Page 75 of Single All the Way

“Thank you,” I mouthed to him. He winked, and that little gesture melted me.

“Mommy, does Xavier get a prize?” Skyler asked.

“I imagine he gets something,” I answered, remembering when he’d first seen the parade info at Henry’s, “but I don’t know what.” I hadn’t paid attention because it’d been so far out of the realm of possibility in my mind.

“That float is unbelievable,” Berty said, still staring after it with awe.

I was staring after it too, but my attention was locked on the big, sexy elf who’d taken my boy under his wing as if he were his own child. That was even hotter than the fit of the costume or the handsome crinkle at the outer corners of his eyes.

There were only a few more floats and entries after Ben and Xavier’s. A police car pulled up the rear. After it drove past, the crowd spilled into the streets, meeting up with friends and making their way to shops or restaurants or heading home.

Berty sat back in her chair and bent over to collect her blankets. Her grandson’s float had gotten her so excited she’d stood for the rest of the parade, and so had I.

“Best parade ever!” Evelyn declared as the girls showed off how full their bags were. There was enough candy to keep Joella Livingston, the town dentist, in business for the next fifty years.

As we mixed with the masses, I texted Ben to find out if we could meet up with him and Xavier and Betty and Esmerelda. I couldn’t wait to hug my boy and congratulate him. I was dying to know how much of it had been his idea and how much Ben’s.

And Ben… He was getting a special, private thank-you tonight.

“They’re back at the staging area at the high school,” I told Berty and the girls.

“Let’s go see them!” Skyler said.

“I want to go on the float,” Ruby said.

“I’ll walk with you as far as my house,” Berty said. She lived two blocks this side of the high school. We’d parked in her driveway, knowing public parking would be at a premium throughout town.

On the other side of the square, we found the mitten float doing a brisk business. The girls chose their mittens, and Skyler picked out a pair for her brother as well. Then we continued to the residential area that led to the high school. At Berty’s house, we hugged her goodbye and promised to pick up our vehicle later.

The school parking lot was a madhouse, overflowing with people, floats, animals, and vehicles. We easily found Xavier, Ben, and the llamas, the animals still on the float, still chomping. The float, Knox’s SUV, and the llamamobile were parked on the street about a half block down, out of the fray, probably for the sake of Betty and Esmerelda.

“Daddy!” Ruby yelled when we were a few hundred feet away.

“Xavier!” Skyler hollered.

“Esmerelda! Betty!” Evelyn called out.

“Girls, we need calm down and not run up to them. We don’t want to startle the llamas any more than they’re already startled,” I told them.

I was bursting with as much energy and enthusiasm as they were, itching to run into Ben’s arms to show him my gratitude, but I did my best to act like an adult, held Skyler’s and Ruby’s hands, and Evelyn held her sister’s as we approached.

“Mom!” Xavier ran toward us, his face lit with pure joy and pride. “Did you see we won? We won! The biggest prize ever!”

He landed in my arms in a giant hug, and I soaked up all his seven-year-old excitement, so absolutely happy for him.

Ben’s girls ran to him for hugs, and Skyler hopped from foot to foot next to us until we pulled her into our hug.

Xavier was too revved up to be hugged for long.

“I’m so proud of you, Xavier! This float is incredible! You absolutely deserved to win,” I told him as Ben and his daughters walked toward us.

“Did you tell them our prize?” Ben asked my son.

“We won a family boating afternoon on a pontoon from McNamara Marina and a two-person kayak and a gift certificate to Henry’s and one for Lake Girl. That’s for you, Mom.” He looked to Ben. “And…what was the other thing?”

“A picnic lunch from Country Market,” Ben said. “We got the grand prize basket, didn’t we, buddy?”

“A boat ride, Mom!” Xavier said. “Can you believe it? We get to take our whole family!”

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