Valerie didn’t know if she was coming or going on Friday. The last day of the semester was always busy, but with the Christmas break about to start, and the pageant just hours away, the students were anxious and restless. There had been two disciplinary events she needed to manage on top of all her other responsibilities.
But no matter how busy she was, she still took time to talk to Wade when she saw him in the teachers’ lounge. He was a bright and calming part of her day, and even though they only had a moment together, that moment had sustained her through the rest of her work.
If she didn’t have Hailey, she would have stayed at the school after the final bell and worked until the families began to arrive for the evening program—but she did have Hailey and she didn’t want her daughter to feel like she lived at the school. They splurged for supper and went out to eat at a local pizza place and then went home to change into their Christmas pageant clothing. Valerie helped Hailey with her stage makeup and then they returned to the school before anyone else.
Now, as Valerie greeted families as they entered the church for the evening program, she started to let herself think about what would happen after the Christmas pageant, when Wade and his kids came over to her house. She had spoken to him briefly when he arrived at the church, but there was so much to do, they hadn’t discussed anything important.
That would come later.
The church was beginning to fill as people came in out of the snow. Parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, grandparents and family friends were entering the building. Valerie stood by the sanctuary doors, welcoming people as students stood nearby, handing out programs. A large Christmas tree sat in the corner of the foyer and pine garlands hung over the doors. The festive lights added an ambiance to the building that gave Valerie all the holiday feelings she loved.
“Welcome,” Valerie said to the Ashers, a prominent family who lived in a beautiful historic mansion on the banks of the Mississippi River. Several of their children, including Ryan, the student playing Joseph, attended the school. “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas,” they said as they took a program. They visited with Valerie for a few moments and then entered the sanctuary.
Valerie said hello to Knox and Merritt Taylor, whose twin girls attended and were playing angels tonight. She also greeted the pastor, Jake Dawson, and his lovely wife, Kate. Their oldest daughter, Maggie, was a student and would be one of the narrators. Jake and Kate’s triplets, all boys, came in with them, while Kate held their small daughter on her hip.
“We can’t wait for tonight’s performance,” Kate said to Valerie. “Everyone is so pleased with Wade’s job. And the kids seem to really like him. We’re thankful he stepped up to help.”
“So am I,” Valerie said with a smile. Kate had been a Broadway actress before she had come to Timber Falls and sang on the worship team. To know that she was happy with Wade’s job meant a lot.
As they moved past, the front door opened again, and a familiar woman entered with the swirling snow.
“Mom?” Valerie whispered to herself, her heart rate escalating.
Her mom looked around the entry hall with a slight frown, searching each face until her gaze rested on Valerie.
A smile lit up her eyes and she started to move toward Valerie.
Valerie left her spot near the sanctuary doors and met her mom in the middle of the entry hall. Dozens of people mingled around her, some just entering the building, while others were taking off their coats and hanging them in the back hall.
“Mom!” Valerie said, almost speechless. “What are you doing here?”
“I started to feel so guilty about how I left Hailey. The last time I spoke to her, my heart was breaking. I thought it would be fun to surprise her and see her playing Mary tonight.”
“Where is your husband?”
“He stayed in Arizona. I wasn’t sure I wanted him to come. Not because I’m embarrassed or anything,” she said quickly, “but because I thought it would be good to just be the three of us. You know? You, me and Hailey. There are things we need to discuss, and I thought he’d feel out of place.”
“Discuss?” Valerie asked, still trying to grapple with the fact that her mom had come. Why did she insist on surprising and shocking Valerie? Couldn’t she call first?
“I shouldn’t have left the way I did,” her mom continued. “Looking back, I see it was thoughtless of me. But I didn’t want you to try to talk me out of marrying Lyle.”
Several people passed Valerie, smiling their hellos. Valerie didn’t want her mom to say something she should not in front of these people. And the discussion they needed to have would have to wait until later.
Except...
“I have guests coming to the house after the program,” Valerie said, her heart starting to fall. She couldn’t ask Wade to come over now—not like this.
