Page 14 of Soldier's Chrismas Hope
“Hey, that’s a monkey,” John-John pointed out as he looked up at the old globe light over the table.
Sure enough, a little toy monkey in a faded red suit hung from the fixture.
Pixie giggled and John-John smiled rapturously.
“That came from the house where I grew up,” River told him, looking pleased. “The kitchen table monkey was always my favorite, so my parents told me I could bring him here when it became my house. And there’s another favorite toy of mine in the room where you’ll be staying.”
“Oh, do you think it’s time to find the bedroom, kids?” Nora asked. “I’ll bet you two are getting awfully sleepy. I know I am.”
Pixie looked torn, but when her little brother nodded, she nodded too.
“I’ll lead the way,” River told them.
He headed up the back staircase and the kids scampered after him.
They trust him already,Nora thought to herself as she followed them.Just like that.
And she couldn’t argue. There was something special about River Young. He could put you at ease in a heartbeat.
“Okay guys,” River told them in the upstairs hall. “Here we go.”
He opened the door to a room with two beds and apretty window seat. Between the beds was a massive wooden train set.
“Trains,”John-John exclaimed.
“We have to ask if it’s okay to play with someone else’s toys,” Nora said quickly.
“Of course you can play with them,” River said right away. “But how about in the morning, when you wake up?”
John-John was already kneeling in front of the trains, his eyes taking them in, but he stood up and yawned.
“Okay,” he said sleepily.
“Good decision,” Nora said, smiling fondly at the sweet boy.
“There are extra blankets in here,” River said, lifting the window seat to reveal the storage underneath.
“A secret compartment,” Pixie exclaimed happily.
“Isn’t that cool?” River asked her, holding the seat open so that she could look inside.
When she was finished inspecting the storage space, he lowered the window seat again and pointed to an extra door on the side of the room.
“Where do you think that goes, guys?” River asked.
“It’s a closet,” John-John said, looking at River like he had lost his marbles.
“Nope,” River told him. “Who wants to open it?”
“Me,”Pixie said.
“Go on,” he told her.
John-John followed his sister, but seemed perfectly content to stay behind her while she opened the mystery door.
“It’s another bedroom,” Pixie announced.
“That’s the room where your aunt is going to stay,” River told them. “It has its own door from the hallway too, but this way you guys can come find her without even leaving your room if you want.”
