12

Christmas morning dawned bright and clear. Nicole pulled the last of the cookies from the oven and set them on a rack to cool. She wrapped her scarf around her neck and remembered once again the Christmas she’d first received it. As she buttoned her coat, she hummed a holiday tune. Butterflies jumped in her stomach. She hadn’t looked forward to Christmas since she was a child. This year would be different.

She pulled on her gloves and scraped the windshield before heading to the mission.

Russ greeted her with a hug. “About time you got here. I was afraid you forgot about me.” He smiled.

“You’re not an easy person to forget,” Nicole said. “I wanted to finish the baking before coming over. You ready?”

Russ grinned and tucked a small package under his arm. “One of these days I’m going to get myself a car so I don’t need to depend on my daughter to drive me everywhere.”

“I look forward to the day, Dad,” Nicole said. They drove back to Nicole’s apartment, and when she opened the door, the combined smells of four different types of cookies wafted out.

“Did a bakery explode in here?” Russ asked. “What’s with all the cookies?”

“I’m giving them to Michael’s family,” Nicole said.

“What about your dear old dad?” Russ asked.

“There are enough to share with you,” she said with a smile. “Now come on, I have a present for you.” She urged her dad towards the tiny Christmas tree and handed him a wrapped package.

“You’ve done so much for me already,” he said. “You shouldn’t have.”

“Oh, hush and open it.”

Russ carefully peeled back the wrapping paper to reveal a shiny new leather Bible. His eyes grew moist, but he blinked hard and focused on Nicole. “Thank you, pumpkin. It’s perfect.” He slid a small box towards her. “For you.”

Nicole opened the box, recognizing the wrapping paper from the dozens of packages she’d wrapped yesterday at the mission. She gasped at the delicate silver heart pendant with “Daddy’s Girl” written in flowing script. “Oh, Dad!” Tears streamed down her cheeks. “It’s beautiful.”

“It’s the kind of thing I should have given you ten years ago, but I thank you for giving me a second chance to try again to be a dad. I know I blew it, chasing after money when I should’ve been paying attention to you. When I saw this necklace at the mission, I thought maybe this was a way to say I’m sorry. To say I wish I was the kind of dad I should’ve been.”

Nicole fastened the chain around her neck. “I love it. And I love you. Thank you.”

Russ couldn’t hide his emotion. Soon father and daughter were in each other’s arms sobbing. After a few moments, they broke apart.

“OK, enough.” Nicole grabbed a tissue and wiped at her eyes. “I need to pack those cookies or we’ll be late to Christmas dinner.”

She arranged most of the cookies onto a tray and covered it with plastic wrap, but placed several in a plastic container. “You can take those home with you,” she said. The butterflies made a reappearance in her stomach as they headed to the Cavanaughs’ place.

~*~

Michael sat on the sofa in his parents’ living room, his foot bouncing on the carpet. His mom entered the room and studied him. “What on earth is wrong with you? You’re as nervous as a schoolboy.”

“It’s Nicole,” Michael answered. “I want everything to be perfect.”

His mother settled onto the sofa beside him. “She was here a couple of weeks ago. You didn’t seem nervous at all. What’s changed?”

“I didn’t really know her then,” Michael said. “And I’ve already blown it once. I couldn’t stand disappointing her again.”

“She didn’t seem so hard to please to me.”

Michael was quick to jump to Nicole’s defense. “Oh, it wasn’t her fault at all.”

He shared the story of their misunderstanding, and his mother listened intently, shaking her head and making clucking noises with her tongue.

“Seems to me you need to trust people more. One bad experience, and now all women are gold-diggers to you.” She draped an arm around Michael’s shoulders and gave him a squeeze. “You are a handsome, hardworking, good-hearted man. Any woman would be grateful for your attention, even if you didn’t have a dime.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Michael said. “It’s good to have at least one admirer.”

She smiled and hefted herself from the sofa. “Now if you’ll excuse me, dinner won’t make itself. Why don’t you go into the den with the rest of the family?”

Michael glanced towards the front window and his mother shook her head. “Fine. Stay here and wait for your lady friend. But bring them into the den when they get here.”

