by Jenny Hale
“Okay. Here we go, Sadie!” David pushed off and pulled his legs around Leah’s as they went speeding toward the bottom of the hill.
Leah’s stomach flew right up into her chest and she let out a loud squeal, causing David to laugh. The hill stretched on forever and once the initial drop was over, they were gliding, flying through the snow, his strong arms holding her, his breath in her ear. When it finally ended, she didn’t want him to let go. Unexpectedly, her mind went to Nan and Samuel. Had Samuel ever made her nan feel this way? If so, how had she ever let him go?
David hopped right off the sled without lingering even a second, and she had to get herself together.
“See, Sadie,” he called up, “it’s not that bad!”
Leah stood up, focused on the sled. She turned it around by the rope handle, and started up the hill.
“I think I’m ready!” Sadie called to him. She was smiling, her face so trusting of him that it took Leah aback. She was standing at the top of the hill, bouncing and creating a little spot in the snow from her movements. Leah couldn’t help but notice how perfect this moment between the three of them was.
“You can do it!” David said once he’d reached her. He positioned the sled at the top of the hill and held it steady. “Want anyone to go with you?”
“I’ve got it,” she said, getting on the sled and pulling the rope handle up to her waist. The rails of the sled made little tracks in the fresh snow where she’d wiggled to get on.
“You sure?” David had the tread anchored down with his boot.
“Yes! You can let go!”
David let go and Sadie went sailing down the hill. It was as if Leah were watching an old movie of herself. She remembered how Nan would stand at the top of this very hill, clapping her gloved hands, her poised demeanor not breaking for a moment, but that smile and the look in her eyes giving away her playfulness.
“You’re a natural!” she said as Sadie pulled the sled up the hill.
“Thank you for your patience with her,” Leah said. “That was amazing how you thought to have us go first.”
“Ah, it wasn’t my idea. My mom and my grandmother had to do that for me my first time sledding down this hill. It’s a monster of a hill, and it can be intimidating. I just did what I was taught.”
She thought about how his and June’s connection to the house really was strong, and while she was going to miss it, she was glad it would be taken care of by people who shared its history and truly valued it.
* * *
They’d stayed out sledding until Leah couldn’t feel her hands. When they’d come back, Leah had seen June hurry back up the stairs as if she were avoiding them, and David had bounded up after her to check on her. He came back into the kitchen, pulling his sweater off over his head and Leah gave him a nod. “Who wants hot chocolate?” she asked, pulling a candy cane from a box in the pantry and stirring a fresh cup with it. She added a decadent dollop of whipped cream and shaved chocolate to the top.
“I do!” Sadie said, now wearing her pajamas, her wet clothes from sledding hung over the radiator.
“What’s that you’ve got there?” David asked, sitting down beside her.
“It’s my sketchpad. I don’t know what to draw.”
“Hmm… How about your Christmas list? Have you made one yet?”
“Oh yes! I used to make one with Nan!” She opened her sketchpad and started numbering down the page. She wrote next to number one, a box of pencils. “For writing stories and drawing,” she explained. Then, number two: a new hairbrush. “Mine doesn’t get the tangles out like it used to.”
David chuckled. “Anything else?”
“Maybe one more.” A new book to read.
After delivering the hot chocolate, Leah went into the hallway to take care of the rest of the snowy clothes. They were making an enormous puddle on the hardwoods.
“Those are all very nice presents,” she heard David say. “But what would your dream gift be if you could ask for anything?”
“I never write those down,” she said in a whisper, but Leah could hear it.
“Why not? It’s Christmas. You might get it.”
Leah felt an ache beginning in her temple. She’d always had to try to stretch her dollar just to make the tree look full of presents. She’d wanted to get those big gifts for Sadie, but she just hadn’t been able to. She started mopping the floor. But she stopped when she heard Sadie answer David.
Still in a whisper, she heard her say, “I only put things on my list that I know my mama can afford. It wouldn’t be very nice to ask for something she couldn’t buy me.”
