Page 26 of A Second Chance Christmas Kiss

The little girl spoke up. “Mom, I’ll get it for you.”

“Sweetheart, let’s just get yours.”

She couldn’t afford both. Shoot.

“No, Mom, let’s just get this one for you,” the daughter objected.

Emotion filled the back of my throat, and I thought about my own mother and the way she’d always put me first. She’d sacrificed so much to pay for anything I needed. I blinked rapidly and moved to the checkout, knowing what I needed to do.

“No, sweetie, I want to get one for you. Pick which one.”

The little girl frowned and put down the doll she wanted. She pointed to Little Miss Mistletoe. “But I want you to get yours, Mommy.”

The mother blinked rapidly. Oh no. If she cried, I would start crying too.

“Let’s check the price,” I said quickly. “Maybe it’s on a discount.”

The mom hesitated and then handed over the doll.

I turned Rose over in my hands. “Yep, this one is definitely on sale today for half price.”

“It’s okay.” She clearly didn’t believe it. “I’ll have to get it next time.”

“No, Mom, I’ll pay. Take my money.” The little girl handed her mother a twenty-dollar bill and a quarter. “Buy it.”

The mother blinked hard. “Sweetheart, we are just getting you a Christmas doll today.” She reached into her purse to pull out a tissue and accidentally pulled her hair.

Her wig slipped off.

I was shocked.

The mother was too. She gasped and pulled it back onto her head.

“Mommy,” the little girl said. “Are you okay?”

Instantly, I realized too much makeup and the wig on this woman pointed to signs of … cancer.

“I’m fine,” the woman said. She turned to me. “We will just get the Mistletoe doll, please.”

I looked at the register. “Gosh, you know what? I totally forgot today is our ‘buy one doll, get one free’ sale.”

“Yay!” The daughter clapped her hands together as I rang up one of the dolls.

The mother had tears on her blushing cheeks. “Are you sure?”

I bagged both dolls for them. “Of course. I forgot about the sale today.”

The mother wiped her face and held out her card. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”

I nodded and finished the transaction. When I handed over the bag with two boxes, the mother took them.

“Bless you, and Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas.” I smiled as I watched them go. Had I made any money on that transaction? No. But I felt good inside.

They walked out, and I remembered that someone else was in the shop. I spotted Charles by the Christmas display; he was smiling at me.

“What?” I asked him.

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