“We don’t have to talk tonight,” her mom said. “I’m planning to stay until Christmas Day. We’ll have plenty of time. I can wait at the hotel and come tomorrow.”
“You don’t need to stay at a hotel.” Valerie was trying to gather her thoughts and make a plan of action. “I have a spare room. You should stay with us.”
“Are you sure?”
“I can’t ask my mom to stay in a hotel when I have room.” Valerie took a deep breath. She’d figure this out. She had to.
“If you’re sure.”
“I am.” Valerie nodded, scrambling to think of a way to make everything work. She wanted Wade to meet her mom, but she needed to explain things to him beforehand. “Perhaps you can take Hailey back to my house after the program. I will need to stay behind to close the building.” It wasn’t quite true since Wade had a key and could close up without her. But she needed some time alone with him to tell him about Hailey. “If you take her to my house, it will give you two time to talk.” She’d find a way to tell Wade then. It wouldn’t be perfect, but it would be necessary. Then he and the kids could come over and meet her mom.
“That will work.” Her mom smiled. She was an older version of Valerie and if anyone saw them together, they’d know they were related. There would be questions—questions Valerie wanted to answer on her own. In her own way.
With a quick glance at the clock, Valerie realized the program was about to start. And she needed to get to the front of the sanctuary to officially welcome everyone.
Valerie walked her mom into the sanctuary and led her to the front where a spot had been saved for the principal. No doubt Hailey would see her mom from the stage and be very surprised. Hopefully it wouldn’t cause her to mess up her lines or her performance—but it couldn’t be helped.
“Have a seat,” Valerie said to her mom and then went to the stage at the front of the room. Her hands were still shaking from her mom’s unexpected arrival, but she took a deep breath and forced herself to become the professional, disciplined principal they had all hired. She had met most of them, but for the others, this was their first glimpse of the new administrator. And she wanted to make a good impression.
“Welcome to the Timber Falls Christian School’s annual Christmas pageant,” she said as the room quieted. “The children have been working for weeks to bring you this performance tonight. They are excited and eager to share this beautiful story with you. The story of the Christ Child’s arrival into our world. May this evening remind you of the miracle of His birth and the joy of His presence in all our lives.” The audience applauded and Valerie glanced to the side of the stage where Wade had appeared.
He smiled at her, and she smiled back, her heart beating hard for a new reason. She hoped he would understand why she had kept the truth from him for so long.
“I would be remiss not to introduce all of you to the man responsible for tonight’s performance,” Valerie continued. “Mr. Wade Griffin graciously stepped into the long-term subbing position when Mrs. Cole was called away. As all of you know from your students, the children have loved having him as their music teacher. And, as all the staff, board members and volunteers at the school know, we love having him on our team. Tonight, each of you will see his love for music and his joy in sharing it with the students. Mr. Griffin?” Valerie waved him over.
He came to the middle of the stage with her, and she couldn’t help but feel a rush of pleasure at the applause he received. He was wearing a pair of slacks, a button-down shirt and a Christmas tie. He looked calm, confident and happy to be there. And when his gaze connected with Valerie’s, she was certain the entire room would see her feelings for him written all over her face. She couldn’t help it. She’d fallen in love with Wade, and it was hard to hide.
“Thank you,” Wade said to her and then to the room, “I am thrilled at the progress I’ve seen in your students. I hope you enjoy tonight’s performance.”
After another round of applause, Valerie and Wade left the stage and he came to the pew to sit with her.
He paused when he saw her mom and she quickly whispered, “My mom surprised us with a visit. I’ll introduce you afterward.”
Wade nodded, but he smiled at Valerie’s mom before he took a seat.
Valerie sat between them as the lights dimmed.
She felt Wade’s gaze on her and turned to him. He had a look of concern on his face. No doubt he had a lot of questions. All he knew about her mom was that she had abandoned Hailey. Valerie tried to smile, to reassure him that everything was okay. Even though she wasn’t sure it was.
The pew was tight, especially with her mom’s unexpected presence—but Valerie didn’t mind sitting so close to Wade. Their shoulders pressed together and neither one shifted to move.