“But what about Santa Claus?” David said.
Her voice was so low that Leah had to strain to hear it. “I think he’s real, but I’m not sure. I don’t get the big things that my friends get, so I think Mama buys them. I don’t know why Santa doesn’t come.”
Leah held on to the mop and took a deep breath. Sadie’s answer broke her heart.
David hadn’t responded right away, and Leah wondered what he must have been thinking. “Well, I think the magic is real. Just for fun, what would you ask Santa for if you could have anything?”
Sadie giggled. “A kitten.”
Leah breathed out, relieved she hadn’t asked for a laptop or a trip to Disneyland, and pleased she’d asked for something so sweet. In fact, while she’d avoided the cost of pet food and vet bills until now, once she’d sold her half of Evergreen Hill, there would be no reason to scrimp and save like that. And actually, now, she could probably afford a trip to Disneyland if Sadie ever wanted one. She peeked in to see Sadie.
Sadie leaned over the paper, her pen with the fluffy, pink ball at the end hovering near where she’d written the other items on her list. She looked up at David. “Maybe I’ll write a kitten.”
“I’m sure you were plenty good this year. And most of the time, things aren’t just given to us. We have to work for them. If Santa Claus doesn’t give you a kitten, it’s not the end of the world, but wouldn’t it be fun to at least ask?”
Sadie’s eyes lit up.
Sadie flipped to a new page and carried on. “Number one,” she said as she wrote the letters, “kitten.” She looked up at David. “Did Santa come while you lived here as a kid?” she asked.
David smiled. “You know, I think he did.”
“I’m worried,” she said, her little eyebrows puckering in trepidation. “What if Santa looks for me but doesn’t know where to find me?”
“I wouldn’t worry,” he said with a grin.
“But what if he thinks I’m still in Richmond?”
“I think he’s always known we’ve spent Christmases here before,” Leah said.
“But it’s different this year,” said Sadie, suddenly looking sad, and Leah knew she was thinking about Nan.
“He knows because he’s always watching. His elves are everywhere. Sometimes, they even leave little trails of glitter. There’s probably some in here right now. You’ll have to look and see if you find any.”
David’s answers were so perfect, so effortless, that Leah almost believed it herself. When he looked up at her, she couldn’t help but smile, despite her own fears.
“I don’t think he’ll bring me my kitten,” Sadie said, her face dropping. “And that’s okay.”
David’s gaze flickered over to Leah and then back to Sadie. “Well, you’ll just have to see.”
Leah thought about ways she could get out and get a kitten on or very near to Christmas Eve. She wouldn’t want Sadie to find it before, but not much would be open when she needed to buy one. Maybe she could call around and find a private residence selling them, and she could pick it up at just the right time.
“Number two,” Sadie said, “I’d like a gymnastics mat.”
A kitten she could manage right now, knowing the money was on its way, but Leah wouldn’t have that kind of money this Christmas unless she signed the contract of sale immediately—not for the quality mat that Sadie’s talent required. But then
she thought, what was she waiting for? She’d made her decision and, Christmas or not, there was no use in delaying the contract any longer.
“David, may I see you for a moment?” she said, beckoning him into the hallway. She looked at him a moment, deliberating one last time. But really there was no other way. “I’m ready to sign the papers for the sale of Evergreen Hill,” she told him quietly.
David looked at her, and she thought she saw concern behind his eyes. “Okay,” he said. “I’ll have my attorney email them over.”
* * *
Leah jumped with a start as she realized she’d fallen asleep. After agreeing to sign, she’d needed to lie down. To her relief, she’d only been asleep for twenty minutes.
She’d gone downstairs but stopped in the doorway of the kitchen. David was sitting beside Sadie and they were hunched over a piece of paper together.
“So when you have to go to the tens place, it’s called ‘regrouping,’” he said to her, his pencil moving on the paper. “Do it like I showed you. If you have three pieces of candy, can you eat seven?”
