Page 65 of A Forgotten Heart
Elsie’s hand came to her chest. “Let me catch my breath first. How about a slow one?”
Kaitlyn lifted up the first verse of “O Come, All Ye Faithful,” and one by one, the family joined her.
Except for Elsie. Her smile dipped, a faraway expression on her face as she looked out the window. Was she thinking about when he’d whistled the tune in the clinic, no matter how poorly, while they’d huddled together to stay warm?
Or maybe her thoughts had turned to her real father. Or their time at school.
Whichever it was, an expression of sorrow passed over her face, and Nick’s breath hitched.
Really, they’d been so young in school. Both trying to make adult decisions without really seeing the whole picture.
The more he knew her, the more he understood. For the little girl who’d been abandoned, love had always been conditional. Something to earn.
Once, he had told her he would forget about her, but the truth was he’d never forgotten.
What was he doing? He couldn’t fall for her again.
He tore his gaze away. When he did, he saw Clare watching him with raised eyebrows.
He was making a fool of himself all over again.
Tillie nudged Nick with her elbow. “Come on, Uncle Nick, sing with me.”
They had moved into “O Holy Night” and were almost to the chorus. Nick inhaled, then belted out, “Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices…”
Nick’s voice cracked on the top note, and Patch bolted up from where he’d curled by the door, releasing a long howl that overpowered every other voice in the room.
Everyone froze until Patch’s howl ended and laughter erupted.
Jo gasped for air. “Patch’s voice is even worse than Uncle Nick’s.”
Patch moved forward and nudged Nick’s leg with his nose as if to apologize. Nick scratched him behind the ears. “Take a bow, Patch.”
Patch lowered his front legs and dipped his head.
Kaitlyn pushed up from her chair. “I think it’s time for bed.”
A chorus of “no” and “not yet” rang out.
Clare must’ve also seen how exhausted Kaitlyn looked. “We’ll send them up to bed in a bit.”
Kaitlyn nodded and traipsed upstairs.
As she left, Ben asked, “How did you teach him to do that?”
Nick grabbed a handful of popcorn and helped Ben teach Patch a few basic tricks.
Elsie had distracted the other kids with some paper and pencils at the dining table, something about writing a Christmas pageant.
Once Ben heard that, he tugged Nick over to join in the fun at the table. Nick sidled up to Tillie, who was focusing hard on her paper, her tongue sticking out.
He couldn’t help but observe her shaky letters. Her handwriting was really coming along. Except for one thing.
“Your lower casedshould face the other direction. Like this.” He drew it for her. Then he connected his left-hand fingers with his index finger up, making the shape of ab, then did the same in his right hand, except making ad. “Say the ABCs with me.”
When she saidbhe held up his left-handb, then when she saidd, he held up hisd.
He waved thebhe made with his left hand. “Reading left to right,bcomes first, so it faces this direction. ‘D’ comes second, so it faces this direction.”