The show began with the narrators coming on stage. As they shared the beginning of the Christmas story, Hailey and Ryan appeared at the back of the sanctuary and made their way down the aisle toward the stage.
Hailey was dressed in a long blue robe with a white shawl over her head. Ryan was dressed in a similar fashion, but he had a staff in one hand while he kept his other arm around Hailey’s back.
When they arrived at the stage, an innkeeper told them there was no room for them, so they found a stable and when the spotlight shifted back to the narrators, Valerie watched Hailey put a doll into the manger. Then she looked up and her gaze landed on Valerie in the front row—and quickly slipped to her mom.
Hailey’s eyes widened, and she looked like she was going to rise and come off the stage, but she must have thought better of it and stayed in place. Since the spotlight was on the narrators, no one would be watching Hailey.
Her mom gave her a little wave and the look of excitement on Hailey’s face was bittersweet. Valerie was happy that Hailey was pleased to see her mom—but, at the same time, she was sad that Hailey never seemed that happy to see her. If given the choice, would Hailey still go back with her mom? Wasn’t the life she had to offer Hailey one that she wanted?
Valerie pushed all those thoughts aside and watched as the pageant continued. There were a few slipups here and there, but it was a beautiful performance—and they had Wade to thank for all of it.
When the spotlight was back on the manger, and the wise men arrived to bring gifts to the Christ Child, Ryan stood up, his face fierce as he said, “Who goes there?”
It wasn’t part of the script—and Wade grew tense beside Valerie.
The first wise man frowned and looked at Ryan, then said, “It’s me—the first wise man.”
Ryan eased a bit and said, “I was just checking. It’s my job to protect Mary and Jesus.”
The crowd chuckled—and then the show went on as planned.
Valerie glanced up at Wade and he smiled down at her before taking her hand into his and giving it a gentle squeeze.
Her heart filled with an intense love and adoration for the man beside her—and she didn’t care who knew.
Wade tried to focus on the Christmas pageant. After all, he’d spent weeks of hard work for this one night. But all he could think about was Valerie’s hand in his. He shouldn’t have taken it—what would people think? Yet—he couldn’t help it. He wanted to touch her, to be as close to her as possible. His feelings for her were so strong and intense, he couldn’t stop them from spilling over into his words and actions and behaviors.
He couldn’t wait for this evening to tell her that he wanted to proceed with licensing and become the permanent music teacher. It might be strange to have Valerie as his boss, but as far as he knew, there were no rules against it, and he loved knowing that his job was secure in her capable hands. He wasn’t intimidated by her authority or troubled by the idea that she had the power to hire and fire him. He trusted her. Completely.
More than that, he was looking forward to this evening because it felt like a new beginning. With her mom’s arrival, he hoped Valerie would finally trust him with her past. He wanted her to feel safe enough to share her pain and heartache. He wanted her to know that he was there for her, to carry the burden of whatever had happened in her life—and whatever was to come.
He hoped she was feeling the same way about him—and the fact that she let him hold her hand was a good sign that she did have the same feelings. He wanted to tell her what was in his heart and find a way forward. The hard part was done—finding a woman he could trust again. Life wouldn’t always be easy but loving her would be and he hoped she’d give him the chance.
The nativity play ended, and all the kids lined up around the room to sing the final song of the night. Wade let go of Valerie’s hand and the two of them walked to the center of the stage. The lights were turned off and the kids began to flip on their battery-operated candles. As the pianist began to play “Silent Night,” Wade and Valerie joined the children to sing the sweet, melodic song. The children’s faces were sweet, and the candles made their eyes shine.
Several people wiped tears from their cheeks as the children sang, and when it was done, the room erupted in applause.
“Thank you all for coming,” Valerie said to the audience. “Merry Christmas!”
The children left their places and found their loved ones in the room. It was loud and chaotic, but parents and grandparents were eager to congratulate their little stars. Issy and Brayden came to Wade as Valerie left his side and joined Hailey and her mom.
Hailey ran up to Valerie’s mom and threw herself into her arms.
Her mom lifted her off the ground and held her tight, closing her eyes.