Michael nodded and continued staring out the front window. He nearly laughed out loud at himself. He was acting like a little boy waiting for Santa to arrive. Nicole was better than a thousand Santas.

Her car pulled in front of the house and Michael’s heart leapt in his chest. He threw open the front door as she and Russ came up the front walk, laden with packages.

“What do you have there?” Michael asked.

“It’s Christmas,” Nicole said. “We couldn’t come empty-handed.” Michael took the packages from her and led her into the den where his father and sisters were playing a new board game.

“Nicole and her dad are here,” Michael announced. He introduced Russ to the family. Within minutes, his dad and Russ were deep in conversation about which football teams had the best chance to make the playoffs.

His mother entered the room, wiping her hands on her frayed apron. She took Nicole’s hands and kissed her cheek. “So good to see you again, dear.”

“Shannon, I’m glad to see you again, too,” Nicole said. “I brought something for you.”

“Well, aren’t you the sweetest.”

“It’s the least I could do. You’re opening your home to us on Christmas. I brought gifts for everyone.”

Michael stared at Nicole. How was this possible? He invited her only last night, and all the stores would have been closed.

Nicole passed out her packages. A new apron for Mom, who immediately removed her worn one and replaced it. Fuzzy socks for the girls, who grinned at Nicole as if she were their new best friend, and a crossword puzzle dictionary for Dad.

“OK, the apron I get,” Michael said. “Mom was wearing that ratty old one the last time you were here, and I guess all girls like fuzzy socks, but how did you know Dad loved crossword puzzles?”

Nicole giggled and pointed to the stack of puzzle magazines stacked next to the recliner. “Not too hard to figure out,” she said. She pointed to the tray of cookies. “Those are for all of you. I figured you got your sweet tooth from somewhere.”

His dad lifted the plastic wrap on the cookie tray and snatched a cookie before his mother could take it away from him. “I promise, I won’t spoil my dinner,” he said, and popped it into his mouth. “Mmmm. Bring Nicole back to see us anytime, Michael.”

Michael stared at Nicole, amazed at how well she already understood his family. She turned to him and grinned, holding out a small package. “For me?”

She nodded, and Michael unwrapped the package. Inside was an assortment of five-dollar fast-food gift cards. He looked at Nicole, confused.

“It’s so you can take me on lots of dates, but not anywhere fancy,” Nicole said, worry crossing her face.

Joy washed over Michael as he got the message. Nicole wanted to see him over and over again, but didn’t care where they went. “I promise not to take you anywhere too fancy. In fact, we were thinking along the same lines. I hoped I’d get a chance to give you this. He picked up a small wrapped box from underneath the Christmas tree. “Open this.”

Nicole tore open the wrapping paper, her eyes widening as she made out the words on the cover of the book. “101 Date Ideas on a Budget.” She laughed, and the sound filled Michael with delight.

“I hope that means you’re open to trying out some of these adventures with me,” Michael said.

Nicole gazed at him, the lights of the tree reflected in her eyes. “I’d love to.”

~*~

Nicole stood staring in Michael’s eyes for so long, she nearly forgot they weren’t alone in the room. A timer went off in the kitchen, breaking the spell.

“That’ll be the rolls,” Shannon said. “Come on, now, all of you. Dinner’s ready, whether you are or not.”

“Oh, I’m ready,” her father said. “Everything smells amazing. I can’t even remember the last time I had a home-cooked meal for Christmas. I wasn’t sure I’d ever eat a meal that wasn’t prison issue or popped out of a can.”

Shannon squeezed his shoulder as she passed. “You’re welcome here any time you like, Russ.”

Nicole’s mouth dropped open. Inviting her dad along with her for Christmas, she understood, but to extend an open invitation a homeless ex-con? What an incredible family. She took her place at the table between her dad and Michael, and they all held hands to pray. Mike’s voice surrounded them with a prayer of thanksgiving for all their blessings and for the miracle of Christmas. After his “Amen,” Nicole’s hands were squeezed by the men on either side of her. She was surrounded by people who cared. She’d finally found what she’d been aching for all her life: Family.