Page 98 of Just Say Christmas
“It is,” Tania said, her hand tracing the line of the lace braid Rhys had fashioned in Casey’s shining dark hair. Zora had never seen her mum cry, but now, there were some tears there. “Because I had such a good time building it with my granddaughter, and because this time, I modeled it on my own house. My house with Grandad. It’s my favorite place, you see, so maybe it had to stay in my family.”
“Yes,” Casey said, “because everything in it is beautiful, because you’re very good at making things beautiful. Except your bowl that you dropped.”
“That’ll be beautiful again, too,” Zora’s dad said. “That was my Christmas present to your Nana. Ordered her a new bowl.”
“Dad,” Zora said, “that was so . . .”
“Thoughtful,” Tania said. “Caring. Yes, it was.”
“If you’ve got somebody that good at making things beautiful,” Craig said, “you may want to show her you appreciate it.”
Tania’s face twisted, but she recovered herself and told Casey, “Something else. Something new that I added just for you. See?” She turned the house around. “There’s a mum and a dad and a brother and sister inside, and a nana and a grandad, too, because they could pop by for a visit. And there’s a bunny hutch.”
46
Wings to Fly
ZORA
Their Christmas tea went so much better than Zora had thought it would, and it was also endless. Finally, though, she could stand up and say, “Time for Christmas pudding and crackers!” She just hoped nobody would linger over it.
More time spent. Everybody oohing and aahing over the flaming brandy-soaked pudding Isaiah carried out on its platter, and then there was pulling crackers and donning silly paper hats and reading out riddles until, at last, she was serving out the slices of cake, each with its scoop of hard sauce. Wearing the red dress Rhys had seen her in first on a night when she’d gone out with somebody else, and the pearls he’d bought her to wear down her back, though she was wearing them in front today. And the pearls and diamonds he’d put in her ears last night, more delicate and more beautiful than you could possibly imagine.
She couldn’t wait any longer. She absolutely couldn’t.
Casey said, “I got something!” She dug the tiny silver trinket out of her slice of pudding and gasped, because Casey lived life all the way. “I got the wishbone! It’s, like, magic, because my mom and I used to get the wishbone on Christmas. It means my wish will come true.” She screwed her eyes shut, and you didn’t have to ask to know that she was wishing.
And so was Zora. But maybe, just maybe, she didn’t have to wish. Maybe she’d got her wishes. Maybe they were here.
Luke said, “I got the button. For a bachelor. Well,that’strue.”
Hayden said, “I didn’t get anything.”
“Never mind,” Luke said. “You can share my button.”
“Which sounds improper,” Hayden said, “and, oddly, isn’t. Also, I don’t feel nearly as much like a bachelor today, do you?”
“No,” Luke said. “I don’t. Not oddly at all.”
“I got the coin,” Isaiah said. “For money. It doesn’t really mean anything, because luck isn’t real, but it’s kind of cool anyway.”
“I got the horseshoe,” Tania said, and looked pleased. Nearly glowing. “Good luck all around.”
“Question is,” Craig said, “whether you’ll be sharing that withme.”
“Oh,” she said, “I think I will. I think I will, if you ask.” Whatever had happened after her mum had broken her dish—and Zora would probably never know, because her mum took “private” to new levels—it was something better. Something good. Love didn’t conquer all, but it might conquer this, if they wanted it enough. She hoped they did.
“What did you get, Dad?” Casey asked. “There are only two pieces left. Yours and Auntie Zora’s. But maybe one is left in the pudding.”
“No,” Rhys said, digging through to that speck of red ribbon. “Seems that I got the thimble. What’s that?” he asked Zora.
She smiled, but knew she might be looking misty-eyed. “Household management. Thrift. Economy. Well, technically, the spinster.” He made a face, and she laughed. “Sorry. Not everybody gets the coin.”
“Uncle Rhys doesn’t need the coin,” Isaiah said. “Because he—”
“Yeh, mate,” Hayden said. “We know why. Never mind.”
“I always forget,” Isaiah said. “Why is it rude to talk about money? Money isinteresting.”
