Page 21 of Selah's Wish

“We should start with the closets first,” Amelia suggests. “We’ll need the hangers to put up our new shirts.”

My eyes well with what some would call misty tears, I call it being around too many festive decorations and my allergies paying the price for it. “I’m so proud of each and every one of you. You make a man happy to call you his.”

“We’ve learned by watching you, Pops,” Nitro states, causing me to sniffle much to Selah’s delight.

“Don’t get all emotional on us now, biker man,” she taunts. “You have a reputation to uphold.”

“I’m not emotional,” I rebut, scowling at her.

“It’s okay to feel, Dad,” Hannah reminds me. “It means you care.”

“Whatever,” I huff out. “We got a job to do, ladies and gentleman, let’s get to it. Those bags aren’t going to fill themselves.”

Nitro has more than the girls do combined so we end up needing three trash bags for his room. He’s such a giving kid that he inspects each and every toy and article of clothing before deciding if it should be donated or trashed.

“Will Wyatt and Willow be coming with their toys, Dad?” Nitro asks as he looks at his handheld game he got two Christmases past. He received an updated version of it this year, so he’s not sweating getting rid of the one in his hand.

“I think so, buddy,” I answer. “But we can hold onto that and the games until they get here and know for sure.”

“Okay,” he says, nodding his head as he grabs another bag out of the box and sets it in another corner. We now have three piles growing. One for donation, one for trash, and one for his cousin.

“What size is Willow?” Selah asks me, and as I turn toward her, I can see the cog wheels turning in her brain.

“I’m not sure,” I admit. “It’s why we got them gift cards instead of clothes, remember?”

“I guess we should just donate what we have and start fresh for them,” she concludes, nodding her head.

“A fresh start all the way around might be a good idea,” I say, hoping that the kids aren’t carrying demons with them the way I’m sure Joce does.

“When they get here, we’ll plan a shopping day with the old ladies,” Selah tells me, a little too enthusiastically in my opinion.

I have a bristling feeling my credit card is going to be getting a work out. If I gave a shit about that, I’d hide it from her, but I don’t. Not to mention, she’s got herself a nice little nest egg of her own, she may not even let me pay a single dime for any of it.

“You’re going to let me pitch in for the shopping extravaganza, right?” I ask, giving her a look that lets her know she’s not going to get away with not accepting my help.

“Of course,” she says, batting her eyelashes at me.

I choose not to call her out on her little lie, instead, we continue along this path until all of the rooms, including our own, have been gone through with a fine tooth comb.

“Come on, kids, we’re due up at the clubhouse for family dinner,” I announce, cupping my hands around my mouth so my voice carries down the hallway.

“Coming!” they shout in unison causing Selah to giggle.

“There are times I think they practice doing that,” she tells me. “It’s like a chorus, especially when they’re up to no good.”

“What do you think they’re up to?” I inquire, raising my brows at her.

“They did take Hannah’s new art set into her room earlier,” she reminds me. “They tried to be sneaky, but I saw them.”

I don’t get a chance to reply before they all come into the room, their hands hidden behind their backs. “What do y’all have there?”

Hannah steps forward, and announces, “We didn’t have any money to buy y’all gifts, so we made you both a card.”

Hannah reaches out her hand, shaking a folded up piece of cardstock at me. “For me?” I ask.

“Yes,” she shyly clarifies. When it’s in my hands, she steps back and Amelia and Faye take her place, passing theirs over to me.

I open them in order and nearly drop to my knees.

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