Page 78 of The Twelve Months of Christmas
She did, darn it all. There was never a weekend visit when she didn’t make sure to have the kids’ favorite foods on hand. She tried outings to the mall, movie matinees, had even orchestrated a day trip to the historic town of Port Townsend, making sure the family visited the ’50s-style soda fountain there. Where was the formula for success, anyway?
“I’m ready to give up,” she confessed.
He pulled her into a hug. “Don’t. We’ll get past this.”
Maybe. Some kids never stopped hating their stepparents.
She didn’t want to make Travis feel worse, though, so she kept the thought to herself and kissed him.
She also kept to herself the ugly discovery she made the next morning when she went to make coffee. In the canister she found a piece of paper with a note scrawled on it that was hardly a love note.I hate you and so does Dylan, Bella had written. When had she found the time to do that with no one seeing her? The child was a criminal mastermind.
“Be glad it’s not poison,” Sunny told herself.
Except, really, it was. Vitriol from a poisoned pen.
Alden was off on Sunday. He’d gone to his parents’ house to help his dad work on his classic ’50s Dodge Wayfarer, then swung by Safeway and picked up some chips and beer for later in the evening when he had some pals coming over. Once home, it was time to take Buster for a walk.
They were just coming back down the street from Buster’s constitutional when he saw Arianna and Sophie approaching, bearing a foil-covered plate.
“Hi, Alden!” Sophie called and started skipping toward him. “Hi, Buster!”
“Hi,” Alden called in return and thought,Hello, Nurse, channeling Yakko and Wakko fromAnimaniacs. Arianna was wearing a pink top and matching sweater and a skirt that showed off that fine pair of legs. Her lipstick matched that sweater.
“We made deviled eggs,” Sophie told him before bending to pet Buster. “Grammy said we should give you some.”
He half wished it had been Arianna who’d suggested that. “I like deviled eggs.”
“We have way too many,” Arianna said.
“We colored eggs at our party,” Sophie informed him.
“A lot of eggs,” Arianna added with an eye roll.
“Come on in,” he offered.
“Just for a minute,” she said.
“We had a party, and we took pictures with Santa Bunny,” Sophie informed him as they followed him into the house.
“Santa Bunny?” He raised his eyebrows at Arianna.
“Christmas in April,” she explained.
He unleashed Buster, who immediately ran to grab his favorite tug-of-war toy. Sophie followed and they were instantly happily going at it.
“Still maintaining momentum,” he observed. “Except you already had Easter.”
“Yeah, but that’s a whole ’nother holiday. We have to keep the Christmas spirit alive and well.”
“I guess,” he said dubiously.
“Anyway, we’re milking every good moment we can out of this year,” she said, and he saw the dark cloud pass over her features. He also saw the shadows under her eyes.
“How’s your mom doing?”
“Good,” she said.
“And how are you doing?”