The look on Valerie’s face was not happiness or excitement—it was a troubled look, filled with a depth of sadness that broke his heart. Had Valerie’s mom come to take Hailey back? Was that why Valerie looked so upset?
A pang of sadness filled Wade’s heart for Issy. What would his daughter think if Hailey left Timber Falls? In Wade’s mind, Valerie and Hailey belonged together. As he pictured a possible future with Valerie, he had assumed that Hailey was part of the package. He hated to think of the gaping hole in all their lives if Hailey left.
“Who is that with Hailey?” Issy asked, following Wade’s gaze.
“I think that’s her mom,” Wade said.
Issy left Wade’s side before he could stop her and approached Hailey as her mom was setting her down.
Wade followed, not wanting Issy to intrude on this moment.
“Is this your mom?” Issy asked Hailey.
Hailey glanced between her mom and Valerie, a strange look on her face. She shook her head. “This is my grandma. Valerie is my mom.”
Wade stopped in his tracks as Valerie turned her ashen face toward him.
And, in a heartbeat, he saw the truth. Valerie was Hailey’s mom—and she’d lied to him.
“Miss Wilmington is your mom?” Issy asked with wide, confused eyes.
“She was young when I was born, so she gave me to her mom,” Hailey said matter-of-factly. “I only saw Valerie at Christmastime, until a couple months ago when I moved in with her.”
“Hailey,” Valerie said in a strained voice. “We can talk about this later.”
Valerie’s mom looked uncomfortable as her gaze swiveled between Valerie and Wade—and then back to Valerie. “You didn’t tell anyone the truth? You led them to believe that Hailey was your sister?”
People were passing by them, some looking like they wanted to stop and talk to Valerie and Wade—but they all continued. It was clear there was tension among their little group.
Tension that was coiling so tight inside Wade, he felt like he had been punched. Why had Valerie misled him? Especially when he had told her how much he valued truth? No wonder she avoided telling him about her past whenever he brought it up. He was sick to his stomach at all the lies—all the times she had misled him.
“Hailey wasn’t ready for people to know,” Valerie said in a choked voice. “I wanted—”
“Hailey wasn’t ready, or you weren’t?” her mom asked, clearly disappointed in her daughter.
“I—” Valerie swallowed hard, then turned to Wade, her eyes filled with uncertainty and fear. “I’m sorry.”
He couldn’t even respond. She’d opened a dormant wound that Amber had inflicted with her web of lies and mistruths, leaving his heart feeling raw and battered again. He had trusted Valerie—was about to declare his love for her—yet he didn’t know her. If she couldn’t share one of the most important details of her life with Wade—the fact that she was a mother—then what else might she be hiding?
“Issy,” Wade said, “get your coat. We need to leave.”
Valerie stepped forward. “Please—can we go somewhere and talk?”
His back was rigid as he addressed her. “I don’t have anything to say to you, Valerie. And, frankly, whatever you say to me from here on out, I’ll struggle to believe. I think it’s best that I leave.”
“But—won’t you come over?” Her voice was desperate—just like Amber’s had been when she was caught in her lies, and she was trying to manipulate him. “I want to explain.”
He shook his head, but his anger was quickly becoming replaced with a sadness so deep and aching, he struggled to breathe. “There’s nothing you can say that can make this better.” He started to walk away, but turned back and said, “And consider this my resignation. I couldn’t work for someone I don’t trust.”
“Daddy,” Issy said as she tried to keep up with him. “I thought we were going to Hailey’s house tonight.”
“Not anymore, Bug.” He tried to control his voice, but his emotions were getting the best of him. He had to take a second to pull them together before he said, “We need to get home. It’s been a long day.”
He tried to smile at those he passed, but he had to get out of there before he made a fool of himself.
“Daddy,” Issy said as they put on their coats, “what’s wrong? Why are you mad at Miss Wilmington?”
He swallowed the emotions clogging his throat and prayed Valerie wouldn’t come after him. He couldn’t face her—not here, not in front of all these people. He just wanted to get home. To put his kids to bed, and then—he wasn’t sure. He should have known this was going to happen. He had tried to prevent himself from giving his heart to someone who would do this very thing. Hadn’t he learned his lesson from Amber? It was better to not trust anyone—that way, they couldn’t hurt him this deeply.
