Page 20 of One More Yule Log
“She’s singing ‘Do You Hear What I Hear,’ ‘The Dreidel Song,’ and ‘The Holly and the Ivy.’”
“Neat! A broad range.” Gray settled a little closer. “So you have to tell me all about her friends.”
“Her best friend is Emily. The little girl in the wheelchair. Their best friend is Rachel, the young lady in the big green puffy dress. They are tight. Tight, man.”
“So, are they mean girls?”
Ben pursed his lips. “Not really. More the artsy kids. I have no doubt they’ll be a coven by the time they graduate high school.” He chuckled when Gray hooted, drawing a few stares.
“They do look very stereotypical that way, with the hair colors and all.”
“Right? They’re all good. Emily has MS, so it’s a little scary to have her over sometimes, but her folks always stay close enough, and I’ve known her since preschool, so…” It made him damn proud, knowing that they trusted him.
“Ah, man. That’s a hard row, if she’s that young and it’s that advanced.” When he kinda blinked, Gray shrugged. “I have an aunt who was diagnosed about ten years ago. She’s only like ten years older than I am.”
“Yeah. She was born with it. It sucks big hairy rocks.” Ben thanked God every day that his girl was totally healthy, and he asked the same to help out the kids who weren’t just as often. Emily was amazing, and her parents were just rocking it.
“She looks like she’s a handful. That grin is pure evil.”
As if reinforcing what Gray said, a teacher stopped by the three girls, bending to say something very serious, it looked like.
Liv smiled up, nodding like she wasn’t helping plot the downfall of the modern world. He waved at her, but her eyes lit up when she saw Gray, and she bounced.
“I’ve been replaced,” Ben said dramatically.
“Never happen. She’s mad about you.” Gray’s hand was still on his leg, and Gray squeezed.
“Thank you. I’m a lucky man.” He dared to cover Gray’s hands with his.
“You are! Oh God, look at the snowflakes.” A bunch of kids dressed in snowflake costumes took their places on the stage. They were starting soon. The lights would flicker to let them know.
“Oh, I remember when she was that little! She was a reindeer once…”
“This is amazing. I had no idea this was even here.” Gray was watching everything with a huge smile.
“It’s a specific audience, isn’t it? Parents videoing things for posterity.”
“Well, yeah, but it’s so joyful.” Gray blinked. “Are you not videoing?”
“Emily’s dad Hank gives a bunch of us copies so we can just watch. Cuts down on the competition in the aisle with all the phones too.”
“Oh, wow.” The lights blinked a few times. “That has to mean showtime.”
“It does. Babies first. Are you ready?”
“I am. If I start singing too loud, poke me.”
“Okay.” The lights went down, and he decided full-on hand-holding was called for.
Gray didn’t seem to be arguing. At all. In fact, that rough-skinned hand curled around his, Gray holding on. And the joy in that laugh when the kids began to sing made Ben’s heart smile.
They all sang along, because you had to, right? It was too adorable not to.
The next group up danced, too, all of these little sugar plum fairies turning the wrong direction. Lord.
He applauded furiously as they bowed. Oh, he missed that age. So cute. Not that he would trade his girl now for anything. His little mother who wanted to be a performer.
To be fair, the older the kids got, the better the performances, but there were a few clunkers.
