our coats and boots, okay?"
Kellany got Paxton dressed and moved on to herself while Lola was finishing up as Josh came into their bedroom and into the walk-in closet where Kellany was quickly dressing.
"That was Eleanor."
"Our caseworker Eleanor? Before 8 am?"
"They have a little girl they need to place. It's an emergency situation. They want to get it nailed down today."
"What's her story?"
"She was in an accident with her parents. Her mother was killed and her father is in critical condition. They don't have any family or anyone willing to take her in. She's had a minor surgery but is okay. I told Eleanor I would check with you and get back to her."
"I don't know."
"Listen Kell, we've got a lot going on right now. No one would blame us for sitting this one out."
"Come on Josh. You know I'm a pregnancy pro. No morning sickness, no swollen ankles, no heartburn. I don't even crave weird food."
"So is that a yes?"
"It's a week before Christmas. I can't say no, can you?"
Josh shook his head. "She's at UMMC. We'll take the kids over to meet her this afternoon. She should be ready to come with us in a couple of days."
Kellany leaned up to kiss him. "I do love you."
"I love you too."
Josh started out of the closet but Kellany caught his hand. "What's her name?"
"Florrie."
“Remember, George: no man is a failure who has friends.”
“Thanks for the wings!”
Love, Clarence
A Letter from the
Author
Dear Readers,
Not ready to say goodbye to Kellany, Lola and the rest of the Snowy Pines characters. Well neither I am. So join me for one more trip into the Christmas village where two friends will finally come face to face and learn the truth about the connection that has always been guiding them – not just to Snowy Pines, but to one another.
And watch as one more young-woman finds herself, her love, and perhaps the home she’s never had, when she gets lost in Snowy Pines!
Merry Christmas – all year round!
Love,
Lisa
A Trip Back to Snowy Pines (Book II in the Christmas Village Trilogy) Page 6