Page 125 of Sin With Me
I kneel in front of him, admiring how thoughtful this is. "This is absolutely precious. Thank you, bud."
As soon as I open my arms, he falls into them. "You're welcome."
"You have no idea how much this means to me."
He pulls back with a toothy grin on his face. "You like it?"
"Iloveit. I'm gonna display it on my kitchen counter so I see it every single day."
"Cool." He flashes a bashful smile.
"What're you hopin' Santa brings you this year?" I ask, wanting to give him something the next time I'm here. He's in second grade, so I assume he's into stuff like trucks and legos.
His gaze falls to the ground and he lifts a shoulder. "I didn't make a list."
"No? Why not?"
"Mama lost her job, and I didn't want her to feel sad."
My heart breaks in two, and I should've known better than to ask. "I'm sorry. I'll see what I can do for her, but in the meantime, what's somethin' you'd like?"
"Um...a bed?"
"What do you mean? Like new sheets?"
"No. I sleep on the couch because my little sister's crib takes up too much space in my mom's room. She has a bed we used to share, but she gets up a lot at night to feed Lily, so I sleep in the livin' room. But the couch ain't that comfortable."
I try not to show it on my face, but I'm absolutely devastated. It's not the first time I've heard their stories, and I always try to help when I can. Miss Tierney warned me not to get too emotionally attached, but when it comes to kids, there's no way I can't.
"Mom!" Sam calls, waving to her behind me.
"There ya are." She gives him a look, then glances at me. "Sorry, I went to change Lily and told him to stay put, but of course, he ran off on me."
I stand, smiling at her. "No problem. He showed me the sweet photo frame he made for me."
"I thought you'd like it." She grins. "He talks about you all the time and gets so excited to see you on the weekends."
My chest aches, knowing he was probably let down at not seeing me yesterday or the weekend before.
I lower my voice so Sam can't overhear me. "I'd like to help with gettin' him something for Christmas, but I don't want to overstep. Please let me know what I can do. For you and Lily, too."
She looks uncomfortable at my offer.
"I know it's not easy accepting help, especially from someone you don't know that well, but I'd like to do somethin' if you're okay with it."
"Like what?' she asks just above a whisper.
"Sam says you're out of a job. We're lookin' for a receptionist at The Lodge in Sugarland Creek. Flexible hours, great pay, health benefits, and on-site childcare. The listin' hasn't even gone out yet, but if you want it, it's yours."
"You're serious?" she asks nervously, shifting Lily to her other hip.
"Absolutely."
She nods frantically, tears swelling in her eyes.
"Great." I smile wide. "I'll let them know to expect you on January second. Enjoy the holiday with your kids, and I'll make sure you have enough cash to cover your bills until then. I'll make sure Santa comes too..." I lean in and say softly.
"You really don't have to do that," she murmurs, on the verge of tears, but she quickly wipes her cheeks.
