Page 47 of Soldier's Chrismas Hope
Maybe when he’s in kindergarten and I’m not paying for preschool anymore we can move to a bigger apartment, closer to one of the nicer parks,she reminded herself.
That was certainly progress. A week ago, she had been wondering how much longer they could even make it in their current place.
She smiled as River demonstrated how to catch a snowflake on his tongue, which sent the kids both darting around trying to catch one of their own. It wascoming down now, but still light, tiny flakes that melted when they landed on her cheeks—the perfect snow for choosing a Christmas tree.
“You okay?” River asked, slowing down slightly to walk beside her.
“This is magical,” she told him. “Thank you so much for making it happen.”
His gaze moved to the kids, and she could see his eyes soften as he took in their joyful antics.
“It’s my pleasure,” he told her, his voice a little husky. “Truly.”
They walked on in companionable silence, enjoying the peace of the late morning.
“Look,” Pixie said suddenly, pointing to a wooden sign in the ground. “That saysbalsam fir.”
“Here we are then, kids,” River said. “We need to choose a tree. Do you want advice on how?”
John-John nodded his head up and down, a serious expression on his face.
“Okay,” River said. “We’re looking for a tree that has nice green needles all the way around. We want it to stand up nice and straight. Nora wants it to be nice and big, right, Nora?”
“Right,” Nora agreed.
The kids were practically wiggling in place with excitement.
“But,”River said. “It has to fit into the house. So when we find a good one, I’ll stand next to it, and we’ll see if it’s taller than my hand.”
He stretched one arm over his head and wiggled his fingers.
The kids took off down a row of trees, chattering excitedly about a tree here and there before scampering around it and then taking off again.
“I feel like I’m in one of those Christmas movies,” Nora said.
“Me too,” River said.
Nora laughed.
“What?” he asked, his tone teasingly defensive. “I watch them with my mother.”
“That’s really nice,” Nora told him.
She desperately wanted to ask him how his private chat with his mother had gone, but she just didn’t have the nerve.
“I’m sorry that was awkward this morning,” River said suddenly, as if he had read her mind. “I meant to let her know you and the kids were visiting. I just hadn’t gotten to it yet. But I should have realized that she might stop by unannounced.”
“Oh, I was fine,” Nora said. It was a little fib, but she certainly didn’t want to make him feel bad. “I hope she was okay.”
“Oh, yeah, of course,” River said.
But his guilty smile told her that he was probably fibbing a little too.
“I guess people are seeing us out together now,” she ventured, vaguely gesturing in the direction of the hayride.
“Nora, we’re not doing anything wrong,” River said, stopping in place and fixing her in his dark gaze. “I know I’m not the one you wish was here, but as long as you’renot ashamed to be here with me, I’ll never be ashamed to be here with you.”
I know I’m not the one you wish was here…