But it wasn’t just the pain of being lied to—it was the pain of losing something—someone—he had started to dream about. He had loved Valerie, wanted to spend every day with her. Now, it was all gone. In one, simple moment.
“I’m mad because she’s not the person I thought she was,” he said as he opened the back door and led his kids out to his truck.
“Wade!”
His kids were in the truck, and he was about to get in when he heard his name.
It was his mom.
“Where are you running off to?” she asked, wrapping her arms around herself since she hadn’t taken the time to grab her coat.
“I need to get home.”
“You didn’t give Dad and I enough time to find you in the sanctuary. I didn’t get to take any pictures with the kids. What’s going on?”
He took a deep breath, realizing how rash he’d been. He should have stayed to help Valerie put things away and close the church for the night. Granted, there were dozens of volunteers who would help—but he should have been part of the team to oversee it. But he couldn’t face her. He was afraid of what he might say and do—revealing the depth of his pain in front of everyone. Valerie would see that it was taken care of—she would have stayed anyway.
“Tell Dad I’m not taking the job here at the school. I’ll be back to work for the family company the day after Christmas.” Even as he said the words, his heart clenched. This was yet another loss on the pile that was stacking up before him. Another dream that he would have to mourn.
His mom approached and put her hand on Wade’s arm. “What’s going on, son?”
He let out a sigh and shook his head. He trusted his mom—even if she could be controlling at times, she was a great confidante. “Valerie isn’t Hailey’s sister—she’s her mom.”
“Valerie is Hailey’s mom?” Her eyes went wide.
“But she decided to lie to me—and to all of us—and not tell us the truth.”
“Did she say why she lied?”
“Something about Hailey not being ready to tell people—but I know that’s a cop-out. She had ample opportunity to tell me the truth and she decided to let me believe the lie instead. I can’t work for a woman I don’t trust.”
“You’re in love with her.” His mom’s mouth parted. “You are, aren’t you?”
“What does it matter?” He wasn’t going to deny it. “She’s no better than Amber.”
His mom took a step back, shock on her face. “How could you even compare them? Amber was manipulative, secretive, selfish and controlling. She lied to you for years to cover up her transgressions. She deliberately hurt you, and continued hurting you even once you knew the truth. Valerie has done nothing like that. The secret she kept from you was from an event that happened in her life ten years ago. Hailey was thrust upon her without warning a couple months ago, and she was grappling with the truth. I’m sure Hailey was, too—and she didn’t want people to know something about her that made her feel ashamed or different than the other children. You can’t blame her. Valerie was in a tough place, Wade. I think you should hear her out. She doesn’t seem manipulative or selfish.”
He took several deep breaths, knowing his mother spoke truth—yet he was not able to face Valerie. His pain was too fresh—too deep.
“Valerie isn’t Amber.” His mom studied him closely. “What you’re feeling right now is the pain Amber inflicted on you. Her motives and reasons were not the same as Valerie’s. You can’t punish Valerie for something Amber did in the past. Please—don’t throw this new relationship away. Valerie is a wonderful woman and she’s perfect for you.”
He stared at the back door of the church—half hoping Valerie would appear and half hoping he could get away to think and be alone.
“I need to leave,” he said to his mom. “I need some time and space.”
His mom nodded. “I’ll hold off on telling your dad that you’re coming back to the construction company. Take some time to think. Don’t make rash decisions in the middle of your pain.”
“Good night, Mom.” Wade gave her a hug and then got into his truck.
The kids were quiet in the backseat as he pulled out of the parking lot. No doubt they sensed Wade’s mood.
But when they passed by a streetlamp, and Wade glanced into the rearview mirror, he saw tears on Issy’s face.
“What’s wrong, Bug?” he asked his daughter.
“I want to go to Hailey’s house,” she said as she wiped her cheek. “And I want you to marry Miss Wilmington.”
Wade let out a breath. “I’m sorry. Neither of those things is possible.”
It was all he could say.