“No,” Sadie said, turning her head into Leah’s view to look at him, her eyes trusting.
“So regroup the candies in the top number. Isn’t forty-three the same as thirty and thirteen?”
Her eyes got big. “Yes! Thirty plus thirteen makes forty-three! I see!” She bent down over her paper and started writing.
“Now look at the ones place. If you have thirteen candies, can you eat seven?”
Sadie wriggled up onto her knees to be as tall as David and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Thank you.” She buried her little face in his shoulder. With a smile that changed his whole face, David hugged her back, and in that moment, like a perfect snapshot, Leah got a glimpse of what David would be like as a father—his strong arms protective, his doting smile, his gentle demeanor. Leah hung back, getting herself together.
Chapter 15
“Don’t sign the papers, Leah,” Roz said down the phone. After Roz had inquired about Sadie, she’d asked about the house and with Sadie safely downstairs watching television, Leah had told Roz everything. “As much as you tell me how great this money will be, I just don’t believe that you’re ready to give up the plantation. Why don’t I come for a visit so we can come up with something else?”
“We’re still planning to have family Christmas. You know I wouldn’t leave you out of that. Let’s discuss it then.”
“By then it’ll be too late!”
“Roz…” She knew her friend meant well, but tactfulness wasn’t her strong point and she worried about what her friend might say to David. She had made up her mind, and she knew Roz would only make her doubt her decision. But then, Roz always had Leah’s best interests at heart, and even just thinking about it like that made doubt swell in her stomach. “You have to be on your best behavior.”
“Of course, chickadee! No biggie. I need to feel things out so I can help you know your next move. I’ve got to work tomorrow, but I’ll come the day after.”
Leah smiled and shook her head. To be honest, she couldn’t wait to see Roz.
* * *
“Do you want to hear something that will make you very happy?” Leah said to Sadie after they’d eaten dinner. She’d already told David when they’d been cooking, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to him.
Sadie nodded excitedly.
“I spoke to Roz, and guess what. She’s going to come for a visit in a couple of days!”
Sadie threw her hands in the air and squealed with happiness. “Is she bringing Jo?”
“Yep!”
“Yaaaaay!” Sadie cheered. “I think we should make snow cream for dessert to celebrate!”
“I can’t remember the last time I had snow cream,” David said.
“Should I go out and get us a bunch of snow?” Sadie asked, already running to the hallway to get her coat and hat. Leah grabbed a bowl from the cupboard and handed it to Sadie. Then Sadie flew out the door.
June, who had sobered a little as the meal went on, had excused herself and gone upstairs for the night.
“Do you think your mom’s okay?” Leah asked once she and David were alone.
“She struggles,” he answered frankly, joining her at the island as she cleared dinner dishes. “She isolates herself a lot. She quit her job because she just couldn’t cope with her grief. She and Christine—her friend’s name was Christine—did everything together. She was that one friend my mom would call family.”
“I understand that kind of friend.”
“When she quit her job, she told me she was being pleasant on the surface, but inside, being around everyone was slowly eating away at her until she snapped and quit. I told her never to do that around me—never to pretend.”
“Look at how much I got!” Sadie said, coming in and tracking snow across the kitchen to show them. She hugged the giant bowl as she wobbled it onto the table.
“Wow, that’s a lot of snow,” David said, abandoning their conversation. “What do we need to make the snow cream?”
“Milk, sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt,” Leah said, putting the ingredients onto the island. She put the ingredients into a bowl and whisked them together. “Would you get a measuring cup, please?” she asked David.
David handed it to her, both of them giving in wholeheartedly to the task at hand.
“David, will you eat some?” Sadie asked.
“Of course,” he said, pulling a chair over to the island so she could climb up and see a little better.
