Page 45 of Shy Santa

“You are very right.” I bopped her on the nose before pulling her into a big hug. “Aunt Shirley is in excellent hands and will always be surrounded by family.”

She laid her head on my shoulder and hugged me back.

“What’s got you two all huggy tonight?” Bear wandered in and wrapped his arms around us.

“Just remembering that family is always around us.” I kissed Alice-Grace’s head. “Now it’s past bedtime.”

“Okay.” She hopped off the stool and I helped her clean up her coloring supplies.

Bear wandered over to the fridge and pulled out a soda. “Go get changed and I’ll be up in a moment.”

“Okay Daddy. Night Addy.” She skipped out of the room.

Epilogue

BEAR

The chilly wind blew through the trees, stirring the new leaves. It was overcast, threatening to rain on us as we stood in the graveyard.

Shirley put up a good fight, but in the end, the cancer took her as its way. It surprised me she lasted till April.

Addy and Ace stood on either side of me, holding on tight, like I was the only thing holding them up. The preacher talked of time and seasons and not always understanding God’s plans for us.

He’s right on that account. I never expected to have a family of my own. I’d been good with that decision. Never knew what I’d missed out on by those choices.

As the casket lowered into the ground, my girls cried quietly into my shirt, and I held them tighter. Wishing I could take the pain of the moment away. Gerald stood next to us. His eyes are red and his face behind his beard splotchy. He turned his head and looked up at the ancient oaks that filled the graveyard.

I tapped Addy on the back and when she glanced up; I nodded at Gerald. She glanced at him before she let me go to hug him.

Gerald wrapped Addy up in his arms and whispered something in her ear.

“Daddy?” Ace said. “Mr. Gerald’s sad. We need to take care of him now.”

My girl, she was way more perceptive than a kid her age should be. The last three and a half months she’d drawn the older couple into our rag tag little family. Latched on to them and refused to back down. I’d worried that we were stepping in where we shouldn’t have, but Shirley insisted Ace was right. We might not have shared blood, but we were family.

* * *

“Uncle Gerald'sstaying in the guest room tonight. I took his keys away after we got home, and he grabbed a bottle of bourbon and looked to find the end.” Addy said, as she snuggled on the couch with me.

Everyone had left two hours ago. Addy had asked to host the wake at my place. She said that Shirley and Gerald's house wasn’t big enough and she didn’t want to use the diner. Didn’t want to associate it with death.

“Sounds good.” I wrapped my arms around her, holding her close. “You seen Ace?”

It wasn’t much past eight, but I hadn’t seen her for the last two hours. She’d been super quiet since we got back before lunch from the graveyard.

“She’s out on the back porch reading. Told her to come inside in half an hour and head to bed.” A sigh eased from her lips as I rubbed her back. “God, that feels amazing.”

The back door opened and closed. I smiled to myself when Ace poked her head into the den. “Night Daddy, Night Addy.”

“Night. I’ll be up in a moment.” I squeezed Addy’s side when she didn’t move.

“Hey Alice-Grace, don’t forget to set your alarm. You and I have plans in the morning.” Addy shifted off me and sat up.

“Okay.” Ace smiled and ran up to her room. Her little feet thudding on the stairs.

* * *

I tapped softlyon Ace’s cracked open door. “Hey all set?”

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