Leah handed her the measuring cup. “Remember how we did this last year with Nan? I need eight scoops, one at a time.” She continued to whisk very gently as Sadie dropped lumps of snow into the mixture. Before long, it was a bowl of creamy, icy goodness. “What should we put on top, Sadie? There are sprinkles, M&Ms, or mini chocolate chips in the pantry.”
“Mini chocolate chips and M&Ms!”
“That sounds tasty,” David said.
“Do David’s bowl first, Mama! I want him to try it!”
Leah set out three bowls in a row and filled them each to the brim. “I have a can of whipped cream in the fridge. Who wants some?” She laughed when both David and Sadie raised their hands. She got it out along with the chocolate chips and M&Ms. “Everyone can top their own bowl. How about that?”
Sadie shook the can of whipped cream and pointed the spout at her bowl, but her hands were small, and the can was too big to maintain control. She pressed, the spout slipping from under her finger and sending a blob of whipped cream onto the counter.
“Oh!” both Leah and Sadie said at the same time. Leah wiped the counter with a towel. “Maybe I should do the whipped cream,” she said with a laugh. Sadie handed her the can.
“Remember that time Nan got us to try to catch M&Ms in each other’s mouths?” Sadie doubled over laughing, nearly falling off the chair.
“She did what?” David asked.
“I tried to throw an M&M into Mama’s mouth and then I gave her one and she tried to get it into mine.”
“Did anyone actually catch one?”
“Yes! We both did!” Sadie turned to Leah. “Mama, try with David! See if he can catch one.”
Leah reached her hand into the bag, unable to hide her grin.
He looked at her, unsure.
“What? You don’t trust me?” she said, her grin widening.
“Do it! Do it! Do it!” Sadie called out.
“Okay, fine.”
David opened his mouth. Leah tossed an M&M, hitting just under David’s eye. With a laugh, he caught it in his hand and popped it into his mouth.
“My turn,” he said.
With mock annoyance, Leah handed over the bag. Sadie was now sitting cross-legged, eating her snow cream and watching like a spectator. She’d already added the chocolate chips.
“Okay. Ready?”
Leah opened her mouth, and in a split second, the M&M came sailing in. Surprised, she closed her mouth, and chewed.
“I need to redeem myself,” Leah said. “Hand over the candy.”
“Oh no. You’re not getting another chance at my face,” he teased, holding the bag in the air.
“Hand it over or I’m coming over there to get it. I can do it! Can’t I, Sadie?”
“She can. You ought to give her another chance.” Sadie took a bite of her snow cream, what was left now a soupy mush with floating chocolate chips in the bottom of her bowl.
David handed the bag to Leah. “One shot,” he said and then dramatically grabbed the counter for support, making Sadie laugh.
Leah rolled her eyes. “Open up!” she said in a sing-songy voice. David complied. She aimed. She shot. And to her surprise, she got an M&M right into his mouth.
“One to one!” Sadie giggled. Then she switched her bowl with Leah’s and took another bite.
“Hey, that’s my bowl!” Leah teased.
David walked around to her side. “It’s okay. You and I can share.” He scooped some fresh snow cream into his bowl. “Would you like M&Ms on it or have you had enough?”
“One can never have too many M&Ms.”
He covered the top of the snow with whipped cream and added the candy. “Chocolate chips?”
“Yes, please. Lots of chocolate chips.”
When he’d finished topping the snow cream, he filled the spoon and held it out to her. She took a bite. “Yummy.” Then he got a bite for himself.
“Isn’t that game fun, David?” Sadie said.
He nodded with a smile, taking another bite of snow cream.
Chapter 16
Leah sat with her third cup of coffee steaming in one of Nan’s Christmas mugs—it was brown with a red dot and the handle was a reindeer antler. She’d been up half the night, thinking about everything. She’d thought a lot about Nan’s last message of regrets and the man named Samuel who, from his letters, seemed to love her so much. She couldn’t wait till Roz was here and she could talk everything out in a big swirling mess of sadness, excitement, and confusion.